Message Notes
Figuring out Your Finances
How to Manage Your Money So it Doesn’t Manage You

1) Always know WHERE YOU STAND FINANCIALLY
Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds …  Pr. 27:23

2) Spend ON PURPOSE, NOT IMPULSIVELY OR ACCIDENTALLY
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Pr. 21:5

3) Save FOR THE FUTURE
In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.  Pr. 21:20

Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.  Pr. 13:11

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! ⁷ It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, ⁸ yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8

4) Learn to enjoy WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE
But godliness with contentment is great gain.  ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.  ⁹ People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.  ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:6-10

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Heb. 13:5

5) Stay out of DEBT, WHENEVER POSSIBLE
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Pr. 22:7

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8

6) Give AT LEAST 10% BACK TO GOD
Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; ¹⁰ then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. Pr. 3:9-10

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. Pr. 22:9

Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty.
“But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’
8“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’
“In tithes and offerings. 9You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. Mal. 3:7-11

The Key: 2 Cor. 8:5b they gave themselves first to the Lord…

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A prayer to begin a relationship with Christ: “Dear Jesus, I realize that I need You in my life. I want to have a real relationship with You. Today, I have realized that you created me to know you. I also realize today that I have sinned against you. Please forgive me. I turn to you and ask you to be the leader of my life. I give you my heart, my soul, my life, my past, and my future. Thank you for dying for me.  Help me to live for you, now and forever. Amen.