Stewardship

God Gives the Increase

Sunday October 5, 2025 - Pastor Wungreiso Valui

1 Corinthians 3

Read Together:

1 Corinthians 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

1. Focus: We are stewards of effort, but God is the source of growth.
2. Lesson: We plant and water faithfully, but true spiritual increases come from God's hand.
3. Question: Are you trying to control the outcome instead of trusting God for the increase?

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? v.5

1. Everything Belongs to God: Stewardship must start with the conviction that everything we have belongs to God.
2. Paul addressed that while each person has a role, the real fruit comes from God's power. We cannot live off someone else's faithfulness-we must be faithful ourselves.

Q. How are you stewarding your relationships? Are you building your own camp (kingdom), or are you building God's Kingdom?

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.v 7-8

1. God is the source of growth: We may pour in effort, but only God produces true transformation and fruit.
2. Faithfulness over results: God rewards according to labor (1 Cor. 3:8). He measures our faithfulness, not our scoreboard.

Q. What are you giving? How are you stewarding your resources? If you are not willing to give - time, resources, effort, love - there is no basis for God to evaluate your stewardship.

One Application:

1. Serve faithfully in your calling this week-whether at home, work, or church-and release the results to God in prayer.