Biblical Finances

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Notes from Biblical Counseling Coalition

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Notes from Biblical Counseling Coalition

Money

Matthew 6:19–34 ESV
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matt 6:
Matthew 6:24 ESV
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Matthew 6:24 ESV
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
INTRO = My Goal!
False Gods
America = Rich!!
unemployment
credit card debt
foreclosure
the Joneses
How Does the Bible View Wealth?
the Bible talks about money a lot!
testing character
financial problems = spiritual problems
Matthew 6:19–34 ESV
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

The Theology of Money

Psalm 50:10 ESV
10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.
= [It’s All His / It’s All His]
Psalm 50:10 ESV
For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.
P
Deuteronomy 8:18 ESV
You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Proverbs 10:22 ESV
The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
Pro
Are the wise always wealthy?
correlation between wisdom & wealth
promises vs principals
the danger of “name it, claim it” theology
the covenantal difference
the world we are in
Balanced View of Money
Proverbs 30:8–9 ESV
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
Money can be good
Many Christians misunderstand that money itself is neither good or bad.
1 Timothy 6:10 ESV
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
It is the place money holds in our hearts that make it a tool or a temptation.
Wealth is a hedge of protection against calamity.
better healthcare
natural disaster
legal help
Proverbs 8:21 ESV
21 granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.
Proverbs 10:15 ESV
15 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
better healthcare
natural disaster
legal help
We are commanded to use our wealth to provide for ourselves and others.
1 Timothy 5:8 ESV
8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
We are commended when we use our wealth to serve God.
Pro 10
1 Tim
Proverbs 19:17 ESV
17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
God has given us our wealth to enjoy because of His love for us.
1 Timothy 4:3–4 ESV
3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
1 Tim
1 Timothy 6:17 ESV
17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
Money is dangerous
1 Timothy 6:10 ESV
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
1 Timothy 6:9–10 ESV
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
1 Tim 6.
Money is meant to serve us not for us to serve it.
Wealth cannot satisfy our spiritual appetite. [money can put food on the table but not love around it]
Proverbs 15:17 ESV
17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
Wealth can tempt us to want more and more. [all 10 commandments can be broken by the love of money]
Proverbs 15:17 ESV
17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
Proverbs 27:20 ESV
20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man.
Isaiah 55:1–2 ESV
1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
Wealth is dangerous because it is fleeting, meaning we will always be chasing it.
Isaiah 55:1–2 ESV
1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
We can be tempted to waste precious time pursuing it.
Proverbs 23:4–5 ESV
4 Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. 5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.
Wealth can cause us to trust in it rather then in God.
Proverbs 11:28 ESV
28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
God is Better Than Gold
True Wealth = Wisdom of God
God’s Word tells us that wisdom is better then wealth.
Proverbs 16:16 ESV
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
Your character is more important then your bank balance.
Proverbs 22:1 ESV
1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.
the secret of contentment
The Secret of Contentment
God will provide for your needs, not necessarily your desires.
Proverbs 10:3 ESV
3 The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
1 Timothy 6:8 ESV
8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
God sovereignly distributes wealth according to his perfect will, therefore, we should be thankful and content with whatever He gives us.
Hebrews 13:5 ESV
5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Acquiring Money

Proverbs 10:4 ESV
4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
Work Hard
God’s way for us to gain wealth is through working hard and working smart.
Proverbs 10:4–5 ESV
4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5 He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.
Proverbs 6:6–11 ESV
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
Proverbs 22:29 ESV
29 Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.
Don’t expect easy money or fall prey to get-rich-quick schemes.
Proverbs 28:19 ESV
19 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
Not everyone is able to pursue his ‘dream career.’
2 Tim 2.20-21
2 Timothy 2:20–21 ESV
20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
Establish your means of earning before taking on major financial responsibilities.
Proverbs 24:27 ESV
27 Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.
next point
Proverbs 20:10 ESV
10 Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
Pro
Don’t Compromise
The person who has a strong desire to be rich will be tempted to sin.
Proverbs 28:22 ESV
22 A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
Pro 28.22
Some pursue wealth at the expense of family, worship and rest.
Mark 8:36 ESV
36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
Many try to get rich by deceiving and defrauding others.
Proverbs 20:10 ESV
10 Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
It is wrong to use economic power to exploit the weak.
Proverbs 22:16 ESV
16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
Pro 22.16
The wise man pays a fair wage to his workers and a reasonable price when he purchases goods from his neighbor. 
The wise employee gives a full day’s labor for a day’s pay.
James 5:4 ESV
4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
The wise man doesn’t take advantage of the ignorance of others.
Proverbs 20:14 ESV
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts.
The wise man does not hoard a commodity to drive the price up so that he can extort more money from desperate buyers.
Proverbs 11:26 ESV
26 The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.
Pro 11.26
The wise man maintains his integrity because he believes God will ultimately bring about justice.
Galatians 6:7 ESV
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
Gal 6.7
next sub point
Proverbs 15:27a ESV
27 Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.
Gambling = Unwise
Gambling undermines the work ethic by encouraging people to hope for wealth without working for it.
Proverbs 28:19 ESV
19 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
Gambling promotes irrationality in that the odds against winning a large prize are astronomical.
Pro
Pro 28.19
Proverbs 14:23 ESV
23 In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
Gambling is motivated by a greedy lust for riches.
Proverbs 28:20–22 ESV
20 A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. 21 To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong. 22 A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
Gambling exploits those who lose.
Pro 28.22
Proverbs 22:16 ESV
16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
Gambling is bad stewardship of God’s resources.
Two outcomes
you lose = foolishly wasted your God given money.
you win = you have defrauded others by taking what was not earned.
Proverbs 10:2 ESV
2 Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.
Proverbs 13:11 ESV
11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
Proverbs 15:27a ESV
27 Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.
Eph 5.11

Give Generously
Giving to the Lord’s work should be the first priority in your budget.
Proverbs 3:9–10 ESV
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
Giving should be done out of love and worship not compulsion.
Pro 3.9
2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
The wise man is to be generous with the deserving poor.
We are not to give to sluggards. =
We are not to give to the rich who don’t need it. =
we are to be gracious to those who are in poverty, even if much of the fault is their own, providing they are willing to turn from folly and pursue wisdom.
God blesses wise generosity.
Proverbs 22:9 ESV
9 Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.
This does not mean more blessing for us to keep.
This does imply more blessing to be a blessing to others.
2 Corinthians 9:10–11 ESV
10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
We are called to give even when times are hard for us.
Giving should be done out of love and worship not compulsion.
Luke 21:4 ESV
4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Lk
2 Corinthians 8:1–5 ESV
1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Control Your Expenditures
The wise man has a plan for his money. [make a budget]
The wise man sticks to his plan. [stick to your budget]
Proverbs 21:5 ESV
5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
Proverbs 14:15 ESV
15 The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
Proverbs 22:3 ESV
3 The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.
Proverbs 21:17 ESV
17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
The wise man evaluates the motives of his heart in correspondence to his expences.
Ecclesiastes 2:10–11 ESV
10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
‘spend money he doesn’t have to buy things he doesn’t need to impress people he doesn’t even like.’
Stay Out Of Debt
Under the Old Covenant, debt was regarded as a curse.
Deuteronomy 28:44 ESV
44 He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him. He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.
Debt produces bondage to men.
Proverbs 22:7 ESV
7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
Debt presumes upon the future.
Proverbs 16:9 ESV
9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
James 4:13–17 ESV
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
If you are in debt, pay it!
Psalm 37:21 ESV
21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;
When to borrow?
The wise do not put themselves in a position in which they might owe more on an item than the amount for which they could sell it in an emergency.
When to lend?
Generally the wisest and most loving thing we can do is not lend, let us remember that loaning and giving are vastly different.
Proverbs 22:26–27 ESV
26 Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts. 27 If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?
Proverbs 6:1–5 ESV
1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, 2 if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, 3 then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. 4 Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; 5 save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Pro

Saving Money

Proverbs 13:11 ESV
11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
Plan For The Future
Prepare for the winter at the time of harvest.
Proverbs 6:8 ESV
8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.
Proverbs 10:15 ESV
15 A rich man’s wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
Proverbs 13:22 ESV
22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
Pro
Invest Wisely
Proverbs 27:23–24 ESV
23 Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, 24 for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?
The wise person gradually and steadily accumulates savings through hard work and discipline.
The wise person pays careful attention to their capital resources and investments.
A wise rule for investing is that risk increases with anticipated rewards.
Proverbs 13:11 ESV
11 Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
Proverbs 27:23–24 ESV
23 Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, 24 for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?
Proverbs 28:19–20 ESV
19 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty. 20 A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
next slide
Proverbs 13:22 ESV
22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
Leave An Inheritance
The person who handles their finances with wisdom and integrity leaves an inheritance to their children’s children.
The wise person must be careful to train their children to handle money wisely.
Proverbs 13:22 ESV
22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
Proverbs 20:21 ESV
21 An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.
Proverbs 23:15–18 ESV
15 My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. 16 My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right. 17 Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day. 18 Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Spending Money

Proverbs 3:9–10 ESV
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
Give Generously
Giving to the Lord’s work should be the first priority in your budget.
Proverbs 3:9–10 ESV
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
Giving should be done out of love and worship not compulsion.
2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
The wise man is to be generous with the deserving poor.
We are not to give to sluggards.
Proverbs 20:4 ESV
4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
We are not to give to the rich who don’t need it.
Proverbs 22:16 ESV
16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
we are to be gracious to those who are in poverty, even if much of the fault is their own, providing they are willing to turn from folly and pursue wisdom.
God blesses wise generosity.
Proverbs 22:9 ESV
9 Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.
This does not mean more blessing for us to keep.
This does imply more blessing to be a blessing to others.
2 Corinthians 9:10–11 ESV
10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
We are called to give even when times are hard for us. = we will look at this later....
Luke 21:4 ESV
4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
2 Corinthians 8:1–5 ESV
1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
next point
Proverbs 21:5 ESV
5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
Control Your Expenditures
The wise man has a plan for his money. [make a budget]
The wise man sticks to his plan. [stick to your budget]
Proverbs 21:5 ESV
5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
Proverbs 14:15 ESV
15 The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
Proverbs 22:3 ESV
3 The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.
Proverbs 21:17 ESV
17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
The wise man evaluates the motives of his heart in correspondence to his expenses.
Ecclesiastes 2:10–11 ESV
10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
‘spend money he doesn’t have to buy things he doesn’t need to impress people he doesn’t even like.’
next point
Proverbs 22:7 ESV
7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
Stay Out Of Debt
Under the Old Covenant, debt was regarded as a curse.
Deuteronomy 28:44 ESV
44 He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him. He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.
Debt produces bondage to men.
Proverbs 22:7 ESV
7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
Debt presumes upon the future.
Proverbs 16:9 ESV
9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
James 4:13–17 ESV
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
If you are in debt, pay it!
Psalm 37:21 ESV
21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives;
When to borrow?
The wise do not put themselves in a position in which they might owe more on an item than the amount for which they could sell it in an emergency.
When to lend?
Generally the wisest and most loving thing we can do is not lend, let us remember that loaning and giving are vastly different.
Proverbs 22:26–27 ESV
26 Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts. 27 If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?
Proverbs 6:1–5 ESV
1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, 2 if you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth, 3 then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor. 4 Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; 5 save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Conclusion

1 Timothy 6:6–8 ESV
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
Mark 12:41–44 ESV
41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
1 Tim 6:
Ecclesiastes 5:18–19 ESV
18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. 19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.
Trust God
In present hard times.
For your future needs.
Matthew 6:19–34 ESV
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
1 Timothy 6:6–8 ESV
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
Ecclesiastes 5:18–19 ESV
18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. 19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.
True Riches
Make it your goal to be wise, not rich!
Proverbs 8:10–11 ESV
10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 ESV
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
You cannot take it with you
2 Peter 3:10–13 ESV
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Christ paid your ultimate debt
2 Corinthians 8:9 ESV
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Resource
Financial Peace University
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