Key Bible Passage(s):

Ps.49:17-20; I Tim.6:2-10; Luke 16:14; Matt.6:2-4 & 19-34

Tier 1:

There is a sense in which what we do with our money is an extension of ourselves. That explains why we are so easily identify in terms of what we do to earn money. We know our identity is in Christ, not our job, but there is a reason why we are so susceptible to the temptation to find our purpose and identity in the thing we do to earn money; or alternatively in how we spend it.  In a consumerist culture it is easy to believe that we are what we buy. And people spend a lot of money and energy trying to tell us what to buy. How can we develop a Biblical vision for how we use money, so that we are laying up treasure in heaven?

Tier 2:

The Bible locks us into a life-changing truth.  Everything we own, all the financial assets we have at our disposal, come from the Lord, and in real terms remain His throughout.  Christians have historically understood themselves as stewards, rather than as possessors.  This ‘double-ownership’ means we aren’t at liberty to make unilateral decisions about what we do with the money at our disposal. We aren’t going to make a lot progress as a Christian until we have disciplined ourself to use the money God has put at our disposal in the way that Christ has commanded us to.

Tier 3:

Jesus teaches us to store up treasures in heaven (Matt.6:20), and a good part of how we do that is rooted in what we do with our financial treasure on earth. The often say you can’t take it with you when you die, but we can invest our financial resources in this age in such that we enjoy a return in the age to come.  The Bible’s perspective is not that long-term financial planning is a bad thing (Prov.6:6-11), but rather that we don’t think long-term enough.  We invest for retirement, but for nothing beyond that!  That is far too short sighted in Jesus’ way of seeing the world!

“Cultivating quietness is a missing discipline in today’s Christian church. There seems to be a wretched conspiracy in many churches to rob the saints of the quietness necessary to nurture their inner life, which is hid in Christ in God.

A.W.Tozer

Group Discussion:

Why is retail therapy so effective?

“95 percent of Christians pass the test of adversity, while 95 percent fail the test of prosperity” (Josef Tson).  What do you think Tson means?  Do you agree with him?  Why would Tson think this the case?  Do you think we have failed the test of prosperity?

Why does Jesus say: ‘Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’ (Matt.6:21), NOT ‘Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also’?

Jesus warns us: ‘Be on your guard against all kinds of greed’ (Lk.12:15).  How can you do that?  What are different kinds of greed?  Why is it so critically important that we guard against it in any form (see e.g. Eph.5:5)?  What constitutes ‘greed’ in the first place?

and later in the session:

What does Jesus teach about money, and our relationship to it?  How many passages from the Gospels can you think of that relate to ‘money’?  How confident are you that you know what Jesus expects of us in this area of our discipleship?

How confident am I that I am a good steward of the financial resources God has put at my disposal? 

What do temptations to avoid this look like?  How can we resist and overcome those temptations?

Read Matt.6:25-34.  HOW can you put this into practise?  What would this look like in terms of budgeting?  Can you ever envisage not worrying about money? 

Do you know how to lay up treasure for yourself in heaven?

Homework:

Over this half-term we will be working to memorise Matthew 5:33-37. You will have to keep refreshing Matt.5:1-32, Matt.6:5-34 and Matt.7:1-28 whilst you do this.

(we’ll memorise the whole of the Sermon on the Mount over the 3 years of DTP)

Read through the Gospel of Matthew or Luke.  List out all the commands – by teaching or example – Jesus gives relating to money. How much were you aware of? Is there anything that has surprised or even shocked you?

What 1 degree change can you make to get you closer to to obeying Jesus’ commands on money...

Check out Dave Ramsay at www.ramseysolutions.com He also does a phone-in talk show which you can find on youtube. I’ve included a couple of videos below so you can get a sense of the guy.

You might also find Christians Against Poverty a useful organization to touch base with, especially if debt is an ongoing issue for you.