How Does God View Money?

Week 8 - How Does God View Money?

Generosity

“Why are we going to talk about Generosity?” You might be asking this question.  We want to make sure we get this conversation right and have everyone on the same page.

Christians are only giving at 2.5% of their income right now. If they would only double this we’d be able to substantially address most, if not all, preventable suffering. That’s particularly helpful as we remember the week 4 conversations. “Where is God in suffering?” Maybe part of the question is “Where are we in suffering?” 

More importantly, money is a sacred idol for most people. That’s true for modern Americans in a society that’s built on capitalism and consumerism. Not that any of that is evil at all, it just grants money a lot of power in our lives. Jesus’ appearance on the planet was perfectly timed, as economies were increasingly moving toward a money-based economy (rather than goods-based) and were more interconnected than ever, His teaching about money was extensive. Look at this quote from leadership and financial teacher Howard Dayton:

Jesus talked much about money. Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables were concerned with how to handle money and possessions. In the Gospels, an amazing one out of ten verses (288 in all) deals directly with the subject of money. The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2,000 verses on money and possessions.

Please show the video below as your introduction to this week's conversation.

Please let us know if you have any additional questions. I appreciate you working ahead on behalf of your groups and all you’re doing! sarooted@usw.salvationarmy.org