CHOOSE GOOD $ENSE
Dollars & $ense #2
Pastor Dennis Clanton
Woodland Church
Sunday, November 15, 2023
(Philippians 2:13, NLT) “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
(Proverbs 27:20, NLT) “Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.”
Money is personal, powerful, and potential.
(James 3:16, NLT) “For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.”
(Philippians 4:11, NLT) “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.”
(Proverbs 9:6, NLT) “Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgment.”
GROWTHWORK
1. CHOOSE A GODLY PLAN NOT WISHFUL THINKING.
(Proverbs 21:5, NLT) “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.”
2. CHOOSE DISCIPLINE OVER DESIRE.
(Proverbs 21:20, ESV) “Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.”
(Colossians 1:11, LB) “We are praying, too, that you will be filled with his mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens—always full of the joy of the Lord,”
3. CHOOSE FAITH OVER RISK.
(Proverbs 14:16, NLT) “The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.”
(Matthew 6:25–34, NLT) “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
a. Ask God for help.
(John 15:7, CEV) “Stay joined to me and let my teachings become part of you. Then you can pray for whatever you want, and your prayer will be answered.”
b. Practice faith
(Proverbs 3:9-10, PT) “Glorify God with all your wealth, honoring him with your very best, with every increase that comes to you. Then every dimension of your life will overflow with blessings from an uncontainable source of inner joy.”
c. Be honest.
(Proverbs 16:11, Message) “God cares about honesty in the workplace; your business is his business.”
4. CHOOSE TO TRUST GOD WITH YOUR LIFE.
(Matthew 6:33, NLT) “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
(Romans 10:9, NIV) “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”