Foundations
Living It Out
Faith on the ground: handling money as a steward, standing firm against temptation, sharing your story, and beginning to disciple others. These four sessions turn foundations into a life that bears fruit and passes the faith on.
What you'll learn
- 1
Session 1: Stewardship and Generosity
Handling time, talent, and treasure as a steward, and growing in cheerful generosity.
~50 min - 2
Session 2: Temptation and Spiritual Warfare
The reality of spiritual warfare, the pattern of temptation, and how to stand firm in Christ.
~50 min - 3
Session 3: Sharing Your Faith
Sharing your faith naturally through your own story, and explaining the gospel simply.
~50 min - 4
Session 4: The Disciple-Making Life
Becoming a disciple who makes disciples, and the habits that sustain lifelong growth.
~50 min
Sample lesson
Session 1: Stewardship and Generosity
Stewardship and Generosity
Money is one of the most practical areas of discipleship, and one of the most challenging. Jesus talked about money more than almost any other topic because He knew how easily it could capture our hearts. In this session we'll explore what it means to be a steward rather than an owner.
The Stewardship Mindset
Here's the foundational truth: everything belongs to God. You and I are managers, not owners.
Psalm 24 1The earth is the Lord ’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;Psalm 24:1 · NIV
Your money isn't really your money. It's God's money entrusted to you. Your house, your car, your paycheck, your investments: all of it belongs to Him. You're simply managing His resources.
This shift in perspective changes everything. Instead of asking "How much of my money should I give to God?" you ask "How should I use God's money wisely?"
Time, Talent, and Treasure
Stewardship isn't just about money. It includes everything God has given you:
Time - How do you spend your hours? Are you intentional or do they just slip away?
Talent - What abilities has God given you? Are you using them for His purposes?
Treasure - Your financial resources. Are they building God's kingdom or just your own comfort?
10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?Luke 16:10-11 · NIV
How we handle money reveals what we truly value. It's a test of faithfulness in the "small things" that prepares us for greater responsibility.
The Tithe and Beyond
The Bible introduces the concept of the tithe: giving the first 10% of your income to God. This practice goes back to Abraham and was commanded under the Law of Moses.
10Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.Malachi 3:10 · NIV
In the New Testament, we're not under the Law, but the principle of proportional, sacrificial giving continues. Many Christians see 10% as a starting point, not a ceiling. The goal isn't just to tithe. It's to grow in generosity.
6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.2 Corinthians 9:6-7 · NIV
Notice: God loves a cheerful giver. Giving should flow from a heart of gratitude and love, not guilt or obligation.
Why Give?
Generous giving does several things:
It's an act of worship - Giving acknowledges God as the source of all we have.
It demonstrates trust - Will I trust God to provide when I give away "my" resources?
It invests in eternity - Money given to God's work produces eternal impact.
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.Matthew 6:19-21 · NIV
It breaks the grip of greed - Generosity is the antidote to materialism. You can't serve both God and money.
Practical Steps
1. Give first - Don't wait to see what's left over. Give off the top, as an act of faith and priority.
2. Give regularly - Make giving a consistent practice, not a sporadic impulse.
3. Give proportionally - A percentage (like 10%) rather than a flat amount, so giving grows as God blesses.
4. Give joyfully - Check your heart. If you're giving grudgingly, ask God to change your heart.
17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.1 Timothy 6:17-19 · NIV
1.How does thinking of yourself as a manager (not owner) change your perspective?
2.What fears or concerns do you have about tithing?
3.In what areas besides money is God calling you to be generous?
Write about what it would look like to honor God with your finances this month. What practical step will you take?
That's a free sample lesson. Sign up to complete the interactive workbook and continue the rest of the course.
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