daddy4ms

Introduction : Happy New Year!  As we begin this year, I get to start the year off with a sermon that all of you are excited about when pastors preach on it.  Money.  So, I am going to play The Apprentice TV Theme Song.  “Money, Money, Money” and allow you to think about you personally view money. Treasures vs. 19-21 ·          Vs. 19-Do not lay up treasures on earth o    Lay up-store up, or save up for future use; the activity of stockpiling for reserve or later use [1] o    Treasures-accumulated wealth in the form of (money, jewels, valuables) o    Same root word-Do not treasure treasures ·          Vs. 19-Why? Moth and Rust destroy, thieves break in and steal o    Wealth in the ancient world, as often still today, regularly consisted of precious metals and cloth. Owners thus worried about attacks of moth and rust. [2] o  ...

We often forget.  We see throughout history the Israelites and the church forgetting. We need to be reminded often of who God is in Scripture, church history and in our lives and churches. The names of God are important because these names are not just what God does, it is who He is.  I hope this will encourage you as you are reminded of how good, great, and awesome our God is. Yahweh Jireh Yahweh is the Hebrew Name for God. It is "I AM". It is used over 6000 times in the Old Testament.  It was such a holy name that the Jews would not even say it.  Jireh means provider. 14  So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:14) What it reminds me?  I stress often about finances.  It reminds me to remember God's provision over the years in my family and in the churches where I have served. God provides!

Today's song is a kid's song that is a good reminder for all of us.  Over the years, we have struggled financially and wondered how we would pay all of our bills.  But one thing is certain: God provided.  Sometimes we did not like to wait or we rushed ahead, but the truth from the song is true for all of us.  Do you need God to provide today?  Listen to the song and then ask God for His provision.

Tonight, I am thinking about the excuses I make in a given day. Many times those excuses revolve around money. For the last year, I have been thinking and discussing with Bethany my desire to sponsor a child through Compassion or World Vision. I have had this on my mind and heart for a while now. However, I think to myself: I cannot afford it because I am making double mortgage payments. Or I say, I will do it later. Sometimes, I even catch myself thinking, "we are giving enough." Wow. That sounds horrible when written down. But I do think that occasionally. I attribute these thoughts to spiritual warfare as well as my sinful nature. This week, I became convicted and convinced that the time was now. I decided no more excuses. Trust God to provide. We began sponsoring a child from Niger. Mitchell is very interested and excited. He has been asking a lot of questions. I look forward to the kids writing and getting to know him better. We talked about Niger and lo...

Let me begin by saying this is an area that I have a lot to learn. No, I don't need help balancing a checkbook or making a budget. I can do all of those things well. I understand money and numbers pretty well, after all, I was an accounting and business administration major at Sterling College. But I am talking about giving generously and being a good steward. I am talking about sacrificing stuff so I can have a balanced budget. Yes, I do have credit cards and no, I have not used them wisely at all times. Debt has controlled us at times. However, one decision that I will never regret was having Bethany stay home with the kids resulting in lower income. This decision has created some financial hardships for us, but they were worth it so she could be home with the kids. Finances are one of the areas many couples cite as one of the main reasons for their divorce. Money is at the center of many conflicts and disagreements in marriage. Here are the lies we tell ourselves or S...