Today, we continue our series entitled “Living the Grace Life,” where we will learn to embrace and walk in God’s unmerited, unearned, and often undeserved favor throughout 2025.
As part of this series, I am teaching a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Galatians. Let’s get into it.
Key scriptures for this year:
2 Corinthians 9:8 TPT
“Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.”
Galatians 5:4 TPT
“If you want to be made right with God by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!”
Romans 6:14 ERV
“Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God’s grace.”
1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
Scripture(s) we will study today:
Galatians 2:10 TPT
“They simply requested that we would be mindful to minister to the poor, which was the very thing I was already eager to do.”
1 Timothy 6:17-19 NIV
“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
Setting the Stage:
Over the past few messages, we’ve established that the real problem with poverty is not a lack of money—it’s a lack of proper thinking. Jesus’ answer to poverty was the Word, not money; it was the Word! We also learned that God’s provision is tied to His vision for your life and that grace breaks the poverty mindset by revealing your true identity.
Today, I want to share something personal that transformed Isabella’s life and mine: the power of getting into God’s Word for yourself and allowing what the Bible says about money, finances, stewardship, and sowing to completely change your life. I want to drive home the importance of studying God’s Word personally and never allowing the opinions of the world, or even the traditions of the church, to overrule what God clearly says in His Word.
You see, our lives were not changed until we got into the Word with intentionality and allowed what the Bible actually says about prosperity to transform our thinking. Those 16 hours of teaching on biblical prosperity that I went through twice became the foundation for everything that changed in our financial life.
Before we dive in, let me establish something foundational: everything we do for the Lord is worship. When we generate wealth using God’s power, steward resources for Kingdom purposes, or give generously to advance His covenant – all of this is worship. Today’s message isn’t just about money management; it’s about living your entire financial life as an act of devotion to God.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. The Word of God is the Will of God on Paper.
You cannot live beyond what you believe, and you cannot believe beyond what you
know. The reason many believers struggle financially is not because God doesn’t want them to prosper—it’s because they don’t know what God’s Word actually says about prosperity. They’ve been influenced by religious tradition instead of biblical revelation.
How this applies to you:
— Make a personal commitment to study what God’s Word actually says about money and His will for you to prosper. Don’t just accept what you’ve been taught. Study it for yourself. Over 2,000 verses in the Bible deal with money and possessions. Jesus taught more about money than about heaven and hell combined. This means financial prosperity is not a side issue to God. It’s a major theme throughout His Word.
— Challenge every belief you have about money against the Word of God. If your beliefs about money don’t line up with Scripture, your beliefs are wrong, not the Scripture. Many people have more faith in their poverty than they do in God’s Word about prosperity. The Word of God is the final authority on every subject, including finances.
— Understand that religious tradition often contradicts biblical truth. Mark 7:13 says religious tradition can make “the word of God of no effect.” Many churches teach poverty as spirituality, but the Bible teaches that “the blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22).
— Get into systematic Bible study about God’s financial principles. Don’t just read one verse here and there. Study entire passages. Read books. Listen to solid biblical teaching. Invest the same energy in learning God’s financial principles that you would invest in learning any other important skill.
— Personal testimony: Isabella and I went through those 16 hours of teaching on what the Bible has to say about God’s will for us to prosper (I went through it twice, so for me, it was 32 hours). We needed that level of teaching because we needed to have our thinking completely renewed. We had grown up with poverty thinking. I grew up in East New York, Brooklyn, on welfare, and Isabella grew up in Dominica in abject poverty in Dominica. But when we got the Word of God down in our hearts about finances, everything changed. The Word transformed our thinking and transformed thinking led to transformed results.
— Never allow worldly opinions to overrule God’s Word. The world says money is evil, but 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “the love of money is the root of all evil”—not money itself. The world says you can’t serve God and be wealthy, but the Bible shows us Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David, Solomon, and many others who served God faithfully while being extremely wealthy. Solomon had more money than Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos combined, and God gave it to him.
— Remember that ignorance of God’s Word keeps you in bondage. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
2. Get into the Word for Yourself.
The greatest mistake you can make in your spiritual and financial development is depending solely on what others teach you instead of studying God’s Word for yourself. You need personal revelation, not secondhand information.
How this applies to you:
— Develop your own personal Bible study time focused on God’s financial principles. Don’t just depend on Sunday sermons or devotionals. Set aside time to study passages like Deuteronomy 8:18, 2 Corinthians 9:6-11, and other foundational texts on what the Bible has to say about finances.
— Study Deuteronomy 28, which gives you the clearest picture of what THE BLESSING and THE CURSE look like in practical terms. THE BLESSING (verses 1-14) describes a life of supernatural favor: your work prospers, your finances increase, you have good health, your children are blessed, you lend to nations but never borrow, and you are the head and not the tail. THE CURSE (verses 15-68) describes a life of struggle: constant financial pressure, sickness, family problems, borrowing with no ability to lend, and being the tail instead of the head. This chapter shows you that God’s will is clearly THE BLESSING, not THE CURSE. When you study this chapter, you’ll see that financial struggle is not God’s will for your life. Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the Law so we could walk in the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14).
— Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you directly from God’s Word. John 16:13 says the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all truth.” When you study God’s Word about finances with an open heart, the Holy Spirit will give you personal revelation that transforms your life.
— Test every teaching against Scripture. Acts 17:11 commends the Bereans because they “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” Don’t just accept teaching because it comes from a preacher or tradition—verify everything against God’s Word.
— Build your faith on the Word, not on experience or opinion. Romans 10:17 says “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Your financial faith will only be as strong as your knowledge of what God’s Word says about His provision.
— Understand that personal Bible study leads to personal breakthroughs. When you study God’s Word for yourself, you receive fresh revelation that brings fresh results. What you receive directly from God through His Word has more power than what you receive secondhand from others.
— Don’t let religious traditions nullify the Word of God in your life. Many people have been taught that wanting to prosper financially is carnal or selfish. But 3 John 2 says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” God wants you to prosper in every area, including financially.
3. God Wants Wealthy People to Use Their Resources for Good—Not to Get Rid of Them.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 gives clear instructions to those who are wealthy. Notice that God doesn’t tell rich people to get rid of their wealth—He tells them how to use their wealth properly. This passage reveals God’s heart about wealth and wealthy people.
How this applies to you:
— Understand that God has no problem with you having money—He has a problem when money has you. The passage tells wealthy people not to be arrogant or put their hope in wealth, but it doesn’t tell them to get rid of their wealth. God wants you to be wealthy so you can be a greater blessing to others.
— Remember that money answers all things in this world. Ecclesiastes 10:19 NIV says, “A feast is made for laughter, wine makes life merry, and money is the answer for everything.” This doesn’t mean money is the source of happiness, but it does mean that in this earthly realm, money solves practical problems. Money pays for medical bills, provides shelter, feeds families, funds ministry, supports missions, and enables you to be generous. God wants you to have money because He knows that having money allows you to answer needs and solve problems in ways that poverty never could. When you’re financially empowered, you can respond to opportunities to bless others immediately instead of having to say, “I wish I could help but I don’t have the resources.” Money is a tool in God’s hands to accomplish His purposes through you.
— Put your hope in God, not in your wealth. Money is a tool, not a source. God “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” This means God wants you to enjoy the wealth He gives you while keeping Him as your source and maintaining your trust in Him.
— Be generous and willing to share. Wealth comes with responsibility. The more God entrusts to you, the more He expects you to be generous. Generosity is not about getting rid of wealth—it’s about multiplying the blessing through proper stewardship.
— Do good with your money. Use your resources to advance God’s Kingdom, help the poor, support ministry, and meet needs. When you use money for good, you store up treasure in heaven while making an impact on the earth.
— See wealth as a Kingdom assignment, not just personal blessing. When God prospers you, He’s not just blessing you—He’s positioning you to be a blessing. Your prosperity is part of your divine purpose to advance His Kingdom on earth.
— I will close this point with a major consideration. Money is the least of all riches in God’s Kingdom. But remember the principle that you must be faithful over little before God will give you charge over much. In Luke 16:11, Jesus asked the question, “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” This means God uses money as a test of your character and faithfulness. If you can’t handle money with integrity, generosity, and Kingdom purpose, how can God trust you with spiritual authority, divine revelation, or greater Kingdom assignments? God wants to give you true riches—spiritual power, divine influence, and Kingdom authority—but He first watches how you handle the “little” things like money. Let that sink in.
4. God Gives You the Power to Get Wealth—Why Would He Do That If It Were Bad?
Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV says, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” This verse destroys every argument against biblical prosperity. If wealth were evil, why would God give you the power to get it?
How this applies to you:
— Understand that God deliberately gives you the power to create wealth. This isn’t accidental or reluctant; it is completely intentional. God has equipped you with abilities, talents, ideas, and opportunities specifically designed to generate wealth. If wealth were sinful, God wouldn’t be the one empowering you to obtain it.
— Recognize that wealth is connected to God’s covenant purposes. The verse says God gives you power to get wealth “that He may establish His covenant.” This means your wealth is not just about your comfort. It’s about advancing God’s Kingdom and fulfilling His covenant promises on earth.
— Stop feeling guilty about God’s desire to prosper you. Religious tradition has taught many believers to feel guilty about wanting financial success. But if God gives you the power to get wealth, then using that power must be part of His will for your life. Many churches have misled people about God’s will for them to prosper and then turned around and asked them to give.
— Understand that poverty doesn’t advance God’s Kingdom. When you’re struggling financially, you can’t be as generous as God wants you to be. But when you walk in the power to get wealth, you become a channel for Kingdom advancement through your generosity and influence.
— Use whatever wealth God blesses you to steward for covenant purposes. Just as God gave this power to establish His covenant, your wealth should be used to further His purposes. Things like supporting ministry, helping the poor, advancing the Gospel, and leaving a godly inheritance.
— Remember that the same God who saves you also wants to prosper you. It makes no sense to believe that God wants to bless you spiritually but curse you financially. The God who gave His best (Jesus) for your salvation also wants to give His best provision for your prosperity.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You that Your Word is the final authority on every area of my life, including my finances.
I declare that I will get into Your Word for myself and allow what You say about money, wealth, and prosperity to transform my thinking.
I reject every religious tradition and worldly opinion that contradicts Your Word.
I understand that You want me to prosper financially so I can be a greater blessing to others.
I will use whatever wealth You entrust to me for Kingdom purposes and generational impact.
I commit to studying Your Word about finances. I will accept whatever Your Word says and do as the Holy Spirit leads.
Your Word is Your Will on paper, so I align my life with Your Word.
The way I manage and steward my finances is an act of worship! I worship You in my giving.
I am living #TheGraceLife, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
