Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 16:10, Lev. 27:30, Gen. 22:1-12, Heb. 12:2, Luke 11:42, Heb. 7:2-10, Nehemiah 13. Memory Text: “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15). What is an honest heart, and how is it revealed? Contemporary culture often … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Another mark of a good steward is individual accountability. “It has ever been the design of Satan to draw the minds of the people from Jesus to man, and to destroy individual accountability. Satan failed in his design when he tempted the Son of God; but he succeeded better when he came to fallen … Continue reading –>
Read Luke 16:10-12. What does this teach us about being trustworthy? Why is this trait so important for a faithful steward? This principle of trustworthiness is seen all through the Bible. For example, in one story four chief Levite gatekeepers were entrusted to protect the Old Testament sanctuary at night. They were to guard the rooms … Continue reading –>
Abel obediently knelt at his altar, holding the lamb offering as God commanded. Cain, on the other hand, furiously knelt at his altar holding the fruit. Both brought offerings, yet only one brother had been obedient to God’s command. The slain lamb was accepted, but the produce from the ground was rejected. Both brothers understood … Continue reading –>
There are many precious things that we can possess. Health, love, friends, a great family – these all are blessings. But perhaps one of the most important of all is a clear conscience. Read Hebrews 10:19-22 and 1 Timothy 4:1-2. What does it mean to have an “evil conscience” and a “conscience seared with a hot iron”? Our … Continue reading –>
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24, NKJV). What does this text teach us about the supreme importance of loyalty to God? Knowing that God’s name … Continue reading –>
“Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2, NKJV). To fight and win “the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12, NKJV) is crucial for a faithful steward. “Faithful” is what God is and what we are to become through Him working in us. Being faithful means staying true to what we know … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Heb. 11:8-12; Rom. 4:13, Rom. 4:18-21; Matt. 6:24; Heb. 9:14; 1 John 5:2-3; Luke 16:10-12. Memory Text: “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2, NKJV). Stewards are known by their brand, or their distinctive mark, … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: The word translated as “steward” in a few Old Testament texts comes, not from a single word but from a phrase: asher al bayt, the “one who is on or over a house.” For example, Genesis 43:19 can be translated: “When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the … Continue reading –>
Wise stewards are defined by their willingness to accept and execute the moral principle of personal responsibility. Acceptance of personal responsibility is the choice we make and the actions we take. It recognizes the relationship between cause and effect. Willingness to accept personal responsibility is a key trait that cannot be ignored when we define … Continue reading –>
