God’s Money
Last weekend, I spoke at our church on how our money is really not our money. It is God’s money and we are to manage it for Him.
1. We ask HIM what His plans are for it.
2. We keep track of our finances, so that we can report back to Him how we spent it.
For grins, I am posting my family’s cash flow as an example.
November 11-November 17, 2007
Sunday
Lunch: $10 – Garcia’s
Tithes: $60 – PSM
Offering: $40 – PSM
Monday
Snacks: $7.35 – Cornocopia
Groceries: $20 – Central Market
Childcare: $10
Tuesday
Breakfast: $4.49 – Mr Taco
Haircut: $12 – Salon 621
Christmas Gifts: $61 –
Misc: $11 – CVS
Wednesday
Lunch: $3.24 – Fushacks
Groceries: $122 – HEB
Water Bill: $26 -Go Forth
Electric: $156 – Bluebonnet
Principal payment on Car: $500
Thursday
Breakfast: $3.75 – Donut Palace (sorry, God)
Household: $65 – Target
Gifts Given: $7 – Education Station
Entertainment: $18.75 – Nunya
Coffee: $4 – Starbucks
Tithe: $450 – PSM
Car Registration: $63
Friday
Breakfast: $4 – Mr Taco
Saturday
Gift for Baby Shower – $22
Tithe: $30 – PSM
Offering: $10 – PSM
Posted on November 19, 2007, in Church Business, Daily Word, My Family. Bookmark the permalink. 12 Comments.
Robin Steele 
A couple of points…
1. this month God has blessed us beyond our regular income from the church. that is why there are so many tithe entries. The reason He blessed us beyond the regular is because we have been faithful. (see reaping and sowing in the Bible)
2. this week was a big week for other bills. normally, our expenses are not this big.
After you do this exercise, you offer it up to the Lord in prayer and see what He says about the entries. He critiques your spending and gives you pointers. You will get guidance before and after you spend. Reading over my list, God has already spoken to me about a couple of things. Keep the dialog going with you “client”. He pays incredible bonuses.
okay! That was great Pastor. I am inspired once again to keep track of all my spendings. I admit I started last Sunday but I didn’t even get to Monday. I know if you can do it, so can I. Thanks! I know He is talking to me about this one.
What I want to know is how you eat lunch for $3.24? 😀
This challenge was difficult for me as I have never attempted to track my expenditures and Kathy is the disbursement officer in our house so I never see our fixed monthly payments. However, I gave it my best shot, and discovered that in fact I spent 84% of my weekly disposable income. This was an amazing revelation for me and has resulted in actually creating a family budget. Thanks Man of God for opening up my eyes for the need of this simple concept.
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, and all that is within me. 🙂 This is a tough time to start this process since it is time for Christmas spending. I do agree that it is a very important process.
How do you keep your electric bill low? Oh yea, no one in your household is going through menopause:).
Lunch at Fushaks: Small chopped beef sandwich, small sweet tea, and Doritos $3.24.
God wants us to give and spend during the Christmas season. how much and on what? That is up to God and will be different for each of us.
There definately needs to be a Christmas budget. And my personal belief is do NOT go into debt paying for Christmas…what fun is Christmas if you have to pay for it for the next 10 months? Keep things simple…a gift from the heart is better than something that cost alot. It’s not about the gifts anyway.
I do not see Walmart on there anywhere Pastor!!!!!!!!!! We need to talk about that! 🙂
don’t worry. Walmart gets plenty of my (God’s) money!!!
Preach it, Sis. Casey. Bad use of money to pay for Christmas all the next year!!!! Think of the interest paid—for sure, God’s money wasted.
Dave Ramsey says to make “trade coupons” such as “I will babysit, or I will take your dog for a walk, …etc. when you are in a budget. You can be creative. I agreed there needs to be a Christmas budget; that is why I am on the computer instead at the stores and I am not sad about it.