Blueprint

Week 2 — August 16, 2026

What Your Money Reveals About Your Faith

Big Idea

When God truly changes a heart, it shows up in how we handle our money — generosity isn’t a rule we follow, it’s evidence of a life that’s been transformed.

James 2:17 (NLT) — “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”

Acts 2:44-45 (NLT) — “And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.”

1. Transformed Christians Redefine Wealth

The first believers didn’t give once — they lived in an ongoing rhythm of shared resources. Their definition of prosperity shifted from “how much I keep” to “how much I give.”

Matthew 6:21 (NLT) — “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

Your money doesn’t just reflect your heart. It reveals it.

2. Transformed Christians Redirect Generosity

Beyond their regular giving, the early church gave situationally — meeting real needs, aimed at the mission of the church itself, not just scattered handouts.

Acts 4:34-35 (NLT) — “There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.”

When you give at Grace Church, you’re not just supporting a building or budget — you’re bringing what you have to where God’s people gather, so more people in more places can find faith in Jesus.

3. Transformed Christians Grow in Trust

No percentage, no quota, no minimum is mentioned in Acts 2. The amount was never the point — trust was.

Mark 12:43-44 (NLT) — “This poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

Like the widow in Zarephath, our faith doesn’t grow because we have more to give — it grows because we trust God with what little we have.

1 Kings 17:16 (NLT) — “There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.”

The Giving Ladder

Generosity looks different for everyone — each of us is on a different rung, and God is calling each of us to the next step.

1. Something — emotional, reactive giving
2. Significance — a decision, not a reaction; giving becomes intentional and consistent
3. Threshold (the Tithe) — moving from emotional to obedient giving
4. Spirit-Led Sacrificial Giving — giving all-in on what God puts on your heart

Malachi 3:10 (NLT) — “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse… Try it! Put me to the test!”

Next Step

Think about your relationship with money. Pull out last month’s giving statement and ask what it reveals about who or what you love most. You’re the only one who can change it — give to God first, and trust Him with the rest.

Benediction

May the Lord who fed Israel with exactly enough teach you to hold your own hands open. And may you discover, like the church in Jerusalem did, that nothing you give away was ever really yours to lose.

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