Is money really a spiritual issue?

Pastor Ken says yes: money is not neutral, it is spiritual, and it shapes who we trust. He says Scripture calls greed idolatry, not a bad habit, and that anything sitting on the throne of your life besides Jesus is an idol. He also says God isn’t asking because he needs your money; he wants something for you, which is freedom from the burdens money and possessions bring.

What does it mean that “first fruits” reveal who you trust?

In 1 Kings 16, Ahab set up an altar to Baal, who was believed to control rain, harvest, and so security. Pastor Ken says that whatever you give first to is what you believe controls your future. He argues that when our first goes to comfort, escape, or security and God only gets what’s left, something else is on the throne.

What was the widow of Zarephath being asked to do, and was God after her money?

In 1 Kings 17, she says she has only a handful of flour and a little oil, enough for one last meal. Elijah tells her not to be afraid and to make him a small loaf first. Pastor Ken says God was after her heart, not her bread, and that “I don’t have” and “I only have” are the language of scarcity, not trust.

Is this just a God who demands things from me?

Pastor Ken closes with John 3:16 to say the opposite. God gave his all, his one and only Son, before we did anything. He says giving first is a response to that, not a price of entry, and that Christianity is not about a God who demands your heart before he loves you.