Pastor’s Corner The Flow of Stewardship: God Gives We Receive We Give

Responding in faith to loss and gain is one thing; deliberately framing of a style of life is another. In Christ, we are free to choose new ways of living toward material possessions. … [Stewardship] can be deliberately cultivated as a way of living in hope toward the new creation while still resident in the older order. [It intends] to put a stop to the effects of avarice now…taking God’s side against the demonic power still at work in the world.”

–William S. Stafford

This past Sunday the Scriptures reminded us that giving is at the very heart of God’s relationship with us. God gives. We receive.

Trace the origin of every good thing in your life—your body, your health, your resources, your relationships—and you’ll find all of it has come as gift from the hand of the Father. He gives. We receive. And the next movement continuing this flow of life is to give to God and to each other. Giving is living; living is giving.

Faithful stewardship helps us remain in this flow of giving. It cultivates a faith-full relationship with God, re-orienting us away from dependency on material things toward trust in our Father. Stewards understand that everything we have is gift from the Father, and all of it is to be used in ways that resonate with his values, his purposes, his heart.

Within a few days you will receive a pledge card in the mail, requesting that you ask the Lord to guide you in determining the amount of your pledge toward our 2026 budget. I encourage you to use this as an opportunity to talk with Jesus about your needs and desires for security, for control, and for pleasure. What do your attitudes and actions regarding your finances reveal about where your treasure is, where your trust is?

Then let your decision about giving to Immanuel be an expression of faithful stewardship, stepping into the flow of giving that moves you deeper into grateful, trusting, partnership with the Father whose good pleasure it is to take good care of you (Luke 12).

For the next few Sundays, we will continue to hear from some of our Leaders as they connect Immanuel’s ministries with our mission to offer Jesus’ Refuge, Reconciliation, and Renewal to our world. My prayer is that their stories will highlight how your generous gifts of time, talent, and treasure continue the flow of life from the Father through Jesus into our communities.

Your Pastor in Christ,