Keep the Change - Week 1 How to Take Hold of Your Money

Introduction

Money is one of those topics that’s awkward to talk about. It carries all this baggage from our childhoods, and it’s not exactly a favorite choice for casual conversation. So it’s tempting to tune out money talk, pretend it doesn’t matter, or feel flustered and sweaty when it gets brought up. But money matters. In fact, Jesus talked about money way more than you’d expect during His time on earth.

Now Jesus didn’t talk about money because money itself is that important. Money is a tool or a resource that shows us what we value. We can be intentional about using our money in ways that honor God, or we can choose to ignore God in the way we allocate it.

That’s direct. But Jesus was pretty direct about money, too.

Matthew 19:16-24 NLT

16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” the man asked.

And Jesus replied: “ ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”

21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Luke 12:16-21 NLT

16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!” ’

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Matthew 25:14-30 NLT

14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’

21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’

23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

And in one of his most direct quotes about money, Jesus said:

“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.” Matthew 6:24 NLT

“10 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.” 1 Timothy 6:10 NLT

The love of money is often the number one competitor for our obedience to God.

Let’s be clear: Money itself is neutral. It’s not like money is this sneaky enemy we have to tiptoe around. The wealthy young ruler wasn’t asked to sell everything because having money is wrong. He was asked to sell everything because his stuff had taken over his heart. And the guy who stored up all his resources wasn’t wrong to make plans. But he put his trust in his preparation instead of God’s provision.

It’s okay to have money. But when we start loving money more than we care about loving God and others, we’ve got a problem. The way we spend our money says the most about what we care about, so it’s worth regularly asking questions like:

Is the way I’m spending my money a good representation of my faith?

Do my most recent purchases reflect things I value?

How well am I doing at managing the resources God has given me?

How would you describe your relationship with money?

Those are some tough questions, but we’re not left to figure them out on our own. We can ask God for wisdom in our finances, and we can consult other trusted friends, leaders, or mentors for help.

Over the next three weeks, we’re going to explore how to approach our money in ways that honor God. We’ll discover how to steward our finances well, why the best financial advice is creating an abundance mindset, and ways to worry less about our money.

Dave Ramsey’s 5 Proven Biblical Money Principles

1 - Live on a written budget

Luke 14: 28 NLT  “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?”

Proverbs 21:5 NIV - The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

A father wanted to teach his teenage son about budgeting, so he gave him an allowance of $20 a week. The son, excited, spent it all on video games and snacks by Friday. The next week, he asked for more money. The father smiled and said, 'What happened to your money?' The son answered, 'I didn’t plan!' The father then shared Proverbs 21:20, "The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down." When it comes to budgeting, planning ahead is key!

2 - Avoid debt

Proverbs 22:7 NLT - Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.

According to a recent report in the fourth quarter of 2024, people in the 46 to 55 year age group had average non mortgage debt levels of $34,564.

Our current culture will tell us to buy now and pay later. What would it look like if we returned to the ways of our parents and grandparents and saved now and buy later?

A young man wanted the latest video game console, but he was only making a small allowance. Instead of putting it on a credit card, he devised a plan: he offered to wash cars in the neighborhood. After weeks of scrubbing and polishing, he finally had enough saved up. His excitement was palpable—not just because he bought the console, but because he avoided debt and learned the value of hard work! Much like Proverbs 21:5 teaches us about the plans of the diligent leading to profit, this young man found joy in waiting and working rather than borrowing.

3 - Foster high quality relationships

1 Corinthians 15:32-33 NLT picking up at the last part of verse 32, Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!” 33 Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.

Peer pressure is sometimes very difficult to face, especially when something looks so much better or offers what we think is more.

A biblical reference can be made to the story of Solomon. Despite his great wisdom, his downfall came when he let foreign influences into his life. His many wives turned his heart away from God, as it says in 1 Kings 11:4. This illustrates that even the wisest among us can be led astray by negative influences. We must strive to guard our hearts and minds against those who pull us away from God's path, ensuring we surround ourselves with wise, God-fearing companions who strengthen our faith.

4 - Save and invest

Proverbs 21:20 NIV - 20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), a master entrusts his servants with wealth to manage while he is away. The faithful servants invest the talents and return with a greater yield, while the fearful servant hides his talent and loses it. This story illustrates the importance of investing wisely in our time, relationships, and finances, reminding us that God desires us to use what He has given us for His glory and the betterment of those around us.

I overheard a kid sharing his ice cream with a friend. He said, 'I am saving the best bites for later, so it won’t be gone too soon!' Just like how we should approach saving and investing our resources, sometimes resisting immediate gratification allows us to enjoy the sweetness for a longer time—similar to Proverbs 13:11 about gathering little by little.

5 - Be incredibly generous

2 Corinthians 9:6-10 NLT - 6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” 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.

There’s a story in the book of Mark where Jesus watches wealthy hypocrites boast about their offerings. Then, a poor woman gives “a measly two cents.” I’m sure she must’ve felt embarrassed. Not good enough. Not worthy. But then Jesus does something weird. He says the poor woman gave more than the wealthy combined. Why? Because she gave a sacrificial gift. The wealthy gave something they’d never miss.

When we give cheerfully, we’re planting seeds of kindness and compassion that God uses to generate blessings in the lives of others and ourselves. Giving is not just about the amount; it’s about the heart behind it.

Live on a written budget. Avoid debt. Foster high quality relationships. Save and invest. Be incredibly generous. By following these 5 steps we can learn how to manage and utilize money in ways that honor God.

Closing Prayer

God, thank You for being our Provider. Grow our faith and trust in You. Remind us how well You take care of us. Give us wisdom as we set a budget and discover how to manage our money in ways that honor You and serve others. Show us who to reach out to for help, and thank You for your guidance and direction. Open our hearts and help us become more generous. We trust You. In Jesus’ name, amen.