Podcast Summary: Message | Miracle Offering – Pastor Rob Ketterling

Podcast: River Valley Church
Host/Speaker: Pastor Rob Ketterling
Date: November 16, 2025

Overview

In this special episode for Miracle Offering Weekend, Pastor Rob Ketterling delivers a passionate message to River Valley Church about the power, purpose, and eternal impact of extravagant generosity. With the theme "Forever Glory," he challenges listeners to shift their perspective from earthly wealth to eternal significance, encouraging participation in the church’s annual miracle offering—a faith-driven initiative with a global missional impact. The episode explores scriptural teachings on wealth, the privilege and responsibility of abundance, and practical pathways to building a legacy rooted not in riches, but in God's glory and the lives transformed through giving.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Significance of Miracle Offering Weekend

• [00:00] Pastor Rob opens by explaining the unique format of Miracle Offering Weekend, emphasizing the faith element and the invitation extended to both new and regular attendees.
  • The "Plan, Vision, Dream" framework for giving is introduced—encouraging participants to pray, plan, envision, and dream big about their generosity.
  • 16 years of Miracle Offering history have brought River Valley Church incredibly close to a $100 million lifetime giving goal for Kingdom Builders, with this year’s target set at $15 million.

“On this weekend, we're gonna raise millions of dollars, which is still mind boggling to think about… We are $2 million away from reaching the goal of $100 million through Kingdom Builders. Is that not incredible?”
— Pastor Rob Ketterling, [01:47]

2. The Theme: Living for "Forever Glory"

• [05:08] The central message is about orienting life toward what is eternal—living for "Forever Glory" instead of temporary, earthly pursuits.
  • 2 Corinthians 4:18 is cited: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. Since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
  • Pastor Rob ties the act of giving to participating in God's ongoing story and impacting eternity.

“We are fixing our eyes on things that are eternal. We're not just looking at the things that we could see here on this earth. We're saying, God, we wanna live for the forever glory... This is not just a financial moment. This is a faith moment.”
— Pastor Rob, [05:55]

3. Wealth: Reflection and Responsibility

• [09:24] Exploring 1 Timothy 6:17–19, Pastor Rob unpacks Paul's instructions to the wealthy and relates them to the congregation.
  • Wealth is reframed: the average American is among the global 1% and should see themselves as rich, regardless of comparisons with billionaires.
  • Paul’s guidance is not to shame the wealthy, but to redirect their hope from money to God, emphasizing stewardship and generosity.

“Paul wasn't talking about us there, but this applies to us. Like, we are people with great wealth... $50,000 a year is what the number is that puts you in the richest 1% of planet Earth.”
— Pastor Rob, [11:30]

4. Perspective Shift: Money as a Tool, Not a Foundation

• [20:15] Wealth is not inherently sinful, but trusting or hoarding it is problematic.
  • Money is portrayed as a tool for good but a "terrible foundation" for one’s life or soul.
  • Pastor Rob uses personal anecdotes to illustrate modern traps of comparison and how easily abundance is overlooked.

“Money is a useful tool, but it's a terrible foundation. It's not something you can build your life on.”
— Pastor Rob, [27:00]

5. Joy in Generosity & Practical Application

• [28:00] True joy comes from generosity—when giving is seen as worship, not loss.
  • The message reframes sacrificial giving as an opportunity and privilege tied to eternal purpose.
  • Practical advice: Annually, Rob and Becca ask God how much to give beyond the tithe, finding freedom and joy in open-handed stewardship.

“If your hope is in wealth, giving feels like a loss. But if your hope is in the forever glory, giving feels like worship.”
— Pastor Rob, [32:30]

6. The Pathway of the Generous Life

• [33:15] Paul describes four pursuits for the wealthy: do good, be rich in good deeds, be generous, and be willing to share.
  • Miracle Offering enables the church to embody these through supporting global ministries, providing for physical and spiritual needs, and building a legacy.

“Kingdom Builders will do good all around the world... All those ministries are like, will you do good for us in Africa and Asia and all around. You're actually doing what the apostle Paul says—to do good and to be rich in good deeds.”
— Pastor Rob, [36:00]

7. Eternal Results: The Real "Forever Glory"

• [42:00] Generosity is both a blessing to others and a foundation for the giver's life, both now and in eternity.
  • The contradiction of the world’s values (wealth accumulation) versus God's values (generosity and impact) is highlighted.
  • The “life that is truly life”—eternal life—is accessed through generous giving rooted in God’s purposes.

“Generosity is laying a foundation for your life that is rock solid... You bless other people and you build a foundation on your life, and there's stability in your life, there's a strength in your life, and it's in this world and the next, and it's eternal life, and it's really living for the forever glory.”
— Pastor Rob, [43:12]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On perspective-shifting generosity:

  “One moment in the presence of God can change your perspective about what we do with our money.”
  — Pastor Rob, [23:40]

• On the purpose of wealth:

  “If you're hoping in it and you're hoarding it, you're sinning. You cannot hope in this wealth. You can't hoard it. There's something we should do with the wealth that we have, and we should make a difference.”
  — Pastor Rob, [22:30]

• On the joy and privilege of giving:

  “It's a joy because I'm living for the forever glory. See, if your hope is in wealth, giving feels like a loss. But if your hope is in the forever glory, giving feels like worship.”
  — Pastor Rob, [32:30]

Important Timestamps

• [00:00] Introduction & unique structure of Miracle Offering Weekend
• [01:47] The legacy and goals of Kingdom Builders
• [05:08] Teaching on "Forever Glory" (2 Corinthians 4:18)
• [09:24] 1 Timothy 6:17–19 and wealth’s responsibilities
• [11:30] The reality of global wealth—US perspective in the global 1%
• [23:40] The life-changing perspective of God’s presence in stewardship
• [27:00] The instability of money as a foundation for life
• [32:30] Giving as worship vs. giving as loss
• [36:00] Practical outworking: doing good, being generous, supporting global ministry
• [43:12] Generosity as an eternal, unshakable foundation

Conclusion: The Call to Forever Glory

• Pastor Rob concludes with an impassioned prayer, commissioning listeners to live generously for the sake of the gospel, the next generation, and the unreached—motivated by a vision of “Forever Glory.”
  • The miracle offering is not just about meeting a goal; it’s about aligning with God’s eternal purposes, experiencing the joy of generous living, and establishing a foundation that lasts into eternity.

“We are so fortunate to be living at this time and in this place with these resources in our hands. And so, God, may we use them for your glory and for your honor. It's with joy that we say our perspective has changed. It's with joy that we say our purpose has changed. We're living for something different.”
— Pastor Rob, [46:05]

For further information and ways to participate in the Kingdom Builders initiative, visit: River Valley Church website