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Faith-based money wisdom for the financially frustrated. Coach Lee Jenkins helps you make, manage, and multiply money God's way. Practical strategy, biblical truth, real results.
What you're about to hear is going to challenge what you believe about money because that's where the real change actually starts. This is one of my messages from the pulpit at Eagle's Nest Church where I get to deal with finances the way most experts never will, and that is through the lens of faith. Now I'm not here to just give you information today. I'm here to help guide you on managing your money God's way. I'm coach Lee Jenkins.
Lee Jenkins:This is the Stewardship Coach Podcast. Let's get into it. I wanna speak to you today from the subject, why God wants to bless you financially? Why God wants to bless you financially? Now, I know that this message title sounds like something a prosperity preacher would say.
Lee Jenkins:And believe me, I am not here over the next few weeks to tell you how to get rich, but I am telling you, when you manage money God's ways, the sky's the limit. But my purpose is is is not to come together here over the next few Sundays and have a prosperity pep rally. Alright. This message is about what God expects us to do as stewards of his resources. And when you are faithful to do what God tells you to do, again, the sky is the limit.
Lee Jenkins:Some of us don't reach our financial potential simply because we aren't doing what God wants us to do in this most vital area, the area of our money. So we're gonna talk about that today. But let me ask you something. I need you to be very honest with me. How many of you all want...
Lee Jenkins:Listen to me. How many of you all want God to bless you with more money? Tell the truth. Alright? Yeah.
Lee Jenkins:Come on. Clap. If if if if you don't mind, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Alright? That's just about everybody in here.
Lee Jenkins:And some of you all under the sound of my voice are multimillionaires and they were clapping their hands too. Yeah. I wouldn't mind a few more millions. Some of you all are are struggling and you definitely... Oh, okay.
Lee Jenkins:Oh, I need it. In other words, all of us are in different situations. But everybody in here, even those of you online, put it in the chat. Me too. Okay?
Lee Jenkins:I would love for God to bless me with more money. Well, I wanna tell you what God did for me this morning. I was walking in the building, walking down the hall, and I looked down y'all right by a wall, and I saw a wad of cash wrapped up in a rubber band. I was like, thank you, Jesus. That tithing thing really works.
Lee Jenkins:I picked it up y'all and it was $100 just wrapped up. It had to be thousands of dollars wrapped in a rubber band. Brought it to my dressing room in the back. I said, well, I'm a pastor. I'm supposed to be a man of integrity.
Lee Jenkins:So I gotta do the right thing. I gotta return this. This item that I found, I have to return it to its rightful owner. So I'm here on this stage to let you know that I wanna return the rubber band. Whoever lost this rubber band, I'm here to return it to you.
Lee Jenkins:I'm just kidding y'all. I'm just kidding. I didn't really find money. So why are we even talking about this subject? Shouldn't church be about love, heaven, salvation, grace?
Lee Jenkins:Yes. But all throughout the bible, from Genesis to Revelation, the subject of money and how to handle possessions is all through the word of God. And it's not by accident. The bible has a lot to say about this subject y'all even even more than it talks about salvation, even more than it talks about heaven, even more than it talks about hell. I wonder why does the bible talk so much about this.
Lee Jenkins:Well, one of the reasons very practically is because about a 100% of y'all raised your hand, which means you think about money every day, you make decisions every day regarding this thing. And and so it makes sense that we should have God's perspective. There are over 2,350 verses in scripture that deal with how to handle money and possessions. Let me say that again. Over 2,350 verses in the bible that deal with how to handle money and possessions.
Lee Jenkins:The bible says more about money than it does about, listen to this, prayer, faith, and heaven. And we know how important those are. 16 out of the 38 parables Jesus talked about has something to do with money and possessions. He was using money and or possessions as an object lesson to teach us spiritual principles. So money impacts every area of our life.
Lee Jenkins:Money is not the most important thing in life, but money affects everything in our life that is important. It affects our family. It affects our health. It affects where we live. It affects where we go to school.
Lee Jenkins:It affects what we eat. Everything. One day, a church secretary picked up the phone, and the man on the other line, he said, I wanna speak to the head hog. Secretary said, sir, I beg your part. We don't refer to our pastor that way.
Lee Jenkins:That is so disrespectful. We refer to our pastor as the right reverend bishop doctor apostle Jones. How dare you refer to him in such a disrespectful way? The man said, ma'am, I'm I'm so sorry. I I didn't mean to offend you, and I didn't mean to offend the man of God.
Lee Jenkins:I was simply thinking about sending the church a million dollars to go toward the building program. That's all. She said, well, in that case, I think I see the fat pig coming through the door right now. So for any of you all who want to give a million dollars to our project SOAR, you can call me a fat pig all you want to. That church secretary understood the importance of money.
Lee Jenkins:Salvation is free. Ministry cost you something. It cost you something. Alright? So let's talk about it.
Lee Jenkins:The title of my message is why God wants to bless you financially. And I want to put the emphasis on why. Somebody say, why. Why. You see, God doesn't bless you financially just so you can upgrade your lifestyle.
Lee Jenkins:He blesses you financially so that you can fulfill his purposes. The late doctor Miles Monroe said it best. He says, when the purpose of something is not known, abuse is inevitable. When you don't know the purpose of something, you typically abuse it. Let's go back to Deuteronomy chapter eight.
Lee Jenkins:Here's the context. Moses is talking to the Israelites right before they cross over into the promised land. The land of Canaan. The land flowing with milk and honey, which is a euphemism for a very productive land. Moses, you all, is concerned.
Lee Jenkins:He's happy because they have gone through, you know, so much through the wilderness, but but now they're getting ready to cross over into the promised land just like we are three months from now. But he's concerned. He's concerned because not that they won't make it, but he's concerned about how they will act when they do make it. Are y'all with me on that? He sees what's coming.
Lee Jenkins:Nice neighborhoods, thriving businesses, full bank accounts, and Moses knows the temptation that comes with prosperity. The temptation you all to look into the mirror after you are driving your dream car, after you are living in your dream house, after you have surplus, you got money flowing, Moses says, here's what I'm concerned about. I'm concerned that you might say, I did this. I built this. I made this happen.
Lee Jenkins:Now let's look at Deuteronomy. I I I quoted Deuteronomy eight eighteen. Now I wanna throw in verse 17 because it's going to give you the attitude of why Moses told them that God gives them the ability to produce wealth. He's he's gonna set it up. Alright.
Lee Jenkins:Let's look at this. Moses says, after you come into all this this nice neighborhood and and and this land flowing with milk and honey, he says, you may say to yourself. You know, when you start talking to yourself, that's dangerous. He said, you may say to yourself, my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me. Moses was concerned about pride, about them getting the big head, about them becoming self sufficient, about success ruining them, about them reaching their financial goals and losing their soul.
Lee Jenkins:When I mean lose their soul, I'm not talking about their salvation. Losing their values, losing what's important to them. And guys, as I told you, I spent twenty five years in the investment business. I managed portfolios for people who had tens of millions of dollars. Very few of them were happy.
Lee Jenkins:Very few. In fact, I remember I said, Lord, if I had this money, I I could do something that would be so significant, but because they didn't have the right values or because they got distracted, they weren't happy. And you all know the stories, celebrities, people who make money and they end up dying by suicide, depressed on all kind of medication. Because there are a lot of advantages to wealth and to financial freedom. There's a lot you can do good for yourself, for the kingdom, but it can be dangerous if you don't have your heart in the right place.
Lee Jenkins:And Moses was concerned because these people had moved on up to the East Side. They got their piece of pie. And Moses was like, I don't know if they're ready yet for work where God has taken them. So then in verse 18, he hits them with this, But remember the Lord your God. Hey, y'all.
Lee Jenkins:Don't forget where you've come from. Out of the wilderness, struggling. Don't forget. Remember the Lord your God for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth. Yo, I love that phrase because if money was so bad, then why would God give you the ability to produce it?
Lee Jenkins:Money is not the root of all evil. The what? Love of money. You can do great things with money. That's why you shouldn't be scared of it.
Lee Jenkins:And by the way, that's why we are not afraid to talk about it here at Eagle's Nest Church. Money is just a tool. It's it's not something you're supposed to worship. It's just a tool. And we're gonna talk about how you need to use that tool.
Lee Jenkins:He gives you a bit... The ability to produce wealth and so confirms his covenant. Interesting. What covenant is he's talking about? He's talking about the Abrahamic covenant.
Lee Jenkins:The Abrahamic covenant. There's a lot I could go into it. This covenant was first inaugurated in Genesis. I believe it is chapter 12 verses one through three when God was talking to Abraham. He says, I will bless you.
Lee Jenkins:I will make your name great, and and you shall be a blessing. And he talked about how generations will be blessed. Well, what does that have to do with us? Galatians three twenty nine, it it it says, if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and you are heirs according to the promise, which means that that promise, even though it was to the Israelites, it can certainly apply to us, that that covenant, that that relationship that we have with God. So so in a very practical sense, all, God gives us the ability to make money and produce wealth.
Lee Jenkins:Why? So that his purposes are fulfilled. That's really what that means. So his purposes are fulfilled. So let's jump into the meat of what I want to talk to you about today.
Lee Jenkins:And again, you all, this serves as the foundation. Because if you can't get these things right today, then as we go along in this series, as we talk about making money, managing money, multiplying your money, if you don't get what I'm saying right today, then you're gonna struggle with some of these other things. So I'm gonna give you five real reasons God blesses you financially. Five real reasons God blesses you financially. Let's jump right into it.
Lee Jenkins:Number one is to advance the kingdom of God. To advance God's kingdom. Well, why do you say that pastor Lee? It's very simple. Matthew six thirty three, look at what it says, Jesus' words.
Lee Jenkins:He says this, he says, seek the kingdom of God above all else. Some versions say, seek ye first, not second, not third. He said, seek ye first the kingdom of God. This version, the New Living Translation, I love the way it says it. It says, seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously.
Lee Jenkins:This is the issue of priority and an issue of how you live. And then he says, and he, meaning God, will give you everything you need. He didn't say he will give you everything you want or everything you desire. However, you all, what I have found out is that if you are a faithful steward, then a lot of the things that you want and you desire comes along with that. So this is a promise.
Lee Jenkins:If you seek the kingdom of God first. So God blesses us so that we can fund, invest in what matters most to him, and that is his kingdom. When you give to your church, The church gets your money. God gets your heart. I I I need that one to sit with you a little bit.
Lee Jenkins:When you give to a ministry, when you give to your church, when you give to the poor, that person, that entity gets your money, but God gets your heart. And that's what he's after. Alright. Let's look at the word again, all. Matthew six twenty one.
Lee Jenkins:Matthew six twenty one says it this way. Again, these are Jesus' words. These are not my words. He says this, where your treasure is, your money, where you put it, there, meaning where it is, your heart will also be. Where your money is, where your treasure is, your heart will gravitate toward wherever your money goes.
Lee Jenkins:If your money is not in the stock market and the stock market crashes, you don't worry about anything. Your heart is not there. And the reason your heart is not there is because your money is not there. But if your money is in the stock market and it crashes, you care about it because your money is there. Wherever your treasure is, your heart will gravitate toward it.
Lee Jenkins:So one of the ways we know whether or not your heart is in the kingdom of God is based on where your money goes. Not all of it, but a generous portion of it. Okay. One of the tricks of the enemy, and and this bothers me you all, is when it comes to talking about this subject in church, people get so uptight, and it's a trick of the enemy. You know why I know it's a trick of the enemy?
Lee Jenkins:Because let's take college football for instance. Those of you who don't... Who may not college foot... May may not follow college football, let me tell you, it's a lot different than it was thirty, forty years ago when I played. College football players, 17 year olds, 18 year olds, 19 year olds, 20 year olds, guys who are not even professional athletes, paid millions of dollars now.
Lee Jenkins:It's called NIL, name, image, and likeness. They can make money off of their name, image, and likeness, which I think is pretty cool. I wish they had had that when I was playing. Okay? But they also have a thing called revenue share, but then they also have a thing called collectives.
Lee Jenkins:Collectives are groups of people who come together and give their college football team program millions of dollars so they can pay these young men. Why? Simply because they want their alma mater, they want their college football team to win football games. Why? So they can say, look at those bulldogs.
Lee Jenkins:Look at my team, those yellow jackets for Georgia Tech. Look at those Tennessee volunteers. Look at those Alabama Crimson Tide. Those Florida Gators. Buckeyes.
Lee Jenkins:Alright. Those Ohio State Buckeyes. Alright. I'm gonna stop right there. Alright?
Lee Jenkins:Nobody has a problem with that. Millions of dollars just so you can say, my team won. My team is better than your team. Just so you can wear those colors and feel proud. That is their kingdom.
Lee Jenkins:Now I love some college football, y'all. But I am shocked how much money pours into these programs just so people can say, my team beat your team. Coaches getting paid $10,000,000 plus, nobody has a problem with that. Because that's where their heart is. Because that's where the money goes.
Lee Jenkins:Politics, billions of dollars, hundreds of millions are raised for a candidate to win a particular office. I mean, so much money is raised. People write the checks. They go online. They give...
Lee Jenkins:And then if you sign, if you give, they will keep sending you emails. Hey. We need more money. We gotta defeat this person. We gotta...
Lee Jenkins:That's a part of it, but nobody complains about that. Because they understand it takes money to impact people if you belong to a certain political party. It takes money to win football games. It also takes money to expand and advance the kingdom of God. Okay?
Lee Jenkins:It does, you all. But for some reason, when the subject comes up, everybody starts sweating, get all uptight. Why do you gotta talk about that? What... And it's nothing but the devil.
Lee Jenkins:Because if the devil can sow discord and doubt and confusion, okay, then those other kingdoms will have more impact than the very thing that can save your soul. So I just need you all to think about that. Most of us pray incomplete prayers. We pray prayers that go like this, Lord, bless me financially. I'm not saying anything is wrong with that prayer.
Lee Jenkins:I am just saying that prayer is incomplete. Here's how that prayer should sound. Lord, bless me financially so that I can be a blessing to your kingdom. Yeah. So the priority is to advance the kingdom of God.
Lee Jenkins:Number two, the second reason God blesses you financially is to provide for your family. That's important. People ask me all the time, and it's it's really a trick question. I see this online. It's stupid.
Lee Jenkins:So should you put God and the church before your family supposed... Look. God is big enough for you to bless his kingdom and to take care of your family. Alright? Stop putting God in a little bitty box where you gotta choose one or the other.
Lee Jenkins:But I will tell you this, we walk by faith and not by sight. So provide for your family. First Timothy five eight says, but if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. I love this next verse which kind of encapsulates what we're gonna be talking about in a few weeks, especially as it regards to generational wealth. And I'm gonna say this especially as it regards to black families.
Lee Jenkins:And we're gonna be talking about some of the cultural hurdles and hindrances that African Americans have, particularly collectively as it relates to building wealth and building it generationally. Proverbs thirteen twenty two says this, a good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children. Some of us and many of us are the first people in our family to ever have the chance to make the kind of money that we make. Some of us are the first people in our family to be able to leave something when we say goodbye to this earth, to leave something significant to the next generation. Some of us are the first in our family that has the opportunity to talk about generational wealth.
Lee Jenkins:By the way, generational wealth, y'all, that's a biblical principle. All throughout the bible, God is referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That means what you do with your money should have generational repercussions. It should bless you, it should bless your children, and it should bless your grandchildren. So taking care of your family is very important.
Lee Jenkins:My friend and business coach, doctor Sonia Stripling, says this. I love what she says. She says this, you may not come from a wealthy family, but a wealthy family can come from you. Amen. Isn't that incredible?
Lee Jenkins:You may not come from money. You may not come from a wealthy family, but a wealthy family is inside of you. You can set something in motion for your family. Number three. The third reason God blesses you financially is to fulfill your calling.
Lee Jenkins:To fulfill your calling. By the way, all of us have different callings, different assignments. That's why you gotta be very careful about comparing yourself to other people. Okay? Very careful.
Lee Jenkins:Don't let the Joneses get you down. See, some of y'all are way too young to remember that song. In other words, there's a song about don't keep up with the Joneses. When they buy a new house, then all of a sudden you wanna buy a new house. When they get a new car, then all of a sudden you wanna get a new car.
Lee Jenkins:But their assignment might be different than yours. And god gives us wealth to fulfill our calling or our assignment. Matthew 25 verses 14 through 15 really gives us a good view of god's, I think, god's assignment that he gives his people. Look at this. It's in the middle of a parable called the parable of the talents.
Lee Jenkins:It says, for the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. Can I stop right there? You all, you gotta read the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 because there's so many principles in it. But this first verse right here in verse 14 really describes our perspective. It talks about this this this man traveling to a far country who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
Lee Jenkins:That is depicting how God treats us with our resources. It belongs to God, not us. Then he gives it to us, and one day we're gonna have to be accountable. Actually, right now, we have to be accountable for what we do with what God gives us. But then look at this next verse.
Lee Jenkins:And to one he gave 5 talents. By the way, that's a sum of money, a whole lot of money. To another, he gave 2 talents, that's a smaller sum of money. And to another one, to each... And to another, one, meaning one talent, even smaller, to each according to his own ability.
Lee Jenkins:Can I put it in today's vernacular? This person, he say, I'm gonna make them a multimillionaire because of what I'm calling them to do. This person, I'm gonna make their... Them a 100 thousandaire. This person, I'm gonna make them whatever.
Lee Jenkins:Okay? It doesn't matter which level you are on. You still have to be accountable to God. And God gives you certain levels, certain... Even certain lifestyles according to your calling.
Lee Jenkins:You are not given things just to have them. You are not blessed equally. God blesses us strategically based on our capacity, based on our calling. So the real question is, what has God called you to build, to sustain, or to support? Fourth.
Lee Jenkins:The fourth reason God blesses you financially is to be a blessing to others. To be a blessing to others. You all, I told God years ago, decades ago, Lord, if you bless me based on what I think you have put inside of me, then I'm going to be a blessing not only to your kingdom, but even to other people. And as the Lord began to bless me, I would, and I still do this, I would say, lord, bring somebody into my spirit who you want me to bless. Bring an opportunity before me for somebody who I'm supposed to bless.
Lee Jenkins:And y'all, without fail, god either would put a picture of somebody in my mind or bring an opportunity. And and and I I would tell you this, there have been some times... It doesn't happen a lot, but it's happened, you know, a few times where god will bring somebody to my mind, and I'm like, what? This person looks like they they got it together. Why would you want me to...
Lee Jenkins:Okay, Lord. Okay. I'll go ask them. And I will go to the person, hey, I don't know what this means, but I'm supposed to bless you financially. Do you have any needs that I could possibly help you with?
Lee Jenkins:And they would bust out crying. And they would say, I just lost my job last week. I just lost... Or I just lost the biggest client. My business is down 60% with one decision.
Lee Jenkins:I didn't know that, but God knew it. So blessing other people is important. Acts twenty thirty five says it best. It says, remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he said it is more blessed to give than to receive. Y'all look at this look at this formula right here.
Lee Jenkins:Your obedience plus your generosity equals somebody else's breakthrough. Amen to that. Okay? And we're gonna live that out even as a church. Lastly, gotta move quickly and you all gonna like this last one.
Lee Jenkins:The final reason God blesses you financially is to enjoy it without guilt. Come on. We ought to give God praise for that. Okay. So here's the problem.
Lee Jenkins:A lot of us put number five number one. Okay? I'm gonna enjoy it first without guilt. God does want you to enjoy what you've worked hard for, what you've invested for. Ecclesiastes five nineteen says it like this.
Lee Jenkins:It says, and it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy. Y'all know if you're sick in your body, you can have all the money in the world, but you won't be able to enjoy it. It says to enjoy the work and accept your lot in life, this is indeed a gift from God. Don't feel bad that you make money, that you're growing your business, that you got it going on, that you have dreams, that you have goals. Somebody needs to hear this today.
Lee Jenkins:You are allowed to enjoy what God blesses you with. Christianity is not a poverty competition. Right. Right. God is not anti pleasure.
Lee Jenkins:God is anti idolatry. Can I say that again? God is not anti pleasure. He's anti idolatry. God is not upset that you bought your dream car.
Lee Jenkins:God just doesn't want that car to become your god. God is not is not against you going on your dream vacation. He just doesn't want that vacation to become your identity. Enjoy the blessings, but don't forget the purpose behind it. Hey, I wanna end with this statement.
Lee Jenkins:There is nothing wrong with having money as long as money doesn't have you. K? Here's the good news. If god knows, he can trust you with more. Yes.
Lee Jenkins:Then he will get you more. That's all through the Bible. If you're faithful in the little, God says, you'll be faithful with much. In other words, if you want much and all of you raised your hands, if you want much, nothing is wrong with that. If you want more, nothing is wrong with that.
Lee Jenkins:But the determining factor to God of whether or not you qualify for more is what you do with what you already have. How faithful are you? If something in this message challenged you or gave you a next step, that's what it was for. Don't just sit on it. Do something with it this week and let me know what resonated with you the most in the comments.
Lee Jenkins:Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. God bless you. Now see you. Week.