Talking about money from the pulpit puts a target on a pastor's back before he even opens his mouth — and in week five of Confessions of a Pastor, that's exactly the confession on the table: I hate talking about money.

This message pulls back the curtain on where the church's giving actually goes, dollar by dollar, and makes the case that financial transparency has to come before any ask for generosity. It traces the apostle Paul's example of inviting outside oversight into an offering he collected, and it's honest about budget shortfalls and debt without leaning on guilt or manipulation.

At its heart, the message argues that giving isn't really about the church's bottom line — it's a spiritual discipline that grows trust in God and opens the door for changed lives. This is for anyone who's ever felt suspicious of a church talking about money, and for anyone wrestling with what it would look like to give with an open hand.