Bryan Adams may sing about the “Summer of ‘69,” but for me, the summer of 2009 is the one I’ll never forget. I wasn’t chasing rock and roll dreams. I was chasing a calling. I had just graduated, gotten married, moved across states, and started seminary. Life felt full of promise… until it all started to unravel. In just one year, I saw mentors fall, my father face prison, and my own job disappear. With nothing but a seminary schedule, a new marriage, and an empty bank account, I cried out to God—and He taught me something I’ll never forget.
Money was never meant to be our master. In week one of our series, we looked at how God created money as a resource for His glory and our good. Week two showed how sin distorts that design, fooling us into chasing satisfaction, status, and security in a paycheck rather than a Savior. But this week, we looked at how Jesus redeems it all.
In Matthew 13:44–46, Jesus tells a story of a man and a merchant who joyfully sell everything they have to gain something more valuable: the kingdom of God. That’s the heart of financial peace. It’s not about having more, but about seeing what truly matters.
Like Mary pouring expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet in John 12, true generosity flows from worship, not obligation. It’s not about amounts. It’s about the heart. Even Dawson, my young son, reminded me of this when he whispered during service, “But it’s all God’s anyway, right?”
Exactly. Generosity reminds us that we don’t own anything. We’re just stewards. Whether you’re giving two pennies or two thousand, your gift tells a story of trust.
So, where do you land? Are you a rock, only giving when life hits hard? A sponge, generous under pressure but quick to dry up? Or a honeycomb, overflowing with sweetness no matter the season?
At LifeBrook, we’re here to help you pursue life, not just more stuff. And part of that pursuit is learning to trust Jesus with everything—even our wallets.
Let’s be a church that seeks first the kingdom, because when we do, everything else will fall into place (Matthew 6:33).
