Part 4 Pastor Mark Schwarzbauer PhD Family Worship Center

Steve Kosmoski Family Worship Center INVESTING IN THE POOR Steve Kosmoski Family Worship Center

Part One: Financial Foundations

1 Chronicles 29:13-14 “Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name. 14 But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given You.”

Financial Foundations When we surrender our lives to the Lord He is to be Lord of our finances and we become stewards to use our finances (that belong to God) according to His principles. Matthew 25:14-30.

Financial Foundations God wants us to be good stewards. Luke 16:11, I Cor. 4:2. God wants to bless us in our finances and giving – II Cor. 9:6-11, Deut. 28:13-14 et al. God wants us to be controlled by love for Him and not money. He wants us to use and control our money; not be a slave to it.

I Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. The love of money, not money itself. “a” root not “the” root. Not “all evil” but “all kinds of evil.” Warning- even Christians can mess up here. Don’t stray and pierce yourself through with many sorrows.

Part Two: Practicing Wise Stewardship

Practice Financial Responsibility Psalm 37:21, Romans 13:8 Practice Financial Responsibility Psalm 37:21, Romans 13:8. Pay bills on time. Save. Don’t buy what you don’t need with money you don’t have to impress people you don’t like.

Teach Financial Responsibility

Part Three: Margin Your Life

Don’t buy what you can’t afford. Margin your life (So you control your finances and they don’t control you). Leave extra room for the uncertainties that will come. (Money Map #1). Buy less than you need or want so you aren’t stressing yourselves or putting yourself into potential problems. Are you margining your life financially Yes No I need to and will

Part Four: The Danger of Debt

Shakespeare’s Hamlet Scene III – “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.”

Biblical Principle One: Owe No Man Anything Romans 13:8 - Owe no man anything, but to love one another, for he that loves another hath fulfilled the law. Don’t go into debt to people. This is unregulated debt. Be careful not to read in… such as thinking all regulated debt is therefore okay or all debt is unbiblical.

Biblical Principle Two: One Who Borrows becomes a Slave. Borrower becomes servant to the lender! Prov. 22:7. Don’t be enslaved by debt. Don’t enslave others.

Biblical Principle Two: One Who Borrows becomes a Slave. Don’t lend to friends or family unless you are ready to end a relationship and take a total loss.

Biblical Principle Two: One Who Borrows becomes a Slave. Think about it… If they need a loan from you it is most likely they can’t get a regular loan because they are a bad credit risk. They likely are overspending or at the very least poorly managing. Why would you think they will be able to repay you?

Biblical Principle Two: One Who Borrows becomes a Slave. Are you practicing the principle of not loaning? Yes No I need to and will

Biblical Principle Three: Don’t co-sign for loans. Proverbs 6:1-5, 11:15, 17:18, 22:26-27. Pastor John Mason who co-signed for daughters school loans. She died and he owes $200,000.00.

Biblical Principle Three: Don’t co-sign for loans. Think about it. If they need you to co-sign it is because they are an unacceptable credit risk. The professional bankers have determined they likely won’t pay it back or can’t pay it back. So you are using your good credit to enable someone with bad credit and once again risking damaging your relationships. This is why the Bible says DON’T CO-SIGN FOR LOANS.

Biblical Principle Three: Don’t co-sign for loans. Never co-sign for anyone else for anything else period. Nike in reverse… Just DON’T Do It! Are you practicing the principle of not co-signing? Yes No I need to and will

Enabling vs. Empowering. We need to love people enough to also say “ No. Absolutely not. Nada.” We all desire to help people and some people genuinely need and deserve our help.

Enabling vs. Empowering. But enabling perpetuates the problem rather that solves it. In the financial sense, enabling is solving a short term crisis by giving or loaning money. The person you help is actually rewarded for being irresponsible. They don’t learn responsibility. They learn they can get away with being irresponsible (Money Map 1).

Enabling vs. Empowering. Habitually helping financially irresponsible people creates unhealthy “co-dependence.” You get self-esteem and become the hero by the inappropriate help. But in reality you are making it worse and harming them. You are not making it better.

Enabling vs. Empowering. By rescuing from the deserved consequences you are stealing their motivation to change and dooming them to further failure.

Enabling vs. Empowering. The Bible teaches personal responsibility and rebukes enabling people… Proverbs 19:19 “A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again.” (and again and again and…)

Enabling vs. Empowering. The Bible teaches personal responsibility and rebukes enabling people… Proverbs 19:19 2 Thessalonians 3:10-15 Galatians 6:5 Ephesians 5:11 Proverbs 10:4 2 John 1:11

Enabling vs. Empowering. The Exception is Empowering - For equity producing investment (house not a car) for which you have the ENTIRE amount of the loan available as cash, and are prepared to gift it times the number of kids you have- to a child of PROVEN responsibility.

Enabling vs. Empowering. God’s Empowerment - God sent His Son to pay your unpayable debt. Not so you could live an irresponsible sinful life. But so you could start fresh with His power, blessing and guidance.