Whose money is it anyway? The ave. weekly wage of someone living in Wandsworth is £ The ave. weekly wage of someone living in West Somerset is £ This is an annual difference of over £19, ,000 top earners pay £45.9 billion in income tax = £150,000 each. Approx % of all income tax. Lewis Hamilton, the UK’s richest sportsman has a fortune of £88 million. The average salary in the UK in 2014 was £26, out of 5 new jobs are in sectors averaging under £16,640 for a 40 hour week. Working full-time on the £6.31 minimum wage would gross £13,124 per annum. FTSE 100 chiefs on an average salary of £4.3 million took just 2 ½ days to earn over the national average for the entire year. The average annual income in Congo-Kinshasa (the world’s poorest nation in 2013) was £252, in the UK in 2013 the average annual income was £23,973 – over 95 times as much.

Whose money is it anyway? Something about money appears in almost all the New Testament letters Proverbs alone has 101 verses about the use of money One reason for God’s judgement in Revelation is money Significant chunks of teaching in 2 Corinthians 8 & 9 and 1 Timothy 6 is on money Jesus referred to money and possessions more than any other single topic 11 of 39 parables reference money In Luke’s gospel one of every seven verses has Jesus teaching on money and possessions Matthew 6v21: might be Jesus’ summary of all this weight on teaching about our approach to wealth and poverty and money: "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Money is an exact index to a man's true character. All through Scripture there is an intimate correlation between the development of a person's character and how they handle money.’ (Richard Halveson)

Whose money is it anyway? RESPONSIBLE - BEING A SENSIBLE STEWARD RELATIONAL - BEING A GENEROUS GIVER REALITY - BEING A SACRIFICIAL SERVANT These areas are important because we are considering the ultimate question - Control or controlling? – are you in control of your money, or is your money controlling you?

Whose money is it anyway? £54,197 was the average household debt (including mortgages) in November 2014 in the UK By the end of 2016, the average personal debt, not including mortgages, in the UK is expected to exceed £10k. In November 2014 £163 million interest was paid on personal debt every single day. ‘…every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator…’ (James 1:17) ‘The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.’ (Proverbs 21:5) RESPONSIBLE - BEING A SENSIBLE STEWARD

Whose money is it anyway? Our first RESPONSIBILITY concerning money is to be a SENSIBLE STEWARD of what we have been given. Give thanks to God in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16) ‘…because you have been faithful with little, you will be given much.’ (Luke 19:15-26) RESPONSIBLE - BEING A SENSIBLE STEWARD

Whose money is it anyway? How does God view this discrepancy? What does he say about those in need? How does God view generosity? RELATIONAL - BEING A GENEROUS GIVER

Whose money is it anyway? Ps.41:1 "Blessed is he who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble." Prov.19:17 "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given." Prov.22:19 "He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor." Prov.28:27 "He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses." Prov.21:13 "Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard." Isa.58:6-12 Is this not the fast that I have chosen:... Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him... then your light will break forth like the morning... your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call and the Lord shall answer... RELATIONAL - BEING A GENEROUS GIVER

Whose money is it anyway? Luke 10:27-28; ‘You must love the L ORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself… 28 Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” Jesus said to his followers ‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’ (NRSV) RELATIONAL - BEING A GENEROUS GIVER Whatever else you do this week, having become a sensible steward, resolve to be a GENEROUS GIVER, to develop RELATIONSHIPS using the resources you have been gifted with to bless others.

Whose money is it anyway? Once we are RESPONSIBLE and RELATIONAL with our money We are called to a REALITY that is greater than ourselves. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9) REALITY - BEING A SACRIFICIAL SERVANT

Whose money is it anyway? Sacrificial giving changes lives. TESTIMONIES – Lisa / Alun 'There are only three things you can do with it - spend it, save it or give it away. 'For the rich, saving is much more dangerous than spending, because you can see how empty spending is, but it's harder to see that saving also is. What a lot of money does is poison you.’ (Jonathan Ruffer) REALITY - BEING A SACRIFICIAL SERVANT

Whose money is it anyway? Your money; your decisions? Are you in control of your finances, or do you need to sort them out? Don’t ignore it, resolve it! Are there ways you could be wiser with how you manage your money? How much is used wisely and how much is wasted foolishly? Where could you be generous this week with £5, 50, 100 or 1000, and how could you do it discretely so God is even more praised? What does your attitude to money, desire for it and use of it, reveal about your heart? Where does your use of money locate your heart in relation to Jesus? Be Generous: How much money should you be giving away to the church and to others? REALITY - BEING A SACRIFICIAL SERVANT