MAIN POINT:

Christ followers must manage their money with heavenly wisdom so that we serve God, and money serves us.

ICEBREAKER:

Debt is a topic that most people donʼt want to talk about. Why do you think this is?

INTRODUCTION:

“Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” (‭3 John‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ NASB)
Pastor reminded us that he and our church want more for us than they want from us so that we can walk in total financial freedom. For those of us who think the church only wants our money, we may actually be blinded and in bondage! When people are in bondage they rarely see it. If this is the case, we need revelation; we need to master our money! We need to follow Pastor’s ancient wisdom, “If you can’t afford it, you can’t buy it.” Practically speaking, we must value and apply self-control, sacrifice and planning in our lives to achieve financial freedom. Remember, “You can wander into debt but not out of it!”God wants us to be free from debt, so that we can follow Him wholeheartedly.

ENCOUNTERING GOD THROUGH BIBLE STUDY:

Read Proverbs 22:7.

1. Does this mean we should never borrow?

2. When is it okay to borrow?

3. When does a loan cause us to be enslaved to the lender?

Read Matthew 6:21.

4. Explain this. Where does your heart lie? If it is distracted by earthly things, how may your group pray for you as you refocus your commitment to His Kingdom?

Read Matthew 6:24.

5. So many people spend time seeking pleasure, possessions and people’s admiration rather than the kingdom of God and His righteousness. This can only lead to the desire for more. Who is your Master? Who truly owns you? Do you need to ask God to change your focus in life?

6. When did you last rely on Christ and His power to release you from the pull of material things and need for security?

Read Proverbs 13:7.

7. Can appearances be deceiving?

8. Why are people driven to appear rich?

9. Why do some people pretend to be poor? Do you think this is necessarily a good thing?

Read Proverbs 25:28.

10. Explain how city walls were both restrictive to and the chief form of safety for its inhabitants. How can you apply self-control in an effort to achieve financial freedom in your life? What practical steps can you take right now?

Read Hebrews 12:2.

11. How can you apply this verse in an effort to sacrifice financially to achieve financial freedom in your life? What practical step can you take right now?

Read Luke 14:28.

12. How can you apply this verse to achieving financial freedom through proper planning in your life? What practical step can take right now?

LEADER NOTES

1. Not necessarily.
2. When you can afford it, when you are living within your means.
3. Enslaved to some degree when you have loans, but seriously enslaved when you are spending more than you earn.
4. Jesus made it clear that having the wrong treasure leads to our hearts being in the wrong place. What we treasure the most controls us, whether we admit it or not. If possessions or money become too important to us, we must reestablish control or get rid of items. Jesus calls for a decision that allows us to live contently with whatever we have because we have chosen eternal values over temporary, earthly treasures.
5-6. Jesus says we can only have one master. We live in a materialistic society where people serve money. Their desire for money and what can be bought far outweighs the commitment to God and spiritual matters. Don’t fall into the materialistic trap, because “the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil” (‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ NASB).
7. Yes
8. Pride, ambition
9. Possibly because they are humble; however, this may arise in a heart overwhelmed with covetousness. They be living this way so as to not cause others to envy them or encourage friends to borrow from them. Both appearences are inaccurate and not genuine.
10. City walls restricted inhabitants movements, but without them, they would have been vulnerable to attack. Self-control limits us, but it is necessary. An out-of-control life is open to all sorts of enemy attack. Self-control is a wall for defense and protection.
11. We must give up whatever endangers our relationship with God. To live effectively without the entanglements of debt, we must keep our eyes on Jesus.
12. We can wander into debt, but we cannot wander out of it! We must execute a good plan in order to achieve financial freedom and serve our God wholeheartedly. Recall Dave Ramsey’s plan that Pastor reviewed.