Economic Empowerment Part 1: Attack Your Lack Series

INTRO

 He was a man that feared the Lord

 Just because you love God doesn’t mean you won’t have lack

 Pay your debt

 Live on the rest

 It’s always a challenge to deal with finances

o Whenever I deal with it while I am trying to help some not to make a mistake

o Those who have already messed up get mad

Example – divorce

o Some aren’t in the ditch

o Some are out of the ditch

o Some are heading toward the ditch

o I want to talk about the ditch

 I realize the playing field is not level

 The rules are different in different economic levels

o Rules change as you move from level to level

Example – language

People who constantly live in lack USE language different and different language than CEO’s

 Rules – are different

o If you were a Kennedy you could sleep until noon

 Body value is different

o Low levels of economy have a tendency to use your body to get over

 Mentality is different

o What changes in the mind

o Will change in time

o If you have a poverty mindset – money won’t help you

o You will continue to bring your life back to the place of your mindset

o If you can’t handle $100, you can’t handle $1 Million

 I’ve watched some get saved and right away give

 Tithe

 Talent

 Time

 Others been saved 20 years. And I still can’t change their mind

 Faith will change your mind

 Generosity

 Stingy

Lack is based on 3 things

1. Mismanagement

2. Entitlement

3. Victimization

1. MISMANAGEMENT

• Almost every parable that Jesus teaches

• Has to do with people mismanaging what God has given them

• The Bible teaches that if you mismanage what God gave you

• You’re not allowed to ask for more!

o I mismanaged – haven’t asked for more

• This takes responsibility off the devil

o And on you

• The good news is that if mismanagement is creating lack

• Then appropriate management can end your lack

o Attack your lack

o Make a plan

o Stop casting out devils

o Men, let your wife be a help mate

EXAMPLE: If your utility bill is too high because you leave the front door open

Then stop yelling at the devil and close the door!

• Management of money changes based on where you’re at!

• And where you’re trying to go

EXAMPLES

2. ENTITLEMENT

• Walking through life acting like the world owes you something

EXAMPLE: When my mom was on welfare & food stamps

She never acted like the world owed her

She took it as a leg up! She paid tithes on her food stamps

• Quit waiting for someone else to get you through

 We have particular target

 Even the church

 The church isn’t a bank

 Waiting for someone to see how bad you had it and give you their:

o Car

o House

o Money

 It won’t happen

 When you realize that you don’t deserve anything but have access to everything

 Then you can be blessed

3. VICTIMIZATION

• I was a victim

• I never learned about abundance

• Don’t walk around through life with your theme song being gloom despair and agony on me.

• Victim mindset trying to tell everyone how bad you have it.

• Thoughts from our text

o There is situational lack and

o There is generational lack

 Situational Lack came from an unforeseen situation

• Economy

• Layoffs

• Real estate down turn

EXAMPLE ROC Church

Built, Borrowed

Then economy, etc.

• If the situational lack is not taken care of

o Don’t let situation become a stronghold

• If the situational lack is prolonged

o It grows roots

o Establishes ground

o Becomes a mindset

• Then the situational lack becomes a generational lack

2 Kings 4

• Situation – Father died (life insurance ) for my natural and church family

• The creditors are coming

• Generational – now the boys will be enslaved to work out of the hole the father’s situation put them in.

o Remember, the playing field isn’t always level.

o Got a loan at 15, couldn’t go to college

• Go borrow (verse 3)

 Owe no man means; pay your bill on-time

 Note; borrowing isn’t always bad

 Good debt vs. bad debt

 This borrowing was going to make her money

 If you could buy a $200,000 house for $75,000

• Go borrow the money

 Don’t go borrow money to buy a couch because relatives are coming over

 With no payments until 2010