January 6, 2026
What Will You Leave Behind?
Someday we will lay down our WOMBATs and our treasured accomplishments. What will matter most then? Clinging to Christ and the cross.
Articles for tag: Stewardship
November 24, 2025
Gritty Gratitude
We can’t literally count all our blessings, for there are too many to list. But with childlike awe, why not give it a try?
November 6, 2025
Building Out Your Vision by Thinking Outward, Part 1
To focus outward means that the church’s primary concern is the people outside its walls and influence. It means that the church’s assets—its money, its talent, its time, and its facility—are focused toward reaching into that group.
November 4, 2025
Ending Your Search … For Significance (Psalm 8)
Your search for significance will never be completely realized here on earth unless it is realized in Jesus Christ. You can never earn what God wants to give you.
November 4, 2025
Wake Up!
This is the fifth in a series of weekly articles based on Christ’s letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation. This week’s church is Sardis.
October 14, 2025
Longtime Caribbean Bible College Announces New Ministry Model
As of August, 2025, WISE ceased to be a full-time residential college offering a degree program, but will offer various learning opportunities by visiting the churches in the Caribbean.
July 3, 2025
The Parent’s Post: Stewarding Adult Children with Grace, Grit, and Snacks
As parents, our job is to do our best and trust God with the rest. We have never been perfect, but God has always been perfect. Like you, we love our children and grandchildren deeply, but God loves them even more. And his love is perfect.
August 12, 2024
August 18 Study | Thoughtful Offerings
In post-exilic Israel, selfishness and pride had turned thoughtful offerings upside down.
October 11, 2023
Lincoln Christian University to Close; Ozark to Acquire Lincoln’s Seminary
Lincoln Christian University will close at the end of this school year. However, Lincoln Christian Seminary will be acquired by Ozark Christian College and moved to OCC’s campus in Joplin, Mo., presidents of the institutions announced on Wednesday. . . .
October 2, 2023
October 8 | Application (“Cut It Out and Give It Up”)
The first-century church has a lot to teach us about financial stewardship. In the book of Acts, there was a link between unity and generosity. Giving flowed naturally because the believers “were one in heart and mind” (Acts 4:32). . . .
Offering as Worship
KCU's president is concerned we are inadvertently deemphasizing the biblical concept of the offering as worship.
March 8, 2021
Mar 14 | The Beginning of Wisdom
Mark Scott writes: The main part of this week’s text features an alternating pattern of command (Proverbs 3:1, 3, 5-6a, et al.) and reward (3:2, 4, 6b, et al.). When God’s people begin with God’s wisdom, they can . . .
August 15, 2020
Church Finance FAQ
By Kent E. Fillinger The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated our time and attention for much of 2020. This month’s article provides an overview of church finances based on our 2019 survey of 439 churches, while next month’s article will share findings from a separate survey that seeks to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the financial health of our churches. How Much Money Was Given to Churches Last Year? The total amount given last year to the churches we surveyed was $872,134,383. This included giving to the general fund, capital campaigns, building funds, and other sources. This reflected less than
October 17, 2019
Harmony in Giving
This article from 1964 obviously wasn’t the last word on the appropriate level of Christian giving, but it did contain interesting information and the writer effectively applied Scripture to make her points. Before diving in, here’s some context that should help with the section of the article titled “Sacrificial?” The writer says her family’s “take-home pay” in 1964 was $600 per month, or approximately $7,200 for the year. A U.S. Census Bureau online document says, “The median income [not take-home income] of all families in 1964 was about $6,600.” From this we can conclude that the writer’s family was earning
August 8, 2019
W. R. Walker: “The Counselor’s Question Box”
In last week’s column we acquainted readers with W. R. Walker by sharing a 1963 article about him published a few weeks after his death. Walker preached for almost two decades in churches in northeast Ohio and, later, for 28 years (1920-48) at Indianola Church of Christ in Columbus, Ohio. In between, from approximately 1914 to 1920, he taught at Christian colleges. Walker also was part of Standard Publishing for about 40 years. In addition to serving as president from the 1920s until 1955, Walker was listed as “editorial counselor” within the pages of Christian Standard from 1945 until his
July 8, 2019
Lesson for July 14, 2019: Speak Up by Giving (Philippians 4:10-20)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 5 (weeks 25-28; June 23–July 14, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Speak up by trusting Christ enough to give. ______ By Mark Scott Famous Methodist preacher Clovis Chappell said, “I love to preach on giving. I love to watch the generous smile and love to watch the stingy squirm.” We preach sermons by what we say, by how we live,
February 2, 2019
My Personal Finance Story: We Peek at the Past, We Focus on the Future
By Chris Brown I remember my 11th birthday like it was yesterday. I was sitting on the floor of an empty, roach-infested apartment. There was no food or furniture in No. 217 of the Ocean Breeze apartments at the corner of Edwards and Warner on the wrong side of Huntington Beach, California. I was sitting there scared and confused. I remember staring out the second-story balcony window wishing my birthday could be different. I was hoping for bounce houses, presents, and perhaps some ice-cream cake. But I couldn’t help replaying the last several years of my life. I knew that
February 2, 2019
How to Fund Your Ministry for the Long Term
7 Numbers that Explain the Benefits of Estate Planning By D. Clay Perkins Could your church or ministry use more money? Financial planning can advance your ministry, of course, but it can also benefit your donors! Effective leaders do the right things consistently. They focus, among other things, on achieving long-term financial health for the ministry they serve. Mission and passion drive leaders to serve, but those alone won’t make them succeed. We serve a heavenly purpose, but each of us faces an earthly reality. Cash flow is “king,” even for faith-based, nonprofit organizations. Positive cash flow can be elusive,
January 30, 2019
Jay Craig Retiring after Long Career with Shiloh Christian Children’s Ranch
By Jim Nieman Jay Craig, who has served Shiloh Christian Children’s Ranch almost since its beginning in 1977, is retiring this week after nearly 40 years of service to about 700 youth who were once abused or neglected, but found refuge through the years at one of Shiloh’s six homes. Craig came on as the ranch’s administrator on Jan. 1, 1980, and later transitioned to direct fund-raising for the Christian nonprofit. Shiloh has a $2 million budget and operates primarily through the generosity of churches and individuals. (The ranch receives virtually no government funding.) Today about 50 children, ranging in
January 3, 2019
Giving Insights for the New Year
By Kent Fillinger Sermon series on giving, stewardship, and generosity are often popular to start a new year. To help church leaders gain a broader perspective on giving, here are some important research results. The State of Charitable Giving According to Giving USA 2018: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2017, Charitable giving reached record levels for the fourth consecutive year in 2017. Total giving in the United States rose 5.2 percent, ringing in a new all-time high of $410 billion. Over the course of a decade, charitable giving increased by nearly $100 billion. Studies show the
