Test of Stewardship – The quest for great treasure.
The greatest tests: 1) Self, 2) Priorities, and 3) Time। Now the final 
test. The perfect treasure--where can it be found? All your life you’ve been on a treasure hunt. You’ve been searching for a perfect person and a perfect place. Jesus is that person, and heaven is that place. If you are a Christian you have already met that person, and you are already headed to that place.
test. The perfect treasure--where can it be found? All your life you’ve been on a treasure hunt. You’ve been searching for a perfect person and a perfect place. Jesus is that person, and heaven is that place. If you are a Christian you have already met that person, and you are already headed to that place. But the primary problem is that you are not living with that person nor are you living in that place। Even your church involvement might seem more duty-bound than glory-energized। You might be one of those people who find the subjects of stewardship and generous giving to bring more feelings of guilt than anything else। God’s plan is for you to get such joy from your giving that you become giddy। Paul gave us God’s standard on our attitudes in giving (2 Cor. 9:7) “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” A survey of the Bible shows that 
the Bible has more to say about stewardship, property/wealth management and giving than it has to say about heaven or hell. The Bible gives us 500 verses on prayer, and even less on faith, but more than 2,350 verses on money and possessions. The Lord knew (Matt. 6:21) “…where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” and He knew that the battle is not for our stuff but for our hearts।
Unfortunately many preachers try to challenge us to live up to this great test by asking us to give। But perhaps their motivation is to have greater offerings so that bills can be paid and church business can be done। The truth is God doesn’t need our money। Our stuff already is His; he’s just allowing us to manage it. So how are you doing? He doesn’t invite you to give for His benefit-- it is for yours!
the Bible has more to say about stewardship, property/wealth management and giving than it has to say about heaven or hell. The Bible gives us 500 verses on prayer, and even less on faith, but more than 2,350 verses on money and possessions. The Lord knew (Matt. 6:21) “…where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” and He knew that the battle is not for our stuff but for our hearts।
Unfortunately many preachers try to challenge us to live up to this great test by asking us to give। But perhaps their motivation is to have greater offerings so that bills can be paid and church business can be done। The truth is God doesn’t need our money। Our stuff already is His; he’s just allowing us to manage it. So how are you doing? He doesn’t invite you to give for His benefit-- it is for yours!
Financial disagreement is the primary subject of all household arguments. Yet the Word of God has powerful solutions. I would recommend writings by authors such as Howard Dayton, Andy Stanley, Dave Ramsey, and Randy Alcorn. 
Our local Bott radio station (KLTE-FM 107.9) carries a nationally syndicated call-in radio show called “Money Matters” weekdays at 2:30 p.m. which is a great source of help. Their website is ।">http://www.crown.org/।
Our local Bott radio station (KLTE-FM 107.9) carries a nationally syndicated call-in radio show called “Money Matters” weekdays at 2:30 p.m. which is a great source of help. Their website is ।">http://www.crown.org/। Several churches in this area have groups that are associates with Crown Ministries or Financial Peace University। The truths that they teach can turn your guilt into joy, and turn your family arguments into victorious testimonies of blessings and deliverance। The average giver in most churches today doesn’t tithe (give 10% of their gross income)। In fact it’s more like about 1।5%। Our parents and grandparents’ generation was giving 3।6%। We are failing this test. Yet this is the one area in all of life where we actually get to put God to the test. Imagine what could happen in our community if we began to improve our grades on this fourth test!
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What?!?! You thought we were to never (Luke 4:12) “…PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST”?? That is true except in this one subject. And we are part of the test. When God challenged us to bring (Mal. 3:10 ) “…the whole tithe into the storehouse” He continued by challenging us to “test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows” Does God actually make you wealthy and trouble-free because of your “faith” gifts like many of the television preachers like to say?? 
No, and it angers me when they spin lies like that which make promises God never intended to honor.
What God does say about this kind of faithful giving is 1) there will be blessings that you cannot seem to contain, and 2) you are likely to be entrusted with greater responsibilities (see Matt. 25:20-23; and Luke 16:10-12)। What we have seen in the Crown Ministries ten week course is that after following the principles learned there for three years, families had 1) erased more than $25,000 in consumer debt, 2) managed to add $10,000 to their savings, and 3) experienced dramatically changed stress levels in discussions about money. Why? The Bible really is the perfect blueprint for daily living.
So why not put the Lord your God to the one solitary test that you are allowed to administer to Him? He laid down the challenge। As Jeremiah describes faithful living under the Lord’s great plans, (Jer. 31:12-14) “He will turn your sorrows into joy!”
May the generosity of God overwhelm your hearts until you all become generous givers. Not because your church or God needs your money, but because you need to know God’s power and blessings unleashed in this way. I hope that you are greatly relieved as you now have the solutions to the four greatest tests of your life.
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