Podcast Summary

Mariners Church Weekend Messages

Episode: February 2 - Does God Promise to Make Us Rich or Should Christians Be Poor?
Speaker: Ed Stetzer
Date: February 5, 2025

Main Theme

This episode tackles a crucial question for Christians: Does God promise financial prosperity, or is poverty more spiritual? Guest speaker Ed Stetzer explores biblical teachings on money, refuting both the "Prosperity Gospel" and the "Poverty Gospel," and encouraging listeners to pursue generosity and proportionality instead. The central message: Everything belongs to God, and our relationship to money should reflect that truth.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Cheez-It Illustration: Understanding Ownership and Provision

• Ed opens with a humorous story about his daughter and Cheez-Its to illustrate how, as children, we misunderstand sources of provision ([03:00-06:40]).
  • “Jacqueline, I am the lord of the Cheez itself.” (Ed Stetzer, 06:05)
• The lesson: Just as parents provide for children, God provides for us; we must recognize God as the source.

2. Biblical Text: 1 Chronicles 29

• Ed reads and explains 1 Chronicles 29:10-16, where King David acknowledges God as the owner of all wealth and possessions ([07:20-12:30]).
  • “Everything belongs to you.” (David, quoted by Ed, 11:35)
• The focus shifts from the gifts/offering to the Giver—God himself.

3. The False Gospels: Prosperity and Poverty

• Prosperity Gospel: Promises wealth as a sign of God’s favor. Stetzer criticizes this view as unbiblical and exploitative ([13:45-17:10]).
  • “We have a big theological word to describe the Prosperity Gospel… It’s baloney.” (Ed Stetzer, 15:40)
• Poverty Gospel: Suggests that holiness comes from having little or nothing—also an error.
  • “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. The hatred of money can be the root of all kinds of pride.” (Ed Stetzer, 19:10)

4. The Real Biblical Approach: Generosity and Proportionality

• Money is a tool, not a goal; both greed and asceticism put money at the center wrongly ([21:00-25:30]).
  • “Money makes a better tool… but it makes a really bad goal.” (Ed Stetzer, 14:45)

5. Three Steps to a Right-Sized View of Money

a. Acknowledge God’s Ownership

• Drawing from multiple scriptures (Psalm 24, Haggai 2:8, Psalm 50:10), Ed emphasizes that everything ultimately belongs to God ([24:00-28:00]).
  • “God owns it all. All. God owns it all.” (Ed Stetzer, 27:50)

b. See God as the Source

• Our intellect, success, and resources are gifts from God, not simply personal achievements (Deuteronomy 8:17-18) ([28:10-30:45]).
  • “If you don’t acknowledge God’s ownership, your money will increasingly just own you.” (Ed Stetzer, 29:40)

c. Live Thankfully and Generously

• Gratefulness for what God provides leads to proportional giving (1 Chronicles 29:13-14, Hebrews 13:5) ([31:00-36:45]).
  • “When it’s your stuff, it’s never enough. When God owns your stuff, he is enough.” (Ed Stetzer, 38:50)

6. Personal Story on Money and Generosity

• Ed shares his own history: Growing up with little, feeling shame over family cars, moving toward gratitude as a Christian ([36:55-41:30]).
• Early career struggles with debt and possessions until learning to return to thankfulness and financial surrender.

7. Tithing and Proportionality

• Rather than 10% belonging to God, everything does; tithing is a helpful discipline but not the full picture ([42:10-45:30]).
  • “God owns 10 out of 10 of our possessions.” (Ed Stetzer, 43:30)

8. Closing Challenge

• Christians are called to hold possessions loosely, steward God’s gifts, and live out radical generosity ([46:10–end]).
  • “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.” (citing Philippians 4, 47:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Cheez-It Lord:
  “Jacqueline, I am the lord of the Cheez itself.” (Ed Stetzer, 06:05)

• Prosperity Gospel Condemnation:
  “We have a big theological word to describe the Prosperity Gospel… It’s baloney.” (Ed Stetzer, 15:40)

• Balance Between Money and Faith:
  “Money makes a better tool… but it makes a really bad goal.” (Ed Stetzer, 14:45)

• On God’s Ownership:
  “God owns it all. All. God owns it all.” (Ed Stetzer, 27:50)

• Shift Away from Materialism:
  “When it’s your stuff, it’s never enough. When God owns your stuff, he is enough.” (Ed Stetzer, 38:50)

• Living Thankfully and Generously:
  “Live thankfully and generously.” (Ed Stetzer, 34:18)

Important Segments & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:00 | Cheez-It illustration – ownership and provision | | 07:20 | Reading of 1 Chronicles 29 | | 13:45 | Explanation of Prosperity Gospel | | 17:10 | Explanation of Poverty Gospel | | 24:00 | Step 1: Acknowledge God’s ownership | | 28:10 | Step 2: See God as the source | | 31:00 | Step 3: Live thankfully and generously | | 36:55 | Ed’s personal story: gratitude and surrender | | 42:10 | Tithing/proportionality explained | | 46:10 | Challenge and encouragement to radical generosity |

Takeaways

• Neither prosperity nor poverty guarantees faithfulness. Both extremes make money too central.
• God owns all: You are simply a steward.
  • Surrender all you have, not just a portion, to God's purposes.
• Generous, thankful living is at the heart of following Jesus with your resources.
• Trust is more than a motto ("In God We Trust"); it's a way of life.
• Financial decisions are spiritual decisions.

Final Blessing & Prayer Highlights

• Ed concludes by inviting listeners to tangibly surrender their possessions to God, echoing David’s prayer:

  "Everything comes from you and we have been given only what comes from your own hand."

• Encouragement:

  “You are worthy of it all. For from you are all things and to you are all things. Lord, you are worthy of it all.” (Ed Stetzer, 49:25)

For deeper study and connection: Visit marinerschurch.org.