All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.
Acts 4:32  

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Last summer, my high school son started a lawn mowing business in our neighborhood. He created flyers and then found the courage to go door-to-door to introduce himself and offer his services. The responses slowly trickled in. As the word spread, he mowed most days of the week and had at least a dozen weekly customers.

For a teenager, he was making what felt like serious money—definitely the most he had ever made in his life. He had a wallet filled with cash, and as a parent, it felt good to see him learning responsibility and the value of hard work. 

Then at church one Sunday, he leaned over to me after the ushers moved into place to collect the offering and asked a great question: “Do I really have to give some of this money I made this week back to God? I mean… I earned it.”

He wasn’t being disrespectful in that moment—he was being honest. And I realized that my response could help shape his view of money, possessions, and his relationship to them. I was excited for him to purchase a new basketball, a phone case, and his favorite food from Culver’s whenever he wanted it (cheddar cheese fries!)—but I also knew that money is one of the primary competitors for our hearts, and he was at an early crossroads. Would he see his money as fully his own—something to keep and protect and serve? Or would he recognize it as a blessing given to him to bless others?

This moment reminded me of the early church of Acts. The believers didn’t give just a portion back, like I was encouraging my son to do—they shared everything they had. They weren’t afraid of losing their money, but they felt free to give to each other and be the church to those in their community. Money was not their master. God was.  They had experienced transformation in their hearts—being changed by Jesus, changed everything. 

Would you pray with me? “Jesus, as we earn money and stand at many crossroads looking for direction on how to relate to it, teach us to trust You with all we have! We want to live with open-handed generosity like the early church in Acts.” 

Next Steps

Imagine viewing all of your possessions in your life as shareable with others. What would be the easiest to part with? The hardest? What is one thing that you could give away as an act of putting God first, not your money? 

Are you ready to take a small step towards putting God first, before money? Consider giving one dollar a week to the Dollar Club, which blesses people in our community in need. https://www.willowcreek.org/dollarclub/

Don’t forget, throughout this series we’re reading the book of Acts as a church. Take a look at the reading plan and join in!