Stewards, 22 February 2026
24 02 26 Filed in: Sermons | Money Matter$
Stewards
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Money Matters
February 22, 2026
Deuteronomy 10:14-22
Series Big Idea: Money is a powerful tool that can bless or destroy.
Big Idea: Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards.
A few years ago, the Major League Baseball club in Cleveland made news when they announced their search for a new, politically correct name. Not being from Ohio and failing to understand the history, I was surprised when they adopted the name Guardians. I later learned there were guardian sculptures on the nearby Hope Memorial Bridge, symbolically offering protection and safety. Their website states, “We hope that wearing the name Guardians will make our fans proud to protect and preserve all that we love about this city.”
I didn’t plan to talk about guardians, but it appeared in a thesaurus search under “stewards,” our topic today. Like a guardian, a steward manages the property, affairs, or finances of another person, one who is put in charge of something valuable.
Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards. His guardians.
We’re going to spend the next few weeks looking at the subject of money. Few topics are more relevant. Money impacts everything from our marriages to our worship. Money matters!
Some people get nervous when money is mentioned in church. Are we beginning a fundraising campaign? No. Thanks to the generosity of many of you, College First is paying its bills. This is about discipleship…helping you follow and obey Jesus. Jesus talked about it more than heaven and hell combined! This is not about what I want from you but rather what God wants FOR you.
In what may be the first book of the Bible written, Job says,
and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.” (Job 1:21)
Job had lost most everything in his life. At the end of the book, he gets most of it back…and then some. Even in the midst of unbearable suffering, Job understood…
Everything we have belongs to God.
It’s all His. Everything. Our bank accounts. Our 410(k). Our talents. Our bodies. Our health. Our future. Our family. Our friends. Our homes. It’s all His.
This is a problem for many. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard some say, “I earned this. I built this. I deserve this. I own this. I accomplished this…” To quote a famous line from Finding Nemo…
Mine, Mine, Mine!
But it’s not. Nothing is truly yours. It all belongs to the LORD.
Recently, I’ve heard more acknowledgements of God in an interesting place…athletic press conferences! I find it refreshing to hear sports stars give God credit and glory for their accomplishments. Did God score the winning touchdown? No. Did God lace up skates and win a medal? No. Do athletes win championships without effort or training? Hardly. But I take notice when people recognize God is the one who creates our bodies, gifts us with abilities, creates opportunities, provides protection, and has a will and plan for each of our lives. Moses wrote,
To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. (Deuteronomy 10:14)
I see the stars/I hear the rolling thunder/Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
But it’s not just the heavens that are his. The earth and everything in it belong to the LORD.
When I was a young boy, I played with G.I. Joe. I had a Jeep for him. I had a cool space capsule for him. I had different military outfits. But at no point did Joe turn to me and say, “This stuff is mine!”
I realize it’s a silly example, but it’s tempting for us to look at our stuff and say, “Mine!” At any moment, you could lose anything and everything, beginning with your very life. Everything belongs to the LORD. It’s a wonder we can have a relationship with Him. Moses continues,
Yet the LORD set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. (Deuteronomy 10:15-16)
God is so good!
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. (Deuteronomy 10:17)
This is our God! He is greater than any prime minister, president, or prince. He has more wealth than every billionaire combined. He is stronger than any power or force. Yet He is pure, honest, and love.
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:18)
This is our God. He is not fair. Grace, forgiveness, mercy, and love are never fair. But He’s good! And He wants us to follow Him. It’s important to notice the context: the people were slaves in Egypt and have been liberated.
And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:19)
How quickly we forget our past, God’s grace, how far we’ve come.
Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. 22 Your ancestors who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky. (Deuteronomy 10:20-22)
What do the people owe God? Everything!
What do we owe God? Everything!
Everything we have belongs to God. We are his stewards. We are his guardians.
Please take out your wallet. Look inside. It belongs to God. All of it. The debit cards, the savings account, the 401(k), and the checkbook, too.
When you invest money with a banker or financial planner, they don’t keep them money. It’s not theirs. It’s on loan to them for the purpose of keeping the money safe and watching it grow. If you put $100 in the bank, you don’t expect them to say, “We lost half of it so here’s $50. If it’s a saving or investment account, you hope to be able to withdraw more than $100, in time”
Growing up, my dad had a company car. Then a company van! He had several Dodge vans over the year, filled with catalogs he would take to various sales calls. The van did not belong to dad, yet he took very good care of it. He would eventually trade it in for a newer model. The nice thing was the company was responsible for the purchase and expenses. If it broke, dad would go to the company and ask them to repair it.
This is true for all of our stuff. It belongs to the LORD. We are to steward and guard our possessions. We are to ultimately use them for God’s glory. We are to invest.
During our new year orientation of church leaders, I told everyone there is no money available to spend. We are only to invest budgeted funds…in loving, equipping, and sending.
Jesus told a great parable about three men who were given bags of gold. The first man was given five bags of gold. He invested them and doubled his money for the master.
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:21)
The second man was given two bags of gold. He also invested it and received the same response.
The third man was given one bag of gold and instead of investing it went to Starbucks and drank it all away! No, he hid it in the ground.
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. (Matthew 25:26-27)
“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:28-30)
So What?
Jesus’ half brother wrote,
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)
We have all been blessed with freedom in this country, life, and fellowship together. Many of you have cars, homes, education, friends, talents, health, and money. Capital One asks, “What’s in your wallet?” These gifts are not to be used. They are to be invested. One day, we will all stand before God and have to give an account for how we guarded and stewarded our gifts. What a sobering thought! What will God say to you? What will He say to me? I pray He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Money Matters
February 22, 2026
Deuteronomy 10:14-22
Series Big Idea: Money is a powerful tool that can bless or destroy.
Big Idea: Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards.
A few years ago, the Major League Baseball club in Cleveland made news when they announced their search for a new, politically correct name. Not being from Ohio and failing to understand the history, I was surprised when they adopted the name Guardians. I later learned there were guardian sculptures on the nearby Hope Memorial Bridge, symbolically offering protection and safety. Their website states, “We hope that wearing the name Guardians will make our fans proud to protect and preserve all that we love about this city.”
I didn’t plan to talk about guardians, but it appeared in a thesaurus search under “stewards,” our topic today. Like a guardian, a steward manages the property, affairs, or finances of another person, one who is put in charge of something valuable.
Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards. His guardians.
We’re going to spend the next few weeks looking at the subject of money. Few topics are more relevant. Money impacts everything from our marriages to our worship. Money matters!
Some people get nervous when money is mentioned in church. Are we beginning a fundraising campaign? No. Thanks to the generosity of many of you, College First is paying its bills. This is about discipleship…helping you follow and obey Jesus. Jesus talked about it more than heaven and hell combined! This is not about what I want from you but rather what God wants FOR you.
In what may be the first book of the Bible written, Job says,
and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised.” (Job 1:21)
Job had lost most everything in his life. At the end of the book, he gets most of it back…and then some. Even in the midst of unbearable suffering, Job understood…
Everything we have belongs to God.
It’s all His. Everything. Our bank accounts. Our 410(k). Our talents. Our bodies. Our health. Our future. Our family. Our friends. Our homes. It’s all His.
This is a problem for many. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard some say, “I earned this. I built this. I deserve this. I own this. I accomplished this…” To quote a famous line from Finding Nemo…
Mine, Mine, Mine!
But it’s not. Nothing is truly yours. It all belongs to the LORD.
Recently, I’ve heard more acknowledgements of God in an interesting place…athletic press conferences! I find it refreshing to hear sports stars give God credit and glory for their accomplishments. Did God score the winning touchdown? No. Did God lace up skates and win a medal? No. Do athletes win championships without effort or training? Hardly. But I take notice when people recognize God is the one who creates our bodies, gifts us with abilities, creates opportunities, provides protection, and has a will and plan for each of our lives. Moses wrote,
To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. (Deuteronomy 10:14)
I see the stars/I hear the rolling thunder/Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
But it’s not just the heavens that are his. The earth and everything in it belong to the LORD.
When I was a young boy, I played with G.I. Joe. I had a Jeep for him. I had a cool space capsule for him. I had different military outfits. But at no point did Joe turn to me and say, “This stuff is mine!”
I realize it’s a silly example, but it’s tempting for us to look at our stuff and say, “Mine!” At any moment, you could lose anything and everything, beginning with your very life. Everything belongs to the LORD. It’s a wonder we can have a relationship with Him. Moses continues,
Yet the LORD set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. (Deuteronomy 10:15-16)
God is so good!
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. (Deuteronomy 10:17)
This is our God! He is greater than any prime minister, president, or prince. He has more wealth than every billionaire combined. He is stronger than any power or force. Yet He is pure, honest, and love.
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. (Deuteronomy 10:18)
This is our God. He is not fair. Grace, forgiveness, mercy, and love are never fair. But He’s good! And He wants us to follow Him. It’s important to notice the context: the people were slaves in Egypt and have been liberated.
And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:19)
How quickly we forget our past, God’s grace, how far we’ve come.
Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. 22 Your ancestors who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky. (Deuteronomy 10:20-22)
What do the people owe God? Everything!
What do we owe God? Everything!
Everything we have belongs to God. We are his stewards. We are his guardians.
Please take out your wallet. Look inside. It belongs to God. All of it. The debit cards, the savings account, the 401(k), and the checkbook, too.
When you invest money with a banker or financial planner, they don’t keep them money. It’s not theirs. It’s on loan to them for the purpose of keeping the money safe and watching it grow. If you put $100 in the bank, you don’t expect them to say, “We lost half of it so here’s $50. If it’s a saving or investment account, you hope to be able to withdraw more than $100, in time”
Growing up, my dad had a company car. Then a company van! He had several Dodge vans over the year, filled with catalogs he would take to various sales calls. The van did not belong to dad, yet he took very good care of it. He would eventually trade it in for a newer model. The nice thing was the company was responsible for the purchase and expenses. If it broke, dad would go to the company and ask them to repair it.
This is true for all of our stuff. It belongs to the LORD. We are to steward and guard our possessions. We are to ultimately use them for God’s glory. We are to invest.
During our new year orientation of church leaders, I told everyone there is no money available to spend. We are only to invest budgeted funds…in loving, equipping, and sending.
Jesus told a great parable about three men who were given bags of gold. The first man was given five bags of gold. He invested them and doubled his money for the master.
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:21)
The second man was given two bags of gold. He also invested it and received the same response.
The third man was given one bag of gold and instead of investing it went to Starbucks and drank it all away! No, he hid it in the ground.
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. (Matthew 25:26-27)
“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:28-30)
So What?
Jesus’ half brother wrote,
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)
We have all been blessed with freedom in this country, life, and fellowship together. Many of you have cars, homes, education, friends, talents, health, and money. Capital One asks, “What’s in your wallet?” These gifts are not to be used. They are to be invested. One day, we will all stand before God and have to give an account for how we guarded and stewarded our gifts. What a sobering thought! What will God say to you? What will He say to me? I pray He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”