FINANCIAL STABILITY

Do Good #3

Pastor Dennis Clanton

Woodland Church

Sunday, January 16, 2022

(Luke 12:16–21, Message) “[Jesus] told them this story: “The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest.’ Then he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!’ “Just then God showed up and said, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?’ “That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.”

(1 Timothy 6:18, NLT)  “Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.”

1. REMEMBER EVERYTHING BELONGS TO GOD.

(Psalm 24:1, NLT) “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.”

Beauty and Sabbath go hand in hand. Both are extravagant. Unproductive. Unnecessary. Both are reflections of God’s abundance and reminders that the world is chiefly a gift to receive, not a prize to be earned. Beauty doesn’t have to exist. – Brett McCracken, The Wisdom Pyramid

2. REMEMBER TO DO YOUR BEST WORK.

(Colossians 3:22–24, Message) “Don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ.”

(Proverbs 22:29, NLT) “Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people.”

3. REMEMBER TO THINK AND PRAY BEFORE YOU BORROW.

(Proverbs 22:7, Message) “The poor are always ruled over by the rich, so don’t borrow and put yourself under their power.”

(Deuteronomy 24:6, NLT) “It is wrong to take a set of millstones, or even just the upper millstone, as security for a loan, for the owner uses it to make a living.”

4. REMEMBER TO TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO OBEY THE LORD.

(Psalm 34:11, NLT) “Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord.”

I learned early on that work creates discipline, and when you have discipline in your life, you are a healthier person. … I never knew the amount on the checks my parents placed in the offering bag, but I never doubted that it was 10 percent of whatever Dad made that week. Seeing them put the check in the bag was the weekly exclamation point on the ongoing discussion our family had about giving. The amount really wasn’t important to me as a child. The real value was in seeing how Mom and Dad’s actions lined up with their words. –Rachel Cruze

5. REMEMBER TO INCLUDE TITHING IN YOUR LIFE PLAN.

(1 Corinthians 16:2, NLT) “On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned.”

(Proverbs 21:20, NLT) “The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.”

6. REMEMBER ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

(Proverbs 30:15–16, Message) “A leech has twin daughters named “Gimme” and “Gimme more.” Three things are never satisfied, no, there are four that never say, “That’s enough, thank you!”— hell, a barren womb, a parched land, a forest fire.”

7. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE.

(Galatians 6:4, Message) “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others.”

8. REMEMBER TO BE AWARE.

(Proverbs 19:17, NLT) “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord— and he will repay you!”

The borrower is helped only in this world, whereas the lender who assists a poor person receives a reward in the world to come. –The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions

(Exodus 22:25, Message) “If you lend money to my people, to any of the down-and-out among you, don’t come down hard on them and gouge them with interest.”

9. REMEMBER GOOD COUNSEL WILL GIVE YOU STABILITY.

(Proverbs 11:14, Message) “Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.”

10. REMEMBER THERE WILL BE FINALS.

(Luke 12:48, NLT) “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”