#1534. Stewards build on the right foundation (15/6/26)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (currently posted on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) as we continue our Stewardship series.

This week, the last in this series, we’re reflecting on the promise of reward for faithful stewardship. Today, our theme is:

Good stewards of God’s gifts understand that they are eternally secure because of the foundation of Christ, and they serve God from that unshakable position. 

To watch this devotional, please select the link below:

This week, our devotionals focus on a crucial but often overlooked topic: eternal rewards for our obedience to Christ. Today, however, I want to clarify an important distinction. While Christians will be judged and rewarded according to their good works, our salvation depends entirely on the finished work of Jesus. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone. How we steward our time, talents, and treasures will certainly affect our rewards - but it is Jesus' perfect stewardship, credited to our account through justification, that secures our entrance into God’s family and eternal life. 

1. Jesus is the foundation of our salvation

Our text reminds us that our foundation is Christ. This is the bedrock of our salvation. The foundation of our new life, our justification, and our hope of heaven is Jesus and the gospel. He died in our place, taking the judgment that we deserved - this is our foundation! A Christian’s life, and the church as a whole, is built entirely on the gospel of Christ. While Paul is about to transition into discussing our good works - and the potential for rewards or loss of rewards - he establishes first that our entire life of obedience must rest on, and flow from, this Christ-centred foundation.

Randy Alcorn writes:

2. Why must we build our stewardship on the right foundation?

It’s essential that we build our lives, and seek to serve God, on the right foundation. Paul writes, 

First, apart from Christ, our effort is meaningless. 

If our stewardship is not built on Him, we are not right with God. No amount of good stewardship - no matter how well we manage our time, talents, or treasures - can save us. Jesus alone is our Saviour.

Second, without Christ as our foundation, our obedience becomes fuelled by fear and legalism. 

If we believe our standing with God is based on our performance, we will obey to earn His love or out of fear of losing it. But the foundation of Christ means we are already fully loved and perfectly righteous in God's sight before we do a single thing.

Trying to earn what has already been given is a exhausting and dangerous way to live. It inevitably leads to one of three destructive paths:

• Anxious Striving: We burn ourselves out trying to serve God perfectly, constantly worried we aren't doing enough.

• Apathetic Giving Up: We completely throw in the towel, thinking, "This is too much hard work, and I'm just too tired."

• Guilt-Driven Flight: Like Jonah, we run away and hide from God because we are exhausted from feeling like a constant failure in His eyes. 

Third, when Christ is our foundation, our service flows from love and joy.

When we truly understand that faith in Christ makes us secure as children of God, we no longer serve out of obligation. Instead, we serve our Father out of deep gratitude and joy.

Response

How are we building our own lives? Are we serving God from a secure place of being fully loved and accepted in Christ?

Furthermore, how are we encouraging others to build? Are we helping them anchor their lives on Christ? When we see a someone anxious about God’s love and acceptance, do we gently lead them back to the finished work of Jesus?

Let's examine our hearts: is our stewardship—our use of time, talent, and treasure—done out of a joyful love for God, or is it still driven by fear?

This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of CCP; to watch our anniversary video, please select the link below:

Community Group Study

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News. 

2. Icebreaker

How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you? 

3. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.

4. Study and pray together

4. Study and pray together

Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.

On Sunday, we continued with our Stewardship series, reflecting on the promise of rewards for those who are faithful in their stewardship. 

Please read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 and discuss:

1. Personal Reflection – What inspired you, what did God speak to you about through Sunday’s message?

2. What do these verses teach us about the foundation of our salvation? 

3. What do we learn about stewardship and rewards? (See Matthew 25:21-23 also?)

4. In what ways, and with what, are we to ‘build with care’? 

5. Personally, how has this series helped you in your stewardship? 

SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)

• Why is stewardship vital if we are to be effective witnesses personally and as a church? 

• Share Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing testimonies of God at work through us.

• Practical Next Steps – Who is God putting on your heart to reach? Are there any ‘people of peace’ (*see note) in your life—those who are receptive to you and spiritual conversation?

Let’s pray together: 

• Let’s pray for one another based on our study, and bring before God any other needs or requests for prayer.

• Pray for one another's SIV opportunities and boldness in following the Spirit's promptings.

• Pray specifically for the “people of peace” in our lives—asking God to open hearts and provide opportunities to speak life and truth.