Sunday Morning Worship
July 29, 2012
Series: “Solomon Says”
Today: “Stewardship”
Scripture: Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Proverbs 13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. 
Introduction: A life of effective stewardship becomes a life story worth telling. (Psalm 78:1-7)
- Lives changed .
- Those in need helped.
- Risk taken in faith.
- Christ is revealed to others through us.
Bottom line: If our possessions and our debt hinder our ability to fulfill our story, we have a problem.
Stewardship Key Principles: 
I. God owns everything , plain and simple. (1 Chronicles 29:11-12)
The question is not about the tithe, or the 10%, the question is the one hundred percent . Are we a good steward of the one hundred percent ? 
II. How we handle money impacts our relationship with the Lord. (Luke 16:11)
* God is pleased with us when we demonstrate good stewardship. (Matthew 25:21)
* If God saw every expenditure you made in the past year, would it be clear you were serving Him? (Matthew 6:24, Acts 20:35, 1 Corinthians 13:3) 
III. The borrower is slave to the lender. (Proverbs 22:7)
* When we are in debt, we are limited in our ability to serve God because we ourselves are in servitude to our lenders. (1 Corinthians 7:23)
Being out of debt was a reward for obedience (Deuteronomy 28:1,2,12).
However, debt was a curse for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28: 15,43,44).
How to get out of debt:
1. Be content .
2. Stop borrowing.
3. Pray.
4. List everything you owe.
5. Establish a budget every single month.
6. Sell or donate what you don’t need.
7. Establish a debt repayment plan, paying off smallest debts first.
8. Consider earning additional income.
9. Control or eliminate the use of credit cards.
10. Consider a radical change in lifestyle.
11. Do not give up. 
IV. Good stewards are fully available to God’s call. (James 2:14-17)
If debt is a barrier to pursuing your mission , something must change. 
V. God is assessing your stewardship and there are consequences . (Luke 16:1-2, Luke 16:10)
Conclusion: God owns everything and entrusts to us a portion with the goal of saving the lost .
— Ken Johnson