As contract talks broke down between Albert Pujols and the Cardinals this week, St. Louis baseball fans began nervously asking themselves a host of questions.

He's a Cardinal for life, right? He would never pull a LeBron, would he?

Wrigley? He likes winning too much, doesn't he?

But a particular group of Cardinals fans — made up of those who share Pujols' faith — was asking a different kind of question. What does holding out for the largest contract in the history of baseball say about Albert's Christian testimony?

Pujols and his wife, Deidre, are evangelical Christians. They describe their charity, the Pujols Family Foundation, as "a faith-based nonprofit organization" and participate in Christian events around St. Louis — from small, church-based gatherings to large evangelical celebrations like Christian Family Day at Busch Stadium.

So as Pujols began looking to many like a typical mega-wealthy superstar athlete angling for a record payday, some have asked how Pujols' public, God-fearing image squares with a private quest for wealth.

The Rev. Darrin Patrick, pastor of The Journey, a church in St. Louis that counts a number of professional athletes as members, said Jesus warned against greed.

"Nobody really confesses to that sin," Patrick said. "Lust, anxiety — sure. But very few people say, 'I'm greedy,' and I absolutely think that (Pujols) should be on guard for that."

A verse from 1 Timothy says, "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains."

That's the fear of many people who love Albert Pujols, both as fans and as Christians. They fear, as the author of Matthew's Gospel wrote, that no one can serve two masters.

"For a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other," the Gospel says. "You cannot serve God and wealth."

The Rev. Sean Michael Lucas, a former professor at Covenant Seminary in Creve Coeur and currently pastor of a Presbyterian church in Hattiesburg, Miss., describes himself on his Twitter page as, among other things, "Cardinals fan, lover of Jesus."

At the end of January, Lucas tweeted, "... how is AP's testimony affected if he holds the Cards hostage for $30m/10yrs? @ what pt does 1 Tim 6:10 apply here?"

In another tweet, Lucas wrote, "Unless there is a big part of this contract that goes to Pujols Foundation ($30-50m) he's open 2 the question. Legitimately."

The Rev. Scott Lamb, a Baptist pastor, formerly with a church in St. Louis and co-author, with Tim Ellsworth, of a new Pujols biography called "Pujols: More Than a Game" that focuses on the first baseman's faith, said the contract talks have opened up an interesting debate in Christian circles that goes beyond baseball to the uncomfortable intersection of the New Testament and capitalism.

"Consumption mentality is very American, but it's not very biblical," Lamb said. "People are asking whether (Pujols) should grab all he can get, and what his moral responsibilities are in terms of what to do with that money."

What to do with so much money has not always been a problem for the Pujolses. In 2000, when Albert was in the minor leagues in Peoria, Ill., and Memphis, Tenn., he was bringing in $125 a week.

"We ate a lot of macaroni dinners in those days," Deidre writes on the Pujols Family Foundation website.

In the off-season, the Pujols family lived with Deidre's parents in Kansas City. To make some extra money, Albert worked at a country club helping with catering duties, according to "Pujols: More Than a Game."

It was Deidre who had introduced Albert to evangelical Christianity, and despite the couple's financial struggles, they insisted on tithing to their church in Kansas City.

Many Christians believe tithing — giving at least 10 percent of their income to the church — is a crucial aspect of their faith.

The pastor of Kansas City Baptist Temple, the Rev. Jeff Adams, told the authors that the couple were "very regimented" in their tithing.

"I know how faithful they were before they had anything," Adams said. "That's what gives me confidence in their character. They were like this before anybody knew who they were."

It didn't take long for the Cardinals to recognize what they had in Pujols, and by the following year, money was no longer an issue for him. In 2005, the couple set up their foundation to help children with Down syndrome, and children living in poverty in Albert's native Dominican Republic. In 2010, the foundation spent $800,000 on its programs, according to Todd Perry, its executive director.

"Albert and Dee Dee are extremely generous, not just to the Pujols Foundation but to other charities in the community," Perry said. "Their foundation is their passion."

Christians point to several instances in the New Testament — notably in Paul's letters to the Corinthians — to back up the notion that giving to the church should be "regular, sacrificial, proportional, and joyful."

For the average middle-class working family, giving away 10 percent of $75,000 is certainly 'sacrificial." They feel it, and the Bible says they should.

"For people who are very wealthy, they might think about giving away upwards of half their income," said Patrick. "For the uber-wealthy, 10 percent is not sacrificial."

Pastors say the more important point for Pujols is not how many millions he makes, but how he spends those millions.

"What you do with your money is a factor," said Patrick. Pujols "has a track record of generosity that is without question. God does use money to help people, and I see God doing that with Pujols."

In 2009, Pujols visited The Crossing, a Chesterfield church that also claims professional athletes as members, to help the congregation launch its "Advent Conspiracy" program, which encourages people "to celebrate Christmas in a different way, by serving those in need," according to Tony Biaggne, director of creative communications at The Crossing.

"I've never met anyone with more passion for serving, and serving poor than Albert," Biaggne said.

Ultimately, Christian Cardinals fans and others who benefit from the Pujolses' largesse are praying for a big payday for No. 5, and for his generosity to continue, even grow.

"I reject any idea that a person's Christianity should cause them to step away from what the market would demand for them," said Lamb. "Albert will go down in history as one of the great ones — someone who grabbed the money, and gave it away at the same time."