Incremental Change: Mastering Finances Through Faithfulness
Summary
Good morning, and welcome to Crossland Community Church. Today, we continue our series, "One Degree," focusing on the power of incremental change in our lives. Just as in aviation, where being one degree off can lead to missing a destination by miles, small adjustments in our lives can significantly alter our life's trajectory. This principle is not only true in engineering but also biblically and theologically sound. Most life changes happen incrementally, not dramatically, unless there's a radical behavioral issue like addiction.
Today, we delve into the topic of financial faithfulness, a subject the Bible addresses extensively, with over 2,300 verses on finances. The key is not about giving but about being faithful stewards of our resources. We explored how two regions in the U.S., Appalachia and California, were transformed by harnessing the power of water, a neutral resource. Similarly, our wealth is neutral, but when managed wisely, it can generate power and change lives.
The Bible categorizes financial stewardship into three areas: share, save, and spend. Sharing involves generosity towards God, His kingdom, and those in need. Saving is about incremental growth, akin to the ant storing food for winter. Spending, when done wisely, allows us to enjoy the fruits of our labor without guilt. The principle of first fruits is crucial, as it unlocks the power of redemption and resurrection, just as Christ was the first fruit for our redemption.
Ultimately, the challenge is to decide who our master is—God or money. By choosing God, we can master our finances rather than being mastered by them. This requires faithfulness, a principle that applies to everyone, regardless of financial status. We are called to be faithful stewards, ensuring our resources serve as tools for God's kingdom rather than taskmasters over our lives.
Key Takeaways:
1. Incremental Change: Just as a one-degree shift in aviation can lead to a vastly different destination, small, consistent changes in our lives can lead to significant transformation. This principle applies to our spiritual, financial, and personal growth, emphasizing the power of gradual improvement over time. [36:47]
2. Financial Faithfulness: The Bible speaks extensively about finances, highlighting the importance of being faithful stewards of our resources. By categorizing our finances into sharing, saving, and spending, we can harness the power of money to serve God's kingdom and bless others. [41:15]
3. The Power of First Fruits: The principle of first fruits is about giving God the first portion of our resources, unlocking the power of redemption and blessing. This act of faith demonstrates our trust in God's provision and aligns our hearts with His kingdom. [49:28]
4. Mastering Money: We must choose whether to serve God or money. By making God our master, we can use our finances as tools for His purposes rather than being enslaved by them. This choice requires intentionality and faithfulness in managing our resources. [46:32]
5. Generosity and Prosperity: Generosity is the pathway to prosperity and financial security. By sharing our resources with God, His kingdom, and those in need, we invite God's participation in our financial lives, leading to blessings and abundance. [53:48]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Introduction to One Degree Series
[02:30] - The Power of Incremental Change
[05:15] - Financial Faithfulness in the Bible
[08:00] - Historical Transformation through Water
[12:00] - Neutrality of Wealth
[15:30] - Share, Save, Spend
[20:00] - The Principle of First Fruits
[25:00] - Choosing Your Master
[30:00] - Generosity as a Pathway to Prosperity
[35:00] - Incremental Saving
[40:00] - The Role of Faith in Financial Stewardship
[45:00] - Enjoyment in Spending
[50:00] - Overcoming Financial Obstacles
[55:00] - Conclusion and Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) - "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
2. Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV) - "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."
3. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV) - "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."
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Observation Questions:
1. What are the three categories of financial stewardship mentioned in the sermon, and how do they relate to the biblical principle of faithfulness? [41:15]
2. How does the sermon illustrate the neutrality of wealth using the example of water in Appalachia and California? [38:47]
3. What is the significance of the "first fruits" according to the sermon, and how does it relate to the concept of redemption? [49:28]
4. How does the sermon describe the choice between serving God and money, and what are the implications of this choice? [46:32]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the principle of "first fruits" challenge the way individuals prioritize their financial resources? What does this reveal about their trust in God's provision? [49:28]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that incremental changes in financial habits can lead to significant life transformations? How does this align with the biblical principle of faithfulness? [36:47]
3. How does the sermon interpret the biblical warning against storing up treasures on earth? What practical steps can individuals take to align their financial priorities with heavenly values? [45:09]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between generosity and prosperity? How does this perspective challenge common societal views on wealth and success? [53:48]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current financial habits. What is one small, incremental change you can make this month to become a more faithful steward of your resources? [36:47]
2. Consider the concept of "first fruits" in your life. How can you prioritize giving to God and His kingdom in a way that demonstrates trust in His provision? [49:28]
3. Identify an area in your life where money might be acting as a taskmaster rather than a tool. What steps can you take to ensure God remains your master in this area? [46:32]
4. Think about a recent financial decision you made. How did it reflect your values and priorities? What changes, if any, would you make to align more closely with biblical principles of stewardship? [45:09]
5. How can you practice generosity in your community this week? Identify a specific way to share your resources with someone in need. [53:48]
6. Reflect on the sermon’s message about the power of incremental saving. What is one practical step you can take to start or improve your saving habits? [58:18]
7. How can you find joy in spending after prioritizing sharing and saving? Identify a way to enjoy the fruits of your labor without guilt. [01:06:03]
Devotional
Day 1: The Power of Small Changes
In life, small, consistent changes can lead to significant transformation. Just as a one-degree shift in aviation can lead to a vastly different destination, the same principle applies to our spiritual, financial, and personal growth. Incremental change emphasizes the power of gradual improvement over time. By focusing on small adjustments, we can alter our life's trajectory in meaningful ways. This approach encourages patience and persistence, reminding us that most life changes happen incrementally, not dramatically. [36:47]
"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand." (Zechariah 4:10, ESV)
Reflection: What is one small change you can make today that, if done consistently, could lead to a significant transformation in your life over time?
Day 2: Faithful Stewardship of Finances
The Bible speaks extensively about finances, highlighting the importance of being faithful stewards of our resources. By categorizing our finances into sharing, saving, and spending, we can harness the power of money to serve God's kingdom and bless others. Financial faithfulness is not about the amount we give but about the intentionality and faithfulness in managing our resources. This approach allows us to use our wealth as a tool for God's purposes rather than being enslaved by it. [41:15]
"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine." (Proverbs 3:9-10, ESV)
Reflection: How can you categorize your finances into sharing, saving, and spending to better align with God's purposes for your life?
Day 3: The Principle of First Fruits
The principle of first fruits is about giving God the first portion of our resources, unlocking the power of redemption and blessing. This act of faith demonstrates our trust in God's provision and aligns our hearts with His kingdom. By prioritizing God in our finances, we acknowledge His sovereignty and invite His blessings into our lives. This principle encourages us to live with an open hand, trusting that God will provide for our needs as we honor Him with our first fruits. [49:28]
"And the first of all the firstfruits of all kinds, and every offering of all kinds, from all your offerings, shall belong to the priests. You shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, that a blessing may rest on your house." (Ezekiel 44:30, ESV)
Reflection: What would it look like for you to give God the first portion of your resources, and how might this act of faith impact your relationship with Him?
Day 4: Choosing Your Master
We must choose whether to serve God or money. By making God our master, we can use our finances as tools for His purposes rather than being enslaved by them. This choice requires intentionality and faithfulness in managing our resources. When we prioritize God over money, we experience freedom and peace, knowing that our lives are aligned with His will. This decision is a daily commitment to trust in God's provision and to use our resources to further His kingdom. [46:32]
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." (Matthew 6:24, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways are you currently serving money instead of God, and how can you begin to shift your focus to make God your master?
Day 5: Generosity as a Pathway to Prosperity
Generosity is the pathway to prosperity and financial security. By sharing our resources with God, His kingdom, and those in need, we invite God's participation in our financial lives, leading to blessings and abundance. This principle encourages us to live with an open heart, trusting that as we give, we will also receive. Generosity is not just about financial giving but also about sharing our time, talents, and love with others, reflecting God's generosity towards us. [53:48]
"Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered." (Proverbs 11:25, ESV)
Reflection: How can you practice generosity today in a way that reflects God's love and abundance in your life?
Quotes
"Good morning. Welcome to Crossland Community Church. We're a community of refuge and hope for all people. So glad you're here. Let me grab something. We're in week two of that series called One Degree, and the whole principle of it is described right there in aviation, is that one degree off, it can be a, well, it wouldn't be. It'd be a tragic mishap. Even if you missed, I mean, now you're saying all about my TV. You miss a runway by a mile or two, you've missed it unbelievably. So, golly. Here you go. You're looking at your pastor's technical savvy. It's on there? Awesome. So, in life, the same thing is true. You don't have to make dramatic changes to alter the trajectory of your life. You trust the incremental changes will ultimately and eventually change your life. You don't have to make dramatic changes to alter leads you to the place that God is leading you to, that life changes incrementally and eventually." [00:33:49] (60 seconds)
"All you need to do is to comprehend the radical difference between what you're doing and what you're not doing. And that's what we're going to talk about in a minute. But most of life is not about that kind of behavioral modification. All you need to do is to comprehend the radical difference between what you're doing and what you're not doing. And that's one degree a month this calendar year could do for your life forever. I mean, you just made 12 changes, okay? Three in each of these four categories as we go throughout this calendar year. I literally guarantee you, you are going to be in a different place than you are right now. And that's the basis of this series of messages. It is true biblically, theologically. It's true in engineering. It is very proven. It's called the one in 60 principle. If you want to look that up, online. So today's week two. Today's the way when people, their toes start to curl a little bit. You see financial, and this is not a giving sermon. This is not that. The context of this is going to be faithfulness, because that is truly the primary biblical principle when it comes to resources. The Bible has so much to say, and I know it's hard to fathom, but there are 1 ,200 passages in the Bible that deal with faithfulness. And I know it's hard to fathom, but there are 2 ,300 that deal with finances." [00:36:50] (68 seconds)
"Two major areas of our country developed dramatically. Now, not equally, mind you, but dramatically. And one is the Appalachia area, the southeastern, this pocket of the southeastern United States from about 1900 till now. If you were to compare Knoxville or Middle Tennessee or South Central Kentucky or Hazard or Ashland City to how life was in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, you'd have thought you were in a first world and third world country 100 years ago. The poverty, the dysentery, the sickness, one of the number one killers in Appalachia and in this Tennessee Valley was foodborne illness because there was no electricity, couldn't refrigerate food." [00:36:56] (45 seconds)
"What they learned was is that if you can take an available resource and you can accumulate it all in one place, then you release it necessarily in certain different ways and times. You could produce a tremendous amount of electricity with water. Truly, if you think about it, clean energy. Just capture the water, the turbine spin and it's... Now, Hoover Dam is still considered one of the engineering marvels in human history. Because of what they did to the water supply. It was released a long time in a blast. They built a big city with�否 ר ♥ and what they've done, and it's phenomenal. Now, it hasn't always been without controversy." [00:38:47] (34 seconds)
"It's exactly what the Bible would tell you about your wealth and your resources and your finances, that it's neutral, but there is a way to harness its power, just like water. It doesn't have to be a flood. If you can figure out, and, biblically, there's flooded spaces between it and the water, and there's classど, real primary pawns, if you will, that you accumulate money in. And that money, when captured, that money and byproduct of your hard labor is dispensed through specific means. You generate a power that will not only change your life, it changed the life of so many people around you." [00:40:56] (40 seconds)
"So this applies to all of us, all right? This is a principle that you will continually evaluate all throughout your life. But we got to find the why in all of this before we look at the what it is God's calling us to do. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and venom destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and vermin do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. So there is the seek first one degree principle of the kingdom of God is that we have to know where our heart is, okay, and where our wallet is, okay? We've got to make sure that the money in our hands does not replace the God that is in our heart. And if you have your heart is connected to the kingdom, then everything that's in your hands becomes a tool." [00:43:43] (57 seconds)
"No one can serve two masters, either you will hate the one and love the other, or you'll be devoted to the one and despise the other. Bottom line, you cannot serve God and money, okay? So, the principle for us is faithfulness, okay? You'll see it's the last text I'll show you. The why is because we do, why does the Bible speak so much about it? Because it seems obvious that the greatest competitor for loyalty is resources." [00:46:00] (33 seconds)
"If money is your master, it's really hard to have your heart in heaven, all right? And there's a lot of reasons we get there, and I'm going to talk about those, but this is what we've got to start with, okay? You got to make a clear choice. We can all be one degree more faithful if we choose our master wisely. You got to decide today, okay? Who's your master? Do you want money to master you, you to master it in? Is it a tool or a taskmaster? You let it be. You let it be. You let it be. You let it be. You let it be. You let it be. You let it be. You let it be. You let it be. You let it be. You literally do get to decide, okay? So when it comes to these three categories, what we're going to do is we're going to look at share, save, spend in the order because they are how they're laid out in the Bible in order as well, okay?" [00:46:42] (44 seconds)
"With the first fruits of all your crops, okay? The first fruit is the first portion of the wealth, okay? That's it. When you get a paycheck, there's the first portion. That's it. And the reason we want to be honoring to God with the first fruit, because only the first fruit has the power of redemption. Only the first fruit unlocks the power of resurrection, okay? Christ is the first fruit of all who will be redeemed." [00:49:28] (25 seconds)
"Generosity is the single greatest pathway to prosperity and financial security, period. Sharing. You just got to share with God, the kingdom, and people in need. With God, the kingdom, and people in need. That's how we do it, okay? And it unleashes, it's like in the market, place, okay? If you want to, you know, have a little bit put back for when you retire, you're going to have to invest. That's next, right? You can't go to Wall Street at 64 and say, where's my returns?" [00:51:47] (34 seconds)
"And that's what it is with generosity, because then you get God participating in your financial security, okay? And that's what we're looking for, ultimately, in using God. And that's what we're looking for, ultimately, in using wealth as a tool. So we can all be one degree more faithful if we share our resources generously, all right? I did some research, and it's truly amazing what can happen when someone begins to really just, I won't even talk about percentages, I don't care. They just begin to look for a way to distribute immediately. Now, it takes a lot of faith to live like that, okay? Because, you know, what they're always waiting for in California is the next rain." [00:52:23] (50 seconds)
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