StewardshipHandling God’s Gift of Money

Introduction

• What is a steward?

• We are stewards over what?

• How can we be good stewards over God’s gift of money?

Consult God’s Word

• Malachi 3:8 – 10

• II Corinthians 9:6 – 8

• Proverbs 11:25

Note: Click on the scripture reference to view the text. Use the “Back” link at the bottom of the text to return to this slide.

Offerings

• A way to worship God

• An expression of love

• Give willingly and cheerfully

Tithes

• 1 tenth of everything we get

• There’s a blessing in paying your tithes

• It’s the minimum requirement– Bishop says we don’t have a choice concerning

it – it’s His (the Lord)

Money

• All of it belongs to God

• Be a good steward in your use of money

• Respect the smallest sum

• Don’t spend all the money you have

Savings

• Try to save 5 – 10 % (nickel or dime) of each dollar you get, even gift money

• Start a savings account at a bank– Safe – insured up to $100,000– Compound Interest

Compound Interest

• Interest is money a bank pays you in return for leaving your money in the bank

• Compound interest means the bank will pay you interest and pay you interest on the interest

• It really adds up!

Compound Interest –Example 8%

Monthly Savings

In 15 Years In 20 Years In 30 Years In 35 Years

$10.00 ($120/yr)

$3,500 $5,900 $14,900 $22,900

$50.00 ($600/yr)

$17,300 $29,500 $74,500 $114,700

$100.00 ($1200/yr)

$34,600 $58,900 $149,000 $229,400

Spending

• Have an overall plan – Pay God 1st!– Save 10%– Give 10%

• Buy what you can afford– Keep borrowing to a minimum

• Keep a Budget

Budget Exercise

• Choose a job from the Jobs Listing sheet

• Complete the Monthly Income table– Enter the monthly salary of the job you selected

in the Expected column on the Job row– Enter your age in the Expected column on the

Gift row

Budget Exercise (cont’d)

• Complete the Estimated column in the Monthly Expenses table– Calculate 10% of you monthly salary and enter

that amount in the Expected column for the tithes, savings, and offering rows

Budget Exercise (cont’d)

• Optionally, choose a house from the Real Estate Listing and make an entry for the house payment in the Expected column

• Optionally, pick a car from the Vehicles Listing and make entry for the car payment in the Expected column

Budget Exercise (cont’d)

• Make entries for other things you may want to buy

• Use the Life Isn’t Fair card to complete the values in the Actual column

• Compute Difference column amounts for each row in both tables– Expected minus Actual

Budget Exercise (cont’d)

• Compute Total row in Monthly Income table

• Compute Total row in Monthly Expense table

• Follow instructions on budget sheet to compute the Total Income and

Difference rows

Summary

• God owns everything!– We manage what God has entrusted to us

• Apply the greatest commandments to our money– Love God with our whole hearts and our

neighbors as ourselves• You will be blessed abundantly if you

handle God’s money faithfully