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)

1. Lives       changed       .
2. Those in       need        helped.
3.         Risk        taken in faith.
4. 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