WHAT SHOULD YOU TEACH?
As a Church leader you may be asking yourself “ok, so I should talk more about money, but what should I say?” Well there is a lot you can talk about. There are more than 2300 verses in the Bible on money, wealth and possessions so there is no lack of wisdom to share. However you need to bring it to life, by making it readily applicable.
But let me make it really simple for you, I break it up into four key areas:
Spiritual Principles & Practices
Our members need to truly know God, not just know about him. To manage money wisely you need to put God’s kingdom first. Sounds simple, but to do that you need a true understanding of who God really is and how he sees you.
|
Principle |
Practice |
| God desires our intimacy | Spend time with God – everyday |
| God’s Character | Be generous, like he is generous |
| God’s Power | If we seek him, he can help us resolve our problems. Develop trust in the fact that He is the overcomer |
| God’s Provision | Trust in his Provision |
| God’s Design | Living as faithful stewards of all that he provides us with |
| God is first in our lives | Apply this principle also when it comes to your finances! Does their budget reflect God as being Lord of all? |
Day-to-Day Principles & Practices
Your members live in the real world, and they need to know what the Bible says about day-to-day living. You don’t need to have a great deal of financial knowledge; you just need to have some of the basics that are supported by scripture.
| Principle | Practice |
| Debt leads to slavery (Proverbs 22:7) | Get out of debt fast and live debt free |
| Before building, count the cost (Luke 14:28-30) | Do a Budget |
| Bad things happen in a fallen world | Get Insurance |
| Trouble may come upon the land (Ecclesiastes 11:2) | Diversify your investments |
| Honesty | Pay taxes properly |
| Rainy days come often | Have an emergency fund |
| Save but don’t hoard (Ecclesiastes 5:13-14) | Save for the future, but don’t accumulate for no purpose |
| Don’t Retire (it has no basis in scripture) | Use your latter years share the love of Jesus to the end! |
| Invest for Eternity | Build and use wealth for kingdom purposes! |
Reflection
What are some great stories you can share with your members?
Call to Action
Develop a 4-week sermon series, building in both spiritual and practical principles.