Moonhee An: Faithful stewards are God’s middlemen

“Faithful stewards know who they are and what they have to do. Living in accordance with the Master’s will, stewards are not more than the middlemen…Therefore, giving is not the floating of money that the rich would easily spare, but the willful privilege for anyone who acknowledges he or she does not own anything they possess…”

Moonhee An in “Philosophy of Biblical Stewardship Paper” dated 29 June 2015 submitted for PT7054: Biblical Stewardship and Christian Generosity class at Torch Trinity Graduate University. To read more insights from my students, check out my recent CLA blogpost: Six Applications from Asia for all Steward Leaders.

Moonhee is from China. She is Korean-Chinese and wrote a great stewardship paper and then mapped an incredible “Rich in Giving” sharing project to help people grow in the grace of giving. Her candid communication style in both inviting and convicting.

Moonhee, thanks for your vision to help stewards be faithful middlemen for the Master!

“We have somehow convinced ourselves that we never have enough and that we are always entitled to more. Thus people accrue debt, spending on things that depreciate in value not simply at death (when we can take nothing with us), but long before that, such as bigger and better televisions and the latest, shinier “iGadget”…

This constant need to have and to spend creates a scarcity mentality. We compare our lives to that of others and feel the need to have a standard of living slightly higher than theirs. To achieve this we go further and further into debt, or if we’re marginally smarter, we hoard and hoard until we have enough to accomplish our next goal…

When we are called to give, whether it is from a church…a missionary that is asking for funds, or a poor person asking for money, we feel that we are not in a position to give. We have obligations first to pay off debts, to provide this or that for our families. We rationalize it away by saying that we don’t trust the possibly corrupt church with our money. How do we know that the missionary isn’t just living in lavish comfort overseas? How do we know that the poor person won’t just waste the money on alcohol and drugs?

But Jesus gave us the simple command, “Give to the one who begs from you and do not refuse from the one who would borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42). We don’t need to worry about these things – God is well aware of the fact that we are handing off the money to imperfect people, who may very well confirm our greatest fears and waste some of our precious earthly treasure. Yet in light of the things that we tend to invest our money into, it is probably more dangerous that it remains in our own hands…”

Matthew Suhocki in “Philosophy of Biblical Stewardship Paper” dated 29 June 2015 submitted for PT7054: Biblical Stewardship and Christian Generosity class at Torch Trinity Graduate University. To read more insights from my students, check out my recent CLA blogpost: Six Applications from Asia for all Steward Leaders.

Matthew is from Virginia, though he lives in Seoul. He cares deeply for the God’s people to be agents of justice and generosity. Coming from the states and having a global viewpoint, he sees through the excuses and believes God’s people must walk in obedience.

Matthew, thanks for so clearly articulating the words of Jesus through the noise of self-talk and rationalization!

“Faithful stewards: (1) love God not money; (2) serve others not ourselves; (3) worry not for our daily bread; and (4) always bless, as God blesses us…Recently an earthquake hit Nepal…people are sick, helpless, and poor. Let us do justice for everyone. Justice reveals the personality of our Creator. Justice includes generosity and sharing.”

Amrit Kumal in “Philosophy of Biblical Stewardship Paper” dated 29 June 2015 submitted for PT7054: Biblical Stewardship and Christian Generosity class at Torch Trinity Graduate University. To read more insights from my students, check out my recent CLA blogpost: Six Applications from Asia for all Steward Leaders.

Amrit is a student from Nepal. He has been equipped to take more than the gospel back to his broken and needy country. He is zealous to raise up stewards who have these four traits and will model Christian generosity and justice in a nation where there are few Christ followers.

Amrit, thanks for rallying us to partner with you to care for the sick, the helpless, the poor, and the lost.

“My understanding of discipleship mostly included being a steward of the gospel and spiritual gifts, those were understood to be God’s and not mine, but for some reason when it comes to goods, I was more apt to claim ownership or live as if I was in charge. So connecting stewardship to discipleship is a huge shift for me.”

Andrew Gu in “Philosophy of Biblical Stewardship Paper” dated 29 June 2015 submitted for PT7054: Biblical Stewardship and Christian Generosity class at Torch Trinity Graduate University. To read more insights from my students, check out my recent CLA blogpost: Six Applications from Asia for all Steward Leaders.

Andrew is a pastor with a clear vision to connect the stewardship if our spiritual gifts and the eternal gospel with the stewardship of our material goods. We must do this, in his thinking, so that God stays in charge and we are found faithful.

Andrew, thanks for urging us to connect stewardship to discipleship!

“We don’t want the church to simply gain knowledge of being good stewards, but to really live it out. Thus, each small group will present a cause that the church is able to contribute towards. Examples of causes could be volunteering at a homeless shelter, raising relief funds for countries in need, or holding a canned foods drive to give to the hungry. The entire body will participate in each of the proposed causes that the small groups bring up. The key is that each group must present specific needs and tangible ways to reach these goals.

For example, one group may come up with the idea of every single person bringing in canned beans on a Sunday in order to donate to the homeless shelter. Or another group may propose the idea of each person sponsoring a compassion child, and showing the church that simply sacrificing eating out once or twice a week can be enough to support a child for a month. The goal is that by the end of these two months, the church has demonstrated in various ways, being stewards of goods that God has given us.”

Eddie Chun in “Resource Development Project” dated 8 July 2015 submitted for PT7054: Biblical Stewardship and Christian Generosity class at Torch Trinity Graduate University. To read more insights from my students, check out my recent CLA blogpost: Six Applications from Asia for all Steward Leaders.

Eddie is on staff at Faith Harvest in North Los Angeles. His desire is to mobilize his congregation to serve as faithful stewards in practical ways. When tips for participating in God’s work are simple and tangible, stewards of all ages and stages of maturity get involved and grow.

Eddie, thanks for sharing your strategic focus for growing faithful stewards!

“We have to consider ourselves as the children of God who are rich. But at the same time we have to remain in spiritual hunger for God and His kingdom while we live on earth. The way to remain in hunger for God is that we trust in not our material prosperity, but in God alone as if we had nothing but God. So, even the richest men should believe that God is their only hope and confidence. We should not be like a foolish rich man in Luke 12:16-21. He stored up things for himself but was not rich toward God. He was searching for security in his hoarded stuff. But we should remember that we can find security in God alone…

We all need to rule over the money and train ourselves in how to use our money wisely and effectively for the kingdom of God, as wealth is the major obstacles in entering the kingdom of God…Meditate on Bible verses about money or wealth and pray to get heavenly wisdom and inspiration about finance every day. Give up the lordship of all your possessions and offer them to the Lord. Start to clear off your debts right now with a little money. Save money to use for the good works. Share money with those whom God takes care of: the poor, the foreigners, the orphans and widows. Plan and manage your finances with the faithful stewardship, and train others in living a simple life.”

Hye Seong Kim in “Philosophy of Biblical Stewardship Paper” dated 29 June 2015 submitted for PT7054: Biblical Stewardship and Christian Generosity class at Torch Trinity Graduate University. To read more insights from my students, check out my recent CLA blogpost: Six Applications from Asia for all Steward Leaders.

Today, Hye Seong helps us see that our growth as stewards requires right thinking and practical training over time. In short, she reminds us that our trust must not be foolishly misplaced, and our actions must reflect biblical faithfulness, and selfless simplicity.

Hye Seong, thanks for urging us to save money not for security but doing “the good works” God has prepared for us to do (cf. Ephesians 2:10)!

“We should practice simply what the Scripture says…Merely talking about this issue is not enough. We must put what we know into practice…For example we can set aside a small amount of money weekly or monthly when we get income…That kind of constant preparation requires effort. There is no true love without sacrifice.”

Eunji Woo in “Philosophy of Biblical Stewardship Paper” dated 29 June 2015 submitted for PT7054: Biblical Stewardship and Christian Generosity class at Torch Trinity Graduate University. To read more insights from my students, check out my recent CLA blogpost: Six Applications from Asia for all Steward Leaders.

Eunji Woo, serves as an assistant pastor of Church For All Nations (CFAN) in Seoul. While this young, international congregation may have minimal financial resources it has been set ablaze linked to stewardship, in part due to Eunji’s passion and practical focus (and her recent sermon on the topic)!

Eunji, thanks for reminding to do what the Scriptures teach and not merely talk about it!

“God loves us, so we can love others. God gives us gifts, so we can serve others. God is generous to us, so we can be generous to others. When we love each other, the world knows the love of God. Generosity is an expression of the love of God. It’s one of the fruit of the Spirit.” By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. Galatians 5:22-23.

SukYoung Kim in “Resource Development Plan” dated 8 July 2015 submitted for PT7054: Biblical Stewardship and Christian Generosity class at Torch Trinity Graduate University. To read more insights from my students, check out my recent CLA blogpost: Six Applications from Asia for all Steward Leaders.

With simplicity, SukYoung communicates how all facets of generosity are rooted in God’s generosity toward us. Our acts of love and service are expressions of His kindness and generosity to the world. My prayer (and SukYoung’s) is that God’s love will shine through each of us today.

SukYoung, thanks for emphasizing that generosity is the fruit of the Spirit!

“The current church faces a dilemma regarding stewardship and generosity…Investments and savings are more valued than giving based on faith and dependence on God. Due to luxury and the church practicing shallow Christian practices, it has become spiritual lazy with material comfort, corruption, and false teachings have pervaded Christianity such as the prosperity gospel. The church has lost much of its influence and are seen as hypocrites by society for its teachings of modesty and lavish lifestyles…The growing crisis is real and it can only be solved through repentance and denying material dependency over God…

It is time for the church to truly be challenged to repent of its material dependence and go back to God through genuine faith and earnest longing to hear and to be used by God. It must let forgo of material dependence and worldly wisdom. Only then can we truly become the church God has called us to be: the pristine bride of Christ and God will answer and provide when we call out. For if we are to be the true salt and light, only through acts of faith can the world truly see that our God is not dead or false, but very alive and eager to show the church and the world what He will accomplish through His divine providence in His perfect time, with or without us.”

Seung Tae Kim in “Philosophy of Biblical Stewardship Paper” dated 29 June 2015 submitted for PT7054: Biblical Stewardship and Christian Generosity class at Torch Trinity Graduate University. To read more insights from my students, check out my recent CLA blogpost: Six Applications from Asia for all Steward Leaders.

Seung Tae, one of my students back in Seoul, states plainly the dilemma and the solution. The church has stagnated because we have shifted our dependence to mammon. He also rightly reminds us that repentance and obedience mark the only way out.

Seung Tae, thanks for reminding us today that God will accomplish great and mighty things “with or without us” and exhorting us to repent of material dependency and instead to place our trust in Him!

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1). What then does it mean to live by this? The key to this is that it means we are tenants, not owners. Compared to modern western culture, this idea is rather foreign. In a cultural context where personal property rights are held in such high regard, it can be difficult to realize fully the implications of this. This verse demands a reordering of thinking. We do not render to God what is ours, but rather God has given to us from what is His…

This is not a renter relationship. I do not pay rent to God, thus giving me special rights to my apartment. God has shared freely what is His. I may receive my livelihood from God’s land, but I am a tenant, not a renter. This distinction is key. As a tenant, I am caring for the land, for the sake of its owner. Thus, the wealth of the land must be spent according to the owner’s wishes, not my own.

The proper acceptance of this is found in Job’s cry: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21) Even in his wealth, Job recognized that it had been given by God, and it was his to give and to take. A proper response to this, is to handle wealth in a manner that: does not view gain and loss with an attitude of entitlement to “our wealth” and reflects the generosity we have been shown, by showing the same to those around us.”

Jacob Schurder in “Philosophy of Biblical Stewardship Paper” dated 29 June 2015 submitted for PT7054: Biblical Stewardship and Christian Generosity class at Torch Trinity Graduate University. To read more insights from my students, check out my recent CLA blogpost: Six Applications from Asia for all Steward Leaders.

Jacob nails it when he depicts our role as tenants rather than owners or renters. In so doing he sets us on a trajectory of faithfulness that steers clear of entitlement thinking and leads us to reflect the generosity we have received. His use of the testimony of Job was spot on!

Jacob, thanks for calling us to reorder our thinking and for charting the course for us to live as tenants for God!