Sermon Title: Surviving a Shifting Economy

Sermon Series: Solid Stewardship in a Shifting Economy

Sermon Text: Luke 12, 16, & selected text

May 11, 2008

 

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How many of you have been reassessing your budget these days? 

 

New sermon series begins today: Solid Stewardship in a Shifting Economy

 

The cultural trends and the pressures of our society mandate that we be incredibly intentional with the resources God has blessed us with.

 

How often the Bible talks about:

Baptism = 40 times

Prayer = 275 times

Faith = 350 times

Love = 650 times

Finances, material possessions or wealth = 2,350 times

 

Man’s perspective is: How I manage my money and possessions is none of God’s business but God’s perspective is: It is pivotal to your spiritual life. 

 

“Where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” – Luke 12:34

Money leads; hearts follow

 

The management of money is the best indicator of spiritual health. 

 

Man’s perspective is: all I have is mine but, God’s perspective is: all I have is God’s.

 

“You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’  But, remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…” -- Deuteronomy 8:17-18

 

We are at risk of being infected with “Affluenza.”

“Everything under heaven belongs to me.” - Job 41:11

“The earth is the Lords, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it...” - Psalm 24:1

 

Man’s perspective says, “I need more money.”  While God’s perspective says, “manage what I have.”

 

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”—Luke 16:10

 

Ecclesiastes 5:11 –“Those who love money will never have enough.  How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness!!!” (NLT)

 

Surviving a shifting economy begins by managing your resources God’s way