Standing in Hope: What Your Money Reveals About Your Faith
Pastor Kyle Veach
We all say we stand for something. We stand for our families, our values, justice, truth, and Jesus. But if someone quietly looked through our bank account statements and receipts, what story would they tell? Our spending habits often reveal our priorities more honestly than our words do. Click the link above for the full message.
I remember the first time I tried wakesurfing. I was determined to stand up on my first try because I’m naturally competitive. Everyone around me was giving instructions, and finally one friend yelled, “You just stand up.” It sounded overly simple, but sometimes basic advice is exactly what we need. We often overcomplicate things that are actually straightforward.
Faith can work the same way. We talk about trusting God, but eventually trust becomes visible through action. One of the clearest places our faith shows up is in how we handle money. That’s why we’ve said throughout this series: Trusting God with your finances is not a financial decision; it is a faith decision.
Money has a way of exposing where trust really lives. If someone examined your transactions from the last month, they could probably identify what matters most to you. Sporting goods purchases may reveal investment in your kids. Costco runs may point to family priorities. Coffee shops might reveal your caffeine dependence. In the same way, generosity and tithing reveal something spiritual. They reveal trust.
For our family, if someone looked at our account on the first and fifteenth of every month, they would see a declaration that says, “We trust God.” Giving reminds us that God is our provider, not our paycheck.
The Friends Who Carried Their Friend to Jesus
In Mark chapter 2, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and crowds packed the house where He was teaching. Scripture says there was no room left, even outside the door.
Then four men arrived carrying their paralyzed friend on a mat.
“They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus.” — Mark 2:4
These men were desperate to get their friend to Jesus because they believed Jesus could change his life. Most people would have turned around when they saw the crowd, but not these men. They climbed onto the roof, tore through the clay and brush, and lowered their friend directly in front of Jesus.
This story reminds us how important it is to have the right people in our lives.
GET PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE WHO WILL CARRY YOU WHEN YOU CAN’T.
We all go through seasons where we feel weak, discouraged, anxious, or exhausted. We need people who are willing to help carry us toward Jesus when we don’t have the strength to move forward on our own. Real friendships are more than surface-level relationships. Healthy people call us out, call us up, hold us accountable, care for us, and sometimes carry us through difficult seasons.
The four men didn’t have to show up for their friend, but they did. That’s what love does.
Jesus Fixed the Soul Before the Situation
When the man was finally lowered in front of Jesus, everyone in the room expected one thing: physical healing. But Jesus said something completely unexpected:
“My child, your sins are forgiven.” — Mark 2:5
Imagine the confusion in the room. Nobody carried this man there because of sin. They carried him there because he couldn’t walk. I can almost picture the man thinking, “What about my legs?”
But Jesus understood something nobody else in the room understood:
JESUS IS MORE INTERESTED IN YOUR SOUL THAN HE IS IN YOUR BODY.
That doesn’t mean Jesus didn’t care about the man’s physical pain. He absolutely did. Jesus eventually healed him physically, but He addressed the soul first because the soul lasts forever.
You can fix someone’s circumstances while they still remain broken internally. You can heal the body while anxiety, fear, bitterness, or pride continue controlling someone’s heart. Jesus fixes things according to eternal importance.
The same principle applies to generosity and tithing. Many people think giving is simply a financial decision, but it’s actually a soul decision. When we give, we are declaring, “God, I trust You more than I trust money.” The deepest transformation usually doesn’t happen in the bank account first. It happens in the heart.
Why Jesus Talked About Money So Much
Jesus talked about money often because He understood how powerfully it competes for our trust. Scripture says:
“No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” — Matthew 6:24
Money promises security, peace, comfort, and control, but it cannot truly provide any of those things permanently. Only God can. That’s why generosity matters spiritually. It loosens money’s grip on our hearts and reminds us who our true provider is.
Tithing can feel backwards because God’s way of doing things is different from the world’s system. It feels risky to give first and trust God with the rest. But trust always requires faith before understanding.
Think about the instructions flight attendants give before takeoff: put your oxygen mask on first before helping someone else. At first, it feels backwards, but there’s wisdom behind it. If you lose consciousness trying to help someone else first, you can’t help anyone. In a similar way, obedience to God often comes before clarity.
In a Bow-Down Culture, We Will Be Stand-Up People
Culture constantly shifts, but throughout Scripture, God calls His people to stand firm in faith.
IN A BOW-DOWN CULTURE WE WILL BE STAND-UP PEOPLE.
The Bible is filled with ordinary people who chose to stand up and trust God. Noah stood up and built the ark. Abraham stood up and followed God into the unknown. Moses stood up despite insecurity. David stood up against Goliath. Nehemiah stood up and rebuilt broken walls. John the Baptist stood up to prepare the way for Jesus.
Then Jesus finally turned to the paralyzed man and said:
“Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” — Mark 2:11
And the man stood.
Where Do You Stand?
The question this story leaves us with is simple: Where do you stand? Maybe you’ve never fully trusted Jesus before. Maybe you’ve been spiritually sitting down for a long time. This could be your moment to stand up in faith.
Maybe you stand on Sundays but struggle to trust God throughout the week. God doesn’t want part of our lives; He wants every part of them, including our finances, priorities, and decisions. Or maybe you’ve already seen what happens when you trust God fully. Then perhaps your next step is carrying someone else toward Jesus the way the four friends did.
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
Reflection Questions
What do your spending habits reveal about your priorities?
Who are the people helping carry you toward Jesus right now?
Is there an area where God may be trying to heal your heart before your circumstances?
What keeps people from trusting God financially?
What would it look like for you to fully stand in faith this week?
Discover Church is a new life-giving church in San Marcos, CA, meeting at Mission Hills High School. Our mission is to help you follow Jesus, find community, and discover your purpose so you and your family can win at what matters most. Plan your visit this Sunday
