Bible Text: 1 Peter 1:15-16 | Preacher: Pastor Ken | Series: Stewardship
Life is made up of every choice you make, everyday.
Memorial Day commemorates the sacrifice made by many who have given their lives stewarding, the freedoms and benefits provided to us as citizens of the United States.
Stewardship refers to the caretaking of everything God has given to us, and involves the responsibility of managing God’s work and His resources.
Stewarding the Word
God has given us His Word, but we get to choose what we are going to do with it.
John 1:1-4,14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was nothing made that as made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…
2 Timothy 3:14-17  But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, … the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Stewarding Our Relational Resources
Romans 12:5-6  so we, being many , are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: …
Stewarding Our Community Defeating Our Loneliness
There are two powerful benefits that can be gained from being in a healthy community, Acceptance & Affirmation.
1 Corinthians 1:10 I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I’ll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common (The Message).
Stewarding Our Community Defeating Our Loneliness
God allows us to choose how we are going to treat others & how we are going to view/treat ourselves…
John 8:1-11 … When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman… Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you? No, Lord, she said. And Jesus said, Neither do I. Go and sin no more.
Stewarding Our Community Defeating Our Loneliness
Affirmation is encouraging, building up each other.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing
Stewarding with Trust God’s Principle of Multiplication
God gives us the choice to trust Him with our money [our treasure], our time and our talents… or not!
Malachi 3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.
Seek the Lord with All your Heart and Prosper
Being a steward means seeking the Lord with all your heart…
2 Chronicles 31:21 And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.
Seek the Lord with All your Heart and Prosper
2 Chronicles 29:3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord which his father (Ahaz) had closed and repaired them. (Amplified)
We Share Because We Care
Matthew 9:35-38 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
STEWARDING OUR LIVES
So we see from the 10 Commandments to the Psalms and Proverbs, the Law and Prophets, to the life of Jesus, the teaching of the apostles all the way to Revelations – God is teaching us how to “Steward” the greatest power and treasure He has given to us, our free-will, the ability to make choices.
1 Peter 1:15-16 as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”