Biblical Financial Facts:
- What you have does not tell people who you are!
- Money is a very spiritual matter!
- God wants us to be blessed and financially free!
- God will not share your heart with money!
- Your giving helps to determine how the church accomplishes the plan and purposes of God!
- If your spending is out of control, then your spirit is not in control!
- Real stewardship is about the heart and doing what God wants!
- You CANNOT serve God and money!
Are You Thinking Clearly About Money?
Matthew 6:19-24 Check up on yourself regarding finances with 4 simple tests.....
1. The DURABILITY test! (vs. 19-20) Where is your treasure? Be careful that you are not storing up your heart's treasure here on earth. You must store up things in heaven. When we invest as is pleasing to God, there we find real treasures: a. investing in people, b. furthering God's Word on the earth, touching people. People are worth investing in!
2. The HEART test! Your heart will follow that which you treasure. God always wants your heart, not your treasure. What you invest your time and money in really reflects what is most important to you. Where is your heart spending it's time? The test.....take something that you think is valuable and give it away. You will never feel led to give something that has control over your life. "Things" will try to control you. Break it's power over your life!
3. The MIND test! The eyes are the windows of the soul and a lamp of the body. Where is your focus? What is it that you are giving attention to? Is your mind's eye on God and His provision? We need to be sure that we are using our finances to be a blessing to others.
4. The MASTER test! Who are you serving? The Bible says, "you cannot serve two masters". If you are attached to "stuff", then you will detach from God! We make the choice. Greed is something that we all have struggled with. Our flesh has an unquenchable desire for MORE! It is up to us, however, to make the choice-- deciding whom we will serve. We can boldly say, "I will not serve mammon ( things & money), and it will not control me! I make the choice to serve God and to act in a responsible manner with finances. I guard my heart against all kinds of greed, and I will be a "giver" of that which God has given to me. EVERYTHING that I have belongs to Him! He blesses me so that I may be a "blessing!"