SERMON ON MONEY / FINANCES / DEBT / GIVING / RECESSION:

Finding Financial Stability In Unstable Times - Part 1

Rev. Brian Kluth – November 4 - Sermon #1 in a 3-part series

1 - Transfer ownership back to God

Col 1:16-17  By him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth…all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

1 Chron 29:11-12 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours…you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all this.

2 - Humbly adjust your lifestyle to live below your means

Prov 21:20^TLB The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.

Deut 25:13-15^TLB  "In all your transactions you must use accurate scales and honest measurements, so that you will have a long, good life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

James 4:4-8  If your aim is to enjoy this world, you can't be a friend of God…He gives us more and more strength to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble."   So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.

3 - Avoid growing indebtedness & surety

Prov 22:7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender's slave.        

Deut 28:15,43,44^NLT If you refuse  to listen to the LORD your God…The foreigners living among you will become stronger and stronger, while you become weaker and weaker. They will lend money to you, not you to them.    

Ezek 28:17-18^TLB  Your heart was filled with pride…you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor…You defiled your holiness with lust for (dishonest) gain; therefore, I brought forth fire from your own actions and let it burn you.     

Prov 22:26-27^NLT  Do not co-sign another person's note or put up a guarantee for someone else's loan. If you can't pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you.  (Note: If you have become a co-signer or surety for someone, see Prov 6:1-3)

4 - Navigate away from financial temptations

Ps 119:36-37  Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things.

Gen 3:6-7  When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye…she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Josh 7:20-21  Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe…two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them.

Titus 2:12  We are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God.

Rom 13:14^NLT Let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires.

To get complete handouts with verses typed out, click here.   To “listen to” over the internet any of the 3 sermons in this series, click here.