3 Big Ideas to Living Free to Serve Him

To begin the month of March, more than 150 ministry leaders and financial disciples from around the world came together in Florida for the Compass – finances God’s way Inaugural Global Financial Discipleship Conference.  

It was a special time to glorify God, grow closer to Jesus and learn how to live “Free to Serve Him,” the theme of our conference.

In case you missed it, here’s a brief summary of what it looks like to live free to serve Jesus:

Big Idea #1: Living Free to Serve Him Is Your Eternal Legacy  

Our legacy is what we leave behind. 

Oftentimes, when we think about our legacy, we only concentrate on the transfer of money and assets. While this is important, our eternal legacy is about so much more.  

Can others—your family, your friends, your church, your coworkers—see Jesus in and through you? Have you modeled finances God’s way and transferred what you’ve learned to your kids? (Proverbs 22:6) When people tell stories about you after you’re gone, will the lessons they share be THE lessons you hope they learned?  

When it comes to your eternal legacy, be intentional. This will be what stands the test of time and ensures the money and assets you leave to others will continue to be used for God’s glory.

Big Idea #2: Heart Transformation Is a Precursor to Living Free to Serve Him

In the flesh, our desire is always for more. More money, more status, more stuff. As we read from our blog author Meredith Kunzke, the world can condition us to believe that greed is good. But God sees things differently.  

He tells us less is more. He tells us the absolute best place for us to “be” every day is at the center of His will and in step with His spirit. This is where we become one with the character of Christ.

How do we become one with Christ? In Acts 1, Jesus tells us He’s sending His advocate (aka our superpower 😊) to help. 

When we invite the Holy Spirit to live in and through us, we are transformed. Transformed into who we are (His) (Matthew 28:18), like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Transformed by what we want to accomplish for Jesus (Luke 14:33; John 15:8; Matthew 28:19-20), like a kernel of seed corn that dies, only to multiply afterward (John 12:24). And transformed by the relationship we have with God and His money (Matthew 6:19-21).

The Holy Spirit is THE way to activate God’s will for us in the area of money and possessions.

Big Idea #3: What You Believe & How You Live Are Inseparable

When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, everything changes. Like Paul says in Galatians 2:20, it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us.  

Translation: We receive a whole new set of beliefs. Those beliefs drive a whole new set of behaviors. And our new behaviors lead to godly outcomes.

In Matthew 6, Jesus reframes our goals, telling us to seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). From the day we believe, our thoughts, actions, personal and professional lives, and our finances, are all refocused to things that advance His Kingdom. WE want what God wants and truly become “doers” of His Word (James 1:22; Luke 6:47-48; 1 John 2:3-6; Matthew 25:21).

Whether you’re like David (blessed with much) or Zacchaeus (struggling with money), God has a financial plan for you. To learn more about what God has to say about money, start by reading The 5 Pillars of Financial Discipleship today: https://compass1.org/financial-discipleship/.  

Keep charging for Christ,

Brandon Sieben

CEO, Compass Global

AUTHOR BIO

After nearly three years in a mentoring relationship with Founder and Chairman Howard Dayton, Brandon joined Compass-finances God’s Way as president and CEO in September 2019. Brandon graduated with a B.S. in finance from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Iowa; and also studied international business at the Universidad de Alicante in Spain, and Latin American business and culture at the Instituto de Idioma Español in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Brandon and his wife, Deb, are actively involved in ministry in their local church and community. They have three daughters, Kay, Nina, and Georgia, and currently reside in Iowa City, Iowa.