It’s been said that the number one cause of divorce in many marriages involves money. It does not matter how much money couples have or don’t have; money is the root of many arguments. Perhaps this is the case because money feels like a bit of a touchy subject and flows into many areas of our lives. Most of us view money as a very personal subject. After all, we earned it. However, the truth is that God has a lot to teach us about money in Scripture and that our money and finances belong to the Lord. In light of this, we should treat it as such.
What would you buy right now if money was not an object?
Bible Study Questions
1. Why do you think money is such a difficult subject for many to talk about?
WATCH SERMON RECAP
2. Read 1 Chronicles 29:11-13. What does David teach us about our finances in these verses?
1 Chronicles 29:11-13 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. 13 “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name!
1 Chronicles 29:11-13
11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.
13 “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name!
3. What is David’s response to the understanding that our finances and resources belong to God?
4. Read Proverbs 24:33-34. How do these verses illustrate the importance of being prepared and having a plan for our finances?
Proverbs 24:33-34
33 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
34 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
Application
1. Who have you seen modeling their finances well? How?
2. How can people plan and prepare now to set themselves for financial success in the future.
3. In what ways would you like to grow when it comes to your finances?
In the weekend sermon, we were challenged in three specific ways to help you plan your finances.
· Financial Goals- Set financial goals for where you want to be six months, one year, and then five years from today. Remember to keep in mind the goal to honor God with your resources.
· Budget- This involves sitting down and planning how much money is coming in and how much is going out.
· Deal with Debt- We always recommend the debt snowball where you start paying off your highest payments first, and then once that is retired, you keep the juice flowing to get rid of debt entirely.
Which one of these challenges would you like to focus on? Pick one of these challenges that you would like to grow in and share it with your group. To get the worksheet for these exercises, please go to www.sagebrush.church/money. Next week, plan to share with your group how this worked out and your progress.
God cares about how we steward money, yet He is more concerned about our heart. One of the places this is most evident is the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. Let’s take a look at it now.
Read Acts 4:32-5:11
What was wrong in this story, Ananias and Sapphira’s actions or their motives? Why?
Why do you think Ananias and Sapphira did what they did and lied about it? (Hint: See Acts 4:32-37.)
What does the response to this couple show you about God’s concern when it comes to how we handle our finances?
Read Matthew 6:24, which gives us more insight into why Ananias and Sapphira failed to honor God with their money.
What does this verse teach about finances and how we handle them?
How does the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 illustrate that we “cannot serve God and be enslaved to money?”
Why is trying to serve God and being enslaved to God impossible?
One way to serve God and let go of our enslavement to money is to practice generosity. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to look generous. Unfortunately, they were more concerned with looking generous than actually being generous. We can learn from their example. Spend some time today asking God “How generous am I?" Do you support your church? Do you fund the kingdom of God so the message of Jesus can be spread? Like Ananias and Sapphira, do you appear to be generous, but in reality really aren’t?
MONTHLY MEMORY VERSE (Available for download on Sagebrush App)
Psalm 103:2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.
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