“Managing your money!”
January, 15th, 2012
Pastor Allan Kircher Shell Point Baptist Church
Scripture: Proverbs 27:23-24, 21:5, 21:20, 6:6-8, 21:17, 3:9-10
Money isn't all it’s cracked up to be.
In fact it can bring more pain than pleasure!
no matter how much money we have
If we're not very careful it can become one of the greatest sources of stress in our lives.
I don't want to presume but I would bet that most of us here have worried about money from time to time.
• In fact, let's take a quick congregational poll.
• Okay-if you have ever been stressed about money raise your hand.
• Most of us are even stressed out right now about money.
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All of us worry about our money from time to time.
o Gallup 64% of all COUPLES worry about money.
o Number one cause of divorce-
o 51% of all spouses that call it quits say their decision had something to do with their finances.
Maybe we should change the marital vows to pledge “Debt to us part.”
Our debt these days is a big problem that is growing worse.
A Newsweek cover showed/couple buried under credit cards/headline/read, "Americans are drowning in debt.
Article said, "Americans have been borrowing in record amounts
this year.
Home equity debt has soured past 330 billion dollars
Bankruptcies are up 20%.
And most people are spending more than they make."
Larry Burkett points to the underlying reason behind all this..,
"...increasing number of families that don't know how to handle money, debt, and resources.
Americans clearly lack financial literacy skills.
"And the shoddy way that many of us handle our money doesn't just affect our bank accounts.
It also negatively affects our walk with the Lord.
Bill Hybels writes, "The courts of SPIRITUAL bankruptcy are filled with men and women who vowed to get more serious about their spiritual lives...but after one more deal, after one more increase, after one more level, after one more....more...more.
Vast numbers have gained the whole world only to lose their souls...
o sincere Christians have been lured by riches and the love of money;
o They have squandered their lives and given up their spiritual fruitfulness."
o Okay-how can we avoid all these problems?
o I mean, how can we deal with our money so that it causes us less stress?
o How can we manage our money instead of it managing us?
Well, first/we have/embrace/mindset/believe/all we have is God's
Cannot be separation between sacred and secular in life.
We have to understand/WAY we handle our money/spiritual issue
That we should look to God for answers in this arena of life.
In fact that's what I want us to do this morning.
to go to the Bible/wisdom about money management.
God has a book/penned by the wisest/richest man in world.
someone who/great deal of experience managing money.
I'm referring to King Solomon and he was very wealthy-
So wealthy in fact that he would put Bill Gates to shame.
For example, the Bible tells us that Solomon ate on plates of solid gold.
When he finished dinner they didn't just WASH the plates-they POLISHED them.
Solomon was EXTRAVAGANTLY wealthy
God inspired him to share all the wisdom he gleaned from his money management in Proverbs.
There are five basic things that King Solomon says we must do if we are to manage our money wisely
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Here they are-we must:
Keep good records, Plan our spending, Save for the future, Be content with what we already have, And give back at least 10% to God.
1. First of all, to keep from fretting over our finances we must keep good RECORDS.
Solomon refers/this/principle/ACCOUNTING in Proverbs 27:23-24 He says, "Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for your herds, for riches don't last forever and the crown might not be secure for the next generation.”
In Solomon's day, instead of STOCKS they had FLOCKS.
A man's herds were his assets/shepherd's job to keep track of the size/condition of the flock.
Solomon is saying, to prevent monetary stress
First thing we must do is keep track of what we've got.
We must constantly be aware of the state of our accounts.
Have you ever said, "I don't know where all my money goes!"
If you don't know, unless someone is stealing from you behind your back, you're not keeping good records.
o As someone has said, "Money used to talk. Now it just quietly slips away."
o And we need to keep good records so this doesn't happen.
Our record keeping must be set to enable us to know four things:
What we OWE, OWN, EARN, and WHERE it goes.
Now you can use one of many software programs.
I just keep a paper calendar as a record of my spending.
We get paid every two weeks here at Shell Point
I write these amounts down,
Then my tithe, savings, then allowances, then bills.
Then, when I pay each bill, I put a check mark by the amount.
I'm constantly/ adding unexpected things to this budget.
Like birthday presents, trips etc.
But even this simple method enables me to keep a fairly accurate record of the funds God entrusts me with.
And I have found that Solomon is right.
Knowing where my money is/where it goes helps me not worry about it.
2. A second thing Solomon advises is this: Plan your SPENDING.
This is the principle of BUDGETING and he talks about it in Proverbs 21:5 when he says, "Plan carefully and you will have plenty. If you act too quickly, you will never have enough."
Financial freedom is never determined/how MUCH money we make
But rather by how we SPEND what we make.
For most of us the problem is that we SPEND too much
One reason we spend too much is because we SHOP too much-whether it's at the mall or on the Internet.
average American/six hours/week/shopping related activities
And I don't want to be presumptuous but I would bet that many of us are well above average!
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Here's something else I learned this week.
Studies show the more EDUCATED you are, the more you shop.
many of us could accurately say we hold degrees
Belks University, bestbuy College, E-Bay High, or Marshalls Prep School! Now, don't get me wrong.
Shopping isn't necessarily bad-in fact it is wise to shop carefully so we find the best values.
The problem is many of us don't do that.
recent surveys show that nine/ten people don't shop carefully
No, they shop IMPULSIVELY.
They don't plan their spending/they don't stick to their plan so they end up buying more than they can afford.
Now, why do we do this?
For some of us it's because we want to emulate someone else's lifestyle.
We want to keep up with the Joneses!
Issues of self-esteem are also often involved.
We think, "I'm every bit as talented or aggressive, educated, competent as he is. Why shouldn't I have what he has?"
There is also the pressure of our peers-young/old-who encourage us to keep up with them by purchasing all the latest do-dads.
And there is the incredibly powerful influence of the media!
Every billboard/magazine ad says,
"Don't plan your spending! Look at it and buy it!"
Hour after hour television urges us to buy-buy-buy!
I wish someone would study the correlation between hours of television watched and dollars of indebtedness incurred.
I'm sure/direct relation between the two because millions/dollars are spent by advertisers to determine the most effective way to trigger our spending fingers.
o And advertisers DON'T waste their money-they are wise enough to spend it very carefully.
o They hire top scriptwriters, actors/actresses, musicians, and production people who combine forces to get us to do one thing: SPEND MONEY.
o And, they are VERY good at this!
Have you ever noticed how much better/commercials are than today's sitcoms?
There/constant SALES pressuring us to buy impulsively.
I remember when I was young, the J.C. Penny One day-only sales/ Once a year.
Now they are every weekend!
Stores even open earlier or stay open later promising unbelievable deals.
many of us can’t resist and end up buying things even if we don't need
why, because they are on sale
then our spending plan goes out the window.
This is foolish for Proverbs 21:20 says "Stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it."
There are even support groups for shoppers: SHOPPER STOPPERS/DEBTORS ANONYMOUS.
They mention creative idea/help people break/habit/impulsive buying.
For example: one SHOPPER STOPPER keeps his credit cards frozen in a chunk of ice in the freezer.
That way if he gets the urge to spend he has to wait for the ice to melt
by that time the URGE to buy has gone away.
Some of us with diminished will power might want to use concrete instead of ice!
Well, Solomon would say/best way to break the habit of impulsive buying is by BUDGETING
By planning your spending and sticking to the plan no matter what
Budgeting is telling your money where you want it to go rather than wondering where it went.
You know, few people would consider driving their cars without a gas gauge, because they know the dangers and inconveniences associated with running out of gas.
• But most people operate their personal finances without a SPENDING gauge.
• They casually, impulsively, spend from day to day,
• and when they run out of money by the middle of the month they say,
• "Oops! I'm out of money-now what do I do?"
So to manage our money we must keep good records.
We must plan our spending-make a budget and stick to it-and then a third thing we must do is....
3. ...save for the FUTURE.
This is what Solomon is telling us in Proverbs 6:6-8 when he advises us to, "Take a lesson from the ants...learn from their ways and be wise!
Even though they have no prince, governor, or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter."
Solomon reminds us that even bugs are smart enough to SAVE.
They don't consume all their resources-
No they save some-storing it away for the future.
Did you know that 85% of Americans end up with less than $250 in cash savings when they reach the age of 65?
During/working years they earned hundreds/thousands/dollars but at retirement they have little to show for it.
o Why? Because, all those years they paid everybody but themselves.
o I mean, they didn't "pay" anything into their savings account.
o You see, we are a part of a "LIVE FOR TODAY" culture.
o We want it all/and we want it now/so it's hard for us to save.
o Now-HOW MUCH should you save?
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Well most experts recommend/ten percent every month and if you do, it is amazing how much you will accrue!
Let's say you earn $40,000 a year
it will give you an idea of how much you can save.
Ten percent-that's $4,000-
Every year for thirty years/invest/secure fund 8% per year.
Well after 30 years you would have $498,215.95!
That’s if you are saving 10% of an annual salary of $40,000.
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Most people in our area make a lot more than this a year!
o It is VERY possible for us to do this but many people won't.
o Many would rather buy lottery tickets/put away10% each week.
o That IS foolish because the lottery doesn't pay!
In fact you are more likely to be hit by a meteor than you are to win the lottery.
Odds are greater that you will go to the moon/win/lottery.
there's a word for people who play the lottery and here it is: LOSER-
in fact there are millions of losers every week!
And the lottery commission knows it-they count on it!
I mean, do you really think they'd have a lottery if people win at it? Of course not.
So it is foolish to waste our money on things like the lottery or on impulsive purchases.
The Bible teaches/instead we should save for the future-but, as I said many of us just won't do this.
And the REASON we won't is because we aren't committed to the principle of delayed gratification:
Enduring the hardship of saving now for a pay off that will come later.
far too many young couples these days yield to the temptation to impulsively spend their limited excess on one thing or another
Wanting to enjoy it here and now.
And then, when they incur unexpected expenses,
Instead of investing FOR the future
they are forced to borrow FROM it with home equity loans
or by using credit cards
so often that begins a downward spiral that is almost impossible to get out of.
Part of the problem is that using a credit card is so easy.
o Statistics show/when we shop/plastic we spend 23% more money than when we use cash.
o because using a credit card doesn't FEEL like we're using real money
o That is until the bill comes and then it feels VERY real!
o Credit Card Companies make it so easy!
I get two/three offers/each week "Congratulations Allan Kircher!
You are among a prestigious few who are preferred and pre-approved for a VISA platinum card with a $25,000 limit!" Well, they send out millions of these things-so I'm not really all that prestigious after all!
Now, I want to point out that whenever you read one of these ads for a gold or platinum card, there's one WORD you'll never find-and it is the word "DEBT."
But that is exactly what they are selling.
They are selling you DEBT but that is an uncomfortable, unpleasant word so they don't include it in their mailers.
o Instead they tell you, "We sell freedom to buy what you want when you want it!"
o when they are really peddling DEBT.
Now if all these credit card companies were honest and told you this is what they are selling,
Would you fill that application out and send it in?
Of course not, but that is exactly what they are saying,
"We want you to be in debt to us."
If you have a problem with credit cards here's a project for you this week.
Go home, just like I did, and cut them up into thousands of pieces.
Then, instead of charging for the future, SAVE for the future. I promise, you'll sleep better at night!
4. Fourth, Solomon advises us to be CONTENT/what we have.
In Proverbs 21:17 he says, "Indulging in luxuries, wine and rich food, will never make you wealthy..."
and in Ecclesiastes 6:9 he writes, "It is better to be satisfied-CONTENT-with what you have than to always be wanting something else."
Problem is. Most of us aren't content.
Our YEARNINGS exceed our EARNINGS.
And this is sad because OUR earnings exceed the vast majority of the people on this planet of ours.
Did you know a staggering 1.3 billion people earn less than a dollar a day?
o One hundred million children around the world are homeless
o Many more live in accommodations worse than what we provide for our pets and animals.
"We Americans entered the twenty-first century and the new millennium as the most economically prosperous people in the history of the world.
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By any historical comparative, or cross-national measure, we enjoy unprecedented private affluence and enormous wealth."
As you sit here, you are already richer than the rest of the world.
Own a house you’re in top 3% of the world's population.
If you own a car, you're in the top 6%.
But, we're not content with what we have
Even though we have more than the rest of the world.
I mean, it's not that we CAN'T live on what we make-we just WON'T.
We refuse to limit our expenses.
We refuse to rein in our YEARNINGS.
Rather than being content to live in a smaller house,
drive an older car, buy fewer clothes...
we over-extend ourselves until we have nightmares wondering how we are going to pay our bills.
We see things we want/but can't afford them, but we buy them anyway
We believe the salesman who tells us we can own this or that in only 60 EASY payments.
o I don't know about you but I've never met an EASY payment? They're ALL hard!
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So, to avoid the stress money can bring Solomon says we must
keep good records; plan our spending;
save,
be content with what we have,
and then finally and most importantly....
5. ...he tells us we must give at least 10% to GOD.
Okay-why do this? Why tithe? Why give at least a tenth back to God.
A. Well first of all we should do so as an act of OBEDIENCE
• The Bible repeatedly and clearly suggests a minimum giving standard of ten percent back to God.
For example, in Malachi 3:9 God says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house."
In Proverbs 3:9-10 Solomon says, "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces."
B. But tithing is also an act of GRATITUDE.
When we give the first tenth we are saying,
"God, I wouldn't have anything if it weren't for You.
Thank you Father, for as Your Word says, every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights Who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)"
C. And then tithing is an act of PRIORITY.
o It's a way of saying, "God, I want You to be number one in my life and I prove it by putting You first in my money."
D. It's also an act of FAITH that says,
"God, I know all those promises in the Bible that say if I put You first you'll take care of me.
To prove that I believe these promises I'm going to give to you first."
And God takes care of us like no one else!
As David said in the 23rd Psalm
God fills our cups to overflowing!
In the text from Malachi God goes on to say, 'Test Me in this, 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.'"
And Solomon says if we give to God from the best, "He will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with the finest wine."
According/these verses and others like them
The call to tithe is accompanied by the promise that God will intervene supernaturally in the financial affairs of those who consistently do so.
They will enjoy financial miracles that would not happen if they neglected to give to God.
o Our giving to God should not be viewed as a debt we owe
o Rather as a seed we sow
o A seed that will yield God's bountiful blessings.
By the way this verse in Malachi is the only place in the Bible that says you can prove God.
In essence our Heavenly Father says, "You want to prove that I exist? Start tithing. Then watch what happens!"
o It may not make sense but I can tell you by experience that it works.
o When we trust God by giving a tithe to Him, He responds by taking care of me and my family.
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My tithe is the first thing that comes out.
And I have found God to be completely trustworthy in this.
when you think about it
we don't have trouble trusting God with other things.
I mean we trust Him with our eternal destiny.
We trust Him for daily wisdom and guidance.
Why can't we trust Him with our money!?
Now I often hear people ask, "Should I tithe the net or the gross?" Well, that depends. What do you want God to bless? The net or the gross?
You see, God blesses MOST what we put Him FIRST in.
if you truly put Him first in your marriage, it's going to be absolutely wonderful.
If you put Him first in your career-He'll help you make a difference in this world that others will notice.
If you doubt me, then read the Old Testament accounts of the lives of Joseph and Daniel!
If you put God first in your parenting-you're going to raise some amazing kids!
God blesses MOST what we put Him FIRST in!
So, Solomon-a man with a great deal of experience when it comes to money wisely says that if we are to manage our money such that it does not cause us stress we must:
Keep good records, plan our spending, save for the future, be content with what we have, and give at least ten percent back to God.
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o And, in closing I want to point out that if we do this we won't just be freed from stress.
o We'll also experience another blessing.
o We'll be able to join God in His work by putting ourselves in a position to help others.
o We'll have the financial ability to come to the aid of people who need it.
Our saving and careful spending will make it possible for us to use our excess funds to minister to others.
We'll be free to respond to the Holy Spirit's prompting to finance a big project, or give a big gift.
You know, there's nothing more frustrating than having your heart pound with the passion to offer your resources for God's use, but be in such financial bondage that you can't.
And that is sad because there are few things in life that bring us more fun than doing exactly that!
In 1 Timothy 6 Paul says that generous giving to help others makes it possible for us to"...take hold of the life that is TRULY life!"
Many of you have been able to experience this special joy over the years-
You have been so blessed through your stewardship with money, that you can help too.
o Send our people on missions.
o Give to extra needs, projector, tables, flooring, etc.
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Well, this morning I challenge you to follow these guidelines in Proverbs and manage your money so you can do things like this.
I mean if you haven't done so already, give God control of your finances.
Don't just invite Him into your heart.
Invite Him into your checkbook.
Ask Him to guide you when it comes to how you handle your money.
Will you commit today to live by these scriptural guidelines?
Tell God of your commitment and ask Him to help you keep it.
Let’s pray..
"Father God, thank You for the way you bless us here in Shell Point.
You entrust us with so much. Help us to manage our money such that we are able to use it every day in ways that further Your kingdom.
Help us to temper our YEARNINGS so that we YEARN not for more things, but for more opportunities to serve people with our wealth.
Remind us that all we have is Yours...that we are Your stewards and help us to make You proud in the way we care for the things You have given us. I ask all this in Jesus' name. AMEN"
Invitation
