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by Rick Wheeler on Dec 2, 2025 9:40:33 AM
By Rick Wheeler, President & CEO – Florida Baptist Financial Services
The older I get, and the more Scripture I read, the more convinced I am that Jesus will not share first place in our lives. He paid all for us and in return, we must follow him with our first and our all. This impacts every dimension of life including our finances.
As believers, we are to live as salt and light in a culture driven by accumulation, status, and the relentless pursuit of more. At times, it can be easy to forget that the greatest treasure we can possess isn’t measured in dollars or possessions. It’s found in God Himself. The world tells us that happiness comes from WHAT we have, but the Word tells us that joy, peace, and purpose flow from WHO we know. This is the heartbeat behind this year’s theme: God > Gold.
Scripture reminds us in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Jesus wasn’t dismissing our material needs; He was teaching us how to order our lives. When we put God first, everything else in life finds its rightful place. When we chase “gold” we end up empty. When we pursue God, we find the abundance of life that lasts.
As pastors and ministry leaders, we know how tempting the promises of “more” can be: more giving, more attendance, more growth. But if those things become our ultimate aim, we’ve traded the eternal for the temporary. If we are not careful, the pursuit of more can become an idol in our life and ministry. The real question is not, “How much do we have?” but “Who has our heart?”
At Florida Baptist Financial Services, we exist to help ministries steward resources wisely without ever confusing the tools of ministry with the treasure of our heart. Our mission isn’t simply to manage money; it’s to equip the Church to invest in what truly matters: Advancing God’s Kingdom.
My prayer is that this year’s gathering reminds us all: God is greater than gold. As you lead, as you give, and as you serve, may you do so out of an overflow of His sufficiency, not a striving for the world’s success. Because when God is first, everything changes.