Of all the topics that a pastor can choose to speak on, money is one of the least preferred. I get it! It's an intimidating thing to talk about. Most pastors feel ill-equipped to speak on it because they don't feel they know enough about it. Many fear saying the wrong thing or being seen as having the wrong motivation for talking about it. I understand the hesitation to speak on this, but it's the wrong choice because not speaking on it is more damaging to your people than you realize.

There's a huge disconnect between what Christians are instructed to do and what they actually do when it comes to giving. Why is that? Most Christians know the Bible encourages them to be generous, yet a large majority of them give little or nothing at all. Is this open rebellion or something entirely different?

Most pastors struggle to help people when finances are concerned. They shy away from this kind of counseling. If they have any ministry available, it's usually some form of financial assistance program that's ill-equipped to deal with people's real issues today.

"Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" That's an excellent question! Be honest. You've probably asked or thought about that question yourself. In your desire to be good and pleased to God, you've wondered, am I doing the right things to ensure my eternal future?

Financial discipleship, being trained and equipped in God's financial principles to live as a good and faithful steward, is a lifelong journey that requires faithfulness and lifelong devotion.

In westernized cultures today, we have been raised believing that success, wealth, and the acquisition of possessions contributes to our overall level of happiness. Not only are we susceptible to this belief system, but we are targeted by marketing strategies backed by billions of dollars to convince us that what we have isn’t enough.

In the marketplace, outstanding quality and excellent customer service build good reputations. Take either of these two components away, and a good reputation won't be achieved. This is also true for churches.

An all too familiar problem with stewardship ministry is the stigma that the only people who engage in it are those in difficult or desperate financial situations. While teaching the basics of money management is a crucial and integral part of stewardship ministry, there is much more to offer.

It is an odd question for the son of a truck driver, who was the son of a sharecropper, to ask, but the question is valid: "What is the purpose of wealth?"

Most of the wealth people possess is held in non-cash or non-liquid assets, an estimated 90%. Of all this wealth, a significant portion will transfer. The question is, who will receive those assets? Unfortunately, it looks like very little of that transfer will end up going to churches or kingdom causes.

Like most of you, I've been exposed to a steady stream of news concerning the Coronavirus for weeks. I really can't escape it. It's in every stream of media; TV, social media, and every web browser's home page. And, if I’m honest, it's having an impact on me.

Pink Floyd got it wrong when they lyricized that "money is the root of all evil," but they weren't far off the mark. Financial issues are cited as the number one cause of divorce, and having helped more couples work through financial issues than I can count, I've seen how money can be a destructive force in our lives.

A lot of us have had to make the transition to working from home during this crisis. As someone who worked from home for nearly ten years, I have written a list of 10 things that I believe will help you not make some of the mistakes I made (and in some cases continue to make). Not all of these will apply to each of you, but I encourage you to go over the list with an open mind. Ask yourself, if I implemented any of these suggestions, would I be more productive? If the answer is yes, then you know what to do!

Like many of you, the economic impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic has become particularly personal to my family as her company recently notified my wife that her position is being eliminated. Also, although my job as a bank manager is considered essential and I am still employed, my level of stress has dramatically increased as I negotiate the challenges of managing an anxious staff and clients while being available 7-days a week at all hours by phone—the result: much less income, much more stress.

Check out this list of great Stewardship Resources that we have compiled as additional reading and study during the COVID-19 crisis.

We are experiencing unprecedented challenges in our world. The world faces an enemy that has all but reached and affected every county and every population group across the globe, and all within days. The impact of this enemy has affected almost every facet of our lives.

There's no doubt that we are facing difficult times these days with the coronavirus spreading and impacting both the health and financial well being of people all over the world. There are ample reasons to be fearful and experience anxiety during this crisis.

Are people predisposed to being selfish and self-serving? We humans seem to come out of the womb wanting. If you've had to care for a newborn, you understand what I'm talking about. But is that our design, or is there more that explains our selfishness?

You've prepared the right curriculum, got the word out about the upcoming class in every way possible, and the day has arrived. You're waiting with eager anticipation to see the faces of the people that will begin their journey to true financial freedom, but as the class start time draws near, the reality sinks in: no one is coming.

As pastors, we are called to take care of God's flock. The lambs represent people who are young in their faith, and the sheep represent the more mature believers. Our heart should be to provide multi-tiered Biblical Teaching, where some of the content is meaty enough to challenge and disciple the mature believers, and some of the content is proper for engaging the new believer in God's word personally.