Money Matters
Money is strange. You need it to live, yet it can squeeze the life right out of you. We shouldn’t find it surprising that God has a lot to say about money and our possessions. Far from being an off-limits conversation even in the church, your view of money reveals much about your heart and the object of your trust. No wonder God compares the way we use money with our receptivity to greater spiritual riches. Even from God’s perspective, money matters.
Discussion Questions
Why is a conversation about following Jesus and giving money so polarizing? Why do some people welcome the conversation with excitement while others get defensive and weird?
Read Luke 16:10-11. What is the relationship between worldly wealth and spiritual riches? In what sense is money a barometer of your spiritual receptivity?
Around our church, we acknowledge that one of the characteristics of a Christlike influencer is giving generously. In what ways is God generous? (look at John 3:16 and Mark 10:45)
One basic stewardship principle for the Christ-follower is that God owns it all. Read Psalm 24:1. How does acknowledging God’s ownership change your perspective of your money and possessions? What is the primary role of a steward? And how does a steward differ from an owner (see 1 Cor. 4:2)?
How does your approach to money reveal your love for God? What adjustments might you need to make in your habits of giving, saving, and spending?
In what sense is the stewardship of your resources really kindergarten instead of graduate school? How is your view of money moving you closer to Jesus?
Common Cents Part Four: Giving It All To God
CONTRIBUTORS Larry and Linda: Owners of a successful private dental practice turned career missionaries in West Africa and then Papua New Guinea. Currently reside in Owings Mills nearby to their grandchildren and daughter Kristen, who is the Nursery Coordinator here...
Giving Matters
Money can activate either greed or generosity within us. When God urges us to share our financial resources for the good of others, He doesn’t do so by appealing to guilt or obligation. God tells us that we can invest in things that really matter by sharing the money...
Common Cents Part Three: Managing Dollars with Sense
CONTRIBUTORS Rob and Cora: A couple whose debt nearly caused the demise of their marriage before discovering Dave Ramsey’s program. They’ve dedicated themselves as teachers of Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (FPU) and head up this ministry at LifePoint. Dave and...
Contentment Matters
Everywhere we look, we are confronted with messages telling us about the things we need to be happy and whole. If only we can get, the better phone, go on the better vacation, drive the better car, get into the better college, then we will be content. We will be...
Debt Matters
We are created to crave. We all want something. And we all realize that there’s something lacking in our lives, so we always want more. More food, more time, more money, more stuff. But with all of our desire for more, our ability to get more is always limited. So we...