Page 50 - The Church and Education PDF Pro

How can one achieve a goal if one does not set a goal for his life? Have you ever heard the
saying, “You can only hit at what you aim?” In other words, if you do not make a plan, you will
never achieve great things. One of the most important plans a church can make is a plan on
how they are going to spend the money God brings to the church. This plan is based on what
the church feels is important. The important thing to remember is that God will hold us all
accountable someday for how we spend HIS resources. And the way we can track that
responsibly is to create a budget or spending plan and attempt to keep it. Let’s see how to do that….

Record Keeping & Accounting

The church is to be FAITHFUL managers of what He entrusts to her. And every bit of money He
gives the church is entrusted for careful care.

Matthew 25:14 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and
entrusted his wealth to them.

Whose wealth is entrusted? God’s wealth! Who does he entrust? Us! It’s not our wealth, it is God’s,
but he gives us the opportunity to manage it for Him. And it is God who gives us the ability to manage
and produce an increase.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce
wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

God expects us to be GREAT stewards of what He entrusts to us. And how we care for God’s money is a
reflection on our own Christian character.

Luke 16: 10-12 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is
dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in
handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy
with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

As God find us faithful, He can trust us with more.

I Corinthians 4:2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

How can we be good stewards of God’s money if we fail to account for where we get it and how we
spend it? A steward is one who manages another’s affairs, property, and finances. We would not be
good managers if we do not know where our money goes each month. For on the Day of Judgment, we
will be required to give an account of our actions on earth, including the type of steward we were of all
the God has blessed us with.

The church must live on a budget to properly account to God.

A budget is a plan the church makes on how to best manage the resources God gives each month. It is a
tool to manage how much income is received, and how much of the income the church will plan to
spend, save, or give away.

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