Counting The Costs

Intro- state youth changed me

Did you know that there are roughly 2,350 verses concerning money in the Bible? That's almost twice as many as verses about faith and prayer combined. Jesus had a lot to say about money:

Nearly 15% of everything Jesus spoke about related to money and possessions

16 out of his 38 parables dealt with the topic of money

The only subject Jesus taught more about than money was the Kingdom of God

Why? Because the Scriptures are very clear about an inherent connection between a person's spiritual life, attitudes, and actions concerning money and possessions.

You can’t afford to get your relationship with money wrong.

Jesus said where you treasure is there your heart will be also.

Perspective

Planning

Praise

Perspective

Most us have a wrong perspective about money before we follow Jesus.

Psalm

The New International Version (Psalm 24)

1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it;

Everything we have and “earn” is all God’s.

“Chasing the provision rather than the provider is a mistake.”

-Bob Lotich

We aren’t owners, we are stewards.

Matthew

The New International Version (Chapter 25)

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Our choices are of consequences

Planning

Planning isn’t a lack of faith, it is a mark of wisdom.

Budgeting, planning, saving, and giving are all faithful acts of obedience that help bring order to your life.

Luke

The New International Version (Chapter 14)

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

There is wisdom in counting the costs.

Proverbs

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 21)

5 The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit,

but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.

Freedom in your finances will only come from trusting and leaning into God’s ways.

Praise

Praising the provider is best done by giving back to what He cares most about.

Radical in Generousity

We believe that being generous is core to who God is and what it means to follow Jesus. Generosity is simply living openhandedly with our time, talents, and treasure. In a world that tend to look out only for their own interests and seeks to accumulate, we want to be a community that sees all we have as God’s already and that we want to be willing give of any of it to see God’s Kingdom come and will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Deut

New Living Translation (Chapter 16)

17 All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the LORD your God.

Hebrews

The New Revised Standard Version (Service Well-Pleasing to God)

16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

God doesn’t need anything from you but He wants so much for you that can only happen when you truly surrender all.

If you haven’t surrender your finances to Him, you haven’t surrendered all to Him.

A lot of people want a relationship with Jesus with a prenup

No one has an excuse

Mark

The New International Version (Chapter 12)

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

You will never regret being faithful and generous, it is part of our worship.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Chase the provider, not the provision.