Key points
1The real eighth wonder of the world is our opportunity to join God's work, not compound interest
Pastor Linn walks through how compound interest builds wealth over time, then pivots to say that as good as that is, the true eighth wonder is our chance to collaborate with God in what He is doing in this generation, with the promise of reward far greater than any financial return.
2The heart of God moves in two directions: people coming to Jesus, and believers growing into Christlike maturity
He tells the story of inviting someone named Tom at Christmas who stood up to receive Jesus, saying heaven itself throws a standing ovation over one soul saved. He then describes a teenager who surrendered his life at a camp funded by someone else's small gift, asking what if that kid becomes the next Billy Graham.
That the eighth wonder of the world is actually your and my opportunity to join God in what he is doing in this world
3Cornerstone is already deeply joined to God's kingdom work, from children's ministry to missions overseas
He lists Adventure Port, Kaboom, the singles ministry, interns and residents, 1,300 first-time decisions for Christ this year, the Zambia school expansion, orphanages and leprosy colonies in India, 38 church plants through Vision Arizona, Celebrate Recovery, Harvest Festival, and the S2 conference, framing all of it as evidence of what joining God can produce.
4Despite all this kingdom activity, only 17% of the church serves and only 12% tithes because people focus on the cost instead of the reward
Pastor Linn shares his own story of a bank manager at age 20 urging him to save $2,000 a year for retirement, and how he said hard no because he was focused on what it would cost him rather than what he'd forfeit; he calculates he lost $423,000 by not adjusting small habits like eating out or buying name brands.
we spend too much time looking at the cost and not looking at what we're giving away, not looking at what we forfeit when we don't join God
A story from life
Story of declining a bank manager's IRA advice at age 20 and the retirement savings forfeited
A story from life
Story of men who mentored him as a lonely nine-year-old boy after his father left
A story from life
Story of youth pastor Wayne Bauer, funded by a small EV Free church, who led him to full-time ministry
5Scripture promises real, eternal reward for whatever we sacrifice for the kingdom
He walks through 1 Corinthians 3 on works being tested by fire, Revelation 22 on Jesus rewarding each person, Matthew 19 on receiving a hundred times what was sacrificed, and 2 Timothy 4 on the crown of righteousness, explaining that a crown represents position and authority given in heaven for faithfulness on earth.
you guys gotta stop looking at the sacrifice and turn around and look at the investment that God is offering for you and me to have a life that has real meaning and is worth living
6Jesus commands us not to store up treasure on earth but in heaven, because our time and money are otherwise a zero-sum game
Reading Matthew 6:19-21, he explains that work, TV, houses, and cars are not sinful but are zero sum since they don't carry eternal value, and he urges people to be sure some of their time and money is invested where it actually lasts.
7We're called to be owners, not renters, in the kingdom
He tells the story of pressing his son Joshua to stop renting an apartment and become a homeowner who builds equity, then applies it to church life: some of us sing the songs and watch others serve and give, remaining renters, when God calls us to leverage our time and resources as owners who build lasting equity in His kingdom.
Some of us are living our Christian lives as renters
Take some. Take some of your time. Take some of the assets that God has given you. Leverage
A story from life
Story of his son Josh renting versus buying a house in Downtown Tempe
Application
Pastor Linn's charge is to stop being renters in the kingdom and become owners.
Join God's work with your time
Instead of letting all 24 hours go to work, shows, and zero-sum activities, set aside some time this week to serve in a ministry that touches the eternal.
Give generously, not just what's spare
Recognize that sacrifice, not leftover margin, is what moves giving from convenient to meaningful; adjust habits if needed to free up money for the kingdom.
Stop fixating on the cost
When asked to serve or give, resist the reflex to say I can't afford that, and instead consider what you forfeit in eternal reward by not joining God.
Become an owner, not a renter, at church
Don't just sing the songs and watch others serve and give; leverage your time and assets into the kingdom so you build real equity there.
Take it into your week
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
