Follow Along with the Message

I Can See Clearly Now (Part 1)

Pastor Tom Lundeen

There are probably fewer topics that have more spiritual and practical implications for our lives, marriages, families, , nations, and world than how we handle money and how money handles us.

 can dominate our lives and money influences our lives for good or bad.

If you don't learn to manage your money, it will manage you, which is why money and financial issues cause so much  in our lives. 

Today and next Sunday we are going to see from Jesus' parable in Luke 16 some counter-cultural and even  things God has to say about money. 

1.  Belongs to God (note Luke 16:1)

Everything ever  belongs to God (note Psalm 24:1)

All we have is .

Jesus wants us to understand we are all in  management positions. 

Everything we have is a  from God (note James 1:17).

...and God is very interested in what we're doing with what He's  to us. 

If I'm in  and the master of my destiny, then I've got to worry about where I'm going to get money and how I'm going to pay for everything.

But when I know God owns it all, the full  of every money issue/challenge/opportunity isn't just my concern. (note Matthew 6:25-27).

How well are you taking care of God's  (note Luke 16:1b)?

Whenever I waste money, I'm wasting  money. (Warren)

2. God Uses Money to Help Me   

 is a test and God uses money to test us.

God uses money to help me see:

 A. What I  most - you spell love =  (you can give without loving but you can't  without giving). Note Matthew 6:19-21.

B. What I  the most (note Proverbs 11:28).

C. If God can  me (note Luke 16:10) - unmanaged finances reveal an unmanaged . Note Luke 16:11 - Jesus directly connects spiritual  with money, spiritual power with how we handle stuff/things, and God's  with my dollars. 

3. Money is Simply a  

Money is .

We're not to love money, but to  it.

God wants us to love people and use , not love money and use people. 

We need to use money to  God.

The shrewd manager isn't praised by Jesus for his .

But he did 3 things God wants us to do with our money:

 A.  He focused on the  (note Luke 16:3a) - Japanese average percent of their income saved = %; Europeans %; Americans = %. Note Proverbs 14:8 - If we're living  our means, we're not thinking about the future.

B.  He  (note Luke 16:4; Proverbs 16:9).

C. He was  (note Luke 16:4) - he didn't procrastinate or say, "..." Note Matthew 6:19-20.

From Stre$$ to Rest in 2023:  

• Do you have a financial plan?
• A ?
• A plan for dealing with your ?
• It starts with making Jesus the  of your life. 

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