Special Event · Stewardship Emphasis

Where Your Treasure Is

Matthew 6:19-24; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Malachi 3:8-12

God does not need your money — He wants your heart, and your giving reveals where your heart already is

A stewardship sermon that reframes giving not as an obligation but as an act of worship and trust — because generosity reveals where our treasure truly lies.

Main Point

Jesus talked about money more than heaven and hell combined — not because God is greedy but because He knows money is the chief competitor for our hearts. Stewardship is not a fundraising campaign. It is a spiritual discipline that trains us to hold loosely what the world grips tightly. When we give generously, we declare that God is our provider, that His kingdom matters more than our comfort, and that we trust Him with our future.

Application Ideas

Challenge the congregation to take one specific step of generosity this week — whether that is beginning to tithe, increasing their giving, or finding a need and meeting it anonymously. Encourage families to involve their children in giving decisions. Remind everyone that generosity is not about the amount but the heart behind it.

Discussion Questions

Why does Jesus say you cannot serve both God and money? What is the difference between tithing and generosity? How does giving shape your heart rather than just your budget? What fears hold people back from generous giving, and how does Scripture address those fears?

Detailed Sermon Outline

Primary Text: Matthew 6:19-24

Supporting Texts: 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Malachi 3:8-12; 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Big Idea: God does not need your money — He wants your heart, and your giving reveals where your heart already is.

Target Length: 25-30 minutes

Introduction

Let me say something that might surprise you: this is not a sermon about money. It is a sermon about your heart. Jesus said, 'Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' He did not say your heart determines where your treasure goes. He said your treasure determines where your heart goes. That means generosity is not just a financial decision — it is a spiritual discipline that shapes who you become.

Read Matthew 6:19-21. Jesus talked about money more than He talked about heaven and hell combined. Not because God is greedy — He owns everything already. But because He knows that money is the chief competitor for the human heart.

Preaching note: Stewardship sermons are often dreaded by both pastors and congregations. The key is to make it about freedom, not obligation. Generosity is not a burden — it is the antidote to the anxiety that comes from gripping too tightly.

I. The Diagnosis: Divided Hearts (Matthew 6:24)

Jesus makes one of the most absolute statements in all of Scripture: '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.'

Notice Jesus does not say 'you should not.' He says 'you cannot.' It is an impossibility. Divided loyalty in this area is self-deception.
Money makes promises it cannot keep: security, happiness, identity, control. It delivers just enough to keep you hooked and never enough to satisfy.
The test is not how much you have. The test is what has you. A person with very little can be enslaved to money just as easily as a person with millions.

Stewardship begins with an honest answer to one question: who is actually in charge of my finances — me, or God?

II. The Invitation: Generous Living (2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Malachi 3:8-12)

Paul describes generosity with agricultural language: 'Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.' Giving is not losing — it is planting. And God promises a harvest.

Verse 7: 'Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.' God is interested in the posture of your heart, not just the size of your check.
Malachi 3:10 contains the only place in Scripture where God says 'Test me in this.' Tithing is the one area where God invites you to put Him to the test. '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.'
Generosity is not about what you can afford. It is about what you trust God to provide. Every act of giving is an act of faith.

The generous life is not a life of scarcity. It is a life of freedom — freedom from the anxiety of hoarding, freedom from the illusion of control, freedom to participate in what God is doing in the world.

III. The Legacy: Storing Treasure That Lasts (Matthew 6:19-21; 1 Timothy 6:17-19)

Jesus contrasts two kinds of treasure: earthly treasure that moths eat, rust destroys, and thieves steal — and heavenly treasure that is permanent, incorruptible, and secure.

Every dollar you give to the kingdom is an investment in eternity. It is treasure transferred from a temporary account to a permanent one.
Paul tells Timothy to instruct the rich to 'be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.' Generosity builds a legacy that outlasts your life.
The question is not 'How much should I give?' The better question is 'How much should I keep?' Everything we have is on loan from God. We are managers, not owners.

At the end of your life, you will not wish you had kept more. You will wish you had given more. Start now. Start where you are. And watch what God does with a heart that is open-handed.

Appeal

I am not asking you to give because the church needs your money. I am inviting you to give because your soul needs the freedom that generosity brings. Gripping tightly to what you have produces anxiety. Opening your hands produces peace.

Maybe today is the day you begin tithing. Maybe it is the day you increase your giving. Maybe it is the day you find a specific need and meet it — quietly, generously, joyfully. Whatever the step, take it.

And remember: the most generous being in the universe is God Himself. He gave His only Son. If He is willing to give that much, we can trust Him with our finances. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Place your treasure in the right place, and your heart will follow.

From the Blog

Article

How to Preach on Money Without Being Awkward: Biblical Wealth and Generosity

Money is a spiritually significant topic, but many pastors avoid it or handle it awkwardly. Learn how to preach on bibli...