The practical skills below will help you understand the basics of:

Dedicating - Planning - Giving - Saving - Repaying - Enjoying

Whether you're using this material as a group or just reading through it as an individual, the simple content below is provided to give you some practical ideas about how to put a new financial plan into action. Each section gives you the basics, with a few tough questions to get you headed in the direction of putting God's financial plan for our lives into action.

Do what God's teaching says; when you only listen and do nothing, you are fooling yourselves.
James 1:22 (NCV)


SKILL #1: DEDICATING IT ALL TO GOD

"The earth is the Lord' and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;" Psalm 24:1 (NIV)

Five reasons we dedicate it all to God:

1. It all belongs to God.

"I own the cattle on a thousand hills." Psalm 50:10 (NLT)

"The earth is the Lord', and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;"
Psalm 24:1 (NIV)

Dedicating my finances to God means:
-My financial plans
-My financial problems
-My financial decisions
-My financial worries
-My financial successes

2. I am a Manager of what He gives me.

"Are you a wise and faithful servant of the Lord? Have I given you the task of managing my household, to feed my children day by day? Blessings on you if I return and find you faithfully doing your work. I will put such faithful ones in charge of everything I own!" Matthew 24:45-47 (TLB)

"Well done, you good and faithful servant!´ said his master. ´You have been faithful in managing small amounts, so I will put you in charge of large amounts. Come on in and share my happiness!" Matthew 25:23 (TEV)

3. I can make an impact on Eternity.

"I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven." Luke 16:9 (NLT)

4. I cannot serve both God and Money.
"You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
Matthew 6:24 (TEV)

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' "
Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)


5. God promises to Bless what I dedicate to Him.

"You bless those who obey you, Lord!" Psalm 5:12 (TEV)

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

SKILL # 2: PLAN YOUR SPENDING
"The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." Proverbs 21:5 (NIV)

BEFORE YOU PLAN: CHECK YOUR HEART

The book of Proverbs warns us of seven specific violations of personal conviction that will result in making all of the riches in the world seem worthless.

1. Wickedness (Proverbs 15:6; 10:22; 11:28)
2. Dishonesty (Proverbs 11:1; 21:6; 22:1)
3. Pretense (Proverbs 13:7)
4. Greed (Proverbs 15:27)
5. Neglect (Proverbs 19:15)
6. Pleasure Loving (Proverbs 21:17; 23:20-21)
7. Stinginess (Proverbs 28:20-22)

Our plans always grow out of our heart. For instance: if you plan your finances with a greedy heart, you will have a greedy budget; a stingy heart results in a stingy budget. Before you sit down to write out your spending plan, take a few moments and read through the verses listed above, asking God to check your heart.


BIBLICAL WISDOM FOR PLANNING YOUR FINANCES

1. Pray together for God's guidance.
"But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to all people, so He will give you wisdom." James 1:5 (NCV)

2. Look honestly at where you are.
"Enjoy prosperity while you can. But when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. That way you will realize that nothing is certain in this life." Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NLT)

3. Prioritize your needs and goals.
"First plant your fields; then build your barn." Proverbs 24:27 (Msg.)

4. Prepare a workable plan.
"The more you have, the more you spend, right up to the limits of your income."
Ecclesiastes 5:11 (TLB)
"The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty."
Proverbs 21:5 (NIV)

5. Practice keeping good records.
"Be sure you know the condition of your flocks..." Proverbs 27:23 (NIV)



SKILL # 3: GIVE YOUR TITHE

What the Bible teaches about tithing...

What is tithing?
- "Tithe" means "a tenth part"

What is the difference between a "tithe" and an "offering"?
- A tithe is giving one tenth of my income.
- An offering is anything I give in addition to my tithe.

Why should I tithe? 8 reasons from God's Word.

1. Because God commanded it.
"A tenth of all you product is the Lord's, and it is holy." Lev. 27:10

2. Because Jesus commended it.
"Yes, you should tithe, and you shouldn't leave the more important things undone either." Matt. 23:23

3. Tithing demonstrates that God has first place in our life.
"The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God first place in your life." Deut. 14:23 (LB)

4. Tithing reminds me that everything I have was given to me by God!
"Always remember that it is the Lord you God who gives you the ability to produce wealth." Deut. 8:18

5. Tithing expresses my gratitude to God.
"Each of you should bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you." Deut.. 16:17

6. God says that refusing to tithe is stealing from Him!
"God says ´Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me!´ But you ask, ´How do we rob you?´ God says ´In tithes and offerings ... Bring your whole tithe to My house.´" Mal. 3:8-10

7. Tithing gives God a chance to prove He exists and wants to bless you!
"Bring your whole tithe to My storehouse. Test me in this" says the Lord, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you won?t have room enough for it! I will prevent pests from devouring your crops and the vines in your fields will be protected from plagues." Mal. 3:10

8. Tithing proves that I love God.
"If you really love me, do what I command."
John 14:15

"... I want you to be leaders also in the spirit of cheerful giving ... This is one way to prove that your love is real, that it goes beyond mere words."
2 Cor. 8:7b - 8 (LB)

Giving with the right attitude...
- Give Willingly
"For if the willingness is there, your gift is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don?t have."
2 Cor. 9:12

"Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under pressure ..."  1 Cor. 9:7a

- Give Cheerfully
"... for God loves a cheerful giver!" 2 Cor. 9:7b

- Give Sacrificially
"They gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service ..." 2 Cor. 8:3-4

- Give Expectantly
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also rap sparingly; and whoever sows generously will reap generously." 2 Cor. 9:6

The key to giving:

...THEY FIRST GAVE THEMSELVES TO THE LORD ...2 Cor. 8:5

Personalize it so that you can act on it

Of the 8 reasons given from God´s word for tithing in the material above, which provides the strongest motivation for giving for you? What is it about this truth that motivates you?

Look at the 4 attitudes behind giving listed above. Which of these 4 would you like to work on? Any ideas about where you might start?


SKILL #4: SAVE FOR THE FUTURE

The Purpose of Saving: To be prepared for known and unknown future spending needs.

"The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets." Proverbs 21:20 (TLB)

PROVERBS GIVES US THREE KEY PRINCIPLES FOR SAVING:

1. Save Now

"He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment." Proverbs 12:11 (NIV)

"All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."
Proverbs 14:23 (NIV)

2. Save Regularly

Suggested plan: Give 10%, Save 10%, and live on the rest.

3. Save Little by Little

"Money that comes easily disappears quickly, but money that is gathered little by little will grow." Proverbs 13:11 (NCV)

ASK GOD FOR THE DISCIPLINE TO DO IT!

"No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way."
Hebrews 12:11 (NLT)

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."
2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT) 

- The discipline to say No
- The discipline to Wait
- The discipline to go Slow
- "An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end." Proverbs 20:21 (NIV)
- The discipline to Trust God


SKILL #5: REPAY YOUR DEBTS
"Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender." Proverbs 22:7 (TLB)

God's way to get out of debt: (...to stay out of debt, or to never get into debt!)

1. Confess the sins that led to your debt.

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief's."
1 Tim. 6:10 (NIV)

"Selfish people are in such a hurry to get rich that they do not know when poverty is about to strike."
Proverbs 28:22 (TEV)

None of us like to admit the sins that lead to financial struggles - it's easier to blame our circumstances than to be honest with ourselves. Yet the sins that lead to debt are sins we ALL struggle with. They include:

-Materialism - Envy - Pride - Assuming on the future - Failing to ask for God's wisdom - Indulgence - Selfishness

"Look here, you people who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog--it´s here a little while, then it´s gone." James 4:13-14 (NLT)

2. Commit to get out of debt.

"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him to help you do it, and he will. "
Psalm 37:5 (TLB)

"Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them." Psalm 76:11 (NIV)

3. Get the support and encouragement of others

"Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2 (NLT)

4. Change your standard of living.

"Money that comes easily disappears quickly, but money that is gathered little by little will grow." Proverbs 13:11 (NCV)

5. Categorize and repay your debts.

You need a PLAN for repaying your debts:
- Smallest debts first.
- Debts with largest interest first.
- Some have been successful with the 10-10-10 Plan:
(10% tithe - 10% savings - 10% debt reduction)

6. Count on God to give you the discipline to follow through.

Just as with saving, it takes the discipline to repay your debts! We need:
- The discipline to say no
- The discipline to wait
- The discipline to go slow
- The discipline to trust God


SKILL #6: ENJOY WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU

"Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment." 1 Timothy 6:17 (NLT)

To enjoy what God has given, I must deal with these four thieves.

1. Replace your worry with trust

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" Matthew 6:25 (NIV)

2. Replace your comparison with contentment.

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV)

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ´Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.´ "
Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

3. Replace your selfishness with sacrifice.

"If you have money, share it generously." Romans 12:8 (NLT)

"For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45 (NLT)

4. Replace your false guilt with gratitude.

"If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us?" Romans 8:32 (Msg.)

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever."
Psalm 136:1 (NLT)

Next Steps: 
-- This week rough out a budget for yourself or your family on the budget worksheets on this web page. These budgets reflect God's emphasis on giving and on saving. As you make out your budget, don't forget to notice the portion (however small!) that God has given you to enjoy life. Whether that portion is spent of food or education or entertainment or housing, ask God to help you to see it as a gift from Him even as you're having to do some cutting.