Financial Stewardship

Good financial stewardship is a lifestyle the scriptures clearly call us to live by. However, based on statistics, Americans and even Americans who call themselves Christians are not doing well when it comes to managing their money.

General American Statistics

· 70% of people in America live paycheck to paycheck.
- The Wall Street Journal

· 17% of Americans do not have enough savings to cover 1 week without a paycheck
- USA Today

· The estimated average credit-card debt per US card-holding households is $9,312.
- Time Magazine

· The personal savings rate in the US has now fallen to -2.2% - meaning people are spending more than they make — the lowest in 60 years. - The Department of Commerce

· The average American has 2.7 bank credit cards, 3.8 retail credit cards and 1.1 debit cards, for a total of 7.6 cards per cardholder. - CardWeb.com

American Church Statistics

· Overspending: 40 percent of church members say they overspend monthly; also, 40 percent of church members pay more than $2,000 a year in interest, not including their mortgage. - The United Methodist Foundation

· Christian Wealth and World Poverty: On average, American Christians enjoy an annual household income of $42,409, while 1.2 billion of the world's poorest people must survive on $1 a day. - Sider, Ronald. The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience. Books and Culture

· Giving Not a Priority: It is estimated that Christians worldwide have personal incomes totaling more than 16 trillion but give only 2 percent, to Christian causes. - International Bulletin of Missionary Research

· A Reachable Goal: "According to the Borgen Project, annual expenditures of $19 billion between now and 2015 could eliminate global starvation and malnutrition. Another $12 billion per year over that same time period could provide education for every child on earth. And an additional $15 billion each year could provide universal access to clean water and sanitation." - Stanford Social Innovation Review

What does the Bible tell us about Financial Stewardship

First - Good financial stewardship must be gospel motivated – Because Who We Are Drives What We Have

· Many of us have this perception that God calls us to give and that once we’ve done our tithing we can do whatever we want with the rest of our money. But God calls us to manage all of our money wisely (Luke 16:1-13).

· Our first question shouldn’t be - God what do you want me to do with my money – our first question should be - God what do you want me to do with your money.

· We have to recognize that all our money belongs to God (I Chronicles 29:11) says “Yours, O Lord is the greatness, The power, and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all.” Everything we have belongs to God – and we need to be willing to steward our finances the way he wants us to – this is a heart issue, a Gospel issue.

· Fifteen percent of everything Jesus said is related to money and possessions. He spoke more about money and possessions than heaven and hell combined. He knows that money can be an idol and a stronghold in our lives – he wants to be first.

Specifics on managing money

· The scriptures teach that in general, going into debt is not wise - don’t buy things you can’t afford. Establish a budget within your means and stick to it.

o Proverbs 22:7

· The scriptures call us to give generously to God’s mission.

o II Cor. 9:6-7

· The scriptures teach that saving a portion of your money is wise.

o Proverbs 13:11

o Proverbs 13:22

· The scriptures call us not to worry about money.

o Matt. 6:25-33