Forest Hills Baptist Church

Bringing glory to God by contending for His truth, multiplying servants of Jesus Christ, and caring for one another.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • New Here?
  • Connect
    • Hub Groups
    • Kids
    • Students
    • 1829
    • Wednesday Family Nights
    • Men
    • Women
    • Missions
    • ESL Conversation Class
    • Olivia’s Gift
  • About
    • Leadership
    • Beliefs
    • Service Times
    • Location
  • Resources
    • Live Stream
    • Sermons
    • RightNow Media
    • Documents and Forms
  • Give
  • The Path
  • Contact

Jesus and Thrift

June 17, 2017 Leave a Comment

3900 E Fulton Addition Renderings

In recent months, we have been developing a facility master plan. And the real rub has come as we have talked about the cost of renovations and the allocation of limited financial resources. There are no easy answers. We are called to be good stewards of God’s resources. And we should feel the weight of these decisions.

But I did want to address what I see as a common misunderstanding in this realm of stewardship. Too often, stewardship has come to mean spending as little as possible. Oswald Chambers was a noted protestant minister in Scotland. He had an ability to express profound truth with an economy of words. Regarding stewardship, he wrote, “Money is one of the touchstones in our Lord’s teaching. Nowadays we are taken up with our ideas of economy and thrift, and never see that those ideas are not God’s ideas.” (The Place of Help, 1028)

Clearly money is important. Jesus spent a great deal of time helping his followers to see that their relationship with money indicated a great deal about their relationship to God (Matthew  6:24). But Jesus never taught his disciples to save and scrimp their resources. Jesus applauds those who distributed/spent money in generous and radical ways. Judas was not impressed with the woman who “wasted” her bottle of expensive ointment on Jesus’ feet (John 12:1-8). But Jesus praised her. The losers in God’s economy are those who bury their resources or simply accumulate to build bigger barns so they can avoid work and pad their retirement accounts.

So as we consider a building improvement or a missions allocation or a ministry initiative, let’s make sure we are asking the right questions. The question isn’t “How can we spend as little as possible?” Instead we ought to be asking, “What is the right thing to do?” “How can we accomplish it in the right way?” “What will bring the greatest impact?” “How can we do it with excellence?”

Pastor Jeff

 

Photo credit: Jeffrey Parker Architects

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Pastor Jeff's Weekly Tagged With: Christian Living, Economy, Money, Stewardship

What to expect when you visit FHBC

FHBC Worship Team
We welcome you to join us for either of our services, and to come as you are!
Learn more about the atmosphere and worship service style at FHBC »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Watch / Listen Online

Podcast and Live Video Stream

The Path

The Path – Forest Hills Baptist Church

An online community where church members can connect with other church members, groups, events, and calendars.

Log on to The Path »

About FHBC

  • New Here?
  • Service Times
  • Our Faith
  • Our Leadership
  • Our Mission

Members

  • The Path
  • Online Giving
  • Photo Directory

COVID Guidelines

As of July 18, 2021, we are lifting all COVID guidelines.

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Forest Hills Baptist Church is a church in Grand Rapids, MI that focuses on gospel-centered teaching, worship, spiritual growth in the context of community, and reaching the world with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Forest Hills Baptist Church · 3900 E Fulton St, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Copyright © 2023 · Log in