How Much Money Do You Need to Be Happy?

Rich Toward God

Scripture References

Primary text

• Luke 12

Other references

• Psalm 24:1
• Ecclesiastes 5
• Matthew 6:19
• Proverbs 22:9
• Matthew 21

Overview

Wealth keeps moving the finish-line, but Jesus warns that life is not found in the abundance of possessions (Luke 12). In a world where most of us are already “rich,” the real issue is whether we will be rich toward God. Pastor Curtis walks us from recognizing God’s ownership, to stewarding His resources through the tithe, to investing in eternal things, and finally to living for the joy of radical generosity.

Main Points

1. “Watch out” for the lure of “just a little bit more” (Luke 12)

• Rich feels like a moving target: $2.75-an-hour dishwasher, $20k youth-pastor salary, $30k dream – the bar always rises.
• Jesus’ parable of the bumper-crop farmer: building bigger barns without generosity ends in God’s rebuke, not because he was rich, but because he was not rich toward God.
• Modern “rich-people problems”: nothing to eat while the fridge is full, Amazon taking three days, Netflix buffering from outer space.
• Say it aloud—“I’m rich”—and notice the discomfort; wealth is a gift yet also a spiritual disadvantage if it shifts trust from God to stuff.

2. Think like stewards, not owners (Psalm 24:1)

• “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it”—your TV, clothes, car, even you.
• The tithe reveals true ownership.
  • Hebrew ma aser = first 10 %. Order matters more than amount.
  • We don’t “give” the tithe; we “bring” or return what is already His.
  • God’s lone “Test Me” invitation (Malachi passage) – open heavens follow obedience.
• Story: Curtis and Cindy’s 26-year journey from suspicion (“church scam”) to a family culture where everything is God’s.

3. Invest more than you spend (Matthew 6:19)

• Spending stores treasures on earth that fade; investing stores treasures in heaven.
• Everyday choices: binge Netflix vs. pray for your teen; build your brand vs. lift Jesus’ name; buy a toy vs. fund a campus or pay a single mom’s rent.
• Illustration: Vacation pesos—valuable abroad, useless at home; earthly hoarding will feel the same when we arrive in our real country, heaven.

4. Live to give (Proverbs 22:9)

• A “generous eye” scans for needs to meet; that person “will be blessed.”
• Ramsey & Cruze motivation: live and give like no one else later.
• Story: Legacy Team couple Carrie & Bear rewrote their trust—100 % to Life.Church so people will meet Jesus long after they’re in heaven.

5. God invites you into His story (Matthew 21)

• Jesus tells disciples to borrow a big donkey and a colt: “The Lord needs them.”
• The Creator who needs nothing chooses to borrow what He already owns so the owner can be written into redemption’s story.
• Every tithe, act of service, or sacrificial gift is God handwriting our name into someone else’s salvation story.

Key Truths

• Life does not consist of what I accumulate but of being rich toward God.
• Everything in my possession already belongs to the Lord; I’m a manager, not an owner.
• Returning the first tenth realigns my heart and declares God’s ownership over the rest.
• Earthly spending ends on earth; heavenly investing yields eternal returns.
• Generosity isn’t philanthropy—it is ministry that writes us into God’s unfolding story.

Response

• Acknowledge God’s ownership of every resource in your life.
• Begin or renew tithing—return the first 10 % to the local church and test God’s promise.
• Re-evaluate time, influence, and money: shift portions from spending to eternal investing.
• Look each day with a “generous eye” for needs you can meet.
• Pray about the legacy you will leave—design a plan that keeps funding gospel work after you’re gone.

Closing

Pastor Curtis reminded us that fully-devoted living starts where we let go of what we least want to release. God doesn’t demand our resources because He lacks; He invites us so we can join the narrative of redemption. > “The Lord needs them.” When we hand Him what He already owns, heaven touches earth and our names are etched into someone else’s salvation story.

Prayer

The congregation thanked God for His grace and asked for courage to trust Him with every resource. Many specifically committed to begin tithing, and others surrendered their lives to Christ, praying together: “Father, I need You… I have sinned… I’m asking You to save me… Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I would serve You always. In Jesus’ name, amen.”