201 F Money matters

Marketplace facts: Balance with money issuesMarketplace facts: Balance with money issues

MARKETPLACE FACTSModule 201 F

What is the balance we are to maintain when it comes to

money issues? Mario Denton

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Overall purpose of this series on Marketplace

To understand and learn from various marketplace facts so that you can: • Be more effective and anointed wherever you are in the marketplace.

• Adapt and benchmark your marketplace practices and principles discussed in this series.

• Use these material to facilitate the work of evangelism.



What is the balance we are to maintain when it comes to money issues?

• Can you enjoy it without loving it? • Can you enjoy it without guilt and

without being drawn in by it?• Are their any guidelines?



Here’s Joe Louis’ perspective, “I don’t like

money actually, but it quiets my nerves.”



Kahlil Gibran, “Money is like love; it kills slowly and painfully the one who

withholds it, and it enlivens the other who turns it upon

his fellow man.”



Guideline 1

Wealth, when given by God is to be enjoyed



Wealth, when given by God is to be enjoyed:

• “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…A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” (Ecc. 5:19; 2:24,25) (See 1 Kin. 3:13; Ecc.6:2)



Guideline 2

Wealth, and our love of it can keep us out of God’s Kingdom



Wealth, and our love of it can keep us out of God’s Kingdom:

• “Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, ’Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’ Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God’." (Matt. 16:20-24)



Guideline 3

Wealth can breed pride when we take credit for its accumulation,

rather than honouring God as the provider



Wealth can breed pride when we take credit for its accumulation, rather than honoring God as the provider:

• “…When you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt…You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’” (Deut. 8:12b-14a17) (See Dan. 4:29-33)



Guideline 4

Wealth can lead to a life of selfish indulgence that can cost us our

souls



Wealth can lead to a life of selfish indulgence that can cost us our souls:

• “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'



The Lazarus warning• But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in

your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.

• And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'



The Lazarus warning• He answered, 'Then I beg you, father,

send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’” (Lk. 16:19-28)



Reflection time

Any insights about these guidelines and your own

experience of it



Prayer Focus• Father, In the name of Jesus, I

surrender myself to walk in the Word in the marketplace. Your word living in me produces the Life in this world.

• The word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. It makes my way plain before me.

• I boldly and confidently say that my heart is fixed and established on the solid foundation – the Living Word of God! Amen



Learning, application and commitment: James 1: 22-25

• “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.

• Do what it says. • Anyone who listens to the word but does not do

what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

• But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does.” (NIV)



Learning, application and commitment

• One of the principles that I have learned from this lesson was …

• I intend to apply this principle in my marketplace by: …..

• With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will begin applying this truth immediately.



Jesus said: Take what I have given you and change the world!



Sources and acknowledgementCHRIST@ WORK NEWSLETTER

• Copyright Notice• © 2005 FCCI- Limited permission to copy without altering text or

profiteering is granted subject to inclusion of this copyright notice. Copy is limited to member and/or FCCI small group use.

Unauthorized use of FCCI, Christ@Work, Crown Companies, their trademarks or logos is strictly prohibited.

• The “Facts of the Matter” is also available through the Internet: www.factsofthematter.org. 2003 R. Dwight Hill.

• Slides compiled by Dr Mario Denton. • Please commit yourself to inform us of the results regarding the

effectiveness thereof should you wish to use this material.



Let's keep the good marketplace vibes alive. Let's network.

Become a member of the Crown Companies Marketplace Coaching Forum.

Tel (w) + 27(0) 82 88 29903. e-mail address:[email protected]

Website: www.crown.org.za

Blessings from Mario Denton




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201 F Money matters