Lighthouse Baptist Church
and Christian Academy

Riches can disappear fast. So watch your business interests closely. Know the state of your flocks and herds.

Proverbs 27:23-24

Probably not many of you have flocks and herds but you've got stocks, not flocks. You've got houses, not herds. We all have things that we manage financially. The Bible says here's God's advice: know the state of your finances. Understand by keeping good records.

• Who wants to keep good records? It's just work!
• Who wants to do that?

You've got to do it in a way that fits you. Everybody else has an idea of "Here's how you should do it." And it works for them. You've got to do it in a way that fits you.

Get the facts at any price. It is worth it to know what's happening.

Proverbs 23:23

Four things that you need to know when it comes to your finances.

1. You need to know what I own. You ought to know what your assets are. You write them down and have ideas of this is what I own.

2. You need to know what I owe. You need to know your liabilities, your debts.

   Ignorance of your financial situation plus easy credit equals financial disaster inevitably. So have a sense of what is it that I owe.

3. I need to know what I earn. It's amazing how many people don't even know what they earn.

4. You need to know, Where is it going? Not just where it went but where is it going.

In fact that leads to the second part of God's financial plan. First you keep good records so you now what you have and what's there.

The more you have, the more you spend right up to the limits of your income.

Ecclesiastes 5:11

That's a great plan isn't it? That is the plan that most of us use.

As Americans, most of us, statistics show, go beyond that plan. Most of us spend 110-120% of our income.

God has a little IQ test about spending in the Bible.

Stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it.

Proverbs 21:20

How you doing on God's IQ test?

Financial freedom is not determined by how much you make. You know people who make twice as much as you do - ten times as much as you do - who are financially stressed and burdened.

Financial freedom is determined by how you spend it. The truth of the matter is you're yearnings will always exceed your earnings.

As your income goes up the expenses will also rise the same way. Unless you have some kind of a financial plan to determine what's going on you're going to find yourself constantly under financial stress.

Plan carefully and you will have plenty. If you act too quickly you will never have enough.

Proverbs 21:5

You need to get a workable plan and write it down.

If you act too quickly you'll never have enough.

Proverbs 21:5

We have a phrase in our society for that acting too quickly financially. It's impulse buying.

Here's the point.

1. If you and I don't have a spending plan we're going to be overwhelmed by the opportunities to impulse buy in our society. Because everything in our society drives us to impulse buy. Have you noticed that?
2. You know what we have to do. What I've got to do, you've got to do. We've got to admit, I'm susceptible to it. That's why advertisers use it. And if I don't have a spending plan I am going to impulse buy. Even with a spending plan it's hard to resist it. But without a spending plan it's impossible.

You save for the future because saving's a mark of maturity. Saving, the Bible says, is a sign of wisdom.

The wise man saves for the future.

Proverbs 21:20

It takes wisdom to make the decision to save.

Money that comes easily disappears quickly. But money that is gathered little by little will grow.

Proverbs 13:11

So God says, "Stop putting all your hope in one big thing happening that's going to get you out of this because it's not going to work anyway." As soon as you got it, you'd spend it out.

Research shows:

1. AARP showed that we're saving about a third of what we need for retirement as Americans.
2. Another study showed that last year we worried about this twice as much as the year before.
3. Twenty years ago Americans saved a little over 10% of their income. Last year we saved 2.3% of our income. Obviously there's a problem here. Worrying about it isn't going to make any difference. It's when we change the way that we act that things are going to change.

God says

Bring the full amount of your tithes to the temple. Put Me to the test and you'll see that I will open the windows of heaven and pour out on you in abundance all kinds of good things.

Malachi 3:10

That word "tithe" that's used there literally means ten percent. It doesn't mean "give". The literal meaning of it is ten percent. To give ten percent to God. I take the first ten percent of whatever God's given to me and I give it back to Him as a way of saying I honor Him. I put Him first in my life.

Why ten percent? Why did God say ten percent? I have absolutely no idea. No idea!

The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.

Deuteronomy 14:23

Jesus Said:

You should tithe, yes. But you should not leave undone the more important things.

Luke 11:42

People who give the tithe, they're not rule keepers. They're people who have the sense of love and generosity.

"You should tithe but you shouldn't leave undone the more important things." Jesus says, "Yes, I want you to give to God. But I don't want you to see that as all you have to do. I want you to do the important things also.

1. Love other people.
2. Tell other people the good news of how much I love them. Have kindness and be involved in other people's lives.

Question:
What if we're struggling financially? Should we replay all our bills first or should we begin to tithe first. You say tithe first but we're struggling. We're broke. How do we do that?

Could I respectfully say to you if you're going through a struggle financially and you're thinking, "I can't afford to tithe." The truth is you can't afford not to tithe.

There's no better time to begin to tithe than when you're in debt. I know it might seem like it would take you longer to get out of debt but the truth is you need God's blessing on your finances right now.

It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else.

Ecclesiastes 6:9

One of the best ways to do that is to say a silent prayer of thanks to God "God, thank You for what I have. Thank You for what's there.

Our order is this:

1. We earn it, whatever we have.
2. We spend it about as fast as we can.
3. If we happen to have anything left over, we repay it. We repay past debts.
4. If we happen to have anything left over from that we save a little bit.
5. At the very end we might give some of it. That's our plan, our way of doing it.

God's plan is reversed.

1. You earn it.
2. You tithe it. You put God first. You say, "I'm beginning with trust in You."
3. You save it. You pay God first and then you pay yourself.
4. You repay it. You set up a repayment plan to pay off past debts.
5. You enjoy the results of that in your life. That's how it works.

Question:
How do I overcome some of those hurdles of getting started?

"God's Financial Plan for 2005"

"Because I want God's blessing in my life in finances and because I realize that God uses money to test my faith and grow my character for eternity, I commit to following His financial plan this year. With God's help I will keep good records and plan my spending and return ten percent back to God and save for the future and enjoy what I have."

You might want to check one of these boxes:

• "I'd like some help in debt financial counseling..."
• "I'd just like to set down one on one with somebody and talk through finances for a few minutes."
• "I'd like some help with How to Build a Budget."

God gives a fresh start to those who are ready to quit.

Psalms 145:14

Father, So I pray first of all that You would give each of these people hope. Hope to know that nothing's going to happen that would take Your presence from us. Nothing's going to happen that would take away the fact that You'll be with us and give us strength through whatever we face in this life. Give them hope to know that there is a way out.

There is a plan that You have. I pray for practical wisdom and direction about what the next step should be. Who to get involved with. How to get involved. How to begin Your plan.

Lord, I pray for strength beginning that plan. More than anything right now, God, I pray for the comfort of Your presence.

Lord, let us know that You forgive us for our past. Let us know that You have hope for our future. That You have a plan for our lives. As we lean on that plan, God, we pray right now that You put into our hearts a sense that there is a bright future for us in what You want to do. And that, God, you will give us a fresh start as we look to You. We pray that you'd give it to us right now. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.