Sermon Tone Analysis

*HOW TO OBTAIN FINANCIAL FREEDOM*

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*            There are 3 people who are very interested in your finances.

1st of all, you are interested in your finances.

If I know anything about you, it is that you would like to meet your financial obligations, and have some money left over.

2nd not only are you interested in your finances, Satan is also interested in your finances.

Satan wants to keep you in financial bondage so he can control your life.

The Bible even says in *

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*Malachi 3:10-11*

*10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

(KJV)*

*  *

*            **3rd** God is interested in your finances.

God is not interested in your finances because He needs it.

Listen to what God says in *

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*Psalm 50:12** *

*12  If** I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

(NIV)*

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*            **If God became hungry, would he ask you for a couple of dollars so he could buy a Big Mac?

God is interested in your stewardship, not because He wants to get something from you, but because He wants to bless you.

You see God wants to deliver you from financial bondage.

No one wants*

*to** be in financial bondage.

And many people who are in financial bondage are not even aware of it.

Let me give you a test to see if you are in financial bondage.

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*10 marks of being in financial bondage *

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*1.

Do you find yourself charging daily expenditures because you do not have the money?

I'm talking about the daily things that you need, such as food or gas.

Then you are financial in bondage.*

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*2.

Do you put off paying the bills that are due till next month?

Then you are in financial bondage.

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*3.

Do you borrow money to pay off fixed expenses such as taxes, insurance, or the house payment?*

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*4.

You are not aware how much money you owe.*

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*5.

Do you find creditors hounding you about overdue bills?*

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*6.

Do you make new loans to pay off old loans, where you take all your little loans and make one great big back breaking loan.*

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*7.

Do you and your spouse constantly argue about money?

I have been tempted to add to the wedding vows, I will love you in debt or not in debt.

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*8.

Do you desire to get rich quick?

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*1** Timothy 6:10** *

*10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

(NIV)*

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*            **Sometimes someone will tell a young man, "Make all the money you can, just so long as you *

*make** it honestly."

That can be bad advice?

You see, a man who is trying to make all the money he can is going to be making money when he should be praying, soul winning, or spending time with his family.

No wonder the Bible says in*

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*Proverbs 23:4** *

*4  Do** not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.

(NIV)*

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*            **Furthermore, if you desire to get rich quick, you will consume all effort in building earthly treasures, rather than treasures in heaven.

Think of all the possessions you have.

Twenty years from now, somebody else will own them.

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*9.

Do you think about being dishonest in your finances?

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*10.

Do you find it difficult to return God's tithe to God's house?

Now if you find that you are in any of these 10 categories, you're in financial bondage.

And you need to be set free and obtain financial freedom.

But let me also add, did you know you can be very rich and be in financial bondage?

Let me tell you how.*

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*FINANCIAL BONDAGE FOR THE WEALTHY*

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*1st --  When you try to find your satisfaction in money but you are never satisfied, you're in financial bondage.

The Bible says, *

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*Ecclesiastes 5:10** *

*10  Whoever** loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.

This too is meaningless.

(NIV)*

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*2st** -- When your money increases, do your worries increase?

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*            Tonight many wealthy people will have a *

*hard** time trying to sleep.

You see a rich man may spend the first half of his life trying to get everything he can from everybody else.

But he will also spend the last half of his life trying to keep everybody else from getting it back.

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*            You can be in financial bondage as a poor person and you can be in financial bondage as a wealthy person.

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*            **Do you want to know just how wealthy you are?  Just add up everything you have that money can not buy, and death can not take away, and then you will know just how wealthy you are.

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*            Most people think that to be financially free they just need to know what to avoid, then they will be financially free.

That is not true.

You need to lay down a firm foundation first.

You see, even a carpenter can know all about the mistakes in building a home, but unless he avoids those mistakes while laying the foundation, his efforts will prove to be disastrous.

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*3 CORNERSTONES YOU NEED TO BE  FINANCIALLY FREE *

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*FIRST -- SETTLE THE _______________** QUESTION.

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*A.

BELIEVE THAT GOD ________                      EVERYTHING.

I am not saying you should pretend that God owns everything you possess.

The Bible says that literally everything belongs to God.

You may possess certain things, but you do not own them.

When you believe you're the owner of your possessions, you place yourself in immediate conflict with God, for he claims those rights.

The Bible says, *

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*Psalm 24:1*

*1 The earth is the Lord's, and everything in *

*it, the world, and all who live in it; (NIV)*

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*            **God is very specific about it.

He says:*

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*Haggai 2:8*

*8 `The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty.

(NIV)*

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*Psalm 50:10-11** *

*10  for** every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

11  I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.

(NIV)*

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*            **Recognize that God is owner of all that we possess.

You can do this by:*

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*B.  _**_______________ OWNERSHIP TO GOD.              *