Introduction — God’s Credit Line of Trust
A few weeks ago I was standing in a checkout line when the person ahead of me swiped their card and—beep!—“Declined.”
You could see the panic flash across their face. They tried again. “Declined.”
Finally they sighed, pulled out another card, and that one went through.
As I walked out, I caught myself thinking, What if heaven sent me a message like that?
What if God tried to run one of my faith transactions—an act of generosity, an opportunity to trust Him—and the screen flashed: Declined. Insufficient trust balance.
That’s what this sermon is about.
God has issued every one of us what I call a heavenly VISA—not a piece of plastic, but a line of spiritual credit called trust.
V-I-S-A can stand for Value, Investment, Stewardship, and Accountability.
When God hands you time, resources, abilities, or influence, He’s saying, “I’m entrusting you with this line of credit. Use it well. Build something that lasts.”
So today we’ll look at five principles of stewardship that tell us how to use God’s VISA wisely.
Because stewardship is not really about money—it’s about trust.
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The Issue Isn’t Wealth; It’s Worth
Jesus spoke more about money and possessions than about heaven and hell combined—not because He was obsessed with cash, but because He understood what money reveals.
Money is a mirror of the heart. It tells heaven what we value.
That’s why He said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The problem is never the wallet—it’s the heart that lives inside the wallet.
So here’s our starting question:
Can God trust us with what He’s already given us?
Because how we handle the little things—our minutes, our motives, our money—tells heaven whether we can be trusted with true riches.
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1 — Turn Temporary Treasures into Eternal Treasures
(Matthew 6 : 19 – 21)
> “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Every purchase, every priority, every act of giving is a statement about where our heart lives.
We either invest in the temporary or the eternal.
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The Two Accounts
Think of life as having two accounts.
Earthly account: spends easily, depreciates quickly, expires at death.
Heavenly account: accrues interest forever, immune to inflation, backed by divine guarantee.
When you give, when you serve, when you love sacrificially, you’re making a transfer between those accounts.
You’re saying, “God, charge this to eternity.”
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The Mansion Builder
A story is told of a believer who arrived in heaven and was greeted by an angel who offered to show him his new home.
They walked down golden streets lined with breathtaking mansions.
Each home seemed larger and brighter than the one before—until they reached a small, simple cottage at the end of the lane.
“This one is yours,” the angel said.
The man blinked. “But… why such a tiny house?”
The angel smiled gently. “We did the best we could with what you sent ahead.”
The point isn’t about real estate; it’s about investment.
What we send forward through generosity becomes the raw material heaven uses to build eternal joy.
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Where Is Your Treasure?
Jesus didn’t say, “Where your heart is, there your treasure will follow.”
He said the opposite—“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be.”
Your treasure leads your heart.
Where you place your resources determines where your affections travel.
If your treasure sits in the stock market, your emotions rise and fall with the Dow.
If your treasure sits in possessions, your mood swings with their condition.
If your treasure sits in heaven, your heart stays anchored no matter what the market does.
So where’s your treasure today?
Because that’s where your heart already lives.
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Three Ways to Give
1. The grudging giver says, “I have to give.”
That’s the language of obligation. It’s like paying taxes to avoid penalties.
2. The dutiful giver says, “I ought to give.”
That’s better, but it still feels like a bill rather than a blessing.
3. The grateful giver says, “I want to give.”
That’s worship. That’s love responding to love.
Paul wrote that “God loves a cheerful giver.”
The word “cheerful” comes from the Greek hilaros—from which we get “hilarious.”
God loves it when His people give with laughter in their hearts—because laughter only comes when trust has replaced fear.
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The Exchange Rate of Heaven
Every dollar, every minute, every talent invested in self is temporary currency.
Invested in God’s kingdom, it becomes eternal currency.
The world measures wealth by accumulation; heaven measures it by circulation.
When you pour into others, you’re not losing—you’re transferring value from a sinking economy into a secure one.
One day heaven will show you the full statement: every unseen gift, every unnoticed act of compassion, every sacrifice.
That’s the divine exchange rate: temporary into eternal.
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A Personal Reflection
I remember once praying, “Lord, bless me so I can give more.”
And I felt the Spirit whisper back, “Give more, and you’ll see how much I can bless.”
That changed the way I thought about giving.
God’s economy runs on trust, not surplus.
He doesn’t wait for us to be rich to make us generous; He makes us generous so He can make us rich in ways that money can’t count.
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God’s VISA Moment
Think again of that card in your wallet.
Every time you swipe it, you’re borrowing someone else’s trust.
When you signed the back, you agreed to accountability.
That’s exactly how God’s VISA works.
He’s placed in your hand time, abilities, opportunities, and resources.
Every day, He’s watching to see how you spend them.
Not to condemn—but to celebrate faithfulness.
When we invest in eternity, we’re showing Him, “Lord, You can trust me with more credit, more blessing, more responsibility.”
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Illustration — The Widow’s Receipt
A missionary once told of visiting a small rural church overseas.
At offering time, a widow came forward with a single coin—the equivalent of a few pennies.
After the service, the missionary tried to return it, saying, “You need this more than the church.”
She shook her head and smiled.
“This coin buys me one meal. But if I give it to God, it feeds souls. I’d rather invest in heaven.”
That’s the spirit of someone who understands God’s VISA.
She saw beyond the immediate transaction to the eternal return.
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Transition
When we realize that everything we have is borrowed trust, giving stops feeling like loss and starts feeling like worship.
But even knowing that truth, many still hesitate.
We hide our “card” in the back of the wallet and say, “Maybe later, Lord.”
Why?
Because excuses are easier than obedience.
And that brings us to the next principle: if we’re going to use God’s VISA wisely, we have to remove the excuses that keep us from swiping in faith.
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2 – Remove Excuses
(Matthew 25 : 14 – 30)
> “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them… To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability.”
Jesus’ story of the talents is a mirror of stewardship.
Three servants received different amounts, but all three were expected to invest. Two went out and doubled what they had. One dug a hole, buried his opportunity, and later offered an eloquent excuse.
> “Master, I knew you were a hard man… So I was afraid and hid your gold in the ground.”
He didn’t misplace the money; he misplaced his trust.
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Excuses Sound Spiritual, But They Shrink Faith
Fear always dresses itself in logic.
“I just want to be careful.”
“I’m waiting for a better time.”
“I’ll give more when I have more.”
Those sentences sound prudent, but they are actually spiritual quicksand. They keep us busy explaining why we can’t obey God today.
The servant in Jesus’ parable didn’t lose the master’s money; he lost the master’s confidence.
When we bury our gifts—our time, our influence, our giving—we think we’re protecting ourselves, but we’re really declining the transaction God is offering.
Remember, faith is always spelled R-I-S-K.
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Common Excuses for Poor Stewardship
a) “God doesn’t need my money.”
True—He owns everything. But giving is not about His need; it’s about our need to trust.
God doesn’t examine the size of the check; He examines the size of the faith that writes it.
When God wants your heart, He looks at your treasure.
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b) “I can’t afford to tithe.”
We’ve all felt that pinch. Bills pile up, the car makes a new noise, groceries cost more. Yet Scripture still whispers, “Bring the first fruits.”
If we wait until we can “afford” obedience, we’ll never start.
Tithing is not a math decision; it’s a trust decision.
The truth is: we are already in debt—to grace.
Jesus paid the highest price for our salvation.
The first debt we owe is gratitude.
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c) “I’ll start later.”
Later is the devil’s favorite word.
It sounds harmless, even respectful—“I will, Lord… just not yet.”
But “later” is where faith goes to die of neglect.
When God issues you a VISA line of trust, the expiration date says Today.
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The $100 Illustration – Ownership and Trust
I once borrowed an idea from an old stewardship pastor. Before church he slipped a hundred-dollar bill into the pocket of a trusted friend and told him, “When I ask, bring it to me.”
During the sermon he said, “Friends, I could use some new shoes—can anyone lend me $100?”
That man immediately walked forward and placed the bill in his hand.
The congregation gasped—until he explained that the gift had been arranged in advance.
“It was easy for him to give it back,” he said, “because it was never his to begin with.”
That’s the real heart of stewardship.
The hardest thing about giving to God is convincing ourselves it was ours in the first place.
Psalm 24 : 1 reminds us: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
If we could believe that verse, most of our excuses would evaporate.
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Faith Without Excuses Feels Like Freedom
The moment you stop explaining why you can’t, you start discovering how God can.
That’s when stewardship becomes joyful—because it no longer feels like loss, but partnership.
God doesn’t want to coerce us into giving; He wants to free us from the fear that keeps us clutching what was never ours.
When excuses die, trust lives.
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3 – Understand That We Are Accountable to God
(Luke 16 : 1 – 2 ; Romans 14 : 12 ; James 4 : 14)
> “The master called him in and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management.’”
Every VISA holder knows the statement will come.
You can swipe for months, even years—but eventually the bill arrives, itemized.
God’s stewardship plan works the same way.
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The Pastor’s Announcement
A pastor once told his congregation, “I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is the church has all the money it needs for every project. The bad news is—it’s still in your wallets.”
Everyone laughed, but the truth landed.
Accountability means God’s resources are already in His people’s hands.
The question is whether we’re willing to release them.
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Heaven Keeps Receipts
We will give account for every resource—our time, our influence, our opportunities, and yes, our finances.
That’s not a threat; it’s a reminder that life is a trust exam.
Paul says in Romans 14 : 12, “Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”
And James adds, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
Accountability doesn’t mean God is keeping score to shame us.
It means He believes our choices matter enough to record.
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The Rich Man’s Manager
Jesus’ story in Luke 16 begins with a steward who squandered his master’s possessions. When he was called in, he had to explain every entry on the ledger.
That story makes us uneasy—and it should.
Because one day each of us will stand before the Owner of everything and hear, “Let’s review how you managed My account.”
That moment won’t be about condemnation, but evaluation.
Did we use our credit line of grace to bless others, or to enrich ourselves?
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The Index of Character
Richard Halverson, longtime chaplain of the U.S. Senate, once said,
> “Jesus Christ spoke more about money than any other single thing because, when it comes to a man’s real nature, money is of first importance. Money is an exact index to a man’s true character.”
He was right.
When God wants to measure our maturity, He doesn’t examine our profession of faith first—He examines our practice of trust.
How we handle what’s in our hand reveals what’s in our heart.
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Practical Accountability
1. Accountable for our spiritual life.
Are we nurturing the relationship that funds everything else?
Prayer and Scripture are deposits into that account. Neglect is a withdrawal.
2. Accountable for our gifts and abilities.
Each skill you possess—whether teaching, healing, organizing, or encouraging—is credit extended for kingdom use.
Are you investing those abilities or hoarding them for personal gain?
3. Accountable for our resources.
God doesn’t audit just what we give—He audits what we keep.
The real question is not “How much should I give?” but “How much should I keep?”
When you view everything through that lens, accountability stops feeling like judgment and starts feeling like alignment.
You realize God isn’t after your money; He’s after your management.
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The Joy of a Balanced Statement
When you reconcile your earthly ledger with heaven’s values, you experience peace.
Nothing feels lighter than a settled account.
If you’ve ever paid off a debt, you know the relief of seeing that word: PAID IN FULL.
That’s what Christ stamped across your spiritual balance sheet.
Because of the cross, the statement that could have condemned you now declares you free.
So when God asks us for an accounting, we stand in grace, not guilt.
We review the charges, yes—but always through the lens of His mercy.
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“Charge It to Grace”
A pastor once illustrated it like this: imagine that every time you failed to trust God, a charge appeared on your statement—doubt, fear, selfishness.
Then Jesus walked into the bank of heaven and said, “Put it all on My account.”
That’s what Calvary did.
The debt was paid so the account could be reopened under new management—His.
And now the question shifts from Can you pay it back? to Can you be trusted moving forward?
That’s accountability seasoned with grace.
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So far we’ve seen that using God’s VISA means moving from excuses to accountability—from “I can’t” to “I’m trusted.”
But there’s another step we must take if we want to experience freedom: handing over the controls.
Because no matter how well you manage the account, the real test comes when God asks for the card back and says, “Let Me drive.”
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– Surrender Control
(Psalm 24 : 1 ; Proverbs 3 : 5-6)
> “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
Every credit card comes with a signature line.
When you sign it, you’re giving permission for the bank to authorize your spending.
Stewardship has a signature line too—one word written across the bottom: Trust.
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Who Really Owns the Card?
We talk as though the account were ours: my money, my house, my job.
But Scripture keeps reminding us, It’s the Lord’s.
He issues the card, extends the limit, and supplies the credit.
Our name may be printed on it, but the ownership remains His.
When I surrender control, I acknowledge what was always true: I’m a manager, not the Owner.
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The Illustration of the Prearranged Gift
Imagine again that demonstration with the hundred-dollar bill.
The reason the man could give it back so quickly was because he knew it wasn’t his.
Now expand that principle to everything in your life—your career, your family, your health, your influence.
If it’s all His, then giving back becomes natural.
You can’t surrender what you never owned; you can only return it.
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The Tandem Bicycle
There’s a beautiful old devotional story about a tandem bicycle—two seats, two sets of pedals.
At first the rider keeps the front seat and lets Jesus ride behind.
He enjoys the help but stays in charge of the direction.
Then one day Jesus suggests, “Let’s switch.”
From that moment, the ride changes—faster, riskier, full of surprises.
The path goes up mountains and through rough roads.
The rider sometimes wants to shout, “Slow down!”
But when he does, Jesus only smiles and says, “Pedal.”
Later he realizes that the Lord knows every curve, every shortcut, every hill.
When he finally stops worrying about the path and starts enjoying the ride, he discovers what true freedom feels like.
That’s surrender.
Letting Jesus steer, even when the road looks unsafe.
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The Inner Battle
Most of us don’t mind trusting God with eternity—it’s today we struggle with.
We trust Him with our souls but not our schedule; with our salvation but not our savings.
Yet He invites us to hand over every card in the wallet.
Surrender doesn’t mean recklessness; it means alignment.
It’s saying, “Lord, You authorize the charges; I’ll supply the pedal-power.”
When He leads, fear loses its grip, because now the liability rests on the Owner, not the manager.
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Living Signed Over
Every time you see your signature on a receipt, remember: you already signed a larger one the day you said “Yes” to Jesus.
You authorized Him to direct your life.
Now every transaction—every decision, every relationship, every purchase—is processed under His name.
That’s what trust looks like in motion.
That’s what “using God’s VISA” really means.
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5 – Tap Into God’s Blessings
(Malachi 3 : 8-10 ; Proverbs 3 : 9-10)
> “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse… and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven.”
Every credit account offers some kind of reward program.
Air miles, points, cash-back.
Heaven’s account has its own: the joy of seeing God’s faithfulness unfold.
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The Divine Challenge
Malachi records God daring His people: “Test Me.”
It’s the only place in Scripture where God invites a test.
He says, “Swipe the card of trust, and watch what happens.”
When we honor Him with the first fruits—time, tithe, talent—He opens doors no budget could.
Blessing isn’t always money; sometimes it’s health, peace, protection, or opportunity.
But the principle stands: trust releases blessing.
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Worth-ship
The word worship comes from worth-ship—declaring how much God is worth.
Every offering, every act of service, every moment spent helping others is an act of worth-ship.
So ask yourself: How much is the Lord worth to me?
If He is of infinite value, then no gift is too small, no sacrifice too great.
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Trust Before Treasure
Proverbs 3 : 9-10 says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth… then your barns will be filled.”
But notice the sequence. Before verse 9 comes verse 5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.”
Blessing begins not with giving, but with trust.
God doesn’t bless our banking skills; He blesses our faithfulness.
Tithing is simply faith with a ledger.
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Heaven’s Open Account
When you finally believe that the Lord owns the card, that He rewards good management, you stop worrying about supply.
You start living in expectation instead of exhaustion.
You learn that obedience is the key that opens heaven’s account.
Malachi 3 : 10 pictures God throwing open floodgates.
Can you imagine the sound? The rush of mercy, the torrent of goodness.
It’s not a drizzle of blessing; it’s a downpour.
When God opens the windows of heaven, He’s saying, “You can’t out-give Me. I’ll keep refilling your account faster than you can spend it in love.”
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A Living Testimony
Some years ago a young couple in our church began tithing while both were working entry-level jobs.
They said, “We don’t have much, but we want to be faithful.”
Within months the husband was promoted, the wife’s health improved, and their sense of peace was palpable.
When I asked what changed, they said, “We stopped being owners and started being managers.”
That’s what happens when people tap into God’s blessing—the external follows the internal.
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The Ultimate Reward
We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.
And one day, the Owner Himself will settle the accounts.
He’ll look at His managers and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many.”
That’s heaven’s final statement, stamped Paid in Full / Trust Approved.
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Bringing It All Together — God’s VISA
Let’s come back to that title for a moment.
A VISA gives you access—it lets you enter places you couldn’t go on your own.
God’s VISA does the same.
When you live by Value, you recognize the worth of eternal things.
When you Invest in His kingdom, you move treasure from temporary to permanent.
When you practice Stewardship, you manage every resource as trust.
And when you walk in Accountability, you live ready for the statement to arrive.
That’s the life of faithful stewardship—living on God’s credit line of grace.
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The Final Appeal
So here’s the question that brings it all home:
Can God trust you?
Not just with money, but with mercy.
Not just with possessions, but with people.
Not just with influence, but with His Spirit.
Every day He extends another line of grace and says, “Use it wisely. Invest it well. The limit is love; the reward is Mine.”
When you reach the end of life’s journey and step across the border into heaven, you won’t need a passport—you’ll already have God’s VISA in your heart.
