Utah's Hope

“There was not a needy person among them.”

That remarkable statement in Acts 4:34 describes the early church's generosity. The first Christians freely shared what God had entrusted to them so their community's needs were met.

Their example can sound almost foreign in a culture that prizes independence and personal ownership. But according to Dr. Darrell Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), the generosity we see in Acts reflects something much deeper than a particular financial system. It reveals what happens when people begin to see themselves, their possessions, and one another differently because of the gospel.

So what can the early church teach us about generosity today?

Money and possessions receive considerable attention throughout the Gospel of Luke, and Dr. Bock summarizes Luke’s perspective with a simple image: believers should hold what they own with loose hands.

The reason is stewardship. What we possess ultimately comes from God. We are not owners in the absolute sense but stewards responsible for faithfully managing what He provides.

That changes the question from, “What can I do with my money?” to, “How can I use what God has entrusted to me to serve Him and others?”

Open-handed stewardship does not mean possessions are inherently wrong. It means we refuse to grip them so tightly that they become unavailable when God gives us an opportunity to help someone else.

Acts places the extraordinary generosity of the early believers immediately after Pentecost and the Holy Spirit's coming.

That placement matters. Dr. Bock describes spiritual transformation as redirecting the focus of our lives. Instead of everything pointing inward toward ourselves and our own agendas, our attention begins moving upward toward God and outward toward others.

That transformation inevitably affects how we think about possessions.

We no longer view our resources merely as tools for our own comfort or even solely for the benefit of our immediate families. We begin recognizing that God may also use what He has entrusted to us to care for the people He places around us.

The early Christians understood themselves as an extended family—brothers and sisters united in Christ. When needs arose within that family, those who could responded.

Their generosity was not simply a financial practice. It was evidence of changed hearts.

Acts 2 and 4 have sometimes raised the question of whether the early church abandoned private ownership altogether. Acts 5 helps clarify the issue.

When Ananias and Sapphira sold property but misrepresented what they had given, Peter made clear that the property had remained theirs and that they had authority over the proceeds. Their sin was not keeping some of the money. Their sin was dishonesty.

That tells us something important about the early church's generosity: it was voluntary.

Believers were not compelled to surrender everything they owned. They chose to give because their hearts had been transformed.

That voluntary nature actually makes their generosity more remarkable. No one had to force them to care for one another. Their willingness reflected their character.

The language Luke uses also suggests that believers were not necessarily liquidating all their possessions at once. Rather, they sold possessions as needs arose.

That implies discernment. Dr. Bock points to the contrast between Jesus’ encounter with the rich ruler and His encounter with Zacchaeus. Jesus instructed the rich ruler to sell everything, while Zacchaeus announced that he would give away half of his possessions and w

Three songs. Maybe raised hands. Done worshiping for the week? Not so fast. How do you worship God when Monday hits—and life looks nothing like you ordered? Grammy-winning artist Laura Story, author of Stand in Awe, joins FamilyLife Today guest host Cheryl Shumake to talk about worship when God doesn’t follow our script, faith gets a little too me-focused, and “reverence” sounds suspiciously like a word your grandmother used.

Show Notes and Resources

• Laura Story’s book, Stand in Awe: How Reverence Transforms Our Worship and Our Lives.

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
• Follow us on all social platforms: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
• Find resources from our podcast at shop.familylife.com.
• Download FamilyLife's app!
• Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
• Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

See cru.org/us/en/about/privacy FamilyLife’s Privacy Policy

Ever drive away from home and had that nagging feeling you might have left the stove on? Or you forgot to lock a door? Or you left a curling iron plugged in? If you don’t go back and check, you start thinking of how things could go horribly wrong. We want to be sure about certain things, don’t we? Well today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us check ourselves when it comes to the sincerity of our faith in Christ. When it comes to matters of eternity, “close enough” . . . isn’t close enough.

—

Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may not think of yourself as controlling. You’re just trying to protect the people you love and keep things from falling apart! Lysa TerKeurst reveals how fear can quietly drive our need for control, but how trusting God with the things we can’t fix can bring freedom and peace. You can’t control every outcome…but you can trust the One who can.

Receive a copy of "Making Peace with What I Can't Control" and an audio download of "How to Make Peace with What You Can't Control" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.

Get More Episode Resources 

Do you have a story or comment on how Focus on the Family impacted you or your family? Leave a message for Jim Daly!

If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

Discover how you can serve God effectively as you exercise your spiritual gift.

Donate: https://store.intouch.org/donate/general

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A business closes. A home is lost. An investment collapses. A scammer wipes out savings that took decades to build. When money disappears, the loss can reach far beyond the balance sheet. But, in Scripture, we are reminded that while wealth can be lost, our true treasure cannot. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West explores three stories that can help us respond faithfully when financial loss comes. Then, it’s on to calls. That’s Faith and Finance Live . . . biblical wisdom for your financial decisions. That’s weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

Faith & Finance Live is a listener supported program on Moody Radio. To join our team of supporters, click here.

To support the ministry of FaithFi, click here.

To learn more about Rob West, click here.

To learn more about Faith & Finance Live, click here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Topics: 

Anyhumanever.com, Curbed TV, History Segment, Small Talk, Shock Jock, Real, Flim Flam


BONUS CONTENT: Flim Flam Follow-up, Twitter Christian Bands

Quotes:

"Recommit to serving people and you'll find less to complain about."

"They were made for tiny little elves."

"I'm gonna see little guys playing baseball"

"Don't lose hope."
.
.
.
Holy Ghost Mama Pre-Order!

Want more of the Oddcast? Check out our website!

Watch our YouTube videos here.

Connect with us on Facebook!

Financial loss can happen slowly or all at once. A business closes. A home is lost. An investment collapses. A scam wipes out savings built over decades.

And when money disappears, the loss can reach far beyond the balance sheet. It can affect our sense of security, our plans for the future, and even the way we understand God’s provision.

Scripture does not minimize those losses. It gives us permission to grieve them. But it also reminds us that while we can lose wealth, we cannot lose our true treasure.

Three stories—from Job, Horatio Spafford, and John Wesley—offer perspective for responding faithfully when financial loss comes.

Few people in Scripture understood loss as Job did. In a remarkably short span of time, his possessions, livelihood, and children were taken from him. Job grieved deeply. He tore his robe. He wept. He asked hard questions.

The Bible never suggests that faith requires us to pretend loss does not hurt. But Job also shows us something important about where his confidence ultimately rested. In Job 31:24–28, he reflects on the danger of placing his security in wealth:

“Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold? Have I gloated about my wealth and all that I own? … If so, I should be punished by the judges, for it would mean I had denied the God of heaven.”

That is especially significant because Job had been extraordinarily wealthy. Scripture describes him as the greatest of all the people of the East. His possessions were real blessings, and losing them was a real tragedy.

Yet even before they disappeared, Job understood that wealth was never worthy of carrying the weight of his hope. Financial loss often reveals what prosperity can conceal.

We may sincerely say that our security is in God, but a collapsing account balance can expose how much security we were actually drawing from that account.

So when loss comes, the first question may not be, How quickly can I get this money back? A better question may be, Lord, what have I been trusting to do what only You can do?

That does not mean we stop rebuilding. It means we rebuild on the right foundation.

Horatio Spafford knew something about rebuilding after loss.

He was a successful Chicago attorney and real estate investor who suffered significant financial losses around the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Then, two years later, tragedy struck at a level money could never measure.

Spafford’s wife and four daughters were crossing the Atlantic when their ship collided with another vessel. His wife survived, but all four daughters died.

Spafford soon crossed the Atlantic to join his grieving wife. In the midst of that devastating season, he wrote words Christians still sing today: “It is well with my soul.”

Notice what he did not say. He did not say everything was well. It wasn’t. Christian peace is not denying loss. It is the assurance that loss does not have the final word.

That distinction matters when you have been scammed, when a business fails, when retirement savings disappear, or when the house you thought you would grow old in is gone.

You can grieve what was lost without believing that you have lost everything.

That brings us to John Wesley's story. When Wesley was only five years old, the Epworth Rectory, where his family lived, caught fire. John became trapped on the second floor as the flames spread.

With no time for a ladder, neighbors climbed onto one another’s shoulders and pulled him through a window shortly before the roof collapsed.

The house and nearly everything in it were lost. But Wesley later remembered his father responding to the disaster by giving thanks that his children had survived. His

Sometimes, it can seem as though we’re swimming against the current in our life of faith. If it isn’t opposition and even persecution for what we believe, it’s challenges in health, or finances, or relationships. How do we get through? How have others made it? Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie points to the Apostle Paul as our inspiration. We’re in the book of Acts considering the trial upon trial Paul faced, but the word of encouragement that pulled him through.

—

Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years.

Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupport

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.