Grace Community Church, Arlington, TX
1.12.25 – How to Make Sense Out of Dollars
Locations & Times
Grace Community Church, Arlington, TX
801 W Bardin Rd, Arlington, TX 76017, USA
Sunday 9:30 AM
Sunday 11:00 AM
The Bible says a lot about money. There are over 2,000 scripture references about money; more than prayer, more than heaven, and even more than love. Jesus talked a lot about money. Fifteen percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic - more than His teachings on heaven and hell combined. Money was relevant then, and money is relevant now!
What is Your Plan?
- Last week, Gary reminded us that it’s wise to schedule out how we spend our time. That what’s on our calendar can determine what we become. Likewise, it’s wise for us to have a plan for how we spend our money. Because how we spend our money can reflect what we value and what we become.
- “Aim at nothing, and you will hit it every time.” Zig Zigler
- For those of you who fly, you never get on a plane and think to yourself, “I wonder where this plane is heading?” You don’t call an Uber and say, “Why don’t we just drive around a while, because I don’t have a plan.” The point is that we don’t wander aimlessly around in any other parts of our lives, so why do so many people do it with their money.
- “Live like no one else now, so later you can live like no one else.” – Dave Ramsey
- “Aim at nothing, and you will hit it every time.” Zig Zigler
- For those of you who fly, you never get on a plane and think to yourself, “I wonder where this plane is heading?” You don’t call an Uber and say, “Why don’t we just drive around a while, because I don’t have a plan.” The point is that we don’t wander aimlessly around in any other parts of our lives, so why do so many people do it with their money.
- “Live like no one else now, so later you can live like no one else.” – Dave Ramsey
When it comes to money, we’re faced with some problems in today’s culture
- We live in a culture of materialism.
- We live in a culture of instant gratification.
- We live in a culture of greed.
- We live in a culture of materialism.
- We live in a culture of instant gratification.
- We live in a culture of greed.
Parable of the Talents (i.e., silver, money) In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells a story about three servants who helped manage one man’s affairs.
God will entrust to us that which is within our own ability and not beyond.
- Each of us have different abilities to manage money. If we do a good job managing what God gives us, then he will give us more to manage.
- Each of us have different abilities to manage money. If we do a good job managing what God gives us, then he will give us more to manage.
We must seek God’s purpose for what is supplied to us. We must trust God in every circumstance. If we believe that God really loves us and will give us only that amount of money that we can handle without worry, we can have perfect peace in finances.
God is the owner and has the right to recover what He has given us to manage.
- You cannot experience peace in the area of finances until you have surrendered total control of your finances to God and accept your role as a steward.
- A steward is one who manages another’s resources.
- Each of us is a manager, not an owner. God is the owner, and we are to manage according to His plan. All of the promises God has made regarding His blessings in this area are predicated on the principle that we relinquish ownership. If we don’t, we will have strife and turmoil in our finances. However, once a Christian accepts his role as a steward and manages God’s resources according to His direction, God will entrust more and more to him.
- You cannot experience peace in the area of finances until you have surrendered total control of your finances to God and accept your role as a steward.
- A steward is one who manages another’s resources.
- Each of us is a manager, not an owner. God is the owner, and we are to manage according to His plan. All of the promises God has made regarding His blessings in this area are predicated on the principle that we relinquish ownership. If we don’t, we will have strife and turmoil in our finances. However, once a Christian accepts his role as a steward and manages God’s resources according to His direction, God will entrust more and more to him.
God thoroughly disapproves of laziness on our part and expects multiplication of the assets He leaves us, not just maintenance.
How we spend our money matters to God
- Creating a plan (aka budget) is as important to a family unit (single, couple, or family) as it is to a Fortune 500 business. It is simply planning out all the cash inflows and cash outflows of a family unit in order to be an effective steward of what God has entrusted to you to manage. Without a good financial plan, we can easily find ourselves drowning in debt.It is important when making a plan that we differentiate between needs, wants, and desires.
Needs - These are necessary purchases such as food, clothing, housing, medical coverage, transportation, etc.
Wants - Wants involve choices about the quality of goods to be used. Dress clothes versus work clothes, steak versus hamburger, a new car versus a used car, etc.
Desires - Desires are choices according to God’s plan, which can be made only out of surplus funds after all other obligations have been met.
We have a debt crisis in our nation!
How did we get we get here?
- Get-rich quick – As we discussed earlier, we live in a culture of instant gratification. We want things and we want them NOW.
- Creating a plan (aka budget) is as important to a family unit (single, couple, or family) as it is to a Fortune 500 business. It is simply planning out all the cash inflows and cash outflows of a family unit in order to be an effective steward of what God has entrusted to you to manage. Without a good financial plan, we can easily find ourselves drowning in debt.It is important when making a plan that we differentiate between needs, wants, and desires.
Needs - These are necessary purchases such as food, clothing, housing, medical coverage, transportation, etc.
Wants - Wants involve choices about the quality of goods to be used. Dress clothes versus work clothes, steak versus hamburger, a new car versus a used car, etc.
Desires - Desires are choices according to God’s plan, which can be made only out of surplus funds after all other obligations have been met.
We have a debt crisis in our nation!
How did we get we get here?
- Get-rich quick – As we discussed earlier, we live in a culture of instant gratification. We want things and we want them NOW.
Lack of trust - Continual borrowing, regardless of the apparent worldly logic, is evidence of a lack of faith in God.
- Lack of planning – We spend money without much planning or thinking or seeking God’s wisdom for an expenditure.
- “We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.” – Dave Ramsey
- “We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.” – Dave Ramsey
How we give our money matters to God
Types of Giving:
- Tithe – “a tenth part”, 10% of your income
- Offerings – gifts to the church or other ministries above and beyond your tithe
- Tithe – “a tenth part”, 10% of your income
- Offerings – gifts to the church or other ministries above and beyond your tithe
How can I tithe when I cannot even keep up with my monthly bills? If you are struggling financially, the first question to ask yourself is “Am I tithing?”
Don’t cheat God - Those who give less than 10% of their income have limited what God can do for them according to His own Word.
- God’s economy is not the world’s economy. God’s economy says you can live better off of 90% of your income than 100%. And, if you try to keep 100%, your finances will be cursed.
Give cheerfully - God wants us to give out of the abundant joy that we have received from Him. It is as much a part of our worship to Him, as our praise and worship time.
How we save for the present and future matters to God
- Saving is a sign of wisdom, while a lack of it is a sign of laziness.
What should we be saving for?
Starter emergency fund - If you have consumer debt (that’s any debt besides your mortgage), you need to save a starter emergency fund of $1,000.
Fully funded emergency fund - Once you are debt-free, you need a fully funded emergency fund of 3–6 months of expenses. Emergencies can be things like car repairs, home repairs, and medical expenses
Big-ticket purchases - Down payment/closing costs for a home, vehicles, household items like furniture or lawn equipment
College tuition for yourself, kids, or grandkids – Young people must not start their adult lives with basically a mortgage of college debt hanging over their heads.
Retirement – We must have a plan to save for the future.
A good financial principle would be to use the 10/10/80 method.
- 10% tithe
- 10% savings
- 80% living expenses
Starter emergency fund - If you have consumer debt (that’s any debt besides your mortgage), you need to save a starter emergency fund of $1,000.
Fully funded emergency fund - Once you are debt-free, you need a fully funded emergency fund of 3–6 months of expenses. Emergencies can be things like car repairs, home repairs, and medical expenses
Big-ticket purchases - Down payment/closing costs for a home, vehicles, household items like furniture or lawn equipment
College tuition for yourself, kids, or grandkids – Young people must not start their adult lives with basically a mortgage of college debt hanging over their heads.
Retirement – We must have a plan to save for the future.
A good financial principle would be to use the 10/10/80 method.
- 10% tithe
- 10% savings
- 80% living expenses
People in the Church should manage money differently than the people in the world!
- If Christ is an all-satisfying treasure and promises to meet our needs, even through famine and nakedness, then to live as though we had all the same values as the world would betray Him.
“…if we look like are lives are devoted to getting and maintaining things, we will look like the world, and that will not make Christ look great. He will look like a religious side-interest that may be useful for escaping hell in the end, but doesn’t make much difference in what we live and love here.” (From John Piper’s book Don’t Waste Your Life)
Why don’t people ask us about our hope? The answer is probably that we look as if we hope in the same things they do. Our lives must look as if God, not our possessions, is our joy.