Tayler Beede
Today’s guest post is by Jay Link, chief steward of Stewardship Ministries and author of several books, available in the Stewardship Ministries Collection (now on Pre-Pub).
This powerful and unique collection of writings sets the record straight on both the meaning and the application of stewardship in our lives. Tragically, the church has reduced the word stewardship to money and giving, stripping it of its real power and potential to radically transform believers’ lives.
The meaning of stewardship
Consequently, I have felt it necessary to add the word life to stewardship to correctly identify the full scope of what stewardship is really all about. The fundamental concept of Life Stewardship is based on the fact that God owns everything (Ps. 24:1) and we, consequently, are merely caretakers, managers, or stewards of his property—charged to manage every resource entrusted to us according to his wishes.
Eight of the fourteen volumes in the extensive Stewardship Ministries Collection contain 44 chapters/lessons that unpack Life Stewardship and all its ramifications and applications. We are stewards of the gospel, our bodies, the limited time we are entrusted with, our relationships, the material resources we manage, the earth, the talents we have been blessed with—the list goes on. There is not one “room in our house” that is not directly impacted by this foundational Life Stewardship truth.
We believers will universally acknowledge that God owns everything. Yet, the great tragedy is that we still live like we are the owners and the ones making all the decisions. The disconnect between what we intellectually say we believe and how we actually live out our lives is often massive.
Giving in the New Testament
How we give is also radically changed when framed in a context of Life Stewardship. The traditional question is something like, “How much of my stuff am I going to give to God?” The proper question should be, “How much of God’s stuff am I going to keep for myself, and how much am I going to make available for his purposes?” You can see that this latter question changes the discussion entirely. You will come to realize that no one can really be a “generous giver.” We, at most, will only be “obedient couriers,” delivering God’s resources where God wants them delivered. We are just his “mailmen”!
One volume in this collection is a powerful series of six sermons entitled the Better Way Giving Series. Each sermon identifies and unpacks one of the six dominant giving characteristics found in the New Testament. It addresses both the didactic teaching passages on giving and illustrative examples of how believers gave in the New Testament. Each sermon contains a three-point outline, substantial Scripture references, appropriate illustrations, and challenging applications. This series has radically changed how people think about and practice their giving.
Becoming a light on the hill
The collection also contains extensive content directed to people whom the Lord has blessed with material surplus. It provides them with very clear guidance on how to properly and effectively steward the surplus wealth they have been entrusted with.
This collection may be some of the most radical biblical teaching you will ever study. Its content is not for the believer who is content with where they are. It is for the believer who knows there is more, much more, to their walk with the King of Kings than they are presently experiencing. It is for those who are looking for, maybe even longing for, a path that will enable them to break through to new levels of transformational living, empowering them to become a “light on a hill” in the midst of the darkness—allowing the world to see Christ in the flesh, in your flesh.
My hope for you with the Stewardship Ministries Collection is that, after studying it, you will not simply know more about stewardship—you will also be personally challenged and motivated to start living differently. This Life Stewardship collection has the power to totally transform absolutely every area of your life, if you apply its simple yet powerful truths and principles. And once your life has been appropriately transformed, you will be in a position to compellingly invite others to join you!
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Pre-order the Stewardship Ministries Collection today for just $49.95—$20 off the regular price!
Logos Staff
Mary Jahnke
Jennifer Grisham
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