Thursday, February 4, 2010

Enough: Part 2

Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity & Generosity

By Adam Hamilton


Week Two: Wisdom and Finance



Key Bible Verses

  • Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity,
    but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. Proverbs 21:5

  • The wise have wealth and luxury,
    but fools spend whatever they get. Proverbs 21:20



Key Insights from the Book and the Video

  1. Many of us have a bit of the prodigal son in us: We have the habits of squandering and wasting our resources.
  2. We have a tendency to focus on today rather than plan for tomorrow.
  3. When our purpose is having as much pleasure as we can in the moment, the things we do tend to become less and less satisfying until finally we come to a place where we're entirely dissatisfied – and often broke.
  4. Two of the primary money wasters we struggle with are impulse buying and eating out.
  5. The rule-of-thumb regarding impulse buying is to shop for only what you need. Make a list, buy what you need, and get out of the store. If this is difficult, wait twenty-four hours before purchasing the impulse item.
  6. Society tells us that our life purpose is to consume; the Bible tells us that our life purpose is to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Our money and possessions should be devoted to helping us fulfill God's purpose for our lives.
  7. Being able to accomplish the greater purposes God has for our lives require goal setting and planning.
  8. Without a plan to reach our goals, we will revert to being like the prodigal son. A plan gives us concrete steps that we can take to accomplish our goals.
  9. Simplifying our lives enables us to give more generously and experience the joy that comes from living for something beyond ourselves.

Financial principles to live by

  1. Pay God your first fruits; pay your tithe and offering first
  2. Create a budget to track your expenses
  3. Simplify your lifestyle (live below your means)
  4. Establish an emergency fund
  5. Pay off your credit cards, use cash/debit cards for purchases, and use credit wisely
  6. Practice long-term savings and wise investing habits



Questions to Think About

  1. In what ways are you like the prodigal son mentioned in Luke 15?
  2. Which of the following most resembles your lifestyle:
    1. Heading toward a looming financial crisis
    2. Wasting what you have; spending money here and there because you can afford it
  3. Which of the money wasters, impulse buying or eating out, presents the biggest problem for you?
  4. How would you describe your life's purpose, vision, or calling?
  5. What does the phrase "Blessed to be a blessing" mean to you?
  6. How can goals and planning help us better accomplish the plans that God has for our lives?
  7. Of the six financial principles, which is the most challenging to you?
  8. If we want to achieve financial peace and accomplish God's greater purposes for our lives, what are our options? Why is simplifying our lives an important option?


Closing Prayer

Generous God, all we have comes from you, yet we are not always wise stewards of what you have so graciously given us. We have listened to the lure of the world, buying and consuming compulsively and excessively. Forgive us for being wasteful like the prodigal son. Forgive us for leveraging our future in order to have pleasure in the present. Help us to begin to put into practice the biblical wisdom we have discussed so that we may become good stewards of all that you have given us. Teach us to be generous and willing to share, to be Kingdom minded people who are focused on accomplishing your purpose for our lives.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Enough: Part 1

Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity & Generosity

By Adam Hamilton


Week One: When Dreams Become Nightmares



Key Bible Verses

  • 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 grieves. I Timothy 6:10
  • Whoever loves money never has money enough;
    whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
    This too is meaningless. Ecclesiastes 5:10

  • What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26




Key Insights from the Book and the Video


  1. We live in a world that encourages us to live beyond our means rather than be good stewards of our God-given resources.
  2. When it comes to material possessions and money, we are not in a position to pass judgment on others, for we do not know their heart.
  3. For many people, the American Dream is a subconscious desire for achieving success and satisfying the desire for material possessions. Generally, it has come to mean consuming, acquiring, and purchasing.
  4. We are affected socially and spiritually by two "illnesses":
    1. Affluenza – the constant need for more and bigger and better stuff.
    2. Credit-itis – the idea that we can have something now and pay for it later, which exploits our lack of self-discipline and allows us to feed our affluenza.
  5. Most Americans spend money with very little self discipline, saving less and spending more and more on credit.
  6. A spiritual issue lies beneath the surface of our financial sickness. We have surrendered to the sinful nature that is within us.
  7. The starting point of the solution to our problem is a changed heart, which results in changed desires and a changed sense of life purpose.
  8. As we allow Christ to work in us, seeking first His Kingdom and striving to do His will, we begin to sense a higher calling to simplicity, faithfulness, and generosity.



Questions to Think About

  1. What are some of the ways the world encourages us to live beyond our means? What challenges do you face when trying to save and be a good steward of your God-given resources?
  2. Why is it dangerous to pass judgment on others regarding the way they spend their money (Matthew 7:1-5).
  3. How has the "American Dream" changed over our nation's history?
  4. In what ways do you struggle with "affluenza and credit-it is? How is this a problem for us as individuals, as a family, and as a nation?
  5. What are some of the messages that advertisers convey to get us to buy their products?
  6. What are the root causes of our wanting to consume more? How is sin part of the problem?
  7. What role do you think God wants money and possessions to play in our life?
  8. How is a changed heart the starting point to the solution of our problem with money and possessions?


Closing Prayer

Lord, we confess that in many ways we have bought into the concept of the American Dream which says that success is defined by worldly profits, possessions, prestige, and pleasure. We struggle with the yearning for more, and often we try to satisfy this yearning by pursuing material things rather than pursuing you. Forgive us Lord. Change our heart, and correct our vision. Give us your perspective on money and possessions. Help us not to focus on all the things we wish we had, but to be grateful for what we do have. Teach us to wisely manage the resources you have given us so that when you prompt us to help those in need, we are free to assist them. Enable us to live simply, to be content, and to give generously.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Enough: Introduction

Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity & Generosity

By Adam Hamilton


Introduction: Faith in the Midst of Financial Crisis



Key Bible Verses


  • I lift up my eyes to the hills —

    Where does my help come from?

    My help comes from the LORD,

    The Maker of Heaven and Earth. Psalms 121:1-2


  • 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. I Timothy 6:17



Key Insights from the Video


  1. An economic crisis is also a crisis of faith.
  2. The most potent threat we face today is fear.
  3. At the center of most economic crisis is the extension and abuse of credit.
  4. Credit comes from the Latin word "credo", which means "I believe" or "I trust". To extend credit to someone is to believe or trust that the person will repay you in the future.
  5. As Christians, our credo or trust is in God. The Apostle's Creed begins, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth."
  6. Throughout the Bible, we find words of hope and promise that remind us that we have no reason to fear, for God is our refuge and strength.
  7. An economic crisis is a spiritual issue stemming from at least five of the deadly sins: gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, and pride.
  8. The Church is a beacon of light inviting people to find deliverance, redemption, salvation, hope, and a new way of life.



Questions to Think About


  1. How is an economic crisis a crisis of faith?
  2. What happens when we feel we can no longer trust our banks, financial institutions, and our government?
  3. What role does credit play in our economic crisis?
  4. What insight does the Latin root word "credo" for credit play in your thoughts about the economic situation?
  5. What insight do you get from the key bible verses about how we should trust in the Lord during times of fear during the economic situation?
  6. In what ways is an economic crisis a spiritual crisis? Identify the sins that are at the root of this spiritual crisis.
  7. We all are tempted by some of the sins of want and desire to have things. In what ways have you been tempted by or given in to the sins of gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, and pride?
  8. Why is the government incapable of addressing the spiritual issue that lies beneath the state of our economy? What can Christians and the Church do to provide real help and hope?




Closing Prayer


O Lord, this earth and everything in it is yours. All that we have is a gift from you. When times are uncertain and our finances are hurting, forgive us for panicking and listening to the wrong voices rather than looking to you and your Word. Forgive us for giving in to fear and allowing worry and anxiety to keep us from being the wise stewards you would have us to be. Prepare our hearts and minds for the coming weeks of study. We pray to be open to your instruction and your guidance. As we learn to be better stewards of the resources you have given us, we put our complete trust in you. We trust you Lord, and with our lives and with all you have entrusted to us. Amen.