The Dishonest Manager: Fudging Numbers Can Pay Off! Finally, a Biblical tale that resonates with corporate accountants everywhere! Forget trickle-down economics, this is divine debt forgiveness!
Section 1. Welcome and Announcements
Hey everyone, and welcome! It’s so great to see you all here today, ready to connect with God and each other. We’re like one big family here, and I’m just thrilled to share this time with you.
Now, before we dive in, a few quick announcements to keep you in the loop:
- This Wednesday: We’re having our mid-week Bible study, focusing on practical ways to apply scripture to our daily lives. Bring a friend, and bring your questions!
- Next Sunday: We’re having a special missions spotlight, where we’ll hear from some amazing people doing incredible work around the world. It’s a chance to be inspired and see how we can all make a difference.
- Community Outreach: Don’t forget our food drive for the local shelter! Let’s show our community some love by bringing non-perishable items next week. Every little bit helps.
Section 2. Call to Worship
Let’s turn our hearts and minds to God as we begin our worship today. I want to share a passage from Luke 16, which reminds us to be wise stewards of what we’ve been given. Let’s read together, focusing on how we can use our resources to honor God and serve others.
Responsive Reading:
Leader: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” (Luke 16:10)
Congregation: “So use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.” (Luke 16:9)
Section 3. Opening Prayer
Let’s pray. Father, we come before you today with grateful hearts, thankful for your love and grace. Open our hearts and minds to your Word, and help us to understand how we can be faithful stewards of all that you have entrusted to us. Guide us to use our resources wisely, to bless others, and to bring glory to your name. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Section 4. Praise and Worship
Now, let’s lift our voices together in praise! Our worship team has prepared some beautiful songs to help us connect with God and express our love for Him. Whether it’s an old hymn or a brand-new song, let’s sing from the heart, knowing that God hears our praises and delights in our worship.
Section 5. Scripture Reading
Today, we’re diving into a fascinating passage from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, verses 1 through 13. This story is about a shrewd manager who uses his wits to secure his future. Now, at first glance, it might seem a little confusing, but Jesus uses this parable to teach us some profound lessons about how we should handle our resources and live our lives.
The Shrewd Manager
In this passage, Jesus tells a story about a manager who is accused of wasting his master’s possessions. Facing the consequences, the manager cleverly reduces the debts of his master’s debtors to gain their favor. The master, surprisingly, commends the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. Jesus then uses this parable to encourage us to be just as wise in using our resources for eternal purposes.
Now, let’s read the Word together.
Luke 16:1-13 (NIV)
1 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my management. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 “ ‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.
“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
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? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Section 6. Pastoral Prayer or Intercessory Prayer
Let’s come together now in prayer, seeking God’s guidance and wisdom as we reflect on this powerful message.
Intercessory Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this parable that challenges us to examine our hearts and our priorities. Help us to be wise stewards of the resources you have entrusted to us, not just for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others and for your glory. Give us the discernment to use our wealth, our time, and our talents in ways that reflect your love and compassion. We pray for those who are struggling financially, that they may find hope and provision. Help us, as your church, to be a source of support and encouragement to those in need. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Congregational Prayer Response
Let’s say together: “Lord, help us to use worldly wealth to gain friends for ourselves, so that when it is gone, we will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. Amen.” (Based on Luke 16:9)
Section 7. Offering
Now, it’s time for us to give back to God through our tithes and offerings. Giving is an act of worship, a way to express our gratitude for all that God has given us. It’s not about the amount, but about the heart behind the giving. When we give, we’re not just supporting the ministry of the church, but we’re also investing in God’s kingdom and making a difference in the lives of others.
Let’s pray:
Gracious God, we thank you for the opportunity to give back to you. We dedicate these tithes and offerings to your service, asking that you would use them to bless our church, our community, and the world. May our giving be a reflection of our love for you and our commitment to your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Section 8. Special Music
We’re so blessed to have our talented choir here today to share a special piece of music with us. Their song will help bring this sermon to life and deepen our understanding of the message. Let’s give them our full attention as they minister to us through song.
Bring This Sermon to Life: The Full Teaching and Tools
Ready to dive deeper into the message of Luke 16:1-13? We have tools and resources available to help you apply these principles to your life.
Gain Access to the Complete Short Powerfuls Sermon
Visit our website or stop by the welcome center to get access to the full sermon, discussion questions, and practical tips for wise stewardship. Let’s grow together in faith and make a lasting impact for God’s kingdom!
Bible Study: Unlocking Kingdom Wealth
“The ‘Dishonest’ Trick Jesus Used to Make You RICH…
(And Why Your Pastor Never Told You)”
Hey everyone,
Let me tell you a story about a conversation I had with a friend, Sarah. Sarah’s a single mom, working two jobs to make ends meet. She’s one of the most faithful people I know, always volunteering at church and helping others. Yet, she felt like she was always struggling. She asked me, “Pastor, I give what I can, but it never seems like enough. Am I failing God?”
I thought of the parable of the shrewd manager in Luke 16. Here’s this guy, on the verge of being fired, and he uses his position to cut deals and make friends. Now, Jesus isn’t endorsing dishonesty. But He is pointing to a crucial truth: the children of this world are often wiser in their dealings than the children of light.
What if we started thinking differently about our resources? What if we saw our money, our time, our talents as tools to make a real difference in people’s lives, to build lasting relationships, to point them to Jesus? What if we started using our “worldly wealth” (Luke 16:9) to invest in things that truly matter for eternity?
That’s what I shared with Sarah. We talked about how she could use her talents – her incredible organizational skills – to help the church streamline its outreach programs. Suddenly, Sarah wasn’t just seeing herself as someone struggling to make ends meet. She was seeing herself as a valuable resource, a key player in God’s kingdom. And that, my friends, changed everything.
This Bible study isn’t about getting rich quick. It’s about unlocking kingdom wealth, about discovering the joy of using everything we have to make a difference for eternity.
Listen, I know your time is valuable, and you’re probably bombarded with requests for your attention. That’s why I wanted to make this as easy as possible for you to take the next step.
I’ve poured my heart into crafting this sermon, carefully weaving together biblical truth with practical application. It’s designed to inspire your congregation, deepen their faith, and ignite a passion for serving God. It offers an outline that breaks down the scripture and provides clarity for you. This is the type of sermon that will renew your congregation.
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May Jesus pour his grace upon you and your family as you embrace this special calling in our lives.
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