Introduction

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What I am going to be teaching in the upcoming chapters is pretty much everything the Bible says about money. This financial series began as a single message and has grown over the years into the series that I’ll be presenting. I’ve taught this series every 5 to 6 years and am repeating it now in book format by request. I’ve done my best over the years to teach all that I know about the Bible and finances and I believe it’s one of the reasons that God has blessed our church so much. 

Teaching about money, one of the realities that often strikes people is that the Bible talks more about money than it does about heaven and we’re going to see why. Over the years, I've come to realize that while some people love to talk about money, and others hate to talk about money, everyone wants to spend money. Some people are so repulsed by talking about money that they can’t even hardly stand to do it. Some of you may be itching your skin right now thinking I’ve got to get out of here. I can’t talk about money. Others are thinking, I like to talk about money, let’s talk about money some more. 

One thing is for sure – the authors of the Bible did not mind talking about money. Here the Apostle Paul talks about it: 

“Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so they may take hold of that which is life indeed” (1 Timothy 6:17-19). (That which is Priceless) 

My first question when you read that scripture is what do you think about yourself? Do you think of yourself as part of those who are rich or a part of those who are without? Is how you see yourself the same as God sees you? 

We have to be very aware that we have a tendency to look at people who have more and think because they have more, they are rich and I am not. From God’s perspective, every human being, if they know Him and understand His ways, is rich and has the potential to be rich and can be rich in every area of life. But you have to believe that that is what the Bible teaches and that it can be true about you. When I was growing up, my dad was a pastor. This was back in the 50s and 60s when it was very popular to equate poverty with spirituality. So, my dad would take verses like Jesus saying, “Your treasure is where your heart is” or "You cannot serve two masters God and mammon” and interpret them to mean if you have any treasure on earth then your heart is not with God. But if you think these verses equate poverty to spirituality, you’ve missed the whole Bible’s point. There are dozens of scriptures that say God prospers the righteous. That the way of the wicked is hard. 

I was still operating under that same mindset that I was taught as a child, that poverty equals spirituality, long after I gave my life to Christ, married a beautiful lady and had four children. We’d just squeeze by, do our best and trust God would provide for our family and our church here at Blue Mountain Community Church (BMCC). That was my thinking until the year 2000 when I found myself and our church broke. I cried out to God. “God, I have to understand what is going on because I thought you called me to this but we are broke.” While I was crying out to God, He spoke to my heart. He said, “You have to understand my Word and what it says about money.” So, I embarked on studying everything the Bible said about money and it literally changed my life. And, it turned this church around, it changed everything around, once I understood what the Bible said about money.

There’s a good chance that some of you have a distorted view of what the Bible says about money. As a result, you may have dismissed the Bible as irrelevant in your pursuit of financial well-being, or you may have a hard time picturing yourself as somebody who could actually be financially blessed and be spiritually blessed. Or, that God would look at you as somebody who has the potential to be rich and be a blessing to other people. If you see yourself this way, I can guarantee that if you hear these messages and take to heart what the Word of God has to say to you, it will change the way you think about yourself. You’ll know more about finances than 99% of the people in the world. You will know what the Bible teaches about money. You will see that from God’s perspective you have all the potential to be wealthy in this world in every respect - in spirit, soul and body. Financially able, in every way, to be a blessing to yourself, to those you love and to others. Amen! 

The two great errors of religious teaching about money are 1) Spiritual maturity requires poverty, because wealthy people are evil and 2) The “Prosperity Gospel,” that as long you name it and claim it, God is obligated to do it.

All lies at their heart are concealed in the skin of a truth. We are going to refuse to accept either lie and accept only the heart of truth from God’s living Word.

So, if you are wealthy, say it. Say it aloud. “Yes, I’m wealthy.” “Yes, I am wealthy so I can bless others.” “I can be rich in good works.” “I can be generous and ready to share.” What a wonderful way to go about life, isn’t it? Do you really want to be that person who has to say to someone who is in need, “No, I’m sorry I can’t help you out. I’m sorry, it’s too bad you’re out of gas, but I need every penny I have for my own gas tank.” That’s not the way God meant us to live life. There’s a better way.