Bible, Purpose, Giving, Generosity, Choices, Regret

How To Keep Money From Owning You

Do you own your money or does your money own you? Isn’t that such a question to answer because we know we need money for things like food, clothes, and education, but also much of how we view success, our self-worth, and where we find our security is wrapped up in our money too! And sometimes our pursuit for more causes us to make unhealthy choices and distracts us from living the life God intended. In this video, Lead Pastor Sean Sears shares how you can identify if you have an unhealthy view of money and what steps you can take to own your money before it owns you.

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MESSAGE NOTES

The Bible talks a lot about wealth and it’s rarely bad. 

 

[2 Corinthians 9:10]
“For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.”

 

God intends to give you money to leverage your wealth to produce a harvest of GENEROSITY.

 

[1 Timothy 6:9-10]

“But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”

 

Principle: There’s nothing wrong with having wealth as long as your wealth doesn’t have you

 

[Matthew 6:24]

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

 

Three questions for reflection:

 

DO I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY RIGHT NOW?

 

  • If you make $30k a year, you are in the top 1% of wage earners in the world
  • If you make $80k a year, you are in the top .01% of wage earners in the world
  • Financially, the majority of the world would LOVE to switch financial positions with you!

 

[Ecclesiastes 5:10]

“Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!”

 

[Proverbs 18:11]

“The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.”

  • Question: what if your money wasn’t protecting you from risk, but was simply insulating you from God’s prompting?

Maybe the best indicator to see whether I’ve allowed money to wall me off from God is if…

 

DO I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO GIVE TO GOD?

Most people would say that if they had more money, they would be more faithful in giving to God

 

 

[Mark 12:41-44]

“Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

 

 

[1 Timothy 6:17-18]

“Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.”

 

God bless me to the degree I am willing to be obedient and generous and nothing more.

 

The last question to ask is…

 

IS THERE MONEY IN MY BANK BUT NO PEACE IN MY HEART?

 

 

[Proverbs 15:16]

“Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.”

 

[Proverbs 23:4]

“Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit.”

 

[Proverbs 22:1]

“Choose a good reputation over great riches; being in high esteem is better than silver or gold.”

 

[Proverbs 21:26]

“Some people are always greedy for more but the godly love to give.”

 

 

[Proverbs 30:7-9]

“O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.”

 

Don’t live to earn. Earn to give.

Don’t let what you make, determine who you were made to be.

 

[Matthew 6:33]

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

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Application Questions

  1. What stood out to you from this message and why?
  2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?
  3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?
  4. How will this message change how you act at home, at work, and in your relationships?

Do you own your money or does your money own you? Isn’t that such a question to answer because we know we need money for things like food, clothes, and education, but also much of how we view success, our self-worth, and where we find our security is wrapped up in our money too! And sometimes our pursuit for more causes us to make unhealthy choices and distracts us from living the life God intended. In this video, Lead Pastor Sean Sears shares how you can identify if you have an unhealthy view of money and what steps you can take to own your money before it owns you.

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