Overall Question: What does being the Lord's steward include?

Steward1. “a person who is responsible for an event or for the management of a place” Cambridge Dictionary of American English
2. “somebody who manages somebody else's property, finances, or household” MSN Encarta

Memory Text: Matthew 25:29 NIV “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.”

Sunday – Talents
Matthew 25:14-30 Holman “14 ¶ “For it is just like a man going on a journey. He called his own slaves and turned over his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents; to another, two; and to another, one—to each according to his own ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately 16 the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17 In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18 But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. 19 “After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I’ve earned five more talents.’ 21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’ 22 “Then the man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. Look, I’ve earned two more talents.’ 23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’ 24 “Then the man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a difficult man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy slave! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, 27 then you should have deposited my money with the bankers. And when I returned I would have received my money back with interest. 28 “‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10 talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30 And throw this good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Matthew 25:14 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES The design of the parable is to teach that those who improve their talents or faculties in the cause of religion-- who improve them to their own salvation, and in doing good to others --shall be proportionally rewarded. But they who neglect their talents, and neither secure their own salvation nor do good to others, will be punished. The kingdom of heaven is like such a man; that is, God deals with men, in his government, as such a man did.

Monday – Time
Matthew 4:23 NRSV “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.”
Matthew 4:23 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES The synagogues were built in elevated places--in any place where ten men were found who were willing to associate for the purpose; and were the regular customary places of worship. In them the law, i.e., the Old Testament, divided into suitable portions, was read, prayers were offered, and the Scriptures were expounded.
Mark 1:29-31 NRSV “29 ¶ As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.”
Luke 4:16 NRSV “When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read,”
Luke 4:16 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE Our Lord regularly attended the public worship of God in the synagogues; for there the Scriptures were read: other parts of the worship were very corrupt; but it was the best at that time to be found in the land. To worship God publicly is the duty of every man, and no man can be guiltless who neglects it. If a person cannot get such public worship as he likes, let him frequent such as he can get. Better to attend the most indifferent than to stay at home.
John 2:1-11 20th Century NT “1 ¶ Two days after this there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and Jesus’ mother was there. 2 Jesus himself, too, with his disciples, was invited to the wedding. 3 And, when the wine ran short, his mother said to him: "They have no wine left." 4 "What do you want with me?" answered Jesus. "My time has not come yet." 5 His mother said to the servants: "Do whatever he tells you." 6 There were standing there six stone water-jars, in accordance with the Jewish rule of ‘purification,’ each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants: "Fill the water-jars with water;" 8 And, when they had filled them to the brim, he added: "Now take some out, and carry it to the Master of the Feast." The servants did so. 9 And, when the Master of the Feast had tasted the water which had now become wine, not knowing where it had come from—although the servants who had taken out the water knew— 10 He called the bridegroom and said to him: "Every one puts good wine on the table first, and inferior wine afterwards, when his guests have drunk freely; but you have kept back the good wine till now!" 11 This, the first sign of his mission, Jesus gave at Cana in Galilee, and by it revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” John 12:2 20th Century NT “There a supper was given in honor at which Martha waited, while Lazarus was one of those present at the table.”

Tuesday – Our Bodies
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV “19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY Man does not belong to himself; he has no right to use his powers according to the wishes and prompting of his unconverted body. He is the property of God by creation and by redemption. Man is bound to live mentally, physically, and spiritually as God directs, to the glory of His name, and not to the gratification of fleshly desires. The converted man is, indeed, a willing slave of Jesus Christ, who lives only to please his Master.

Wednesday – Our Material Possessions

Tithe – “an offering of a tenth part of some personal income.” www.onelook.com

Leviticus 27:30 NLT “"A tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, belongs to the LORD and must be set apart to him as holy.”
Leviticus 27:30 COMMENTARY BY JAMIESON, FAUSSET, AND BROWN The whole produce of the land was subjected to the tithe tribute--it was a yearly rent which the Israelites, as tenants, paid to God, the owner of the land, and a thank offering they rendered to Him for the bounties of His providence.
Deuteronomy 8:18 NLT “Always remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you power to become rich, and he does it to fulfill the covenant he made with your ancestors.”
Deuteronomy 8:18 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE Who among the rich and wealthy believes this saying? Who gives wisdom, understanding, skill, bodily strength, and health? Is it not God? And without these, how can wealth be acquired? Whose is providence? Who gives fertility to the earth? And who brings every proper purpose to a right issue? Is it not God? And without these also can wealth be acquired? No. Then the proposition in the text is self-evident: it is God that giveth power to get wealth, and to God the wealthy man must account for the manner in which he has expended the riches which God hath given him.
Psalm 50:12 NLT “If I were hungry, I would not mention it to you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.”
Malachi 3:8-10 CEV “8 You people are robbing me, your God. And, here you are, asking, "How are we robbing you?" You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me. 9 That’s why your whole nation is under a curse. 10 I am the LORD All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing.”
Matthew 6:31 CEV “Don’t worry and ask yourselves, "Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?"”
Matthew 23:23 “God’s Word to the Nations "How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You give God one–tenth of your mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the most important things in Moses’ Teachings. You should have done these things without neglecting the others.”

Thursday – While We Are Waiting
Matthew 24:42-46 NIV “42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.”
Matthew 24:42 COMMENTARY FAMILY BIBLE NOTES this was true with regard to the destruction of Jerusalem. It is also true with regard to each one's death; and it will be true with regard to the day of judgment. The day of our death, and of our being called to judgment, though known to God, is not revealed to us, that we may always be found in the path of duty, and thus, through grace, be prepared for those great events which are certain and near.

Friday – Further Study
Ellen White, Counsels on Stewardship, p. 196 – “I was shown that the recording angel makes a faithful record of every offering dedicated to God, and put into the treasury, and also of the final result of the means thus bestowed. The eye of God takes cognizance of every farthing devoted to His cause, and of the willingness or reluctance of the giver. The motive in giving is also chronicled. Those self-sacrificing, consecrated ones who render back to God the things that are His, as He requires of them, will be rewarded according to their works.”

God wants our everything. Moreover, He does not "require" 10%. He wants us to willingly give our all.

I think any of the 3 would be an appropriate answer, but I agree with wayne.

pk

And many of us are giving our all.

Sabbath is 1/7th of our time to rest with and in Him. But if that is the only time we spend in meditation with our Saviour, we will experience a lopesided relationship.

The cattle on a thousand hills is property of our King. He only loans it but for short time.

I must agree ChildofChrist, for the Jews, maybe not today's Jew, God was part of there life everyday.

pk