Financial Accountability
Be accountable
Submit your financial plan to a trusted adviser
One day it will be your spouse!
Money is a BIG deal
Money represents our life, and our life = our time = our life = never get it back
No one is more generous than God !!
"For God so loved the world that He GAVE . . . "
He has demonstrated it over and over!
Luke 6:38 (NLT)
38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
OLD TESTAMENT:
Tithe = 10%
Malachi 3:8-10 (NLT2)
“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
No . . . we are not "under" the law. But the law IS our tutor.
We have not thrown out "you shall not steal" or "you shall not murder"
This is the only place in scripture where God challenges us to put Him to the test!
You CAN trust God! Not so that you'll "get" but so that He can trust you with a blessing that you can be a blessing to the Kingdom and to others. "A generous person shall prosper."
God watched over the Israelites for 40 years in the desert – their tents sandals lasted!
NEW TESTAMENT:
Jesus affirmed tithing . . .
Matthew 23:23 (NLT)
23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NLT2)
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
1 Corinthians 16:1–2 (NLT)
Now regarding your question about the money being collected . . . You should follow the same procedure I gave to the churches in Galatia. 2 On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned.
REMEMBER:
We are under Grace not Law
grace = attitude = heart
law = actions
In reality, grace is much more difficult in that it reveals our true selves. A person might "fake" their actions but they cannot fake their heart. And it's our heart that God wants . . . not our pretension or hypocrisy.
GIVING – My Personal Story
Tithing Conviction:
Pre 1978 we were generous . . . but
Giving was a preference and NOT a conviction
Then one day God spoke to us to gave $1k to church
Not long after, we started giving 10% of our income - our increase . . .
Giving became our conviction and we have tithed (10%) ever since
Here is an actual testimony we shared with the pastors of our church in 1979 after we told God that we would always give generously . . .
"The anniversary service at the Anniversary Service last year was when we first started to trust God with our finances. We were just barely getting by with almost nothing left to spare after bills were paid. But we pledged $25 a month for one year to the building fund. Also, at this time we really felt a commitment to Christian Chapel as our church home, and began attending regularly. A few weeks later we felt we should go all the way and tithe 10% of our income.
1. Almost immediately Steve received a new job and began making much more money, but working half the hours. Even though we were still very much in debt, we decided to trust the Lord instead of MasterCharge, so we cut up all our credit cards and went cash only.
What a relief! God hasn't let us down once!
2. In fact, after Steve got the new job
3. we received a check in the mail for $880
4. and after that we moved into a new house perfectly suited to our needs.
Then last summer Pastor Jesse had everyone write down on a piece of paper the amount they felt the Lord wanted them to give to the building fund. After prayer we showed each other our slips of paper and we both had written down $1.000. We didn't have a thousand dollars! We didn't even have a hundred dollars!
Well, last month we made the last payment to the Lord to complete that thousand "we didn't have." Praise God, He supplies EVERY need. A year ago we would have never believed that we would not only give 10% of our income, but $25.00 a month for a year, and $1,000 besides."
God speaking to me over the years:
“I’ll Take Care Of You”
1st Married 1974
needed $$
Friday afternoon walking down hallway
God spoke: "the check is not there but . . ."
I felt the Lord say to me . . . “I’ll Take Care Of You”
instead of GI Bill check $35 from State Farm ($210 today 3/22)
1980 Men’s Advance Commitment to God:
Applying for McDonnel Douglas 1988
made commitment to serve God at Men’s retreat Fall of 1980
job as Principal ending 6/88 – it was Friday
filling out application a friend gave me
I felt the Lord say to me . . . “I’ll Take Care Of You”
started on Monday at Christina Chapel
Losing Both Houses 2010
I had made a terrible financial decision (even with councel)
cashed out on home to buy a rental house
housing bubble of 2008
then one Sunday morning before church while spending time with God I felt God clearly say to me:
you’re going to lose both houses but . . .
Again . . . I felt the Lord say to me . . . “I’ll Take Care Of You”
Then . . . God gave us a financial miracle!
Yes, it was a tough season:
we DID lose both houses
we were not paid for 6 months
we had no money
we were in debt $35,000
I had a website ready to launch - doing wedding photography
I was ready to push the "PUBLISH" button but . . .
And once again . . . I felt the Lord say to me . . . “I’ll Take Care Of You”
word from God: “I have blessed you in what I have called you to, you have been fruitful when you have served me, not when you've gone into the business world.”
NOTE: this "word" was for me - not everyone . . .
Teri and I have been 100% DEBT FREE SINCE THEN !!
Friends, as I look back over my life I realize that most of my story has been written. This is an advantage because I HAVE SEEN FIRST HAND THE GOODNESS OF GOD! I know that He is faithful because I haven't just "heard" about it - I have LIVED it!
You can too - trust Him and His ways . . . make it your purpose to honor Him by obeying it.
Love you guys,
Steve :)