All We Ever Want is More | Taking Control Week 2

“If I just had a little more money, things would be fine.” Yeah, we’ve thought that too. Trouble is that it is dead wrong—how you control your money matters way more than how much you have of it. It turns out that Jesus had a lot to say about money—how to treat it, how to save it, and even how to spend it.

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    A life with God is anything but boring.
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    You were made for adventure.
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    It could be a heart pounding life of purpose.
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    Join us every weekend for 45 minutes of challenge, hope,
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    and encouragement to guide you on your spiritual adventure.
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    - Does this feel like your life right now?
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    You can't control everything,
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    but you can control more than you think.
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    Taking Control, a new Crossroads weekly streaming series.
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    Learn how to take control of what God gave you.
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    - Come on, get up.
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    Oh, (chuckles)
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    If only I could roll my truck and there not be any damage.
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    Hey, my name is Brian and it's great to be with you today.
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    We're in a new series, a series called Taking Control.
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    This little truck here is not mine,
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    but I'm actually taking control of it.
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    That's sort of a metaphor for our life,
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    where our life actually is God's, God owns everything
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    and He gives us things to take control of.
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    That's what we're looking at today.
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    You know, you might feel like you're completely out of control.
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    A lot of us do.
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    Or you might actually feel like you're in control.
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    If you feel like you're in control,
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    it might be because you're doing something right.
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    You might be actually doing the thing
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    that Chuck's going to talk about today.
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    Let's hear what he has to say.
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    - Hey, I'm Chuck Mingo, thanks for being with me today.
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    I'm in one of the classiest hotels in the city.
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    It's pretty swanky. You know, you got the frosted glass.
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    I mean, there's gold plate all around this place.
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    This is a really, really nice place,
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    but I want to show you a secret.
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    We're going to get underneath all of the veneer that we see here.
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    We get into the bowels of this place a bit,
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    to the heart of the matter.
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    And that's what happens when you come backstage, right?
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    I mean, here you go, you've got trash here.
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    At this point, I'm glad you can't smell what I'm smelling,
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    but you can see what I'm seeing.
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    Trash has to go somewhere.
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    And so we're going to keep going
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    and we're going down to a place that in many ways
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    reflects physically what we're talking about today spiritually.
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    Let's go.
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    So this hotel has parts that everybody sees, right?
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    Those are the parts that are presentable, they look really nice.
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    But then, like everywhere,
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    there's a part that not everybody sees.
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    You know, the same is true in our lives.
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    There's the part of our lives that we live externally.
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    It's the way we show up.
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    It's how we dress, it's what we say,
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    all of those public things, those physical, visible things.
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    That's what a lot of people see of our lives.
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    But we have a heart, right?
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    We have a part of our lives that not everybody sees.
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    And maybe just like here, there's clutter,
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    there are things that you don't want people to see.
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    Maybe it's -- maybe there's some dark places
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    and places that you'd rather not show to everyone else.
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    You know, in this series we're looking at those places
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    because they say a lot about how we manage
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    the things that God has given us.
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    So last week we talked about time and how to maximize our time,
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    the idea that we are managers,
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    that God has given us that resource to manage.
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    And today we're talking about finances.
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    I know. I know. Just just hang with me.
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    Yes, we're going to talk about finances.
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    And when we hear that word, (grunts).
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    Right, something happens.
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    Maybe you feel great about your financial situation,
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    maybe you don't.
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    Maybe you feel shame.
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    Maybe you just don't want somebody talking to you about it.
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    But today we're going to lean into that.
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    So this is the place I wanted to show you.
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    But let me ask you a question:
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    Do your finances look like what we just walk through,
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    maybe a bit cluttered, some things unsettled?
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    You know, the truth about money is
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    if we don't take care of it, it will take care of us.
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    It will manage us if we don't manage it.
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    I wanted to show you this vault though.
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    This is from 1901 and people used this vault in
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    the Union Savings Bank & Trust to store their most valuable things.
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    And they needed to keep it protected,
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    because you know what they say, "Mo money, mo problems."
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    Actually Christopher Wallace said that,
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    a.k.a. Notorious B.I.G.
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    But let me tell you what another person said,
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    "No money, mo problems too."
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    Some anonymous broke person said that, but it's true.
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    So money has the spiritual dynamic to it
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    because it reveals things about our heart.
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    That's why Jesus talked about money a lot in the scriptures,
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    like in the parable of the minas that shows up in Luke 19.
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    Or some translations say, put this to work until I return.
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    See it? Mo minas, mo problems.
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    I mean, I don't know,
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    it doesn't matter what denomination is, the truth is
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    there is a heart issue when it comes to money.
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    And yet this story is about learning that
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    we are managers of the resources God gives us, not owners.
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    Which is so freeing.
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    And it's also about understanding that
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    God wants you to use what he's given you.
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    The story talks about risk,
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    and I want to replace that risk with the word faith.
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    Money is a faith issue.
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    So here's a question for you:
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    How much do you trust God with your money?
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    I'm going to give you a time tested litmus test in a minute
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    and you're going to want to see that,
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    but let me just give you a hint right now.
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    How you use your money determines
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    how much you trust God with your money.
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    And I believe that if you can learn to use money
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    the way that God intends, there's freedom, there's hope.
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    There is a level of taking control
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    that God can give you in your finances.
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    Let's talk about it.
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    So, I want to share with you
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    and talk about a plan for managing your money,
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    because here's the real deal,
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    if you don't have a plan, you're not managing anything.
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    Think about this, this is the place
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    where people kept everything that was valuable.
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    And actually, the staff gave us a hint
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    that some of these still have some valuable things in it.
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    I think this might be one that is still filled.
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    What's in here?
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    Oh, soap.
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    I always wondered where they kept those. Now we know.
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    But there's really only three plans
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    when it comes to managing your finances.
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    And let's be clear, the world is more than happy
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    to suggest a plan to us for our money.
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    When I say the world, I'm talking about all of the systems
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    that aren't operating according to God's heart.
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    And the basis of the world's system, surprise, surprise,
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    is you spend, you need to spend your money.
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    We get marketed to all the time.
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    There are people telling us, buy this, buy that.
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    It's so easy to spend our money.
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    And at some point you grow up a little bit, right?
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    And you say, "Well, I should probably be saving some of my money."
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    So, yeah, the world supports that too.
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    There's all kinds of ways to make saving easy.
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    And if there's something left over, maybe you give a little bit.
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    But let's be clear.
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    What actually happens is the world says spend
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    and we keep spending and spending.
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    If you're like many Americans, we're about $30,000 in debt.
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    So what happens when we get to the point
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    where we run out of what we have,
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    we just say we'll borrow more, we'll just spend more money.
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    I think we all can agree this is a foolish plan.
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    So, what does worldly wisdom look like?
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    Worldly wisdom looks like this.
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    Worldly wisdom says, "Yeah, don't go into debt.
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    Yeah, don't go into debt.
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    You should be saving more of your money.
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    You should be a saver, not just a spender."
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    And, of course, give your fair share.
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    That's that's basically the plan of the world.
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    But let me tell you, God has a plan,
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    and it is so much better
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    than even the worldly wisdom that we see in this plan.
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    God's plan brings freedom.
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    And God's plan
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    is the exact opposite of what the world would tell us.
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    We're going to talk about why God says
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    start with giving, start with generosity.
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    And I know that might sound like a total ploy.
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    I'm a pastor. This is a church.
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    You're just trying to get me to give more money.
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    I just want you to know that is not where I'm going.
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    That is not where I'm going.
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    Because then God says, "Be a good steward,
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    manage well the things that I've given to you.
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    I do want you to save."
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    And let me be clear, God is not against you spending.
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    In fact, He encourages us
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    to richly enjoy the things that He provided.
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    But here's what I want you to know about this plan.
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    Here's the deal.
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    This plan will bless you.
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    And the reason it will bless is because
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    God blesses things that are done in His order.
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    Chris Goulart said, "How can we expect a god of order
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    to bless our finances when they are in disorder?"
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    I want you to know this plan is about your blessin,
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    it's about my blessing, it's about my joy.
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    So God's plan: give, save, spend.
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    You can only do three things with your money,
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    these are the three,
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    but God has an order to the way that we should do them.
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    First you give. You give.
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    Now, let me just be honest and tell you
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    the reason that giving is first
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    has everything to do with your heart and my heart.
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    That's why God wants us to do that.
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    Because if we can give first, it's so freeing.
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    Our heart is in a different place.
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    You know, money can be this thing
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    that kind of like pulls our heart with it.
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    If we have more, we feel good.
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    If we don't have enough, we feel bad.
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    And what giving does is it cuts that,
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    it cuts that cord and it gives us freedom
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    to have a holy indifference when it comes to our money.
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    So that's why we see in places like Proverbs,
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    this book of wisdom, wise counsel around giving first
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    when it says this:
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    And I just want to pause there and just say,
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    this is the first fruits thing.
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    See, that's why giving is first.
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    What will happen is they would have a crop.
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    You can imagine if you were making your living on farming,
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    you depend on what comes out of the ground.
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    And it would make sense that you'd want to make sure
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    that the first and the best coming out of the ground,
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    you're setting that aside, right, so you can feed your family.
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    God says, "No, I'm your provider,
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    so I want you to give that first and best to Me."
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    And here's the promise He makes,
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    "Then your barns will be filled with plenty."
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    You will not go without when you trust God in that way.
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    "And your vat will be bursting with wine."
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    So the spiritual principle of giving gets
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    kind of captured in the idea of tithing,
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    giving 10% of your income to the work of God,
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    and specifically to a local church.
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    Where do I get that from?
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    And again, let me just give you the context here.
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    There were twelve tribes in Israel.
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    Eleven of those tribes had land and they could farm,
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    they could get first fruits from.
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    The twelfth tribe was the tribe of Levi.
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    And that tribe didn't have any land.
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    They lived off of what everyone else made,
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    they got 10% of that.
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    So when God is calling Israel to tithe, that's the context.
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    He says, "Put me to the test in this," says the Lord of Hosts,
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    "And see if I will not open up the windows of heaven."
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    Let's come back here again.
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    God is saying, "If you trust Me with your giving,
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    I will open up the windows of heaven
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    and I will pour out blessing
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    beyond what you have room to receive."
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    God is a generous God and so He calls us to give first.
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    Now, let me tell you,
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    if you don't have a local church, find one.
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    I do believe God blesses when we give
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    10% of what we have to the local church.
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    And also, let me say this, this is a crazy,
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    unprecedented time that we're living in with COVID-19.
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    And I know that there may be people watching right now
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    who've lost jobs or who have insecurity in your job.
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    And I just want to be very clear,
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    God's not expecting you to tithe on what you don't have.
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    If you have no income right now, you don't have to tithe.
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    This is not something that God is putting
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    on people who don't have income.
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    But it's a heart issue, giving is always a heart issue.
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    I think about a friend of mine who his journey to faith
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    was one where he wrestled a lot with the science.
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    He wrestled a lot with evolution versus creation.
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    His father was a scientist
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    and those were big barriers for him.
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    But if you were to ask him, he would say,
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    "As big as those barriers were, the bigger barrier was
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    would I trust this guy Jesus with my life
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    and would I trust this guy Jesus with my money?"
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    In fact, he would say, "The moment I knew I was saved,
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    the moment I knew I was following Jesus
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    was the first time I wrote a check to a church."
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    Because it's a heart issue.
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    It's a heart issue for all of us.
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    So, Matthew, 6:19-21 says it this way:
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    I mean, look around us. Rust, rust, rust, rust.
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    All of these held people's most treasured possessions,
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    but what is it left with?
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    Empty and rust.
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    And Jesus saying the same thing is true
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    when you put your hope in money:
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    Thieves will break in and steal, moth and rust will destroy it.
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    But He says, if you can invest,
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    if you can envision pushing forward investment
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    and return in heaven.
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    When you give, when you give to God's work,
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    you're pushing forward investments
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    that you'll get a return on in heaven.
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    You're pushing forward investments in lives
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    that are going to be rewarded
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    in the eternal scheme and economy of God.
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    And Jesus says, "Where your treasure is,
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    that's where your heart will be also."
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    So Hebrews 13:3-5 says:
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    Don't let money be a tether that pulls your heart
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    up and down based on what you have or don't have.
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    Be content with what you have, for He has said,
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    "I will never leave you and never forsake you."
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    So if we're going to manage money God's way, be generous.
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    Also if we're going to manage money God's way, be a saver.
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    Yes, budget, avoid debt,
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    learn to live on less than what you make.
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    These are all super important things.
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    God wants you to manage it well.
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    That's one of the crazy parts of the world's plan
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    is the world will say, "Hey, you know what?
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    We think you should spend and we think when you get to a point
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    where you run out of the money that you have,
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    we think you should borrow and go into debt."
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    And all of a sudden you're creating
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    all these other liabilities that make it so hard to be free.
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    Proverbs 6:6-8 talks about the freedom that comes
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    when we have a forward thinking plan to save.
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    It's a good management strategy to save.
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    Proverbs 6:6-8 says:
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    It has no commander, no overseer, no ruler,
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    yet it stores its provision in summer
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    and gathers its food at harvest.
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    God has written this order into all of creation,
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    that even an ant has enough forward and foresight
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    to save something for a rainy day.
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    And man, can I just tell you a sad statistic?
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    Nearly 50T of Americans could not write a $500 check
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    if they had a financial challenge.
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    And that was me for years.
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    I'm not acting like I've got this whole thing figured out.
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    That was me for years, but as God has taught me
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    to order money His way and to actually spend less than I make,
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    even after giving, spend less of what's left than I have,
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    God has given me and my family more margin.
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    And I'm telling you, it makes a big difference.
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    It makes a big difference.
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    I love what Dave Ramsey says, he calls it Murphy repellent.
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    We all know stuff's going to go wrong.
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    Cars are going to break down.
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    We know that's going to happen.
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    Things are going to blow in your house.
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    But, man, when you have margin, you can have peace.
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    And God wants you to order and manage your money
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    in such a way that you have margin.
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    I don't know what margin looks like based on your income.
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    I'm not saying every person in here
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    has to have six figures in a bank account somewhere.
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    That's not realistic for all of us.
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    But God wants you to have margin based on what you make.
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    Be a saver and so experience the peace of God
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    that comes from wisdom of planning ahead.
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    So if we're going to manage our money well,
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    we need to be generous
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    and I do believe God blesses our generosity.
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    And God wants us to be wise. He wants us to be a saver.
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    But then God also encourages us to spend.
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    There is a reason why even in God's economy
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    spending is the largest jar.
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    I just want you to know
  • 00:17:50
    this is not a message about not spending money.
  • 00:17:53
    I believe God wants you to spend money.
  • 00:17:55
    And the reason I say it is because
  • 00:17:57
    God wants you to enjoy your life.
  • 00:18:01
    I love 1 Timothy 6:17, it says:
  • 00:18:02
    as for the rich in this present age --
  • 00:18:04
    And let me just pause again and help us understand
  • 00:18:07
    that if you are watching this right now
  • 00:18:08
    and you didn't have to walk miles to get water.
  • 00:18:12
    If you're watching this right now
  • 00:18:13
    and you live on more than $2 a day, globally speaking,
  • 00:18:17
    in this present age, you and I are rich.
  • 00:18:20
    So these words are not for some rich guy
  • 00:18:22
    that's the CEO of a company only who's watching right now.
  • 00:18:25
    They're for you and they're for me.
  • 00:18:27
    And it says:
  • 00:18:40
    My money doesn't provide the things that I enjoy,
  • 00:18:43
    God provides them.
  • 00:18:44
    My job doesn't provide the things I enjoy,
  • 00:18:46
    God provided my job and through my job
  • 00:18:49
    enables me to provide for my family.
  • 00:18:51
    God is the giver of every good gift.
  • 00:18:53
    And so what does he say, enjoy it, but not only that,
  • 00:18:57
    do good and be rich in good works.
  • 00:18:59
    Enjoy it and be generous and ready to share.
  • 00:19:03
    And again, this is this idea of storing up treasure
  • 00:19:06
    as a good foundation for the future
  • 00:19:08
    so they can take hold of that which is truly life.
  • 00:19:10
    Let me tell you something.
  • 00:19:11
    You will never find life in a bank account,
  • 00:19:13
    no matter how much is in that bank account.
  • 00:19:16
    You will never find life based on what you spend.
  • 00:19:19
    You'll never find that.
  • 00:19:20
    The source of life is the source of all those gifts.
  • 00:19:24
    It is God, it is our God, and He is the giver of all good things.
  • 00:19:30
    So I want to talk to you about how to practically
  • 00:19:32
    put this plan, God's plan, into practice so you can be blessed.
  • 00:19:45
    So how do we practically live this out?
  • 00:19:47
    Well, first of all, let me be honest,
  • 00:19:48
    I don't know if you're ever finished
  • 00:19:50
    when it comes to learning how to manage money God's way.
  • 00:19:52
    I'm definitely on a journey,
  • 00:19:54
    but I found there are three essential tools that help me
  • 00:19:56
    and the first is it's about my relationship with Jesus.
  • 00:19:59
    I just have to keep in mind that at the end of the day,
  • 00:20:01
    the goal isn't managing money well, the goal is Jesus.
  • 00:20:04
    The goal is relationship with Him, trusting Him,
  • 00:20:06
    and experiencing His care for not just my money,
  • 00:20:10
    but every area of my life.
  • 00:20:12
    But secondly, you need a budget. You need a plan.
  • 00:20:16
    I do better in any goal when I have something
  • 00:20:18
    that I've written down and that I'm trying to hit.
  • 00:20:20
    And that's exactly what my budget is for me.
  • 00:20:22
    In fact, my budget becomes a prayer exercise
  • 00:20:24
    every time I revisit it to say, "God, how do you feel
  • 00:20:27
    about the way that my family is being generous right now?
  • 00:20:29
    Are you calling us the things
  • 00:20:31
    that are beyond where we are right now?"
  • 00:20:32
    And listening for His voice on that.
  • 00:20:34
    "How do you feel about the saving that we're doing?
  • 00:20:36
    Are there things you want us making more margin for in our lives?
  • 00:20:39
    And then ultimately, how do you feel
  • 00:20:41
    about how we're spending our money?"
  • 00:20:42
    And sometimes God has said to me,
  • 00:20:44
    "You're being too much of a tightwad.
  • 00:20:46
    You need to spend more money.
  • 00:20:48
    You need to invest in your family and have fun."
  • 00:20:51
    But the third thing is I need accountable community.
  • 00:20:53
    I need people in my life who know me,
  • 00:20:55
    who know my flaws, who know my tendencies,
  • 00:20:57
    who know my heart and help me walk through
  • 00:20:59
    and make wise decisions.
  • 00:21:01
    Has this worked for me?
  • 00:21:03
    It absolutely has worked for me, because
  • 00:21:05
    when you order your money God's way,
  • 00:21:07
    you're stepping into a stream of blessing.
  • 00:21:10
    2 Corinthians 9:8 puts it this way:
  • 00:21:21
    I love that scripture because the word "all" is throughout, right?
  • 00:21:25
    God's going to give you all that you need.
  • 00:21:27
    He is going to meet you in all the ways you need Him to
  • 00:21:30
    when we order our lives and our finances His way.
  • 00:21:34
    But for me, it's not just about obedience.
  • 00:21:37
    It really has become a response of worship,
  • 00:21:40
    a response in gratitude because God is so generous to all of us.
  • 00:21:45
    You know, there's a verse that you've probably heard
  • 00:21:47
    many times before, but I want you to listen to it
  • 00:21:49
    through the lenses of giving and generosity
  • 00:21:52
    and how God cares for us.
  • 00:21:54
    John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world that He gave --
  • 00:21:58
    He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him
  • 00:22:01
    should not perish, but have eternal life.
  • 00:22:03
    Why did God do it?
  • 00:22:04
    God did not send His Son into the world
  • 00:22:06
    to condemn the world, but in order that
  • 00:22:08
    the world might be saved through Him.
  • 00:22:11
    Think about that.
  • 00:22:12
    God gave, He spent what was most precious to Him,
  • 00:22:18
    at cost to Himself to save me, to save us.
  • 00:22:23
    And I want you to know that's the place from which
  • 00:22:25
    I want to use money God's way,
  • 00:22:26
    it's from a place of gratitude that this God is so generous
  • 00:22:31
    that I could never out give Him
  • 00:22:32
    and that He was willing to spend everything He had to save me.
  • 00:22:36
    So, if you want a breakthrough in your life financially,
  • 00:22:39
    I want to challenge you to a 90 day challenge.
  • 00:22:42
    For the next 90 days, for the next three months,
  • 00:22:45
    make a plan according to God's plan.
  • 00:22:48
    Make a plan on how you want to give
  • 00:22:51
    and be intentional around that.
  • 00:22:53
    Make a plan on what you want to save.
  • 00:22:55
    What do you want margin for?
  • 00:22:57
    And then make a plan about how you're going to spend
  • 00:23:00
    the rest of your money.
  • 00:23:01
    I want to encourage you not to spend to zero,
  • 00:23:03
    but to spend under what you make
  • 00:23:05
    and just see what it does to your spirit.
  • 00:23:07
    I believe if you follow God's way
  • 00:23:10
    and manage your money in this way,
  • 00:23:13
    you'll start to take control not only of your finances,
  • 00:23:16
    but you'll see God empowering you to take control
  • 00:23:18
    of other areas of your life
  • 00:23:19
    so you can have more of His peace
  • 00:23:20
    and more of His power flowing in and through you.
  • 00:23:23
    God, I do pray for every person who is listening right now
  • 00:23:28
    that you would just help them to know:
  • 00:23:30
    What's the thing you're calling them to do?
  • 00:23:32
    How should they respond?
  • 00:23:34
    Where are you inviting them to trust you more?
  • 00:23:37
    Where are you inviting them to course correct?
  • 00:23:39
    Where are you inviting them to double down
  • 00:23:41
    because they are walking in obedience
  • 00:23:43
    and there is blessing for them in that?
  • 00:23:45
    God, would you make that clear?
  • 00:23:47
    And thank you for being an incredibly, lavishly generous God
  • 00:23:52
    who richly provides everything for us to enjoy. Amen.
  • 00:23:58
    - Maybe what Chuck has just talked about has hit you,
  • 00:24:01
    like hit you really well, as in God might be nudging you.
  • 00:24:05
    Maybe it's time that you try tithing.
  • 00:24:06
    We want to make it as easy as possible.
  • 00:24:09
    You can go to Crossroads.net/tithetest.
  • 00:24:12
    and by easy what I mean is if you take up this challenge
  • 00:24:18
    and you do it for 90 days
  • 00:24:20
    and you don't feel God more present in your life
  • 00:24:23
    or some blessing from God, you can tell us about it
  • 00:24:26
    and we will refund all of the money
  • 00:24:27
    you've given in the tithe test.
  • 00:24:29
    You can go to Crossroads.net/tithetest.
  • 00:24:35
    - Here's the story of someone who took us up on the 90 day tithe test.
  • 00:24:41
    - My name is Rob Suter
  • 00:24:42
    and I work full time for Blue Ash Fire Department.
  • 00:24:45
    I work there is a firefighter and a paramedic.
  • 00:24:48
    My view on tithing before the 90 day tithing test was
  • 00:24:52
    we would give regularly when we attended service,
  • 00:24:56
    but we weren't tithing.
  • 00:24:57
    I thought of giving a regular tithe because
  • 00:25:01
    as my relationship grew with God over the last few years
  • 00:25:04
    and as I watch our children's relationship grow with God,
  • 00:25:08
    I wanted to take the next step.
  • 00:25:11
    The moment I was presented with the tithe test
  • 00:25:13
    we were in service at the West Side.
  • 00:25:16
    And I remember as Brian talked about it in the message,
  • 00:25:21
    God saying, "You should take this step,
  • 00:25:23
    you should think about this."
  • 00:25:25
    And I remember being afraid, but then
  • 00:25:29
    wanting to step outside of my comfort zone
  • 00:25:31
    so that I could grow my relationship with God
  • 00:25:34
    and know that even though I had my doubts
  • 00:25:38
    that God was going to be there with me because
  • 00:25:40
    He's been with me so many times in the past.
  • 00:25:42
    The first time we gave a whole tithe online,
  • 00:25:45
    it was a little scary. (chuckles)
  • 00:25:47
    It was money that, you know, prior to tithing,
  • 00:25:50
    I felt like we needed.
  • 00:25:52
    I was a little afraid of how things were going to work out
  • 00:25:54
    not having that money on hand.
  • 00:25:57
    We certainly weren't doing it with the expectation
  • 00:25:59
    to receive something in return because we were tithing.
  • 00:26:03
    But at that point, I also hadn't felt any different.
  • 00:26:06
    I didn't feel any different.
  • 00:26:07
    I didn't feel like my relationship with God was any different.
  • 00:26:10
    Right after I reached out around the --
  • 00:26:13
    somewhere between 60 and 90 day mark,
  • 00:26:16
    just kind of unsure of -- if I was, you know,
  • 00:26:20
    I wasn't sure if I was doing it right or not.
  • 00:26:22
    My mom fell and injured herself.
  • 00:26:24
    She had a series of medical problems over the last few years
  • 00:26:28
    and she ended up going into hospice in February
  • 00:26:30
    where she passed away the second week of February.
  • 00:26:33
    When we bought our house about eight years ago,
  • 00:26:35
    we still were living in a condo that we owned.
  • 00:26:38
    With everything with covid going on
  • 00:26:39
    through selling our condo,
  • 00:26:40
    the people we were renting the condo to
  • 00:26:42
    we're moving out in like a week.
  • 00:26:44
    Within a day of finding all this out
  • 00:26:46
    we were contacted by somebody on the condo board
  • 00:26:50
    who had somebody interested.
  • 00:26:52
    They made a small offer for list price for the condo.
  • 00:26:55
    So it was just a blessing in so many ways that it sold
  • 00:26:58
    before it even went on the market,
  • 00:27:00
    that it sold before we had to worry about that second mortgage.
  • 00:27:03
    Looking back over the year with tithing, I've realized
  • 00:27:06
    that even though I was unsure of my how
  • 00:27:09
    my relationship with God was changing because of tithing,
  • 00:27:13
    just how much it had changed.
  • 00:27:15
    Knowing that with all the challenges that I've had
  • 00:27:17
    with my mom's passing, with being blessed with selling our condo
  • 00:27:21
    and having that burden lifted from us
  • 00:27:23
    and just seeing again and again humbled how God is there for us.
  • 00:27:28
    I've also seen since the 90 day tithe test,
  • 00:27:32
    just with everything shut down through COVID,
  • 00:27:35
    people from our side at the West Side reaching out to us
  • 00:27:39
    and calling us and just checking in just to say hi
  • 00:27:42
    or make sure that everything's OK.
  • 00:27:43
    And knowing that there's that sense of community out there
  • 00:27:45
    has just been a blessing and very humbling.
  • 00:27:49
    With all these challenges, even though they were difficult,
  • 00:27:53
    it was also lighter in a way, because
  • 00:27:55
    I truly felt that God was there with me.
  • 00:27:58
    I feel continually humbled by how much He's shown up in my life
  • 00:28:02
    and for trusting Him.
  • 00:28:04
    I would say to somebody about tithing
  • 00:28:06
    to grow your relationship with God
  • 00:28:09
    you have to step outside of your comfort zone
  • 00:28:11
    and just trust that God is with you
  • 00:28:14
    and that He's beside you all the time,
  • 00:28:16
    even if you have your doubts.
  • 00:28:18
    And that it's OK to have your doubts,
  • 00:28:19
    because that's part of what having faith is.
  • 00:28:22
    It's very rewarding, very humbling and we've just been
  • 00:28:25
    continually blessed by how God shows up in our lives.
  • 00:28:32
    - Maybe you've been a tither for a while
  • 00:28:34
    and you're part of Crossroads.
  • 00:28:35
    We'd love to connect with you and you're eligible.
  • 00:28:37
    You're actually a part of a thing,
  • 00:28:38
    something called the Blue Team.
  • 00:28:41
    Blue Team are those who tithe at Crossroads.
  • 00:28:43
    And if you're not in that, we'd love to get you connected.
  • 00:28:45
    You can go to Crossroads.net/blueteam.
  • 00:28:48
    There's something that happens in life
  • 00:28:51
    when we give everything over to God
  • 00:28:53
    because it's always been His anyway.
  • 00:28:55
    And everything in our lungs is all God's because
  • 00:28:58
    He's given us our lungs.
  • 00:28:59
    And when we sing, we give Him something that He deserves,
  • 00:29:03
    that is our worship. Let's worship together right now.
  • 00:38:31
    - I hope you got a lot out of this week.
  • 00:38:33
    We want to build into you every single week.
  • 00:38:35
    We don't want to miss a single episode.
  • 00:38:37
    So to remind you, if you want to just text NEXT to 313131,
  • 00:38:43
    we'll give you a reminder to make sure that you don't miss anything.
  • 00:38:46
    You're not going to miss what's coming up,
  • 00:38:47
    it's what we call The Journey.
  • 00:38:49
    You go, "The Journey. What's The Journey?"
  • 00:38:52
    It's not a cross-country motorcycle trip,
  • 00:38:54
    though I wish it was, I'd be on it like immediately.
  • 00:38:57
    The Journey is an annual thing we do, we have
  • 00:38:59
    a multi prong approach to get us to a new place spiritually,
  • 00:39:03
    there's all different kinds of exercises.
  • 00:39:05
    It's a big, big deal.
  • 00:39:06
    We put a lot of creative resources into it.
  • 00:39:08
    I hope you're a part of it. Here's what's coming up.
  • 00:39:12
    - Every year Crossroads does this thing called a Journey,
  • 00:39:15
    it's a five week adventure.
  • 00:39:17
    Everyone in the community, from kids to adults,
  • 00:39:20
    zero in and go deep on one topic.
  • 00:39:22
    This year it's the Good God Journey.
  • 00:39:25
    Let's face it, 2020 has been a struggle.
  • 00:39:27
    Even the most faithful may be asking, "Is God good?"
  • 00:39:31
    It turns out that exploring that question
  • 00:39:33
    can unlock new levels of peace, belonging,
  • 00:39:36
    and potential for your life.
  • 00:39:38
    Interested? Great. Here's how you can get started.
  • 00:39:42
    Step 1: Head on over to Crossroads.net/journey
  • 00:39:45
    and initiate a group or join one.
  • 00:39:47
    If you have a group, great, you're all set.
  • 00:39:50
    If not, we'll get you connected to one.
  • 00:39:52
    Depending on who you are meeting with a group
  • 00:39:54
    might sound exciting or terrifying, but trust us,
  • 00:39:58
    this is where real growth happens.
  • 00:40:00
    We'll even provide a group guide
  • 00:40:02
    to help steer the conversation,
  • 00:40:04
    either in person or over a video call.
  • 00:40:06
    Step 2: Download the Crossroads Anywhere app.
  • 00:40:09
    It's packed with a ton of features that can help you
  • 00:40:12
    grow spiritually, including a Good God Journey Guide.
  • 00:40:15
    Each week during The Journey, simply open the guide
  • 00:40:18
    and discover something new about yourself and God.
  • 00:40:22
    Step 3: Watch the weekend message online or live at a site.
  • 00:40:26
    Part teaching, part challenge, part soul filling music,
  • 00:40:29
    plus a couple of surprises you won't want to miss.
  • 00:40:32
    It's that simple: Get in a group,
  • 00:40:34
    do individual work in the app and watch weekly.
  • 00:40:37
    Challenge yourself for five weeks;
  • 00:40:39
    it might just be the best thing you do all year.
  • 00:40:42
    Go to Crossroads.net/journey to get started.

Process, journal or discuss the themes of this article - here's a few questions to get the ball rolling...

Welcome to the Weekend Follow Up.

  1. No judgment here — what’s your go-to splurge item or activity?

  2. Read 2 Corinthians 9:8. God wants freedom for us when it comes to our finances. Maybe you’ve never thought of that before. Brainstorm what it could practically look like for financial freedom and sufficiency to impact “every good work” God has for you.

  3. The world tells us to spend, save, and then give what’s left. God’s invitation is to first give, then save, then spend. That can be a challenging adjustment. What barriers can you identify that prevent you from leaning into God’s process?

  4. You can take control of finances. 1) Pursue a relationship with Jesus 2) Make a budget 3) Find friends who will keep you accountable. Which of these (or something else you’re getting a nudge towards) can you take a step into this week?

  5. Let’s close in prayer. “God, thank you for trusting us to manage our finances. Help us take steps into being managers with integrity. Show us where we can trust you more. Thank you for being a gracious God that provides everything for us to enjoy. Amen.

More from the Weekend

We are a church that tithes. Click here to learn more about the 90-day tithe test.

Already a tither at crossroads? Great! Well done! You are on the Blue Team. Click here to learn more.

If you would like to take a deeper look at the topic of money & God check out these articles here.

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Sep 19, 2020 41 mins 12 sec

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