Money Matters Participant's Guide: Financial Freedom for All God's Children
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About this ebook
A complete stewardship kit to prepare your congregation for generosity.
Outline (7 sessions): 1. The Celebration of Creation2. The Freedom of Simplicity3. The Life of Generosity4. The Trust of Rightful Ownership5. The Joy of Faithful Stewardship6. The Faith in Promised Provision7. The Commitment to Ultimate Sacrifice
Target audience: Participants guide: small groups in congregation; with at least the trustees and the church board.
Rev. Dr. Mike Slaughter
Mike Slaughter is the Pastor Emeritus at Ginghamsburg Church. Under his leadership, Ginghamsburg Church has become known as an early innovator of small group ministry, the Church "media reformation," and cyber-ministry. Mike is the author of multiple books for church leaders, including Down to Earth, The Passionate Church, Change the World, Dare to Dream, Renegade Gospel, A Different Kind of Christmas, Spiritual Entrepreneurs, Real Followers, Momentum for Life, UnLearning Church, and Upside Living in a Downside Economy.
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Money Matters Participant's Guide - Rev. Dr. Mike Slaughter
I have observed how the grip of materialism can strangle a person and an organization. The only cure is understanding and applying God's principles of stewardship and generosity. It's all there in the Bible. Money DOES Matter. Learn from Mike, one of the best teachers of our time, about how to get in sync with God's game plan.
—Bob Buford, Founding Chairman, Leadership Network
Other Books by Michael Slaughter
Spiritual Entrepreneurs: Six Principles for Risking Renewal
Out on the Edge: A Wakeup Call for Church Leaders on the Edge of the Media Reformation
Real Followers: Beyond Virtual Christianity
UnLearning Church: Transforming Spiritual Leadership for the Emerging Church
Momentum for Life: Sustaining Personal Health, Integrity, and Strategic Focus As A Leader
MONEY MATTERS
Financial Freedom for All God's Children
Michael Slaughter
with
Kim Miller
Abingdon Press
Nashville
Copyright 2006 by Michael B. Slaughter.
All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act, the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to permissions@abingdonpress.com or to Abingdon Press, 201 Eighth Avenue South, P.O. Box 801, Nashville, TN 37202-0801.
This book is printed on recycled, acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Slaughter, Michael.
Money Matters : financial freedom for all God's children / Michael Slaughter with Kim Miller.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-687-49535-0
1. Wealth—Religious aspects—Christianity. 2. Finance, Personal— Religious aspects—Christianity. I. Miller, Kim, 1956- II. Title.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: Today's New International Version (TNIV), © 2001, 2005 by The International Bible Society. Used by permission.
Scripture references marked NRSV are from The New Revised Standard Version, © 1989 by The National Council of Churches of Christ. Used by permission.
06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15—10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
This book is dedicated to the faithful stewards of
Ginghamsburg Church who are faithfully practicing
the disciplines of financial freedom for the
purpose of courageously serving
the needs of the world that God loves.
Acknowledgements
I thank:
My wife Carolyn for being a model of faithful stewardship and sacrifice in serving the needs of others in the mission of Jesus Christ.
Kim Miller (Creative Director of Ginghamsburg Church) for her incredible gift of making my work better.
My editor Paul Franklyn and his team at Abingdon Press, for encouraging this project that I might not have otherwise written.
The people of Ginghamsburg Church who powerfully demonstrate the presence and power of Jesus through sacrificial giving and servant living.
Foreword
Each year as the Christmas season draws near, I am reminded that Christmas is not my birthday. Christmas is Jesus' birthday. The true Light that came into the world to bring hope and liberation to all people continues to shine brightly through real followers today. As disciples of Jesus, we are his hands and feet to take justice and hope to the lost and oppressed.
Materialism and debt continue to be one of the major oppressive forces that keep people from living fully as sons and daughters of God. We are created in the image of God and are never closer to God than when meeting the real needs of people. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me
(Matthew 25:40). My prayer is for you to know the joy of financial freedom and the amazing abundance of generous living.
Mike Slaughter
January 2006
Image1Contents
Part One: The Focus of Heart Devotion
Chapter 1 – A Faith-filled Focus
Chapter 2 – Devoted to Our Rightful Owner
Chapter 3 – Surrender, Trust, and Freedom
Part Two: The Commitment to Debt free Living
Chapter 4 – Stewardship 101
Chapter 5 – Steps to Debt-free Living
Part Three: The Practice of a Disciplined Lifestyle
Chapter 6 – Creators vs. Consumers
Chapter 7 – Lifestyles of the Disciplined and Generous
A Call To Action: The Power of Ultimate Sacrifice
Image2Image3Chapter One
A Faith-filled Focus
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life— 1 Timothy 6:17-19
img1Money matters, doesn't it? While televisionevangelists have long-abused the word pros perity, it is still true that God desires success for all God's children. I am passionately convinced that every person will experience transformation in their life when they put their faith into action by practicing the timeless principles addressed
Think about how much of your energy each week is tied in some way to money. The prime time of our days and weeks is given to earning money. Every day you make numerous financial decisions. Everything costs money, from food for your family, to gas for your car, to the roof over your head.
Our finances are unstable at best, because every part of our life is tied to economic forces that are much bigger than any individual. Consider the impact of September 11, 2001, the day that a war began, when so much changed. It was the official end to the boom of the 1990s, during which the economy grew rapidly and the stock market appreciated at a reckless pace. The average person lost 40 percent of his or her financial investments or retirement funds as a result of 9/11.
Beyond the hard facts about our finances, money matters take an emotional toll on our lives and in our relationships. The Gallup Poll verifies that 56 percent of all divorces are the result of financial tension.
All God's children can be free from financial worry, however, because God gives us biblical principles to open the doors to financial freedom. Whether as debt-ridden adults or credit-tempted students, there can be no better time than right now to experience transformation in our money matters.
Powerful Parent
Image4As we build a platform for wealth in every sense of the term, we should begin with the understanding that we have a powerful parent. If you and I as humans are willing to go to such great lengths to be with and provide for our children, how much more God? This parental promise Matthew 7:7-11:
Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (NRSV)
I had a toy not too long ago, a 1960 Corvette with silver coves, a white soft top, and nine perfect chrome teeth in the Image5 front. There is a special connection between men and their toys. Often I'll call a friend's house and his wife will answer the phone and tell me that my friend is out in the garage. Women seldom go out to the garage just to look at their car or motorcycle or whatever's out there, but men can be caught just opening the door and sighing! The number one question I'm asked is, Why don't you have your Corvette anymore? What happened to the car?
Only one thing could cause me toThe heart of a parent does
whatever is required for the