SUMMER STORIES | WEEK 6
"Safe Isn't Faith"
Pastor Rory Chance
There are moments in life when we're handed responsibility before we feel ready. Maybe it's raising children, leading a team, managing finances, or stepping into a new opportunity. The question isn't whether you'll be trusted with something valuable—the question is what you'll do with it.
In this week's message, "Safe Isn't Faith," Pastor Rory explored Jesus' Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30) and challenged us with a difficult truth: God didn't create us to protect His blessings—He created us to multiply them.
Everything You Have Is on Loan
One of the biggest misconceptions we have is believing that what we possess actually belongs to us.
Our time.
Our abilities.
Our finances.
Our families.
Our influence.
Scripture reminds us that everything comes from God. We are not owners—we are stewards. A steward is someone trusted to manage what belongs to someone else. God has placed gifts, opportunities, and resources into our hands, not for our comfort, but for His purposes.
Stewardship isn't primarily about careful management. It's about trust.
Fear Buries Blessings
The third servant in Jesus' story didn't waste the master's money. He didn't gamble it away or spend it recklessly. He buried it.
From a cultural standpoint, his decision actually appeared responsible. Yet Jesus exposes the real issue: the servant wasn't motivated by wisdom—he was motivated by fear.
Fear convinced him that doing nothing was the safest option.
Many of us do the same.
We bury generosity because we're afraid there won't be enough.
We bury relationships because we've been hurt before.
We bury dreams because we're afraid of failure.
We bury spiritual gifts because we don't think we're qualified.
The greatest danger isn't always making the wrong move. Sometimes it's refusing to move at all.
As Pastor Rory put it: What you fear the most often reveals where you trust God the least.
Faith Takes Risks
The first two servants didn't know their investments would succeed.
They simply trusted their master enough to act.
That's what biblical faith looks like. Faith isn't having all the answers before taking a step. Faith is obeying God before knowing the outcome.
Abraham left home without knowing where God would lead him. The faithful servants invested before they knew the return. Throughout Scripture, faith consistently moves before certainty.
God isn't looking for people who have every detail figured out.
He's looking for people willing to trust Him enough to take the next step.
Trust Transfers Control
The ending of Jesus' parable is surprising. The servant who buried his talent lost it, while the one who faithfully used what he'd been given received even more.
The principle is clear: God entrusts more to those who faithfully use what they already have.
When we surrender control to God, we discover that His plans are always greater than our attempts at self-preservation.
Fear clings tightly.
Faith opens its hands.
Your Next Step
Is there something God has been asking you to do that you've buried out of fear?
Maybe it's serving.
Maybe it's forgiving.
Maybe it's giving generously.
Maybe it's sharing your faith.
Maybe it's stepping into a calling you've been avoiding.
Imagine if, instead of asking, "What if I fail?" you asked: "What if I trust God... and He shows up?"
Faith has never been about playing it safe.
It's about trusting the King enough to use what He's placed in your hands until He returns.
