1. Dollars and Sense: My Part. Money’s Pitfalls. God’s Purposes.
Handout #3
A. Accept and clarify our _______________________ concerning finances.
Luke 14:28 “Supposing that one of you wishes to build a tower, will he not first sit down and calculate the cost,
to see if he has enough money to finish it?”
1. Set your ____________: The person alluded to in the passage had three goals. First, he wanted to be a
builder. Second, he wanted to build towers. And third, he wanted to build one tower at a time. Do you want to
be a good administrator? Then you should set clear, specific goals you can reach.
2. Think _________________: Before building, the man sat down. Sitting down implies thoughtfulness. He
didn’t make emotional, hasty, or irrevocable decisions. The same counsel applies to us. If we made financial
decisions more calmly, there would be less suffering afterward.
3. Budget: The text says: “To see if he has.” What a powerful phrase. The question is not, “How much do I pay
a month?” but, “How much does it cost?” A budget is what tells your money where it should go, instead of you
asking yourself where it went.
4. Always _______________________: Many lives are filled with projects begun, but rarely finished.
Persevere, and discover the immense joy of seeing something completed.
B. Be careful about the _______________________ concerning finances.
1. Don’t be ________________________ by it.
Job 36:18 But watch out, or you may be seduced by wealth. Don’t let yourself be bribed into sin.”
2. Don’t put your ________________ in it.
Proverbs 11:28Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
3. Don’t ____________________ for another’s debt.
Proverbs 22:26-27 “Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the
means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you”
C. Understand the _______________________ of money.
1. Money was made to be ___________________.
Proverbs 21:20The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.
2. Money was made to be ___________________.
Ecclesiastes 11:2But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie
ahead.
3. Money was made to be ___________________.
Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will
be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
“When we give to God first, we recognize and declare that we are givers first, consumers second.”
4. Money was made to be _________________________.
Ecclesiastes 5:19 “Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy
them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.
Job 36:11 “If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their
days in prosperity and their years in contentment.