(pastors notes) honoring God with our resources

Freedom in Faithfulness: Discovering true Financial Freedom through Biblical Stewardship -Part 2 Honoring God Our Resources.(slide 2)

(slide 3) Last week we talked about how Everything we have in this life is provided by God. Yes we educated ourselves, yes we work hard. but we need to recognize that we wouldn’t have the job, the car , the house the resources without God. and so the Christian is to see themselves a a steward or a manager of God’s resources.

We are called to be generous and give to those in need and to not be enslaved to the lure of wealth but how do we position ourselves for that kind of life, where we are blessed by God and have the resources not only to live comfortably but help others as well.

Anyone can position themselves for that kind of freedom following the principles laid out in scripture. i will share a few of those today

(Slide 4)

I. Honor God with Your Wealth 

Proverbs 3:9–10 (NLT)
Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with the best part of everything you produce.
10 Then he will fill your barns with grain,
and your vats will overflow with good wine.

(Slide 5) What does it means to Honor the Lord? back in those days they would dedicate the first portion of the harvest to the lord by bringing a tithe or a tenth to the temple which would provide for the Levites and the priests. in the New Testament Paul’s tells us in 2 Corinthians 9 that those who did the work of the ministry were provided for in a similar fashion. not only that but they sometimes would take offerings to share with churches in other provinces that were in need.. In other words there was no lack of funding for the ministry when people were faithful. and this in turn grew the peoples faith even more.
(Slide 6) A. Giving is an act of trust and worship– Our faith grows as we put God first especially in an area of our lives that holds so much influence and can cause stress. if we trust God with our finances by giving to him first. Money will not have as a tight a grip on our lives. We will see it as a tool to be used under the Lord’s guidance rather than something that is mastering our lives and causing us anxiety.

(Slide 7) B. When we give to God first, we invite His blessing– God longs to bless his children’s faithfulness to him. while we can’t avoid all the troubles in this life God certainly will make a way for us and often pour out unexpected blessing just when we need it.

(slide 8)  II. Avoiding financial Pitfalls.

Proverbs 22:7 “Just as the rich rule the poor,
so the borrower is servant to the lender. ”

 Debt can be a form of financial bondage -and it is for many people. Now how do we get there? Well some get there by not having a budget and just spending way more than they should, buying things they don’t need.  or there are sometimes life happens and you go into debt because of medical bills, or your in an accident and need a new vehicle. the list is endless.

Short-term gratification can lead to long-term stress– and of course if we give no thought to what we can afford after a while with the high interest rates we end up paying far more than we should. and so this leads to high anxiety and stress

(Slide 9) However not all debt is bad sometimes its an investment..  putting money down to purchase a home when you own a home. Yes, you have signed a contract. You are in debt. However, your home pays you back in. Equity, that is, it accumulates value over time   or say that you want to start a business. So you take out a loan, you start a business. Now that business makes money, . Not only that, but you are now an employer. When you hire people, you not only blessing your family, you’re providing for you other people by being a job creator.

(Slide 10) Beware of co-signing loans.

Proverbs 22:26–27 (NLT)
26 Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt
or put up security for someone else.
27 If you can’t pay it,
even your bed will be snatched from under you.

Also see Prov 11:15, 17:18, 6:1-5, 20:16, 27:13

I have talked to people that have cosigned loans for others and are left with the bill. if you want a to help someone. give them a gift and let that be that. but don’t put yourself in the position if they default your stuck with their bills.

(slide 11) III. Plan ahead by investing your resources wisely.

Proverbs 13:11 (NLT)
Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears;
wealth from hard work grows over time.

There are plenty of people willing to take your money who promise unreal returns but you have to be very careful. the lure of wanting to rich quick has led a lot of people into scams where they have lost everything. Always do your research. if its too good to be true it probably is. Paying down debt and increasing cash flow comes from intentional planning and hard work.

(slide 12) Diversify your investments

Ecclesiastes 11:2 (NLT) .
2 But divide your investments among many places,
for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.
Principle: always diversify your investments or have various streams of income.

(slide 13) The importance of Planning

Proverbs 21:5 –Proverbs 21:5 (NLT)
Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,
but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.
before you think of savings or investing you need to know where your money is already going. you need a budget. When you make plan and stick to you you may be surprised at what you’ll find.

(Slide 14) IV. Be generous

2 Corinthians 9:6–10 (NLT)
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.