Mad Money

To Get Even Financially, we must

1. Quit just “using” money
2. Change the way you think about money
3. Make friends with money

Luke 16:8-9

So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.

9 And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.

1.  Spend time with it

I didn’t say “Spend it”; I said “Spend time with it.”

If you want friends, you must be friendly.  Prov 18:24

Blacks aren’t good friends of money because we don’t spend enough time with it

As soon as we make it, we spend it

We don't invest it, or use it to produce

When we get our tax refund, we go straight to the store

• ·         Clothes & Shoes
• ·         Hair & Personal Care Products
• ·         Alcohol – 12% of population, 30% of Scotch consumption

Luke 8:18.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.

2.  Check on it & account for it (care what happens to it)

You must pay attention to your financial status

Too many of us avoid it…

            Open your mail; look at bank statements & credit card statements

            It’s costing you interest, messing up your credit score & blocking more money

Know how much you have so that you will know what you can and cannot do

3.  Know its value

What are the most important things in your life?

God, family, etc. should come first, but money is more important than most of the things:

            When our financial priorities are in order, “things” come last

We care more about having the things that money can buy than having the money

Thus, we part with money too quickly and easily.

We must value money more than things; then we wouldn’t spend the money so fast

Eccl 10:19.  Money answers everything.

We don’t talk about what money can do; we talk about what money can buy

We work hard for our money, then get paid and go shopping

We don’t take any thought for tomorrow and the future.

• ·         (Matt 6:33 says don’t worry about tomorrow, not don’t prepare for tomorrow)

4.  Make room for more

2 Kings 4:1-6; Is 54:1-3.  Increase doesn’t come until you make room for it

Clutter creates confusion

• ·         important matters get lost in stacks
• ·         bounce checks
• ·         pay late fees on bills
• ·         forget to renew our driver’s license
• ·         lose time in search of stuff

Financial clutter creates mental clutter

Chose Clarity over Clutter!

The stuff we have cost money, and represents money wasted. 

Get rid of some of the stuff and make room for things of real value.

5.  Increase it – Multiply it

Jesus speaks repeatedly about “unprofitable servants

• ·         Luke 17 - It's not until we do "extra"
• ·         Matt 25 - He expects "interest"

6.  Create an active stream or a flow

Luke 6:38.  Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.