Scriptures: 1 Timothy 6:6-10; 17-19, Ecclesiastes 6:9, 5:10-11, Matthew 6:19-20

We all deal with money constantly. We pay bills, write checks, receive paychecks, make bank deposits, pay taxes, we buy this, put change in containers, and collect coins. It is the number one cause of divorce. Fifty-seven percent of marriages break-up because of it. It is one of the major reasons friendships fall apart, parents neglect their children and businesses go bankrupt. You’ve probably figured out by now that we're talking about money--or really more specifically money management. In this message, Dr. Merritt details God's direction for money management. In the Bible we find principles for managing our money that help us align our priorities to God's, and keep money in proper perspective.

"The myth is that money problems are caused because people don’t make enough money. That is not true. Most money problems are caused, not because people don’t make enough money, but because they don’t manage the money they make.The reason why God doesn’t let us own anything while we are here and the reason why you don’t bring anything into this world when you are born and you don’t take anything out when you die is because God does not want you to be consumed with stuff. He wants you to be consumed with the One who gives the bling to you and who owns the stuff to begin with." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: offering, stuff, money, possessions, stewardship, entrusted, management, giving, God, resources, belongings, perspective, divorce, tithe, steal, take, luxury, Gregg Easterbrook, The Progress Paradox, unhappy, dissatisfied