Brian Kluth is all about having joy, being a generous person and sharing that joy with others. He wasn’t always like that, having grown up very materialistic and selfish. “I was a taker, not a giver,” he says. He would also take things from his family and from his employer. In Brian’s words, “I had sticky fingers.”
When he was 21, Kluth came to know Christ, and his life changed forever. He found that by being open-handed in a tight-fisted world, you’ll have joy in your life. Ephesians 4:28 (NKJV) says, “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”
“Christ transformed my life, and He gave me greater joy in my giving than I ever got in my taking and my getting,” he explains. “The joy came in not what I could get, but what I could give.”
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As Kluth began to study the Bible, he discovered there are many verses on finances. As he continued to study, God changed his heart and his practices. “I studied what the Bible said about finances and began to apply it,” he says. Ezra 7:10 talks about setting your heart to learn, practice and teach the law of the Lord, and he wanted to be someone who learned, practiced and taught. “I began to teach seminars, preach and write biblically based materials to get that message out,” he says. Today, his materials are available in 40 different languages worldwide, and thousands of churches have distributed them to help families understand the biblical principles of finances and generosity.
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He discusses the time he had some financial challenges. His income was down, and his expenses were up. He decided he would give funds to a ministry in Africa. “I was facing a pile of [financial] needs, and those needs existed, but I told God that I’m going to give in faith and honor Him with what I have,” he says. “I knew that ultimately, He would take care of my needs.” It was an act of faith to give in light of those challenges. Even though he gave with a shaking hand, he trusted God with his future and his finances.
In all his giving, he has discovered that God is his provider. “He’s bigger than a paycheck, which is great,” Kluth says. “But He can provide a discount for an item you’re looking for, or someone can give you the thing you’re needing, or someone can come alongside you and help you or, out of the blue, bless you.” There are many ways God can move into the picture, and it’s not always with cash or a paycheck.
Once his teenage son needed new tires for his truck, and he advised him, “You need to pray for any need you have, and God will lead and guide you.” They prayed, went online and found the exact tires that were needed. The tires were a year old, so instead of paying $800, they were only $125. His son saw God meet his need.
When Kluth has taught in churches about generous living, donations have increased, “But the goal is not the giving in the church,” he says. “The goal is the person’s heart. When someone gets the understanding that God wants them to be generous, their life changes, and thus their giving changes: to the church, to missions and to the needy. When someone gets hold of generosity in their spirit, it changes their life, their world and the world of the people they give to.
He explains, “If you don’t learn to be generous in your finances, you’ll never understand what generosity is all about. But once you learn to be generous with finances, then your whole world opens up. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”
As believers, we’re called to be generous—in our time, finances, abilities and businesses. We are to be generous and bless others. As Christians, we’re to live in a world of receiving and sharing, not buying and keeping.
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Marilyn Hickey founded Marilyn Hickey Ministries more than 45 years ago with God’s vision to cover the earth with the Word. Marilyn co-hosts a daily television program, “Today with Marilyn & Sarah,” reaching a potential viewing audience of over 2 billion households worldwide. Marilyn communicates deep biblical truths in a way that is understandable and practical for everyday life.
Sarah Bowling is on a mission to connect everyone with the heart of God while loving those who are overlooked, excluded and ignored. Led by Holy Spirit and anchored in the Word, Sarah seeks to inspire all to know the unconditional and transformational love of God in our daily lives. A Bible teacher, author, international speaker and global humanitarian, Sarah also co-hosts a daily television program, “Today with Marilyn & Sarah.”
Isabell Bowling’s passion is to help people have a transformative experience with the power of God. She brings a fresh anointing of the presence and fire of God wherever she goes. Her faith and ministry was shaped by observation and prayer, watching the Lord work in and through her grandmother, Marilyn Hickey, and her mom, Sarah Bowling. After graduating from Oral Roberts University in 2023, Isabell joined the Marilyn & Sarah Ministries team, where she stepped into a powerful teaching ministry with her family.
