Know: Identify the characteristics of a Christian steward.
Feel: Appreciate the importance of incorporating those characteristics into his or her personal life.
Do: Resolve to take tangible steps to integrate these marks into his or her daily walk.
Learning Outline:
Know: Identifying the Marks of a Steward
What is the substance of faithfulness and loyalty?
What is the essence of integrity?
What is the importance of obedience and trustworthiness?
Feel: Experiencing the Life of an Authentic Steward
How can we foster the replication of authentic stewardship, first in our own lives and then throughout the church?
How can we nurture the maturation of young Christians who genuinely desire to be God's stewards?
Do: Creating an Atmosphere of Stewardship
How can we make stewardship attractive and adventuresome for those who have never experienced it?
How can we illustrate the principles of stewardship so that the picture is clear and not overly complex?
How can we demonstrate the spiritual benefits of authentic stewardship?
Summary: Just as a target provides goals for the archer, so our lesson provides goals for all those who would seek the path of committed stewardship. These marks of real stewardship, when integrated into the life, form the basis for purpose, success, meaning, and a sense of belonging.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1-Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:1, 2
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Faithfulness is a divine requirement. Without it, no human being can achieve lasting peace or enjoy spiritual attainment.
Just for Teachers: Every athletic activity involves certain practices that must be mastered in order to achieve success. These practices are repeated with increasing accomplishment until they are mastered finally. Some skills come more naturally than others, and it is only with great difficulty that we master those that are not innate; but with continued effort, even these learned behaviors can become almost instinctive.
Dan's right-handed sons determined, when they began playing basketball, that they would train their bodies to use their left hands as adroitly as they used their right ones. They not only dribbled the ball left-handed in practice, they ate left-handed, tried to write left-handed, and tried to become left-handed as well as right. Lefthandedness became more normal with each successive effort. In the same way, the characteristics of authentic stewardship may seem distant and hard to achieve now, but with diligent effort, they can become as natural as breathing.
Opening Discussion: Choose a profession or vocation with which class members are familiar. Ask the class to make a list of characteristics that they think a person would need to be successful in that line of work. Then invite them to describe why they think that those things are necessary or helpful. Discuss what might happen if those essential characteristics were missing.
Now make the spiritual application: without being limited by the list emphasized in the lesson, ask class members to develop a list of those characteristics that are essential for the Christian steward. Why are these characteristics necessary, and how do they contribute to achieving the work of a steward? If those characteristics are absent, how is the function of the steward compromised?
STEP 2-Explore
Just for Teachers: This week's study isolates some of the key traits of a Christian steward. Other qualities could be added, no doubt, but our list gives us the opportunity to delve into many of the core requirements for successful stewardship. For the sake of organization, the following commentary uses the following groupings: (a) faithfulness and loyalty, (b) integrity (a clear conscience), and (c) obedience and trustworthiness.
Bible Commentary
I. Faithfulness and Loyalty(Review 1 Corinthians 4:1, 2; Hebrews 11:8-12, 17-19; Revelation 2:10; Matthew 6:24; and 1 Chronicles 28:9 with the class.)
Paul writes, "Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don't even trust my own judgment on this point" (1 Cor. 4:2, 3, NLT). When faithfulness and loyalty are measured, the only opinion that counts is God's. Erring human beings, longing for approval and acceptance, often lose sight of this fact and try to please the church, their friends, their fellow employees, their classmates, or their peers.
Faithfulness, according to Paul, has nothing to do with popularity. It is committed loyalty to God's assigned duties-nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. The fact that we cannot be faithful to both the multitude and our God is as certain as the fact that we cannot serve both God and mammon. Should our eyes become distracted by worldly assessments, we will surely misinterpret God's directives. We may easily pass the world's judgment and still fail miserably to pass God's standard. God's standard requires single-mindedness. David admonished Solomon, " 'As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts' " (1 Chron. 28:9, NKJV).
This attitude of single-mindedness is where Ananias and Sapphira failed. We often forget that they did have God's work at heart-probably better than millions of Christians today who give no thought to supporting God's mission in any way. They were giving a substantial donation to the cause; but they were not giving all that they had pledged. Their loyalties were divided. They were not single-minded. God gets the lion's share, but we also need to be on the lookout for ourselves, seems to be their thought. Split loyalties are unacceptable to God. The rich, young ruler of the nineteenth chapter of Matthew learned this truth the hard way. A willing mind and a loyal heart unconditionally surrendered to God are Christ's absolute requirements.
Consider This: In light of the tragic stories of Ananias and Sapphira and the rich, young ruler, what safeguards should we employ to make certain that we do not divide our loyalties?
II. Integrity(Review Hebrews 9:14; 10:19-22; 1 Timothy 4:1, 2; Romans 2:14, 15; and Psalm 40:7, 8 with the class.)
A clear conscience is the inevitable consequence of one thing: integrity. Integrity is an assessment of completeness and soundness. It may refer to undivided loyalties or to an undamaged state of being. Without integrity it is absolutely impossible to possess a clear conscience. The Greek word from which we derive the English word conscience is syneidesis, a blending of the words syn, meaning "with," and oida, meaning "to know." Whenever the self that we project to the world is different from the person we really are, that crisis of integrity makes us susceptible to psychosis and other forms of mental deterioration, even producing physical symptoms. Happy is that person who is authentic and genuine before God.
Consider This: How does an openness to criticism help validate our integrity?
III. Obedience and Trustworthiness(Review 1 John 5:2; Romans 1:5; 10:16, 17; Luke 16:10-12; and 1 Chronicles 9:26, 27 with the class.)
Obedience is perhaps the purest evidence of trust. J. H. Sammis surely understood that relationship when he penned the lyrics to Daniel Towner's classic hymn "Trust and Obey." Obedience, or doing what another says to do, is based on a trusting relationship with another who has been accepted as an authority.
There is, of course, another motive for obedience beyond trust. That is obedience motivated by fear. If a person is captured by a terrorist, he or she is likely to obey the terrorist out of fear. This form of forced obedience, however, is not the type that sustains the ongoing relationship between master and steward. The trust of which we speak is the result of an ever-increasing relationship built over time. George Beverly Shea, the soloist associated with Billy Graham's crusades, sang, "The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows." Each day that God provides our needs, each day that we study more deeply the price of our redemption, each answered prayer, and each additional moment spent pondering the wonders of creation build and strengthen that relationship.
Seeing a more complete picture of God's character and personality makes it easier for us to trust Him and thus obey Him. Relationships, however, are not one-way streets. Committed stewards first learn to trust God but inevitably order their lives so that God can trust them. This commitment is trustworthiness. It, too, builds over time. God first tests us with small things, but as the relationship grows, He entrusts us with greater responsibilities.
Consider This: How are trust and trustworthiness related?
STEP 3-Apply
Just for Teachers: The indispensable mark of a steward is a relationship with the Owner. It may not be perfect, but it must exist to some degree. If we incorporate the characteristics of this lesson into our lives, we can enjoy the greatest peace and fullest satisfaction that life can supply.
Thought/Application Questions:
What practices might we adopt that would help us trust God more?
What changes might be made so that God could trust us more?
What plans might the church develop to cultivate and encourage both of the above?
STEP 4-Create
Just for Teachers: We have been told that we have nothing to fear except that we forget how God has led and taught us in the past. Because we have established that obedience depends on trust and trust depends on relationship, the final component of the class should review that relationship between trust and obedience, focusing on how God has led us personally.
Closing Activity:
Have the class share personal testimonies of God's leading and instruction, highlighting how this has built trust. Ask members to share how this has encouraged their obedience.
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Key Text: 1 Corinthians 4:1, 2
The Student Will:
Learning Outline:
Know: Identifying the Marks of a Steward
Feel: Experiencing the Life of an Authentic Steward
Do: Creating an Atmosphere of Stewardship
Summary: Just as a target provides goals for the archer, so our lesson provides goals for all those who would seek the path of committed stewardship. These marks of real stewardship, when integrated into the life, form the basis for purpose, success, meaning, and a sense of belonging.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1-Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:1, 2
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Faithfulness is a divine requirement. Without it, no human being can achieve lasting peace or enjoy spiritual attainment.
Just for Teachers: Every athletic activity involves certain practices that must be mastered in order to achieve success. These practices are repeated with increasing accomplishment until they are mastered finally. Some skills come more naturally than others, and it is only with great difficulty that we master those that are not innate; but with continued effort, even these learned behaviors can become almost instinctive.
Dan's right-handed sons determined, when they began playing basketball, that they would train their bodies to use their left hands as adroitly as they used their right ones. They not only dribbled the ball left-handed in practice, they ate left-handed, tried to write left-handed, and tried to become left-handed as well as right. Lefthandedness became more normal with each successive effort. In the same way, the characteristics of authentic stewardship may seem distant and hard to achieve now, but with diligent effort, they can become as natural as breathing.
Opening Discussion: Choose a profession or vocation with which class members are familiar. Ask the class to make a list of characteristics that they think a person would need to be successful in that line of work. Then invite them to describe why they think that those things are necessary or helpful. Discuss what might happen if those essential characteristics were missing.
Now make the spiritual application: without being limited by the list emphasized in the lesson, ask class members to develop a list of those characteristics that are essential for the Christian steward. Why are these characteristics necessary, and how do they contribute to achieving the work of a steward? If those characteristics are absent, how is the function of the steward compromised?
STEP 2-Explore
Just for Teachers: This week's study isolates some of the key traits of a Christian steward. Other qualities could be added, no doubt, but our list gives us the opportunity to delve into many of the core requirements for successful stewardship. For the sake of organization, the following commentary uses the following groupings: (a) faithfulness and loyalty, (b) integrity (a clear conscience), and (c) obedience and trustworthiness.
Bible Commentary
I. Faithfulness and Loyalty (Review 1 Corinthians 4:1, 2; Hebrews 11:8-12, 17-19; Revelation 2:10; Matthew 6:24; and 1 Chronicles 28:9 with the class.)
Paul writes, "Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don't even trust my own judgment on this point" (1 Cor. 4:2, 3, NLT). When faithfulness and loyalty are measured, the only opinion that counts is God's. Erring human beings, longing for approval and acceptance, often lose sight of this fact and try to please the church, their friends, their fellow employees, their classmates, or their peers.
Faithfulness, according to Paul, has nothing to do with popularity. It is committed loyalty to God's assigned duties-nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. The fact that we cannot be faithful to both the multitude and our God is as certain as the fact that we cannot serve both God and mammon. Should our eyes become distracted by worldly assessments, we will surely misinterpret God's directives. We may easily pass the world's judgment and still fail miserably to pass God's standard. God's standard requires single-mindedness. David admonished Solomon, " 'As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts' " (1 Chron. 28:9, NKJV).
This attitude of single-mindedness is where Ananias and Sapphira failed. We often forget that they did have God's work at heart-probably better than millions of Christians today who give no thought to supporting God's mission in any way. They were giving a substantial donation to the cause; but they were not giving all that they had pledged. Their loyalties were divided. They were not single-minded. God gets the lion's share, but we also need to be on the lookout for ourselves, seems to be their thought. Split loyalties are unacceptable to God. The rich, young ruler of the nineteenth chapter of Matthew learned this truth the hard way. A willing mind and a loyal heart unconditionally surrendered to God are Christ's absolute requirements.
Consider This: In light of the tragic stories of Ananias and Sapphira and the rich, young ruler, what safeguards should we employ to make certain that we do not divide our loyalties?
II. Integrity (Review Hebrews 9:14; 10:19-22; 1 Timothy 4:1, 2; Romans 2:14, 15; and Psalm 40:7, 8 with the class.)
A clear conscience is the inevitable consequence of one thing: integrity. Integrity is an assessment of completeness and soundness. It may refer to undivided loyalties or to an undamaged state of being. Without integrity it is absolutely impossible to possess a clear conscience. The Greek word from which we derive the English word conscience is syneidesis, a blending of the words syn, meaning "with," and oida, meaning "to know." Whenever the self that we project to the world is different from the person we really are, that crisis of integrity makes us susceptible to psychosis and other forms of mental deterioration, even producing physical symptoms. Happy is that person who is authentic and genuine before God.
Consider This: How does an openness to criticism help validate our integrity?
III. Obedience and Trustworthiness (Review 1 John 5:2; Romans 1:5; 10:16, 17; Luke 16:10-12; and 1 Chronicles 9:26, 27 with the class.)
Obedience is perhaps the purest evidence of trust. J. H. Sammis surely understood that relationship when he penned the lyrics to Daniel Towner's classic hymn "Trust and Obey." Obedience, or doing what another says to do, is based on a trusting relationship with another who has been accepted as an authority.
There is, of course, another motive for obedience beyond trust. That is obedience motivated by fear. If a person is captured by a terrorist, he or she is likely to obey the terrorist out of fear. This form of forced obedience, however, is not the type that sustains the ongoing relationship between master and steward. The trust of which we speak is the result of an ever-increasing relationship built over time. George Beverly Shea, the soloist associated with Billy Graham's crusades, sang, "The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows." Each day that God provides our needs, each day that we study more deeply the price of our redemption, each answered prayer, and each additional moment spent pondering the wonders of creation build and strengthen that relationship.
Seeing a more complete picture of God's character and personality makes it easier for us to trust Him and thus obey Him. Relationships, however, are not one-way streets. Committed stewards first learn to trust God but inevitably order their lives so that God can trust them. This commitment is trustworthiness. It, too, builds over time. God first tests us with small things, but as the relationship grows, He entrusts us with greater responsibilities.
Consider This: How are trust and trustworthiness related?
STEP 3-Apply
Just for Teachers: The indispensable mark of a steward is a relationship with the Owner. It may not be perfect, but it must exist to some degree. If we incorporate the characteristics of this lesson into our lives, we can enjoy the greatest peace and fullest satisfaction that life can supply.
Thought/Application Questions:
STEP 4-Create
Just for Teachers: We have been told that we have nothing to fear except that we forget how God has led and taught us in the past. Because we have established that obedience depends on trust and trust depends on relationship, the final component of the class should review that relationship between trust and obedience, focusing on how God has led us personally.
Closing Activity:
Have the class share personal testimonies of God's leading and instruction, highlighting how this has built trust. Ask members to share how this has encouraged their obedience.