How To Manage Your Money Series

YOU ASKED FOR IT

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR MONEY

Sunday July 16, 2006

Scripture Reference: 1 Timothy 6:3-19

Intro.

A. Today we are going to begin our look at the last subject that you requested to hear a message about. Now as we look at this final subject I want to remind you one more time that “You Asked For It”. It was not my idea to preach on the subject of money this is what you requested. Seriously though I do believe that this was all in God’s providential timing that I talk to you about his subject today since it was not long ago that we all received a letter from our Church Board sharing with us about the current financial struggle we are having as a congregation. Yes money may not be our favorite topic but I do not believe it coincidental that I would be sharing with you about this subject at this time. You gave me six different topics to preach on and it was all the way back in April that I put this schedule together so you see I believe that God was directing things all the way along bringing us to this point today.

1. Let’s all be honest shall we? We all like money right? If you say you don’t then maybe we need to preach on one more topic before we leave this series, the topic of honesty. We all like money, money allows us a lot of opportunities and privileges. Money allows us to go out to eat and all the ladies said… (Amen). Money allows us to buy a car and then spend $3+ dollars a gallon for gas to make it go. Money allows me to have a roof over my head and to have heat in the winter and cool in the summer. Aren’t you glad for an air conditioned sanctuary? Money allows us to have this. Money allows me to buy worms so I can go fishing. Sure we all like money because money is necessary and money is useful.

2. When I was asked to preach on the topic of money I was asked to answer the question, “Is money Good or is money bad?” Well the short and simple answer to that question is that money is neither. Money is not good and money is not bad, money is neutral. What determines the good or bad of money is our attitude towards it. So now I guess since I answered the question you were asking that means we can all go home Right? Wait a minute, not so fast. How do we develop a proper attitude towards money so that it will be good and not bad? That is what I want to begin to talk to you about today and I am sure you will be very surprised to learn that I will not finish this subject today but we will finish up this subject and this series next Sunday.

B. Now since the subject of money always tends to get people a little up tight I thought maybe I would start out today with a couple of stories to try and lighten the mood. Now once again I know that we preachers are often accused of having a one track mind and that mind runs on the track of money but that really isn’t true. It was very frustrating to me back in 1999 when we were going through our program to raise funds for new buildings that I was accused of only preaching about money, but for some reason no one could offer me another way of building new buildings except by using money. We had planned to use Jim & Mickey Burdett to do most of the building but for some reason they wanted money for the work they were going to do. Can you imagine that?! Of all the nerve.

1. Well here is my first little story. This is about little Jimmy. Little Jimmy’s mother was hysterical because little Jimmy had swallowed a quarter. She screamed to her husband to call the doctor. Her husband picked up the phone and called the pastor. She said, “Why in the world did you call the pastor? We don’t need a pastor we need a doctor.” Her husband replied, “Hey our pastor can get money out of anybody.” You can go ahead and say Amen I know you want to.

2. This second story is about Stumpy and his wife Martha. Every year they went to the state fair and there was this antique bi-plane that Stumpy always wanted to take a ride on but it cost $10 and Martha always said, “Stumpy that airplane ride costs $10 and $10 is $10. One year they went to the fair and Stumpy said, “Martha I am 81 years old. If I don’t ride the plane this year I may never get another chance.” Martha reply, “Stumpy that plane ride cost $10 and $10 is $10. Well the pilot overheard them talking and he said, “Folks I will make you a deal. I will take both of you up for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say a word I will not charge you the ten dollars.” Well Stumpy and Martha agreed so they got in the plane and went up. The pilot did all sorts of tricks and turns, rolls and dives, but he never heard a word. He did it all over again but still not a word. When the pilot landed the plane he turned around and said to Stumpy, “By golly, I did everything I could think of to get you to yell out, but you didn’t.” Stumpy replied, Well I was gonna say something when Martha fell out, But ten dollars is ten dollars.” (Taken from Great Stories vol.6/issue24; pg.8)