Tag: Christian life

Honoring God With Our Money: Charity and Debt

I once read a definition of debt as “excessive charity.”  My initial reaction was to disagree with the statement, as I tend to think of debt as resulting from either living beyond one’s means or from hardships, such as the loss of a job.  I had never considered that some people might be in debt due to giving away too much of their money.  I don’t have any idea what portion of America’s debt-riddled masses might have gotten into that state through excessive charity.  I am still inclined to believe that most consumer debt results from the desire to ‘have our cake now and pay for it later’ and the hardships that have been imposed by our recent and ongoing economic crisis.

Nevertheless, an examine of when to give to charity and how much to give is an important part of our discussion of honoring God with our money.  The Bible is clear that those who have more resources than they need are to share with those less fortunate than themselves.  Many people are tempted to give to every good cause.  And there are many, many good causes to which we feel obligated to donate.  In fact, the IRS reports that there are 1.5 million tax-exempt organizations in the United States.  They each represent a ‘good’ cause that we might be tempted to support.  To protect our budgets and not go into debt through giving, it is important to have a plan for giving and standards to determine the causes or groups to which one will donate.

Here are some considerations to keep in mind when planning charitable donations:

1) Tithing is the first priority. Christians are directed to tithe one-tenth of the income to the work of the church.  Giving to other charities should be above and beyond tithing.  God  clearly distinguished tithes from other giving, as in Deuteronomy 12:11, “Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord.”

2) Determine what you can afford to give.  Everyone should have a budget and giving to charitable causes should be included.    Those who have more excessive income should be more generous than those with less.  Don’t try to ‘out give’ others.  In  1 Corinthians 16:2, Paul reminded us that giving should be based on income, “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”

3)  Give for the right reasons.  The right reason to give is because you identify with the charity and feel led to support it.  The wrong reason is to receive the praise of men through recognition and status.  Jesus told his followers, “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:2)

4) Pray for God to direct your giving.  As you pray, God will lay burden’s on your heart.  You cannot give to every good cause.  God only expects you to give as He instructs you.  In Exodus 25:2, God commanded the Israelites to bring an offering.  “You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to.”

5) Give to charities that share your values.  As a Christian, I have an obligation to use the money God has provide to me in a wise manner.  This includes supporting charities that further God’s kingdom.  It also includes giving to causes that don’t directly support our Christian mission but that are not in conflict with it.  Such causes might fund medical research or help to protect our environment.

6) Seek our charities that have low administrative costs.  Using God’s money wisely involves giving to charities that are well-managed and whose administrator are not receiving exorbitant salaries.  All tax-exempt charities must provide information on what percent of donations is used for administrative and fundraising expenses.  This number should be less than about 15 – 20%.

I encourage everyone to give within their means and as God leads them to the causes that move your heart.  I firmly believe that if everyone does their part, many needs will be met.

What is your position on giving to charity? What charitable organizations do you support?

Honoring God With Our Money: The Shrewd Manager

As I developed this Bible study, the parable of the Shrewd Manager didn’t seem to agree with my sense of reasoning, yet I felt strongly that it should be included.

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager  (Luke 16: 1- 9)
Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.  So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.
“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”

What do you think Jesus was trying to illustrate with this parable?  In our class, someone read a commentary that suggested that the manager had been cheating the customer and that he actually changed the bills back to what was truly owed to the master.  There certainly is reason to believe that as we know from the story of Zaccheus that tax collector frequently charged people more tax than was owed and kept the difference for themselves.  So, it may be the manager was undoing his wrongs and was, thus, commended by his master.

I found the final statement to be the most surprising, ” I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”  I am quite certain that Jesus is not advocating “buying” our way into Heaven, but I’m not sure what He is saying to us in the passage.

I do like the translate from the message.  The final portion from that version reads, “The master praised the crooked manager! And why?  Because he knew how to look after himself.  Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens.  They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits.  I want you to be smart in the same way–but for what is right–using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you’ll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior.”

What does this parable say to you?  Does it inspire you to better money management?  Does it inspire you to live in a more Christlike manner?

 

Jesus followed this parable with the verses I chose for this week’s life application:

“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.  So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealthy, who will trust you with true riches?  And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Luke 16: 10 – 12)

God expects to manage the assets He has given us to the best of our abilities.  He also expects us to manage well any assets others entrust to us.  If we manage well what He give us, He can entrust us with more.  And as we have seen  in earlier lessons, He gives to us abundantly so that we in turn can bless others.

Honoring God With Our Money: Lesson 5

Our dealings with others in business, whether our employees or co-workers or those serving us, need to reflect Christian principles of fairness and honesty.  In this lesson, we look at what the Bible says about fair business practices and it’s warnings against dishonesty.

Think About: Do you reflect Christ in the way you treat those with whom you do business?  In the way you treat your co-workers or your employees?

Reat the following verses to discover what does the Bible say about how we treat those who work for us?

 Leviticus 19: 13b    Do not hold back the ______________of a hired _____________overnight.

 Deuteronomy 24:5  ___________them their wages each day before sunset, because they are ______________ and counting on it.  Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of ________.

Isaiah 58:3 “Why have we ____________”, they say, “and you have not seen it?  Why have we ____________ ourselves and you have not noticed?”  Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you ___________ and ____________ all your workers.”

Malachi 3:5  So I will come near to you for _______________.  I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers, and perjurers, against those who defraud _______________ of their ____________, who oppress widows, and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me, says the Lord Almighty.

 James 5:4  Look!  The ___________you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you.  The ___________ of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.

 

 Read the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard  Matthew 20:1 – 16

 (1)  How would you feel if you were one of the first workers to be hired? 

(2)  What if you were the last worker hired? 

(3)  What are the implication of this story for how we treat workers? 

(4)  Do our laws prevent this type of generosity by an employer?

 

What does the Bible say about other business dealings?

 Prov. 13:11 ______________money ____________ away, but he who gathers ________________ little by little makes it grow.

 Prov. 28:8 He who increases his ______________ by ______________ interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the _____________.

 Luke 3:13, 14  Don’t ______________ any more than you are required to, he told them…Don’t ______________ money and don’t accuse people falsely…Be ______________ with your pay.

 

 Read the Parable of the Shrewd Manager  Luke 16: 1 – 9 

 (1)    How do you feel about the behavior of the manager?

(2)    Would you have commended the manager if you were the master?

(3)    Are you surprised by Jesus’s comment in verse 9?

 

 Life Application:

Luke 16: 10 – 12 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.  So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealthy, who will trust you with true riches?  And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?”

Honoring God With Our Money: Giving Back

In this lesson we have looked at God’s provisions for us.  Today we examine the question, “What should we give back to God in return for all He gives us?

In First Samuel 15:22, we read that God desires obedience above sacrifice.  “But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

God expects His people to obey Him in all things, including giving to the work of the Lord.  The Israelites were trying to keep God’s favor by bringing sacrifices and burnt offerings while disobeying His instructions to refrain from participating in the evil practices of their neighbors.  Samuel was telling them that offerings are not enough.

In 1 Corinthians 16:1,2, Paul instructions Christians to provide for those who do God’s work. “Now about the collection for God’s people…On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income. ”  Furthermore, Paul doesn’t ask that each person give equally, but rather than each person give in accordance with his or her income.  This supports the concept of tithing, in which everyone gives 10% of their income to the work of the church.

 

The Bible provides clear instructions on how are we to give.

 2 Chronicles 24:16  “All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly.”

 2 Chronicles 31:12 “They faithfully brought in the contributions, tithes, and dedicated gifts.”

Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”

Exodus 35:2  “And everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments.”

 

2 Corinthians 8:12 tell us we are to give in accordance with what we have. “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.”

Giving according to what we have—typically 10%, or a tithe, of our income–ensures that everyone is contributing but no one is unduly burdened. 

Furthermore,  2 Chronicles 31:12 (see above) instructions us that we are to give contributions, tithes, and dedicated gifts.  Tithes are the first 10% of our income that belongs to God, contributions are gifts above our tithes, and dedicated gifts are given to meet a specific purposes.

 

 We should give to the work of the church out of obedience to God and in thankfulness for the many blessings He bestows on us.  As if that were not enough, however, God has promised to extravagantly bless those who tithe and provide for His work.

Malachi 3:8-10  “You ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings.  You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me.  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  ‘Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'”

 

2 Corinthians 9: 10, 11 “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.  You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God”

 

Our Life Application verse reminds us that God wants us to give cheerfully and that He will bless us in accordance with our generosity to the work of the church and to others.

2  Corinthians 9:6, 7 “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each man should give what he had decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Honoring God With Our Money: God Provides for Us

In week 4 of our study ‘Honoring God with Our Money,’ we are looking at how God provides for us and what He asks of us in return.  We began the lesson by asking you to consider how God has recently provided for your family. 

Every day God is providing for us.  We don’t also acknowledge His provisions and often we aren’t even consciously aware of the many ways God provides for us.  I encourage people I speak to, particularly women, to keep journals of clear incidences of God’s provision. Some financial blessings are quite apparent–you receive an unexpected check in the mail or someone treats your family to lunch.  Others are less apparent–you discover a small leak in your roof before it becomes a major problem, a bill is less than you expected, or many of the items on your shopping list are on sale this week. 

God’s provisions are not always financial–God provides words of encouragement, helping hands, open doors and closed doors, solutions to difficult problems, and other clear demonstrations of His love when we need them.  I encourage you to record those provisions as well.

 

In Deuteronomy 8:17-18  we read, “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 product wealth.”

It is God who gives us our mental and physical abilities.  Without his grace and provision, we are able to do nothing.   I am always pleased when I hear athletes, actors, songwriters, and other celebrities thanking God for the talent He has given them.   Like them, we should daily acknowledge that it is only through God’s  provisions for us that we are able to work to provide for our families. 

We need to trust God for our provisions.  The following verses are just two of the many times in God word that He promises that His people will never go without food and that He will provide for us when we ask Him.

Psalm 37:25  “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread.”

Matthew 7:7 – 8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

 

God wants us to ask Him for what we need and to thank Him when He meets are needs.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you become more aware of the many ways God blesses you financially each week and make a habit to acknowledge these blessings and thank God for them.

Please feel free to share ways you have seen God provide for your family recently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honoring God With Our Money: Lessons from the Rich Fool

Read the Parable of the Rich Fool from Luke 12:13-2

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

What lessons should we learn from this parable?

(1)   Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

(2)   Wealth provides no eternal security.

(3)   God will put the arrogant in their place.

(4)   Wealth that is not used wisely can be taken in an instant.

God called the rich man a fool because he lived for himself and put his trust in his wealth.  However, all of his wealth was unable to buy him another day on Earth.  He wasn’t able to take his wealth with him and it was left to another.

The rich man did not concern himself with the needs of other.  Rather, he spent his wealth on his own leisure and comfort.  He did  not build treasure in Heaven and he did not put his trust in the Lord.  Therefore,  he is not spending eternity in  Heaven.  Sadly,  the rich fool received the what he had prepared for himself–an eternity in hell.

Wealth can make your life on Earth more pleasant, but it cannot give you eternal security unless it is given back to God and used for His purposes.  Make we all take to heart the lessons of the rich fool and put our faith and trust in God rather than money.

Honoring God With Your Money: Frivolity of Trusting in Wealth

Many people put more faith in their bank balance than in God to provide for their needs.  The recent economic crisis has proven God’s Word to be correct when it tells us not to trust in wealth.  The average American saw 40% of their wealth evaporate when the stock market crashed and home values plunged in 2008 and 2009.  Of course , we are to save and to plan for our retirement years, but our trust needs to be in God.

It is tempting to think that wealthier Christians are ‘more’ spiritual than poorer Christians.  However, an examination of God’s Word shows that wealth, or lack thereof, is no indication of one’s spiritual condition.  It may be a matter of trust, however.  God does impart wealth to those who can be trusted to use it according to His purposes and He withhold wealth from Christians for whom wealth would create problems.

 

What does the Bible say about wealth and poverty.

1)  God determines who is wealthy and who is poor.      “The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.” 1 Sam. 2:7

2)  There is no shame in being poor . “The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.  But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.  For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom fails and its beauty is destroyed.  In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.” James 1:9-11

3) There is no glory in being rich. “Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.” Psalm 49:16,17

4) Righteousness is more desirable than riches.   “Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.” Prov. 28:6

 

1 Tim. 6:17-19 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

This verse tells us that the role of the wealthy is to do good deeds and to be generous and bless others.  If  the rich use their money as God commanded, they will build treasure in Heaven.  Our goal should be to build eternal treasure which will last forever.  Earthly riches are fleeting and will not do us any good in Heaven.

 

James 2:5-6 “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him?  But you have insulted the poor.  Is it not the rich who are exploiting you?”

This verse reminds us that God has promised blessings to the poor.  The poor will be rich in faith and will inherit the kingdom of God.

 

If God has blessed you with financial resources beyond what you need to provide for your family, please remember His command to share with those less fortunate than yourself. Pray and ask God to direct your giving to the needs He would have you meet. In this way, you will be a blessing and you will store up treasure in Heaven.

If your family is struggling financially, please remember that there is no shame in being poor and no shame in asking for help.  Ask God to meet your needs and then allow Him to do so by sharing your needs with others.

Honoring God With Our Money, Lesson 3

Week 3: Frivolity of Trusting in Wealth

 Opening Discussion:

  • Why are some Christians financially comfortable while others struggle financially?
  • Are wealthy Christians more ‘spiritual’ than poor Christians?
  • Is there a connection between your spiritual condition and your bank balance?

Let’s look at what the Bible says about wealth and poverty.

1 Sam. 2:7  The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.

Point 1:  ___________________________________________________

James 1:9-11 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.  But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.  For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom fails and its beauty is destroyed.  In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.

Point 2:  ___________________________________________________

Psalm 49:16,17 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.

Point 3:  ___________________________________________________

Prov. 28:6 Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

 

Point 4:  __________________________________________________

 

 Read 1 Tim. 6:17-19

What is the role of the wealth? _____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

 

Read  James 2:5-6

What blessings does God promise the poor?  _________________________________________

____________________________________________

Read the Parable of the Rich Fool  Luke 12:13-21

What lessons can we learn from this parable?

  1.  
  2. __________________________________________
  3. __________________________________________
  4. __________________________________________
  5. __________________________________________

 

 

 Additional Verses on the Frivolity of Wealth

 

Prov. 15:16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.

Prov. 13:8 A man’s riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat.

Prov. 11:4  Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

Eccl. 5:13-14 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun; wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him.

Prov. 27:24  Riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.

Life Application:

Prov. 23: 4, 5 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Honoring God With Our Money: Warnings to the Rich

In the final part of Lesson 2, we will look at God’s warnings to the rich.

The story of the Rich Young Ruler is told in Matthew 19:16-30.  Jesus used this story to demonstrate how difficult it is for those who love money to be saved.  To recap, the young ruler asked Jesus what he had to do to earn eternal life.  Jesus replied that he should keep God’s commandments.  He responded that he had kept that commandments and asked what he lacked.  Jesus then told him to sell all that he had and give the money to the poor.  In verse 22, we read, “When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth”

Jesus then told his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  Matt. 19:23-24 

 

Think About:  Why do you think it is so hard for the rich to be saved?  Their riches make them feel self-sufficient, so they have a harder time realizing their need for God.

 Why was the rich ruler sad?  He wasn’t willing to give up earthly treasure for true riches in Heaven.

 

The Bible provides many additional warnings to the rich.  Read the following verses and allow God to show dangers of seeking riches for riches sake.

 

1 Tim. 6:9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation, and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.

 

Job 36:18-19 Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside.  Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in distress?

 

Luke 6:24 Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.

 

Luke 1:53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

 

James 5:1-5 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you…Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  Your gold and silver have corroded…You have hoarded wealth in the last days…You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence.

 

 Think About:  After reading these verses, why might you still desire to be rich?  Riches allow us to be debt-free and live in financial freedom.  They also give us the ability to help others.  Being rich is not a sin, but loving money above others is a sin.

 

Life Application:

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Honoring God With Our Money, Lesson 2

In Lesson 2 of our Bible study on Honoring God With Our Money, we look at God’s warnings to the rich.  We will consider the following questions:

  • Does God want Christians to be rich?
  • Doesn’t it seem that those raised in wealth have a difficult time finding their place in life and wind up frequently bored and in trouble?
  • Does wealth equate to happiness?

 

Opening Discussion:

If you won $1 million (ignore taxes), what would you do with the money?

 

  1. __________________________________________

  2. __________________________________________

  3. __________________________________________

  4. __________________________________________

  5. __________________________________________

 

 

Discussion:  What does 1 Timothy 6:10 tell us is the root of all evil?

Why is the love of money a problem for believers?

Read Ecclesiates 5:10:  What love of money leads to what?

Read the story of The Rich Young Ruler:  Matthew 19:16-30

Why was the rich ruler sad?

Why do you think it is so hard for the rich to be saved? 

Additional Warnings to the Rich

Look up the following verses and fill-in the missing words.  These verses are from the New International version (NIV) of the Bible.

1 Tim. 6:9 People who want to get rich fall into _______________ and a trap and into many foolish and ______________desires that plunge men into ruin and __________________.

Job 36:18-19 Be careful that no one entices you by _______________; do not let a large ____________ turn you aside.  Would your ___________ or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in ______________?

Luke 6:24 Woe to you who are _____________, for you have already received your ___________________.

Luke 1:53 He has filled the _____________ with good things but has sent the rich away _________________.

James 5:1-5 Now listen, you _______ people, weep and wail because of the ___________ that is coming upon you…Your wealth has _____________, and moths have eaten your ____________.  Your gold and silver have _____________…You have hoarded ________________in the last days..You have lived on earth in _____________ and self-indulgence.

Discussion:  After reading these verses, why might you still desire to be rich?

Proverbs 22:7  provides one reason why we should desire to stay our of debt. It says, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.”

Life Application:

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”