ABCs of Financial Freedom

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Notes & Prayer Requests

Next Week’s Life Group: In ALL You Do: The PURPOSE of Work Our Church’s Definition of a Biblical Disciple of Jesus A person who is committed to following, being changed by, and on mission with Jesus (taken from Matthew 4:19). The Purpose of Life Groups

Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 3:12-13, 10:23-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

OCT 27/28, WEEK 4

ABC’s of Financial Freedom Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.  Proverbs 16:3

Getting Started: Describe your first “piggy bank.” Do you remember what you were saving money for? Story Background: Stewardship in the Bible begins with the very first verse; “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) We see in Genesis 1 that God is the creator of everything: He created the universe, the earth, and He created you. There’s not one particle in the entire world that was not created by God. Read Genesis 1:26-28. We observe that the concept of stewardship is woven into the fabric of creation. The desire to steward has been hardwired into the soul of every person, which explains why, in varying degrees, people have a desire to create and manage. This is the beginning of all biblical stewardship principles.

DECISION Story/Passage: Matthew 25:14-30

Head Level: These questions help us to examine what the Word tells us.

 Where do you see God in this parable?  What is a “talent”?  What word do you see repeated in verses 14, 20 and 22? Why do you think this word is significant and repeated?

Heart Level: These questions help us wrestle with what we believe.  How can excessive debt be a type of “hiding in the ground” the resources God has provided? Is all debt bad? Explain.

 Does stewardship seem to contradict permission to enjoy the bounty and blessings of God? How do you reconcile the ideas of stewardship, sacrificial giving, and enjoying God’s material blessings?

This theme is picked up in the New Testament. In Colossians 1:15-16, we read, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth… all things were created through him and for him”. The foundation of stewardship is built upon this reality.

 Are “talents” always money? What are other

In the end, stewardship in the Bible boils down to this question: Who's the lord of your life? Are you or is God? How is this being reflected in how you handle what He has provided?

Hands Level: These questions help us commit to a next step and live it out in our everyday lives.

resources of life experiences that might fall under the principles of intentional stewardship?

 How do your checking account and calendar reflect God’s call on your life as a steward?  For personal reflection and prayer: Who is the Lord of your life? Are you or is the Lord? How do you know?