Let's Talk About Money

by Erin Bird

There are certain topics that seem taboo to talk about in certain places.
* When you are at a social event, it’s taboo to talk politics.
* When you are at work, it’s taboo to discuss religion.
* And when you are at church, it’s apparently taboo to talk about money.

So Let’s Talk Money

Here on the blog, we just ended a series on The Riverwood Way. So I’d like to start a new series - and yes, we are going to go there. We are going to talk about money.

Which has traditionally been hard for me to do.

You see, I grew up in a church that was influenced by several televangelists who were known for making every sermon about money. No matter where the text started, they often ended up on a discussion about money, particularly how you needed to send them money as evidence of your faith. And if you were obedient and mailed your check to them, God would increase your bank account ten-fold.

I think this overemphasis – as well as skewed perspective – on finances caused me to shy away from the subject. So often, the message seemed to be about what God or the church wanted from you. They wanted your money.

It sounded greedy. It sounded manipulative. And so I stayed away from the subject.

But then one day (years ago), I heard a message by Andy Stanley, where he said the subject of finances isn’t about what God wants from you, it’s about what God wants FOR you. When you look at the gospel, you see it isn’t about these rules and regulations that you have to live up to in order to please God. Rather the gospel leads us to gladly follow Jesus because of what He has done for us through the cross. And this gospel-fueled motivation should naturally extend to our wallets as well.

So that’s why I want to go there. I want to take a few weeks to look at the topic of finances, because my desire as the pastor of Riverwood is that my church family would follow Jesus in every area of life. Our text over the next four weeks will be 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 (feel free to read ahead!). And my prayer is that God will use some of these words to help you find joy in generosity, so that He might use you to be a blessing to others.

So let’s go there together. Let’s talk about money.