Biblical Financial Foundations Why financial foundations Finances are

Ø Biblical Financial Foundations Ø Why financial foundations? ● Finances are a significant Biblical emphasis ● We are presently dealing with difficult times ● Financial challenges often present relational challenges ● Wise or foolish perspectives affect financial outcomes ● We need proper perspectives on wealth and prosperity

Ability to Obtain Wealth Biblical Financial Foundations

I. God’s Gift to Work

Ø Tenders of the Garden ● Genesis 2: 15 The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. ● Work is not a curse

Ø The ground cursed because of man’s sin ● Genesis 3: 17 -19 the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat

Ø Work to eat ● Provision for the unfortunate ● Provision for the disabled ● No provision for the lazy ● 2 Thessalonians 3: 10 Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat. ” ● 1 Timothy 5: 8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.

II. Abilities From God Ø Deuteronomy 8: 17 -18 ● Never say – I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy ● God gives you the power to be successful ● In order to confirm his covenant with his people

Ø Working as for the Lord – Colossians 3: 22 -24 ● Please employers ● Serve sincerely ● Work willingly as for the Lord rather than people ● Your reward comes from the Lord

Ø Ephesians 6: 5 -9 ● Obey masters with deep respect and fear ● Serve sincerely and with enthusiasm as though working for the Lord ● The Lord will reward you for the good you do ● Employers treat your employees right

III. The Power to Succeed Ø Proverbs 16: 3, 9 (Amplified) ● Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed…A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

Ø What is success? ● Most typically defined

● Biblical success – simply defined ▪ Being faithful with what the Lord has entrusted you ▪ Well done good and faithful servant. Faithful with a few I will entrust you with much (Matthew 25: 14 -30)

● Recognize the proving time of faithful with the few ▪ Psalm 37: 4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give your heart’s desires. ● Continue by the sweat of your brow

Interaction Time Ø Colossians 3 says to work willingly as for the Lord rather than people. What if your employer asks you to do something illegal or unethical? Or what if he/she doesn’t ask you to do anything illegal or unethical, but you discover he/she is doing such things? Should you confront them, quite your job, ignore it, or other?

Ø Do you enjoy your job? If you could do what you wanted to do what would it be? What prevents you from pursuing that?

Ø Are you in the wilderness of testing – or in the promised land of God’s provision? Is there any difference, whether in the wilderness or the promised land, as to the source of your provision?