Thank you for taking the time to listen to one of the recent sermons preached at Wilton Baptist Church. It is our desire as a church to strive together in building a faith, family, and future that honors and glorifies our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If we can be a help to you in any way, please visit our website at wiltonbaptistchurch.com. If I could have a couple gentlemen help, Adam's gonna help, maybe Jeff and Dave, if you could help. We have these little booklets. I have one for each person here, There's a stack right here by Marlise as well, another stack right there. And this is actually the message for today. So I still have been coughing quite a bit. And I thought maybe I'll try to give a teaching type message, not drawing up as much breath and preaching, to see how it goes. So bear with me in that. And so whenever I type up a message, that's basically what you're getting right now. And I usually use it on an iPad and can follow along like that, but you can follow along like this. There are blanks for you to fill in along the way. And today, we're going to learn about finding financial freedom. So every adult should get one. Teenagers get one as well. And a little booklet. It's only about 23 pages. Thank you, gentlemen, for handing those out. Yes, there's another stack right there. I thought if I give it to you ahead of time, you'd read it really fast and say, I heard the message already. So we had to wait to give it to you right now. but you need to know what the blanks are, and that's easy to find as well. So like the front of it says, finding financial freedom. Hope in God, that's our theme. Psalm 62 is our first verse today. We're gonna look at several passages. I encourage you to follow along, also to take notes if you can as well. Do we need some pencils or pens? All right, I intended to set some of those out. We have some, somebody's gonna find some, maybe, let's see. Natalie, we have a lot of pencils in the office. One of the top right cabinets, if you could find those for us, that'd be helpful maybe. It'll be just a moment before we get to the blank spaces for you to fill in. All right, now, it's more of a teaching message. So think of this more like as a seminar today. And last week I indicated that I would bring this message, finding financial freedom. Here's our verse in Psalm 62, verse 10. Trust not in oppression and become not vain in robbery. If riches increase, set not your hearts upon them. So at some point in your life, possibly, riches will increase, but there's a warning there. Don't set your heart on them. We're not living for making money. I like what this story says. A father gave his little girl $2 and said, you can do anything you want with one of the dollars, but the other dollar belongs to God. With joy, she ran to the candy store. On the way, she tripped and $1 fell into the storm drain. She got up and said, well, Lord, there goes your dollar. I hope that you don't look at your money or finances quite like that. Last time we learned about 1 Peter and that first few verses where the Bible speaks about our inheritance and we have tremendous wealth in Christ. Sadly, we can be so focused that we do not, on what we do not have, by way of material things, that we lose sight of how the Lord has blessed us. So did you find a pencil? She found a pencil. So could somebody hand those around? Thank you. Brother Bob's gonna help hand out some pencils for you. Now others, at the same time, are not good stewards of what God has entrusted. And so today's message is to encourage us to go beyond scratching out a living. You ever feel like that? I'm just scratching out a living. Or maybe living paycheck to paycheck. Maybe you feel like that. These Bible principles, when faithfully followed, will change your financial situation and enable you to use your earthly money or heavenly good. Now, whenever preachers bring messages on finances or money, sometimes people think, wow, finances must be tight in a church, or there's something wrong, you know, people stop giving. And that's not the case. God has blessed and continues to bless our church. And so I report to you, amen for that. And I'm thankful for your faithful participation in tithes and offerings. This message will equip you to live beyond paycheck to paycheck. It will equip you to have the finances needed so when you want to help someone or when a circumstance arises and you need to have some money, that it'll be there. Lord willing, this message will help you in that way. Now, turn the page if you would. We're on page four now. And everyone, thank you for facilitating the message like you have been in handing those things out. Now, making more money is not the issue. People sometimes think, well, if I just made more money, at every level or stage of life, I mean, there is a certain amount that you do need. And I understand that because maybe you have kids or you're trying to save up for something. But making more money is not the primary issue. I find this very interesting. Some of you sports stars will like the next few pages. A very large number, 78% of former NFL players are broke or financially stressed after retirement. We're talking about People who have millions of dollars in their working careers, and then as soon as they retire, just within a short time, it all disappears. Why? Making money is not the primary issue. 60% of former NBA players go broke after five years after retirement. That's a tragedy. And that's too bad that they're like that, or that it's happening. Broke athletes are practically an epidemic, one person said. Remember Evander Holyfield? Evander Holyfield, four-time heavyweight champion of the world, estimated lifetime earnings $250 million. He had a deal with Diet Coke, a video game, a Real Deal record label, a Real Deal grill that he sold, numerous television appearances, three films, and dancing, all these different things that he was doing. How could he have no money? At the end of his career, he fathered 11 children with different people. That was part of it. People were suing him for money. He said that, I'm not broke, I'm just not liquid. That's what he was saying. That was when he was 45 years of age. And you can see here he had a house, a $10 million home foreclosed upon. Losing money left and right. Here's another example, Johnny Unitas, remember his name, from one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. three-time MVP, Super Bowl champion, 10-time Pro Bowl selection. Now back then, they didn't pay as much. He only had $4 million that he earned over his lifetime. And one of the best quarterbacks of his day set many records. He starred in professional football before salaries were measured in the millions. His early contracts ranged from $7,000 back in the 50s to $250,000 later, $175,000 bonus. back in the 70s. After his playing days, he made more money as a TV commentator for CBS. He invested in tank business ventures, including a chain of bowling lanes and a prime rib restaurant and an air freight company, Florida Real Estate Investment. They filed for bankruptcy back in 1991. He died 11 years later with continued litigation and lawsuits hanging over his head. Here's a man who we would say, wow, he arrived at some point, and he ended up with having tremendous debt. Scotty Pippin, I used to watch Scotty Pippin and Michael Jordan, many of you did as well. Estimated lifetime earnings of 120 million. I was preaching in Michigan one time, and I met a man who cared for one of the several yachts that Scotty Pippin owned. He was the caretaker for that ship. Pippin unsuccessfully sued his former law firm for losing $27 million of his money. Throughout his career, he earned over $110 million. That's just an NBA salary. That doesn't include all the endorsements that he had as well. He was sued for the principle that he had in a remaining purchase that he had of a Grumman Gulfstream II corporate jet. He had his own jet. And now he has no money. Latrell Sprewell, I always liked his game. Some of you remember him, four-time NBA All-Star. He earned about $50 million in his career in the NBA. And near the end of his career, they offered him $21 million for a three-year contract, or just to extend it for another three years. And he said, that's not enough money. So he walked away from that. And he wasn't able to sign a contract, a meaningful contract, anywhere else after that. Just three years after his career ended, after he turned down $21 million, he had his yacht repossessed, and he still owed $1.3 million. In 2008, he defaulted on a $1.5 million mortgage. You get the idea. Here's Mike Tyson, undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world. And here's a man, in his lifetime to this point, between $300 and $400 million. $400 million, it's closer to that number. And just a few years ago, Mr. Tyson had less than $700. The issue is not how much money a person makes. It's how you manage what money you have. That is what really matters. We could say it this way, financial discipline is needed no matter how much money you make. Every one of us, you may say, well, I just have $10. You need to be fiscally responsible with that $10. You may say, I may never see $1 million pass through my hands. It's all right. You still need to be responsible with whatever amount God allows to pass through your hand. Financial discipline is needed no matter how much money you make. And by the way, it does pass by really fast. It says by fast, doesn't it? David said in Psalm 37, 25, I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. You may want to write that in the margin there under page six, Psalm 37, verse 25. So in this message today, I'd like to attempt to help each of us with personal financial discipline. Do you ever find that you have more months than money? More month than money. I just need to get through this month. I am one of those guys at a gas station. My dad is like this. People walk up and ask for money all the time. And I don't know if it looks like he's loaded or well off or what. I don't know. But people walk up to him all the time. And that's starting to happen to me as well. And people come up, and they'll say something like this. Hey, I have more month than money. Maybe you feel like that from time to time. Wouldn't it be good to get out of debt? Well, I'd like to just finish paying off the house, get out of debt, pay off the car, get all these college loan debts paid for. Would you like to not have credit card payments hanging over your head, sometimes dragging on for months at a time? You know, some people take a vacation and they pay for that vacation for years following. You know, wouldn't it be good to have no credit card debt? Would you like to be able to buy anything that you need at any moment? Well, it costs $900, but it's something that we need. I believe God wants me to buy it, and I'm in a position to buy it because I followed Bible principles. That'd be tremendous. Would you like to be able to help others? Maybe someone needs $1,000, and I see this need, and I'd like to be able to help them out. Wouldn't it be great? I mean, that'd make you feel good. I can help someone out, and I'd be honoring God at the same time. You know, I can help someone in need. Would you like to be able to retire from income work to be able to do ministry work in your retirement years? All this has to do with goals and priorities, and we'll look at some of those and try to arrange those. I'll tell you, Natalie and I, our story, just very quickly, I'll sum it up real quick. My first ministry job, I made $12,000 a year. $12,000 a year. Natalie worked as the secretary of the church. She made $3,000 a year. And together we brought home $15,000. And we made it all right. God bless us, we made it all right. Egg and cheese sandwiches and peanut butter and jelly still have a close spot in my stomach today. If we went out to fancy dining that included Burger King and McDonald's and their double cheeseburger for $1, that's how we made it. Now at the same time, it is funny, I don't like telling you that, but at the same time, we saved up and I was able to take a master's course and get a seminary degree and a master's degree while we were making that. We were able to save up a CD. And if you don't know what a CD is, it's a certificate of deposit. And at the time, that was making more yield on interest than bank accounts would. And so we bought some CDs. And that helped us later on when our kids were born and we were moving and things such as that. I remember one time, a couple asked us to go out to eat at a fancy restaurant. But before we got there, I didn't know it was going to be a fancy restaurant. And we went to see Michael Jordan play basketball. Oh, I was so excited. I had never watched in person Michael Jordan play basketball. I'd always watched it on the television screen. So I got into youth ministry, was able to go to Memphis. The first time, last time he ever played in Memphis, Tennessee. He dunked the basketball a couple times. It was fun to go and to see. They got us really good tickets, real close to the court. And right before we left on the trip, it was about a two-hour drive over, they said, all right, we'll get something to eat. That was the plan, get something to eat on the way. And to us, I was thinking $10 will take care of us getting something to eat because, you know, it's McDonald's or Burger King. And they took us to this, I don't know, $40, $50 plate place. And I'm looking at this like, I don't know, Natalie, maybe we can get some butter or something. I had $10. I didn't have a credit card back then. We just had $10. And that couple graciously said, we'll take care of everything. And they paid for our meal. But no one wants to feel like that. No one wants to feel like that. Here's how not to feel like that. Now, keep special occasions. When someone gives you a special opportunity, I want to get in on that special opportunity. But sometimes we can't get in on a special opportunity because we don't manage the finances the rest of the time in our life. This message is intended to give you hope and help, and I hope it is a help to you today. Personal financial discipline honors God. That's the main theme today. Personal financial discipline honors the Lord. Here's some principles of stewardship. We'll begin, number one, it all belongs to God. It all belongs to God. We've got about 20 minutes. I'm going to give you as much time as I can through this passage here. It all belongs to God. Exodus chapter 19, verse 5. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine. Everything on this globe belongs to God. So your first blank is all. Psalm 50 verse 10, for every beast of the forest is mine and the cattle upon a thousand hills. You just finished singing very beautifully that song 727 in your hymnal. He owns a cattle on a thousand hills. The inspiration, if you would, the idea of that song comes from Psalm 50 verse 10. Number two, it all belongs to God. Secondly, I am a steward. 1 Corinthians 4 says it's required in a steward that a man be found faithful. And so we're to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us. Luke 16, verse 10, Jesus said it this way, he that is faithful, that's your blank there, faithful, in that which is least is faithful also in much. And he that is unjust in least is also unjust in also in much. Now, the word steward is an interesting word. It means a house distributor. If you had someone overseeing your property or your household, that would be like a steward, a manager. We think about a manager today. The guy at the gas station maybe is the manager, but maybe he's not the owner. Maybe the person at the restaurant is managing, but he's not the owner. He's managing on behalf of whoever owns it. He's trying to do a good job to earn money to bless whoever owns that establishment. God looks at us and says, okay, everything belongs to me. I own it all, and I have entrusted certain parts to you, like a gas station, or like a restaurant, or some other institution, and I am giving this to you to be the manager of it. I am entrusting it to you that you would be the steward over it. The word steward means a fiscal agent, sometimes it also means a treasurer. Now, God trusts us with some things, and he adds more to those who are more trustworthy. By the way, when you say a statement like that, make sure that you know that not all blessings are measured in tangible and physical things. Make sure that you know that. Sometimes people think, well, if I do right by money, I'll become a millionaire. That happens sometimes, but that is not our goal. We want to do right by money because it's doing right by our God. And so how do we do that? We want to be faithful. How about being fruitful? We use the term tithe, the word tithe. Giving to God first is like planting finances to grow for the future. This is an Old Testament concept that predates the law. Malachi chapter three, verse 10. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Your next two blanks on page nine, to bring all the tithes, and he will pour out a blessing. In response to obedience to God, God said, I will bless you, and there'll not be room enough to receive it. Now, when we believe principle number one, it all belongs to God, it makes it easier to practice tithing and giving and offerings. It makes it a lot easier. I'm just a steward. I'm just responsible to honor God with what he's given. It helps and makes it a lot easier to do that. Here's an example, Malachi 3, 8. And by the way, Malachi 3, a great passage teaching about tithing and offerings. Will a man rob, that's your blank there, rob God? Will a man rob God like being a thief? Yet ye have robbed me, but ye say wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings, tithes and offerings. So rob is your next blank, and tithes is the last blank there on the page. Now it's interesting, a lot of times people misunderstand tithes and offerings. We still follow the civil law of the Old Testament. Thou shalt not kill. Isn't that a good thing to live by? Thou shalt not steal." We would say, yes, we do that. The civil law of God is something that we still practice today. The civil law of God. Now when it comes to ceremonial law, how do we access God? Jesus fulfilled the law. He didn't abolish the law, he fulfilled the law. Now, the law is indicating salvation. We don't follow those. Jesus paid the final sacrifice, and all their sacrifices pointed to the one sacrifice, the once-for-all sacrifice the Hebrews tells us about Jesus dying once for all. But these practical laws, they are principles that still work. Tithes, or law, is expanded in the New Testament. Think about Matthew 5.21, and we're looking at the Sermon on the Mount Sunday evenings, and next Sunday night, Lord willing, we'll look at that, where that verse says that hatred is like murder. Jesus takes the law and he expounds upon it. He adds some more depth to it. In Matthew 5.28, lust in the heart or mind is the same as physical adultery. And so, what about tithing then? Here's the idea. The idea is that the spirit of the law and the attitude with which one follows the Bible teaching is more important than the letter of the law. We need to get a hold of the idea of the spirit of what God says in the Bible and follow through with that. It would indicate then that 10% is a great place to start, the spirit of tithing and giving. Natalie and I, when we got married, we purposed that we would always tithe. and we would always give above 10%, that would be our offering. And then above that even, we would give two missions. And each year we pray, can we do that? I'm just using me as a personal example, because I don't know your finances, I just know mine. And we purpose, we're gonna practice this. and we're gonna honor God with this. And God has blessed us, and we're thankful. These are Bible principles, and they work. That's why 2 Corinthians 9, 7 says this. Every man according as he purposed it in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver. I wanna honor God. I wanna bless God. I don't have to, I get to. See, it's a perspective. It's a perspective. Number three, third principle, money is temporary. Look at Matthew chapter six. Matthew chapter six, I'll begin reading verse 19 to 21. Jesus said, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay for yourselves up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. And so money is very temporary. Like those athletes, they could have a lot, and it's gone seemingly overnight. 1 Timothy 6, verse 17, charged them, that a rich in this world, that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. Principle number four, eternal investments can be made. Now turn back to Psalm, if you would. Very interesting passage, Psalm chapter 50. Psalm chapter 50. make an interesting statement to you. God does not need your money. I'm going to bring my tithe and offering. Didn't you say that's a good thing to do? Yes. God does not need your money. Look at this passage. Psalm chapter 50 verse 7. Here, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against thee. I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings to have been continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. They would actually tithe on animals. If they had 10 animals income, they would give an animal and maybe give a sacrifice of that or take it down to the tabernacle or temple. where he goeth out of thy folds, for every beast of the forest is mine, and a cattle upon a thousand hills. All right, we sang about that today. He owns it all. I know all the fowls of the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are mine. So what God is saying in these verses is, I'm not going to criticize you for bringing your tithes and your offerings, but it's the spirit with which you bring it. Notice what he says in verse 12. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, For the world is mine, and the fullness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High. And call upon me in a day of trouble. I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." God is saying, I don't need your money, but here's what happens. We need the financial discipline. We need the financial discipline that tithes and offerings bring about. We benefit when we put God first because that brings us the financial discipline that's needed for everyday choices throughout life. Now notice how the person is offering to God, verse 14, to God to pay thy vows to the most high and then call upon me in a day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me. Now contrast that to the next two verses where the wicked saith, unto the wicked God saith, what hast thou to do to declare my statutes? For that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth, seest thou hadest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. They didn't care to hear the Bible, or to order their life after the scriptural teaching about tithes and offerings, God said to the righteous, the one who's participating in tithes and offerings, you'll have everything that you need, I'll be there in a day of trouble, and will provide a way for you, but then for the wicked person here, he says, what recourse do you have? You haven't been financially disciplined to this point, and you haven't listened to Bible instruction to this point, how are you going to get out of this mess? Because you're on your own. That's what it's indicating here. Now, there's a difference between controlling your money or allowing money to control you. God does not reprove his people for bringing the offering, but for thanking they were doing God a favor or helping him out with the offering. Folks, God does not want your money, he wants your heart. That spirit with which you manage your life must be in tune with the Lord. I challenge you to love Him more than money. We bring tithes. I like to use that term, bring. And we give offerings, not because God depends on us, but because we depend on Him. God. There's a story there you can read. Let's skip over that story. And it's about a living thief and a dying thief. We need to turn to Luke chapter 12. Luke chapter 12. You like that story there. Luke chapter 12. Verse 13, so we know our Bible principles. Luke 12, I'll begin reading verse 13, down to verse 21. And one of the companies said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, man, who made me a judge or divider over you? So they were having a dispute over money, inheritance, finances. Whenever people are fighting about money, perhaps they're loving the money. And that's the case here for these two brothers. Look at verse 15. He said unto them, take heed and beware of covetousness. For man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. So your life isn't as much as how much money or stuff that you have. Don't we ask sometimes, or we'll say something, well how much is he worth? You should be worth a lot more than whatever money you have or do not have. In character, in love of God, things like that. Now he gives him a parable, verse 16. The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, what shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, this will I do. I will pull down my barns in Belgrader, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. So how can we be rich toward God? I'll try to answer that question then. Consider God first. considered gone first. There was a torn and ragged $1 bill that discovered that it was about to be retired from circulation if money could talk to each other. And it slowly moved along the conveyor belt to the shredder. It became acquainted and struck up a conversation with a $50 bill that was meeting the same fate. The 50 began reminiscing about its travels all over the country. Life's been good, the 50 exclaimed. While I've been in Las Vegas, the finest restaurants in New York, political fundraisers, I just returned from a cruise on the Caribbean. The $1 bill said you're fortunate to be able to visit all these places. So where have you been in your lifetime, my little friend, said the 50. Well, I've been to the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Lutheran Church, the Catholic Church, the Salvation Army Church, the Orthodox Church, the Assembly of God Church, the Brethren Church, the Quaker Church, the Pentecostal Church, the Charismatic Church, and the Church of Christ. Excuse me, said the 50, what's a church? He'd never been there. He'd never been there. We need to think of God first whenever we are increased. Think of God first. First fruits, Proverbs 3.9, here's a good principle. Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase. Increase, so that's your blank there. Agricultural terms is what that verse sounds like. You go out and get some grain, you bring it back in, that's your increase. You go out and get your income and you bring that in and you present to God first. How about your first withdrawal? I encourage you to have a very well thought out plan and schedule. What gets scheduled is what gets done. If you don't plan on tithing, if you don't plan on saving, if you don't plan on helping other people, this stuff generally does not happen by itself. So schedule tithing, giving, and saving. These disciplines should be habit. And they're not based on how you feel. You may not feel like brushing your teeth or cleaning your clothes, but you do it. And it's not if, well, the preacher, he brought a good message today, so I'll honor God with a good, with a tithe. Well, that may never happen, then, if you come to Wilton Baptist Church. I'm kidding with you. Maybe somebody's whispering that, oh, you don't bring a good one. Don't give or not give based on the message that's preached. See, if you're personally disciplined with the money God has entrusted to you, and if you follow these Bible principles, God will bless your life. So I'm trying to help you find financial freedom. It's not dependent on how you feel, or what kind of message the preacher brought, or anything like that. How about 1 Timothy 6, verses 7 and 8? We brought nothing into this world. It is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and rain, but let us be there with content. That's your blank there, content. Derek Carr. Some of you know Derek Carr, the athlete, the star athlete, the quarterback of the Oakland Raiders. And he just signed a contract last week, over the course of five years, it's the richest contract in NFL history, $125 million. Richest contract ever. Now this is a Christian man. They were interviewing this man, following him getting this big contract. Everyone's making a big deal at this press conference. And he asked, is there anything that you would splurge on? He lightheartedly said, Chick-fil-A. I want to buy some Chick-fil-A. He'd been doing a special diet for his athleticism. And he said, you know, Chick-fil-A, I'd like to eat some of that. And I want to buy something nice for my wife. Then he went on to say, but she'd rather not that I do that. She still gets coupons. She still goes online and tries to find discounts. And none of that's going to change. That's a good testimony of someone who's trying to arrange his finances in a biblical fashion. He said, the exciting thing for me, money-wise, honestly, is that this money is going to help a lot of people, he added. And he said that he's been tithing since college when he got his scholarship money. And he said, it's not gonna change now. That's a good testimony. Now, you may not have $125 million, but let's say you have $125,000, or maybe you have $40,000 or $60,000 income. Whatever it is, be faithful with what God has entrusted. It's not the amount of money, it's what you do with what God has given. Number two, consider the savings. Consider savings second. Have a savings strategy. Long-term planning. have some long-term planning, short-term planning for emergencies. Here's a good goal. Everyone, here's a good goal. Financial counselors, I've read their books, listened to their programs and studied this as well. They'll tell you some of these things that I'm going to share with you here in just a moment. Let's say that you have a financial goal, I'm going to have $1,000 in cash. We're not going to use it. We're not going to spend it. But if there's an emergency, it's there. And we have it. That's a good goal. That's an attainable goal. It may take several months. Maybe I'm trying to get out of debt. Get out of debt. Save up that $1,000 in emergency cash. Have you ever gone to the store and they said, well, the power's out or the internet's down and the registers are all closed? It's because we've gone to a digital currency type society. primarily, it would be helpful for that reason to have some money, actual cash on hand. Next, find ways to save pennies. Delaying purchases one more month. Even if it's something that we need, well, what if I wait just one more month? I can make it just a few more days to get through the month. That actually can help you. That also shows financial discipline. And that's what we're talking about, having financial discipline. How about this? Don't buy things if you will seldom ever use them. It doesn't matter how good of a deal it is if you don't need it. Don't buy it. Well, it's a really good deal. That window screen doesn't even fit my windows, but it's a really good deal. Why buy it? You know what I'm saying? Okay, avoid the sales pressure of buying the next 15 minutes or you lose the sale. Listen, high-pressure sales tactics, walk away from those people. They don't have Bible principles guiding them at all. Find a car somewhere else. Find the item somewhere else. Avoid the checkout lane items. You know, a $3 Mountain Dew at the checkout item, you probably can find for $3 a whole case of it back at the back if you're willing to go back there and get it. It's showing personal financial discipline. Along the lines with that you know every time you drive by a Dunkin Donuts or a Starbucks if you stop Every time you drive by one you may end up in perpetual poverty why well they're on every corner It seems like they're all around you know save some of those things for special and Occasions. Keep using the appliances until they die. Buy cars slightly used that save thousands on depreciation. Pay off the credit card each month. If you struggle to pay it off each month, cut the card up, pay the rest of the bill, that's integrity, pay the rest of it off, and use cash or debit. Take less vacations until the house is paid off. Visit family maybe for vacation or go camping. Use the coupons. My mom, my mother, She would save maybe $10,000 a year in coupons. And she still practices that. And so that's a good idea. You could save some money like that. Learn the art of cutting your own kid's hair. That would save a lot of money throughout the child's lifetime. Eat at lunchtime, not dinnertime. That would save you quite a bit. If you want to do something special, eat at lunch. It goes up a lot more for dinnertime. Just think about that. Plan this thing out. Limit the cost of gifts, maybe, that you're buying for other people. Have some discipline. Smaller birthday parties. Events that you put on, maybe a birthday party, it shouldn't be hundreds of dollars every year. I think we can spoil our kids, and there's other reasons for that. Maybe just pick one specific birthday, and we'll do something really big. The rest of the time, make it special, but it doesn't have to be hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Here's an idea, pay extra on principle, not interest. So you can pay down your house a lot faster by designating, maybe you send another tech in or withdrawal or something, and we're gonna put it towards the principle. And some people pay off their houses in half the time, and they save that much money, thousands and thousands, in the interest over the rest that they would have been paid. Next page then. Hebrews 13, five, let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have, He has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Number three, consider others. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Hetty Green may have been the biggest miser who ever lived. Her father died when she was 30, leaving her an inheritance of $100 million in today's money. Although it was unusual in that day for a woman to be involved with banking and investments at the time, she concentrated all of her efforts and attention on growing the family fortune. Her focus drove her, and the money drove a wedge between her and her husband and her two children. The family was scattered. She was known for eating cold oatmeal to save money. She didn't want to heat it up to save money. She would wash only the hem of her dress to save money on soap. She was known as the witch of Wall Street. Now, this is tragedy. When her son, Ned, broke his leg as a young boy, she tried to have him treated in a free clinic for the poor. When they turned her away, because she wasn't poor, she tried to treat him at home for his broken leg, and later on, his leg had to be amputated. Listen, here's a woman who had millions of dollars, and she loved that money more than she loved her own family. and there's something wrong with that. We need to consider other people with our finances. Just last week, New Jersey millionaires caught stealing from healthcare and millions in financial relief. First Timothy 610, rather, for the love of money is the roots of all evil, which while some covet it after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Consider cash, number four. Do not spend more than you have. You remember the days when people would lay away at Kmart? You remember that? Okay, some of you kids are saying, what's Kmart? It was a store, and there's several, just a few around today. But some people today are buying things on the lay awake plan. They lay awake each night trying to figure out how they'll pay for it. You don't have to live like that. Consider cash. Luke, that passage there, count the cost. Your blank is cost. Count the cost. Proverbs 22.7, the rich ruleth over the poor and the borrower is servant. The blank there is servant to the lender. Folks, debt is not sinful, but it's a poor condition to be in. Do everything you can to not be the servant to somebody else. Get out of debt as fast as possible, but it takes financial discipline. Number five, consider your wanter, your wanter. We all have good wanters. Exodus 20, verse 17, thou shalt not, not covet. Anything that is thy neighbor. Psalm 119, 36, incline my heart. Heart is the blank on the next page, the next line. Heart, unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness. And Proverbs 21, 26, he coveteth greedily all the day long, but the righteous giveth. That's the last blank today. He giveth and spareth not. So last page, heart and giveth. How can we have hearts that are not covetous. Be careful of what you look at, guard your thoughts, avoid dwelling on what you do not have, and focus upon the many blessings that God has given to you. When I was a young boy, my parents would teach us to tithe, to give, to save money, and to spend very little. And the only things I bought were some baseball cards and new shoes. That was about it. and I'm thankful for how they helped me with that. The rest was either given away or saved. And after college, Natalie and I were married, and we had several thousand dollars to live on for a while. So I hope these principles, these truths will help you to find financial freedom. Folks, don't let money control you. Get to a place where you can buy that car with cash, and take a trip and not pay for years later, or help people in need. Ultimately, let's honor the Lord. Let's honor God. There's some other ideas here for you in the next few pages, some samples and some things to look at. There's a page of additional resources, also a page with scriptures listed. I encourage you get some of those items and learn these Bible principles. It will change your life. It'll change your life. And I hope it's been a help. Let's bow together. Father, we thank you for this day and for this almost like a seminar about personal finances. Lord, we thank you for this teaching that will enrich our spirits and enrich our lives, not just with money, but in many other ways. Help us to honor you. Help us to consider these principles, that they would change our lives and families, that we would have freedom and not bondage to money. I pray that as we take a moment here and consider these truths, that you would challenge our hearts to have this financial discipline that brings honor and glory to you, and we pray it in Jesus' name, amen, amen. Well, thank you today for participating in this message and teaching. We have a baptism right now, and so let's have Brayden come on to the front. Where is Brayden at? All right, there he is. He's coming on, so come on, come on, Brayden. All right, the young people are gonna come in here and join us. All right, so gentlemen, you can start putting the screen up. And is Brayden ready? Is he already back there? All right, he's ahead of schedule. That's good. Thank you for being here today. And we have just a couple of announcements. While they're coming in, I'll go ahead and share those. Can you put those up on the screen, gentlemen? OK, we have a business meeting next Sunday night. So we're making plans for that next then. We have a guest preacher tonight that will be bringing the message. His name is Tom Stiles. And then cornhole is a fun game. Yeah. Brayden, come on up. There he is. Yeah, come on up, buddy. And fellowship Sunday nights. We'll have volleyball and cornhole. I encourage you to come. We're going to have a good Bible message tonight and then good fellowship as well. So, Brayden, let's get you all ready back here for the baptism. Thank you, Mom. You can help get him ready there. Going back to our message today, several of you have given me testimonies over the years that when you started to honor God first, that you got out of debt, and things started to change, finances started to be blessed. And so take these principles, I mean these things are for real, and take the Bible truth, a lot of the verses that are listed there in the back, and those resources we talked about, they can help you, and so I really encourage you with that. All right, we have some of Brayden's family here today, and we're glad that you're here to witness this special day. Let's go and finish getting ready. All right, this is Brayden. Can you say hi to everybody? Hi. Hi. Whoa. All right, he's ready to go under. How old are you, Brayden? Five and a half. Five and a half. And have you trusted Christ for salvation? Yes. Amen. Well, upon your professional faith, it's an honor to baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So put your hand on your nose there. In the very enlightenment of His death, and raised to walk in newness of life. Amen. Amen. There you go. Good job. Have a great afternoon. Let's all stand. We'll sing our closing song. Brother Adam will lead us in that. Thank you for being here today. What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon His face, the one who saved me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand and leads me through the promised land, what a day, glorious day, that will be. So,