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Can You Serve God and Money? Jesus Says Pick One

Can You Serve God and Money? Jesus Says Pick One

Last updated on: August 4, 2026 at 8:57 pm by Pastor Kelly M. Williams

Can You Serve God and Money? Jesus Says Pick One 2026-08-04T20:57:47-06:00 Pastor Kelly M. Williams

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The video message version of this article.

Provision At The Table: Is Your God Financially Enough?

Seven out of ten Americans would rather die than run out of money.

But Jesus said, “You can’t serve money and me.” (Matthew 6:24)

As a pastor I am watching people leave the church in groves and chase after the money of this world.

But God wants us to sit down at His table and trust His provision.

God wants us to love Him not money. I didn’t say God wants us to love Him more than money. I said, God wants us to love Him not money, meaning, we are to always love God and never love money.

The Bible tells us that the love of money is the root of all evils. Listen to what Paul told the young pastor Timothy,

The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1 Timohty 6:10)

I can’t remember the last time I used the word “pang” in a conversation with someone else. I truly had no idea what it meant, until I looked it up. A pang is a SUDDEN, SHARP, AND INTENSE physical, emotional, and relational pain. The pursuit of the love of money will not only destroy you but destroy the relationships that matter to you.

You chase money and be alone or you can serve and love God and be with others, but you can’t do both. You must pick.

But you might say, “But I do need money to pay my bills and to live.”

Yes, you do. I never said you didn’t need money. I said you can’t serve money or love money because if you do you will destroy the relationships of your life. God however knows you need money to live. It is essential for sustaining our existence. Listen to what Jesus said about it:

“Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [g] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:25-33)

God is the first to know you have needs. But if God is not your first need you will miss out on God’s plan and relationships for your life.

You must seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all these things you need will be added to you.

How do you know? Because Jesus promises and He never lies or breaks a promise! He is a truth teller you can trust.

God wants you to trust Him, but He also wants you to love Him not money.

Listen to Jesus words:

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21)

Where is your treasure?

Recently I read this article on Facebook from a sixty-three-year-old woman who made some good points but fell short of speaking the full truth from God:

When I turned 63 last year (64 in March) I sat in my favorite chair, looked back at my life, and thought to myself,

“So… this is the beginning of the final stretch.”

And slowly, the truths I had avoided all my life began to surface.

Kids? They’re busy writing their own story.

Health? Slips away faster than sand through open fingers.

The government? Just headlines, promises, and numbers that never change your daily reality.

Aging doesn’t hurt your body first — it hurts your illusions.

So, I sat down with myself and carved out a handful of bitter but necessary truths.

Kids don’t save you from loneliness

Children grow, life pulls them in every direction, and you become a memory they visit when time allows.

You smile… and yet something inside you remains strangely hollow.

Kids bring joy — but they are not a shield against loneliness.

Health is not forever

One day, the outings you once jumped into with enthusiasm feel like a marathon.

You realize health was never a background character —

it was the main pillar holding your life steady.

Retirement is not a reward — it’s a reality check.

Depending on the system is like standing on thin ice.

Bills grow, needs grow, prices grow… but support doesn’t.

So, I rebuilt my life on new rules — honest, sharp, practical rules for living with dignity:

Rule 1: Money is more reliable than anything else.

That my friend is the opposite of what I am talking about. Sadly, no mention of Jesus or faith in God anywhere.

Half-truths always lead to a life of full deception, lies, and selfishness.

The love of money will leave you morally and eternally bankrupt.

Money is a means, but it should never be the goal. The never-ending pursuit of MORE will end in moral bankruptcy.

Listen to what Paul said to young Timothy…

But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich (the goal) fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. (1 Timothy 6:6-9)

But let me tell you something else, wanting to love God more than money will not happen apart from what I am getting ready to tell you and show you.

God created money with a four-fold purpose:

To show His place in our lives.
To provide for basic needs.
To give to those in need.
To confirm His direction for our lives.

If you and I were to look at our finances today, what place would Jesus have in your finances? First, second, third, tenth, nowhere?

Your time and your talent, though important, are NOT a substitute for treasures.

Some people want to say that the New Testament does not teach New Testament Christians today to tithe. Do you know who says that? New Testament Christians who don’t want to tithe to their local church. Those people would be biblically wrong.

What does it mean to “seek first the kingdom of God”?

This idea comes from the Old Testament idea, “First fruits” in the book of Exodus:

The best of the first fruits of your ground (your vocation or salary) you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. (Exodus 23:19)

Now, what is a first fruit? How much is that? The prophet Malachi addresses this:

Bring the full tithe (a tithe means 10 of the whole or 10%) into the storehouse (the Temple then the church now), that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. (Malachi 3:10)

This is the only place God gives us permission to test Him.

And listen to these words, “test me….and I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

Sound familiar? Matthew 6 is pulling from Malachi 3’s promise. Seek first, give first, and God will bless the other ninety percent and make it go further than you could have made it go yourself.

Now you may say, “Where does the New Testament tell me to tithe, explicitly? My answer is, you ready?

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” (Matthew23:23)

God wants us to do both.

God wants us to give ten percent, and He wants us to do it from our hearts not just our hands.

God wants us to give our first ten percent to His house.

If you are a New Testament Christian following Jesus, you should be giving ten percent of your income to your local church. This is not just a good idea. It is biblical and if you aren’t, you are in disobedience to God’s command and plan for your life as a follower of Jesus.

The number one reason why people will not become members of the church I pastor, Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs, is because we require New Testament tithing to be a member of Vanguard. Why? Because this is biblical and what God asks us to do. I know your flesh disagrees but don’t listen to it. Make Jesus first in your finances become a tither to your local church.

Now I am going to make a very hard statement to you, “God is not first in your life and heart if you don’t tithe.”

Tithing shows His place in your life.

Give God your first ten percent.

Abraham did.

Abraham gave a tenth of everything. (Genesis 14:20)

God tells us to test Him and He will open the windows of heaven and bless you.

But I know, this scares us.

I gave my life to Jesus when I was almost nine, forty-six years ago. My dad paid me ten dollars a week to milk the dairy cows. He said, “Son, now that you are a Christian you need to tithe.” I said, “Dad, what is that?” He said, “God wants you to give Him the first ten percent.” I thought about it and said, “Dad, that means I would only have nine left.” He said, “That’s right son.” I said, “Dad, I will tithe when I make more.” He said son, “You won’t. You will never enough. You will always want more. Start tithing now because the more you make the harder it gets to give.”

This is true.

I had someone say to me years ago. “Pastor, pray I win the lottery.” I said, “Why?’ He said, “Because if I do, I will give a lot to the church.” I looked at him and said, “No you won’t.” He said, “Why?” I said, “My dad taught me, you won’t give more when you have more, you will just give a percentage of more and you don’t give anything now to the church, so I suspect if my dad is right, you won’t give anything then, either.”

Don’t lie to yourself and buy the lie that you would give more if you had more. Just give out of what you have, and God will take care of the rest. Listen to what Paul said,

*…*they gave according to their means, (2 Corinthians 8:3)

If you make $10, God wants the first $1

If you make $100, God wants the first $10

If you make $1000, God wants the first $100

If you make $10k, God wants you to give him the first $1k

If you make $30k, God wants you to give him the first $3k

If you make $50k, God wants you to give him the first $5k

If you make $100k, God wants you to give him the first $10k

If you make $200k, God wants you to give him the first $20k

The primary reason God gives you money as a follower of Jesus is so you can see where you have placed Him in your life.

God not only gives us money so we can see His place in our lives, but also to provide for basic needs. Listen to Paul to the Philippian church…

My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

But God does expect us to work for it. Look at Timothy…

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)

We trust God to meet our needs through hard work.

I have worked hard all my life. And I have never seen God not bless it. God honors hard work. Let me say it another way, like they say it in sports, “good things happen when you hustle.”

God not only gives us money so we can see His place in our lives and provide for basic needs but also to give to those in need.

***…***your abundance at the present time should supply their need,” (2 Corinthians 8:14)

All of us have seasons of “lean” and seasons of “more.”

Sometimes we work hard and we still come up short. God sees. And God rewards hard work through sending others to help us. This is what Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 8.

But here is a litmus test as to who to help in Thessalonians…

If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

God rewards hard work and when your hard work comes up short in meeting your needs, God will send others to help you. And it is also okay to ask others to help you!

God not only gives us money so we can see His place in our lives and provide for basic needs but and to give to those in need but also to give direction for our lives.

Financial provision is often used by God to guide and confirm His will.

Scripture contains several accounts where God used material provision to sustain people and confirm His direction, Elijah being one of those.

Realize where God points, He provides.

God’s Hebrew name for Provider in the Old Testament is, Jehovah Jireh, “The Lord Will Provide.”. In Genesis 22 God sent Abraham up the mountain with his son Isaac to sacrifice his son, but God provided a ram instead.

God is not going to call you and then abandon you. Where He points your life, He provides for your life. He is Jehovah Jireh, the Great Provider. You can’t worship the Great Provider and Money. You must pick. Tithing is what frees you to pick, without it, you won’t pick Him. You will pick money every time. And thus, you will live wanting more instead of living to want more of Jesus. May God give you the grace to give Him your first fruits and watch Him lead you to the place of His great sovereign provision for your life to do what He has called you to do and be who He has called you to be, like Abraham.

God is enough!

He is Jehovah Jireh!

God will provide for you!

Test Him!

He told us too and see.

After forty-six years I can tell you, He hasn’t failed the test yet with me and He never will.

He is just that good.

Blessings,

Pastor Kelly

Relationships and Religion

Business, Finance and Religion

About Pastor Kelly M. Williams

Pastor Kelly is the founding and Senior Pastor of Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs, where he has served for over 24 years. A Kentucky native and graduate of Liberty University and Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., cum laude), Kelly has led Vanguard to become the largest Southern Baptist Church in Colorado, with over 3,300 baptisms and 44 church plants. He is the author of Friend of Sinners and Real Marriage, and has spoken nationally for organizations like the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. A passionate Bible reader and leadership mentor, Kelly lives with his wife Tosha and their five children on a small beef farm in Colorado. You can read more about the author here.

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