God’s
The Money Series
Leftovers
November 25, 2012 • Chris Edmondson • Colossians 1:15–18, Malachi 3:7–10, Matthew 6:24–34
With Thanksgiving happening this week, none of us will probably serve leftovers. Most of us wouldn’t dream of serving leftovers after inviting your boss or maybe some high ranking official in your battalion over for dinner. You wouldn’t serve leftovers—you would plan on fixing hot, fresh food and making them feel welcome. Yet that is what many of us do with God. We serve Him leftovers. And God is more important than any boss, official, or commander. God is more important than any friend or family. God deserves more than our leftovers.
Making Change With Our Debt
November 18, 2012 • Chris Edmondson • 1 Timothy 6:10, Proverbs 22:7, Proverbs 13:7, Proverbs 25:28, Proverbs 21:5
We live in a world that relies heavily on the “enjoy now, pay later” philosophy. This belief is the foundation upon which the credit card industry was built. Because you want what you want when you want it, you can rationalize swiping the credit card to your heart’s content. There is no burden on you until the bill comes in the mail. Wiping the credit card slate clean isn’t always an option due to a lack of funds. Your answer: Pay the minimum balance to avoid a late fee. Unfortunately, “Minimum balance” is nothing more than the deception of minimum responsibility. It allows you to live in denial of the fact that your desires are unchecked and your spending is out of control. Just as long as a creditor isn’t knocking at your door or harassing you by phone, you are comfortable surviving in debt.
Why We Don’t Give
November 11, 2012 • Chris Edmondson • 2 Corinthians 9:6–12
Most of us want to be generous. We want to give to God. We want to help meet other people’s needs. We have good intentions. But fear keeps us from actually turning our intentions into actions. Fear of what might happen. Fear of what might break and need repair. Fear that we won’t be able to pay the bills. We allow our fear—not our faith—to dictate what we do. But when we give, we are actually giving God the green light to get involved in our bank account and to stretch more money out over the month. Because we can’t out give God.
My Stuff
November 4, 2012 • Chris Edmondson • 1 Chronicles 29:1–18
Sticky notes are one of man’s greatest inventions. They allow us to capture thoughts and jot down important details. On a 3-inch by 3-inch yellow sheet of paper, you have a convenient, tangible, visible reminder of what needs to get done. But one of the sticky notes’ greatest functions is their ability to remind us of things that slip our minds. The heart behind this study is to remind ourselves of a very important truth regarding our finances—that everything we own belongs to God.