What Did Jesus Teach? is a sermon series on the teaching ministry of Jesus in the Bible. Is money good or bad? What does Jesus teach about wealth? Do you have to be poor to follow Jesus? The disciples were shocked to hear Jesus’ teaching to the rich young ruler. But his teaching reveals the truth about the miracle of salvation. Recorded on February 21, 2021, on Mark 10:17-27, by Pastor David Parks.
What Did Jesus Teach? is a sermon series on the teaching ministry of Jesus in the Bible. Money isn’t everything, but money is definitely an important part of life. And as with all the other important parts of life, Jesus seems to have quite a bit to say about it. Everything comes from God. And we’re called to be faithful stewards, no matter how much we have. God is faithful, even when we’re not. So it’s by his grace that one day we might hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Recorded on January 10, 2021, on Matthew 25:14-30, by Pastor David Parks.
When you have a God-given mission, you need to make a plan to accomplish it. Part of your plan must answer the question: What resources do I need to make this plan work? Once a budget is developed, you very often need to get support from others to accomplish your mission. Asking for time, money, expertise, etc. can be uncomfortable and scary. But with a better understanding of how God thinks about money—and seeing the generosity of God in the gospel—anyone can develop both the courage to ask for support and the freedom to give it.
Theology of Money/Generosity
Every resource comes from God our Creator. (Ps 24:1)
Money isn’t inherently good or evil; money is morally neutral. (1Ti 6:10)
Money is a tool that can be used for good or evil, so use it for good! (1Ti 6:17-19)
Money isn’t a guarantee of happiness or security. (Ecc 5:10; Lk 12:13-21)
You can’t give your heart to God and money. (Mt 6:24)
God normally provides for people through the generosity of…people! (Neh 2:8)
Every good thing in life is a gift of God’s grace. (Jas 1:17)
We see the generosity of God (motivated by the love of God) in the gospel. (Jn 3:16)
This sermon is part of the How Can I Help? sermon series, recorded on Jun 9, 2019, by Pastor David Parks on Nehemiah 2:1-10. Listen/download here:
The Christmas season is supposed to be an opportunity to remember the gift of Jesus by joyfully giving and receiving gifts. But more often than not, Christmas turns into a season of spend, spend, spend which only adds to our already crushing burden of debt. We cannot allow the consumerism and excess of Christmas in our culture to feed the myth that happiness and peace can be bought. Life is not found in an abundance of possessions. This year, let’s conspire together to spend less to free up our resources for things that truly matter.
This sermon is part of The Advent Conspiracy series, recorded on Dec 9, 2018, by Pastor David Parks on Luke 12:13-21. Listen/download here:
Is money good or evil? It’s complicated. The human heart is sticky toward wealth—our hearts easily stick to money for security, status, and hope. But this is not the path to eternal life. However, great good can come from wealth that is used wisely. Being intentional about giving generously guards us against being mastered by our money. And it frees us to use the resources that God has entrusted to our care to be a blessing to others. Opportunity to give generously: Compassion International, releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.
This sermon is part of the Spiritual Habits series. Recorded on Feb. 18, 2018, by Pastor David Parks, from Matthew 19:16-26. Listen/download here: