Finances – Nickcarnes.com

September 22, 2014

What does a Financial Sermon Series have to do with the Gospel?

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This Sunday, September 28, we begin a new 6-week sermon series, Life. Money. Legacy. I am excited about this series and I know God will do an amazing work in your life and home, if you will let him. During the series, we will watch 5 video messages from Dave Ramsey that were recorded at another church. I will preach the sixth message live. During the video messages, I will be at New Passion and will introduce the videos, as well as help connect them to our local body. During the 5 weeks I am not preaching, I will be working on sermons for our final two sermon series of the year. This is a huge blessing since I am still bi-vocational. To help our people, I want to answer this question: “What does a financial sermon series have to do with the gospel?”

The Gospel is Generosity: “For God so loved the world that He GAVE….” The gospel is God giving Jesus, to us. As followers of Jesus, we are called to give to others, whether in our service, our finances, or our lives. We are not saved to be selfish, we are saved to become selfless. When our finances are not in order and are chaotic, it does several things: 1. It prevents us from being generous financially, because we can’t afford to be; 2. It prevents us from being generous in service, because all of our times is tied up in multiple jobs trying to right our financial ills; 3. It makes us internally focused rather than externally focused. Consider these verses when understanding gospel generosity:
An Improper View of Money Hinders Effective Application of the Gospel: When we have a wrong view of money it hinders how we share the gospel and how we live it out. In 1 Timothy 6:1-19, Paul addresses Timothy by comparing a Biblical perspective on finances to a corrupt view. Paul tells Timothy that by following these instructions, no one will be able to find fault in him.
In the same way, Jesus shared an inescapable truth when he told His disciples that man cannot serve two masters (money & God); we will love one & hate the other. He said the biggest thermometer to gauge our love or hate is to examine where we invest our treasure (earth or heaven). These are strong verses. If you’re a non-giver, or just a whatever change I have in my pocket giver, it kind of makes you stop and think if you truly love God, or is it money who is your god.
Poor Financial Management is a Poor Reflection of Jesus: The best tippers at restaurants should be Christians, unfortunately it’s Christians who typically tip the worst, while possessing the worst attitudes. Consider a Huffington Post article and an article written on Christianity Today for a glimpse into the world of “Christian Tipping” and our reputation. As “Christians” we bare the name of Christ and therefore we are a reflection of Him. We are a ‘light’ to the world, not our own light, but His light. When we are months behind on bills, on a first name basis with the title pawn clerk, and bouncing checks because we’ve overspent and managed our money poorly, we make Jesus look bad…and let’s be honest, how can we truly have the courage in those moments to share our faith with the bill collectors, or even invite them to church? Paul said that in whatever we do, do it all to the glory of God; this would include how we manage our money.

This series is not to condemn you, but rather in love provide you the necessary tools and resources needed to manage your finances according to Biblical instructions, to teach you to be generous, and to help you leave a God honoring legacy for your children and the future church, who will carry on the work of the gospel, years after we have died and completed our work on earth. Why continue to live in financial chaos, when the Bible provides a pathway of freedom and peace? Join us, because our finances matter to God’s work on earth, for his eternal purposes in heaven.

March 16, 2010March 16, 2010

God Doesn’t Deserve My Best

“God doesn’t deserve my best,” is exactly what we say when we as “Christ Followers” decide to be consumers rather than contributors. I listened to a message by Perry Noble the other day from NewSpring’s Practical Atheist series. He referenced the verses where Cain and Abel present their offerings to the Lord and how Cain just gave some of his crops as an offering to the Lord, while Abel gave his first and best lamb as an offering. While the main point of Perry’s usage of the Scripture was to point out that the tithe did not go away with the law since it was present 500+ years before the law was given, something different stood out to me.

I’ve practically grown up in church. I’ve been a ministry leader, staff, volunteer, and a plain ‘ol church attender. I’ve heard messages on giving and tithing several times in the past, but nothing has prepared me for the harsh reality that there are more Christians like Cain than there are like Abel in most churches. I remember hearing about Cain as a child in our Bible stories. He got a bad rap, I guess it stemmed mostly from him murdering Abel. But the more I think about it, there is more focus put on his being a murderer than there is his attitude that God did not deserve his best. I wonder if we avoid that foundational truth because its our attitude too? I wonder if that’s why people church hop and get angry when the pastor preaches on giving and money? Could it be because their attitude is that God does not deserve their best?

This verse has never stuck out to me until I looked at it over the weekend, check it out…

“Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” Genesis 4:6-7

What was the right thing in this situation? Abel’s income came through being a shepherd. Cain’s income came through harvesting the land. Both brought an offering to the Lord, because the Lord had blessed them both with a profit and a means of living. The difference is, Abel brought his first and his best to God, Cain just brought a random selection, but it was definitely not his best. God’s response was that Cain would be accepted if he only did what was right. Cain knew what was right, but his attitude directed his actions. He did not feel God deserved his best, therefore he did not give God his best. The biggest part of this verse to me is where God points out, that sin is crouching at Cain’s door waiting to control him because he lacked the heart to put God first and to give him his best.

There are Christians all over the world who do this all the time. They won’t or they can’t give God their best because they are driving it, or living in it, or wearing it. There are Christians all over the world who want to tell the church what they want to consume from the church, but they refuse to contribute to the vision God has given the church.

Matthew 6:21 says, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.“

I believe that is what God was telling Cain in Genesis. Watch out! Sin will control your desires when God does not deserve the first and best of your treasures.

Are there areas in your life or in the life of your family that sin has control of? It may start with your desire to be a consumer rather than a contributor and the attitude that God does not deserve your best!

Just a thought!

March 5, 2010

UNLEASH 2010: Breakout Session 2

Breakout Session 2

Giving…Budgeting…Spending

Paul Marshall & Joe Sangl

Giving:

0-1,000 People –

Established Accurate (Excellent) record-keeping (Used Simple Access Database)
(Without accurate record keeping, you have a mess!)
1st Time Giving Letter (No matter how much given)
Let God be in the equation
Build margin, early & often!

1,000 – 5,000 people –

Moved to FellowshipOne (Helps track Ministry & Giving)
Did 1st Capital Campaign (3 year pledge)
Educating people about finances (FPU) – The church decided to take on the responsibility to teach the people about finances.

5,000+ people –

Did 2nd Capital Campaign (3year pledge)
Class – “Financial Learning Experience”
*Common sense is uncommon
Group Study: “I was broke. Now I’m Not.”
Started looking at tithing/offering as a “Worship Experience”
(52 Weeks – 52 Different Ways to focus)

Budgeting

0-1,000 people –

Commitment to pay staff well from the start
Benefits to staff employees from the start (100% of employee. 50% of dependents)
Lead Team: Monthly review of finances
Budget for a year
Let God be in the Equation

1,000-5,000 people –

ACS for Accounting (Linear System)
Retirement plan w/ matching funds
POs

5,000+ people –

3rd party salary survey for senior pastor
Annual budgeting with approvals by SMT

Spending

0-1,000 people –

Accurate record keeping of expenditures
Pastor NEVER signs (signed) checks
2 Signatures required on all checks, with a signing limit (only a handful of signers 3-4, 2 signatures required)
Farmed out Payroll
Let God be in the Equation

1,000-5,000 people –

Annual review by 3rd party (CPA)
Brought payroll back in-house
Purchased Land

5,000+ people –

Changed to new PO system
Sage MIP Accounting System (Segment Based)
Microix
True 3rd Party Audit
Project next years budget from last 6 months income
Watch cash flow
Provide a wish list if God gives a special gift to the church (this is separate from budget)
Individual ministry budgets: Breakout with current years expenses (money spent), column to list suggested next years budget with an additional column to list reasons why it is being suggested.
No fundraisers. People give to a vision before they give to a need. Every Sunday is a Big Event, that helps cast vision.

November 19, 2008

Can God Get A Loan?

If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord – and he will repay you! Proverbs 19:17

I found this verse interesting. People always talk about being ‘the hands and feet of Jesus’ to help those who are in need, but how about the ‘bank of Jesus?’ I think a lot of us look at giving to the poor in terms of what we have financially, we make comments like, “When God blesses me with extra, then I can give to others.” However, I get the impression that God works like this, “You give from whatever I’ve already given you, and then I’ll repay you based on your kindness.”

To me this puts a new perspective on Matthew 25:40 (MSG) where Jesus says, whatever we do to those overlooked and ignored, we do it to Him. Proverbs is saying that we are not giving our money to the poor…we are giving a loan to God, he’s just predesignated that he wants the money to go, and he wants it to go to those who are overlooked and ignored. This promise from Proverbs is not limited to “Christians.” I see tons of secular businesses that are very successful, and many times if you look behind the scenes they are highly involved in charitable giving. I just think the Church should be leading the way…

This is personally something I have to work on. My family is definitely not rich, but that cannot be an excuse! Join the Conversation…What do you think? Is God’s credit good enough at your bank?

November 8, 2008

Our Cash Envelope System

Nicki and I went to the ReThink Money Workshop today that our church put on with Casey Graham. Casey talked about using one of three plans to pre-designate your monthly funds: 1. A written spending plan 2. A Cash Envelope System or 3. A computer method (Quickbooks, Quicken, Etc.). If we used the cash envelope system, here’s what it would look like right now:

We are not going to use a cash envelope system, because cash is easier to spend, and we don’t have money to spend, period. Hopefully, applying the principles we learned today will help us save money and cut spending where we can, it is not going to help us overcome my need to start a second job for a while, but it will reduce the amount I need to earn in that job. If you hear of a ReThink Money Seminar in your area, I highly recommend you go to it.

Join the Conversation: Do you use a budgeting system or a spending plan, if so what is it?