Faithful Stewardship
Embracing the Weight & Wonder of God's Varied Grace
Week 00: Stewarding The Gift of Prayer
This sermon serves as a theological and spiritual on‑ramp to our 2026 sermon series, Faithful Stewardship: Embracing the Weight and Wonder of God’s Varied Grace.
Before launching into our official 8-week sermon series, we began with a prequel: a call to steward the gift of prayer. Prayer is not a spiritual accessory or last resort—it is a gift from God to be received with joy and practiced with consistency. We saw four ways prayer invites faithful stewardship: (1) build it into the rhythm of your day, not just the margins; (2) guard it with watchfulness and gratitude; (3) practice humble dependence through prayer, especially before you feel strong or ready; and (4) let prayer shape the way you live in the world, as a person of grace, wisdom, and presence. We reminded one another that in the kingdom of God, there’s always grace for those who ask.
Week 01: The Invitation to Faithful Stewardship
THIS SERMON SET THE FOUNDATION FOR FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP BY ROOTING OUR CALL TO STEWARD IN THE GOSPEL ITSELF: GOD’S INVITATION INTO HIS PRESENCE AND PROMISES THROUGH CHRIST.
Stewardship begins with clarity on whose everything actually is. We are not owners — we are tenants. And the tragedy of the parable isn’t simply disobedience; it’s forgetfulness. The tenants acted as if the vineyard was theirs to possess. This sermon reframes stewardship as a call to faithful response rather than fearful obligation. God has entrusted His vineyard — His kingdom, His people, His world — to us. And He expects fruit. But even in His judgment, we see mercy: the Son was sent. The cornerstone was laid. The sermon calls us to live lives that bear the fruit of belonging to Jesus — lives marked by responsibility, remembrance, and joy.
Week 02: Stewarding the Gospel Gift
THIS SERMON REORIENTS STEWARDSHIP AROUND THE GOSPEL ITSELF: ACCESS TO GOD’S PRESENCE AND PROMISES IN CHRIST, RECEIVED THROUGH ABIDING RATHER THAN STRIVING.
This week, we explored the foundational reality that stewardship does not begin with doing, but with being—with abiding in Christ. Before we manage anything for God, we must receive what God has given: access to His presence and promises through the finished work of Jesus. The restless ache in every human soul is not a flaw, but a signal—pointing us to the only true source of satisfaction, joy, and peace: life with God. When we try to produce fruit apart from the Vine, we strive and strain in vain. But when we abide—when we remain, stay, and rest in His love—we are filled with the joy and life that only He can give. This is the gospel gift, the fountainhead of all faithful stewardship: not performance, but presence. Not pressure, but promise. The Christian life begins—and continues—not with a to-do list, but with a heart that returns again and again to the feet of Jesus.
Week 03: Stewarding the Gift of the Gathered Church
THIS SERMON HIGHLIGHTED THE LOCAL CHURCH AS A BLOOD-BOUGHT GIFT FROM GOD, GIVEN TO FORM US AS WE FOLLOW JESUS TOGETHER. THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT NEAR BY CHRIST ARE FORMED THROUGH A CONSISTENT, INTENTIONAL LIFE OF WORSHIP TOGETHER—SO LET US PRIORITIZE THE GATHERING OF GOD’S PEOPLE.
The church is not a man-made institution. Acts 20:28 reminds us that the gathered people of God were “obtained with His own blood.” The local church exists because of the cross—and is one of God’s most beautiful gifts to His people. This week’s sermon emphasized that we were never meant to steward the gospel gift alone. In Hebrews 10:19–25, we are reminded that our faith is held fast, stirred up, and encouraged in community—not isolation. The rhythm of Sunday worship and the shape of the liturgy together form us over time. From confession to assurance, from preaching to communion, our weekly gatherings lead us again and again to Jesus. So let us not neglect meeting together, but embrace the weekly gathering as essential—not optional—discipleship.
Week 4 – Stewarding the Gift of Time
THIS SERMON INVITES US TO CONSIDER HOW WE STEWARD OUR TIME THROUGH THE LENS OF THE GOSPEL: AS WORSHIP, NOT AS PRESSURE. ALL OF LIFE—EVERY MINUTE OF IT—IS A GIFT FROM GOD, AND WE ARE CALLED TO OFFER OUR TIME BACK TO HIM WITH HUMILITY, WISDOM, AND LOVE.
This week launched a three-part mini-series within the larger stewardship series, anchored in Romans 12:1–2. Paul urges believers to present their whole selves as living sacrifices—this includes our time. Every moment is an opportunity to worship. Through Ephesians 5:15-17 and other passages, we are exhorted to walk in wisdom, to make the best use of our time, and to reject the cultural pull toward distraction, overcommitment, and hurry. Rather than let our calendars be shaped by guilt, fear, or comparison, we are called to surrender our time to God in ways that are humble, unified in community, and full of genuine love. We were not made to do everything, but we were made to be present—first to Jesus, then to one another. This is whole-life worship.
Week 5 – Stewarding the Gift of Our Talents
GOD HAS FORMED EACH OF US WITH ABILITIES, SKILLS, AND CAPACITIES BY HIS PROVIDENCE, AND HE ALSO EQUIPS HIS PEOPLE WITH SPIRITUAL GIFTS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. NONE OF THESE GIFTS ARE ACCIDENTAL, WASTED, OR GIVEN FOR SELF-PROMOTION. IN CHRIST, EVERY TALENT—ORDINARY OR SPIRITUAL—IS ENTRUSTED TO US FOR THE BUILDING UP OF THE CHURCH AND THE GOOD OF OTHERS. FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP MEANS HUMBLY NAMING WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US, PLACING THOSE GIFTS WHERE THEY CAN SERVE OTHERS IN LOVE, AND USING THEM NOT FOR OUR OWN GLORY, BUT AS JOYFUL WORSHIP FLOWING FROM THE MERCY WE’VE RECEIVED IN JESUS.
In this week of our stewardship journey, we turned to stewarding the gift of our talents, remembering that God desires all of us, not just the parts that feel overtly “spiritual.” Drawing from Romans 12:4–8, we saw that God forms His people through two complementary streams of gifting: talents shaped by providence—skills, experiences, and abilities developed over time—and spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit for the building up of the church. Through stories like Jay Humphrey’s pig farming ministry and biblical examples from Exodus, we were reminded that God does not bypass ordinary abilities—He redeems and redirects them for His purposes. Our talents are not given for self-promotion or ego, but to serve one another in humility, unity, and genuine love. As recipients of God’s mercy, we are invited to name our gifts, place them where they can bless others, and joyfully show up—trusting that in Christ, none of our skills are wasted.