HoHum:
Pass out Children’s Bulletins
From Sermon4Kids at: http://www.sermons4kids.com/count_the_cost.html
How many of you would like to play the piano? Wait! Not so fast! Before you raise your hand and say "yes" to that question, let's see what it would cost to be able to play the piano and see if you are willing to pay the price.
First of all, you would have to buy a piano. It would be rather silly to say that you wanted to play the piano if you weren't willing to go out and buy a piano, wouldn't it? So the first you would need to do is look for a piano. I found a used piano in the classified section of the newspaper for $700. The ad said it needed some repairs, so it probably isn't a very good one, but it's a start. Hmm....$700, do you still want to play the piano?
Next you need to find a teacher. After all, you can't teach yourself. Not if you really want to play well. I looked in the newspaper again to find a piano teacher. I found one for $25 a week. Let's see, that's $100 a month, do you still want to play the piano?
What else do we need? Oh yes, we will need some music! I went to the music store and found out that most of the music books cost $10-$15 each. If you want to buy a single copy of sheet music, they usually cost around $5.00 each. Do you still want to play the piano?
Now that you have a piano, a teacher, and some music you must be willing to practice. Most piano teachers require their students to practice at least one hour every day. That means that there will be times when other children will be out playing while you must stay in and practice. If you want to play the piano, you have to count the cost and make sure you are willing to pay the price!
Did you know that Jesus said that same thing to some people who said they wanted to be his disciples? Jesus told them that if they wanted to follow him, they had to count the cost. He said they had to be willing to take up their cross daily and follow him. To follow him, they might have to be willing to give up their family and friends. Jesus also said that people might make fun of them and call them names and that some people might even want to hurt them. They had to count the cost and make sure they were willing to pay the price.
A lot of people today say that they want to follow Jesus. They become part of the church and for a while you will see them every week, but when they find out how much it is going to cost, they fall away. Being a true follower of Jesus is not always easy, but it is always worth it, if you are willing to pay the price.
WBTU:
Few weeks ago talked about Luke 12. The foolish farmer wanted to build bigger barns to house all of his crops from a great harvest season. The problem was not necessarily his plan but that he never thought about things beyond his wealth, beyond this life. This guy tried to find life and meaning in his wealth. He died suddenly and all of it was taken away from him
Here Jesus raises another concern about stewardship, but he is talking about those who do not give enough attention to the management of their wealth. Mainly focus on vs. 28-30.
Jesus asks us, “If we want to build a tower, won’t we first estimate what the cost of the tower is going to be?” Too often the answer to that question is No in our world.
Money issues often cause stress. With more and more stress we might have stress fractures. Over time these stress fractures can lead to a broken financial foundation.
Thesis: Talk about 3 things: 1) where financial stress fractures come from 2) Practical suggestions 3) Questions to consider
For instances:
Where financial stress fractures come from
1. Lack of effort
“He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.” Proverbs 28:19, NIV.
25% of Americans believe the only way they will make it financially is to win the lottery.
It is going to take effort and work. Reminds me of the wife who complained to her husband. She said, “I’m ashamed of the way we live. My mother pays our rent; my aunt buys our groceries; my sister pays our utilities. I’m ashamed we can’t do better than that.” And the husband said, “Well, you ought to be. You have two uncles that don’t send us a dime.”
Laziness is a factor for creating stress in our financial foundations
2. Lack of self control
“In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.” Proverbs 21:20, NIV.
The Bible says, ““Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” Matthew 6:19, NIV. Many people are obeying that literally. Spending everything they have and have nothing to show for it.
3. Lack of a financial plan
Most people live paycheck to paycheck with no plan for their money.
“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5
Dave Ramsey plan, not as detailed in youth group, but here is the plan:
Save $1,000 cash as a starter emergency fund. The rainy day is going to come!
Debt snowball- make minimum payments on all but pay off smallest; keep going until done
Increase the emergency fund to cover 3 to 6 months of expenses
Maximize retirement investing- invest 15% of income in retirement
College funding for children
Pay off the home mortgage
Build wealth: Fun (It’s okay to have some wholesome fun- “Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 5:19, NIV.), investing, and giving. “No one would have remembered the good Samaritan if he hadn’t had money.”
Practical suggestions
Make the decision that enough is enough
I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. The sad truth is that many people never reach that point. We will not change until we are disgusted with the way things are. Same way with salvation in Jesus Christ for most people.
Many people say that they want out of financial problems and debt, but they are unwilling to change anything. Definition of insanity is to do the same things and expect different results.
Stop the bleeding. Don’t go any further in debt. Burn those credit cards.
Think about life without these financial pressures and problems. What would it be like to not argue about money? What would it be like to not have those creditors calling all the time? What would it be like to go to the mailbox and not have to moan when we see all the bills?
Many people believe that it has always been this way and it will never change for them. Continue to do the same things and things will only get worse.
“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13, NIV.
Learn to live on less
When we get that raise what do we do? Increase our spending. Income increases and spending increases right along with it. No improvement. Lack of money is not the problem.
In many homes the mother and the father work. What if we try to live on one income?
Wouldn’t think of parting with this thing. It is an idol “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21, NIV. Some have issues with vs. 26 but is our family and friends more important to us than God?
Do not purchase anything unless it is on sale. Do not pay retail.
Track spending for a whole month
Write everything down for a whole month. Don’t make any changes. Sit down as a family after that month and see what could be cut. Then write down everything for that next month to make sure changes are made. Amazing how this will focus our efforts.
If this is done can increase the amount of money that we have at our discretion by 15 to 25%
Questions to consider
1. Am I trusting God as the owner of everything?
“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it...” Psalms 24:1, NIV.
We don’t own a thing; we’re just managers of it.
Luke 14:33- Is Jesus saying that we must sell everything we have and give it away? Not necessarily. Jesus is talking about what possesses us, what possesses me. He’s saying that to follow him, we’ve got to transfer the title deed on our lives and everything is God’s.
Do we trust in things of this world more than God?
2. Am I robbing God?
““Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings.” “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.” Malachi 3:8, 10, NIV.
How many figure that they will make up for their financial shortfalls by paying bills with their tithes and offerings.
I Surrender All- what hypocrisy. Goes back to do we trust God?
3. Will I take action right now? Winning at this is 80% behavior and 20% head knowledge. What to do isn’t the problem; doing it is. Most of us know what to do, but we just don’t do it. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22
