Matthew 25:14–30 [NLT] Big Idea Disciples are stewards who are held responsible to manage God’s gifts—time, talents, and treasure—with faithfulness & responsibility. 1. Disciples are managers, not . Matthew 25:14–15 (NLT) 14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. Stewardship is about “maximizing God’s glory” through the generous use of His gifts. ~ Sam Storms 2. Faithful management is with even more. Matthew 25:16-17,19-21,29 (NLT) 16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ 21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. God prospers us not to raise our standard of living, but to raise our standard of giving. ~ Randy Alcorn 3. The ‘useless servant’ everything he’d been given. Matthew 25:18,24-29 (NLT) 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. 24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ 26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ 28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 …But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 4. The useless servant is . Matthew 25:30 (NLT) Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ What Now? Recognize God’s Ownership. Invest What You’ve Been Given. Let Your Trust Overcome Fear. *start with tithe giving Live With Eternal Priorities In View. CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION 1. How might recognizing God’s ownership of everything you have change your perspective on how you manage your finances, abilities and time? 2. Have you ever experienced the joy of seeing how your faithful management has contributed to God’s Kingdom? What was that like? 3. Are there any “time, talent, treasure” areas in your life where you’ve been “playing it too safe” with what God has given, rather than stepping out in generous faith? 4. Answer any of the 3 questions below: What is one area of your life—time, talent, or treasure—where you feel challenged to be more intentional in your stewardship? What are some obstacles that keep you from fully investing the gifts God has given you for His purposes? How do you balance the tension between using your resources wisely and taking risks for the sake of advancing God’s Kingdom?