AUGUEST THEME – “Seeing Revival from God’s Perspective”

Join us in prayer and celebration as Belmont Baptist Church celebrates our Year of Jubilee, marking fifty years of God’s amazing faithfulness and looking forward with grateful hearts to all He has yet to do.

BEATS FROM YOUR PASTOR’S HEART’S

IT’S EASIER TO USE GOD’S MONEY THAN TO DISCIPLINE YOUR SPENDING

“There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.” — Proverbs 21:20

“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” — 1 Corinthians 4:2

THE REAL ISSUE IS NOT HOW MUCH I HAVE, BUT WHOSE IT IS

It is easy to call God our Provider while spending as though everything He provides belongs entirely to us. We ask God to meet our needs, increase our income, help us get out of debt, and provide for unexpected expenses. Certainly, God invites us to bring every need to Him, but sometimes the answer we need is not more money—it is more discipline. Everything we possess ultimately belongs to God. Our paycheck is His. Our home is His. Our possessions are His. Our opportunities are His. Even our ability to work and earn comes from Him. We are not owners; we are stewards entrusted with something that belongs to another. Before asking God to give me more, I should ask whether I am faithfully managing what He has already placed in my hands. God is not only interested in what I give to Him; He is interested in what I do with everything He gives to me.

IT’S EASIER TO SPEND THAN TO SAY NO

We live in a world designed to make spending effortless. Everywhere we turn we hear, “You deserve it. Buy it now. Upgrade it. Finance it. Charge it. Treat yourself.” With a few clicks, we can purchase almost anything without having the money to pay for it today. But biblical stewardship requires a little word our flesh does not like—NO. No, I do not need it just because I want it. No, I cannot afford it right now. No, I do not have to keep up with someone else. No, I do not need the newest simply because it is available. No, I will not sacrifice tomorrow’s peace for today’s pleasure. Financial discipline is not merely learning to manage dollars; it is learning to tell self that it cannot have everything it wants. Every time I say “no” to an unnecessary desire, I am reminding my flesh that Jesus—not my appetite—is Lord.

IT’S EASIER TO ASK GOD FOR MORE THAN TO MANAGE WHAT HE HAS GIVEN

We sometimes pray, “Lord, provide,” without stopping to consider where yesterday’s provision went. God certainly can increase our resources, but increased resources without increased discipline may simply produce increased spending. Jesus said in Luke 16:10, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” Faithfulness begins with what is already in our hands. Sometimes one of the most spiritual things we can do is sit down, examine our spending, establish priorities, eliminate waste, pay our obligations, give faithfully, save wisely, and surrender our financial decisions to Christ. We should never use faith in God’s provision as an excuse for failing to practice wisdom with what He has already provided. Sometimes we are asking God to put more into our hands while He is waiting for us to become faithful with what is already there.

IT’S EASIER TO CALL IT “MY MONEY” THAN TO REMEMBER I AM A STEWARD

The moment I say, “It is my money; I worked for it,” I have forgotten something important. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.” God gave me the health to work, the mind to think, the opportunity to earn, and the breath I used throughout the day. When I understand stewardship, the question changes from merely, “Can I afford this?” to “Lord, is this how You want me to use what You have entrusted to me?” A steward understands that what passes through his hands belongs to someone else, and therefore he does not have the right to carelessly waste it. Financial freedom begins when ownership ends—when I recognize that God owns it all and I simply manage it for Him.

IT’S EASIER TO BLAME THE SHORTAGE THAN TO EXAMINE THE SPENDING

There are seasons when there genuinely is not enough. Financial hardship is real. Jobs are lost, prices increase, medical bills arrive, automobiles break down, and unexpected expenses can overwhelm even careful people. We should never assume that every financial struggle is caused by irresponsibility. Yet we must also be willing to honestly examine ourselves. Proverbs 21:20 says that “a foolish man spendeth it up.” Wisdom keeps something; foolishness consumes everything. Before blaming the economy, our employer, prices, or circumstances, we should be willing to pray, “Lord, search my spending. Show me what is unnecessary, impulsive, prideful, wasteful, or driven by comparison. Show me if I am spending money trying to satisfy emotionally what only You can satisfy spiritually.” Sometimes the financial miracle we are praying for begins with the discipline we have been avoiding.

IT’S EASIER TO WANT FINANCIAL PEACE THAN TO PRACTICE FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE

Everybody wants peace about money, but very few people naturally enjoy budgets, limits, delayed gratification, saving, sacrifice, or going without something they want. Yet peace usually has a pathway. Proverbs 6:6 says, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.” The ant prepares ahead. Biblical wisdom thinks beyond today. Discipline says, “I will prepare now so that I am not constantly panicking later.” It means learning to wait, planning for future expenses, living within our means, and refusing to spend everything simply because it is available. There is tremendous freedom in knowing that our finances are being brought under the Lordship of Christ. We cannot consistently spend without restraint and expect to continually live without financial stress.

IT’S EASIER TO BUY MORE THAN TO LEARN CONTENTMENT

Paul said in Philippians 4:11, “for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Contentment does not come naturally; it must be learned. Our flesh continually notices what someone else has and whispers, “I want that too.” Someone gets a newer car, remodels their house, takes an expensive vacation, or purchases something we would enjoy, and suddenly the blessings God has already given us begin to seem inadequate. Comparison has a dangerous way of turning yesterday’s blessings into today’s dissatisfaction. There is nothing inherently wrong with enjoying the good things God provides, but we must never expect possessions to satisfy a heart that was created to be satisfied in Christ. When Jesus becomes enough, I no longer need possessions to convince me that I have enough.

IT’S EASIER TO SPEND ON MYSELF THAN TO REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR GOD TO USE ME

God does not only provide for us; sometimes He wants to provide through us. Ephesians 4:28 teaches us to labor so that we “may have to give to him that needeth.” What if God places someone in our path who genuinely needs help? What if He burdens our heart for a missionary, a ministry, a struggling family, or someone experiencing tragedy? If every dollar is already committed to satisfying our own desires, we may have a heart that wants to give but no financial margin with which to give. Disciplined spending allows us to remain available when God says, “I want you to help them.” One of the greatest joys of stewardship is realizing that God can place something into my hands because He knows I will not close my fist around it. One of the greatest reasons to control my wants is so that I remain available when God shows me someone else’s need.

STEWARDSHIP IS WORSHIP

We often separate finances from worship, but God never does. When I faithfully give, I worship. When I pay what I owe, I worship. When I refuse an impulsive purchase, I worship. When I save wisely, I worship. When I choose contentment over comparison, I worship. When I ask God for wisdom before making a major financial decision, I worship. When I use what God has entrusted to me to bless someone else, I worship. Romans 12:1 calls us to present our entire lives as a living sacrifice to God, and that surrender includes our wallets, checkbooks, credit cards, savings, investments, possessions, and spending habits. If Jesus is truly Lord of my life, He must also be Lord of my money.

We often think, “If I just made more money, everything would be different.” Maybe it would, but perhaps God wants to do something deeper than increase our income. Perhaps He wants to increase our wisdom, discipline, contentment, generosity, faithfulness, and dependence upon Him. Instead of merely praying, “God, give me more,” perhaps we should begin praying, “God, teach me to faithfully manage what You have already given me.” One day the question will not be how much money passed through our hands. Some will have handled much, and others will have handled very little. The question will be whether we were faithful with what belonged to Him. Ultimately, this is not merely a lesson about finances—it is a lesson about Lordship. God may change my financial circumstances, but His greater desire is to change the heart that manages them.

LIFE PRINCIPLE

God does not merely want to bless my finances; He wants to be Lord over them. Everything I possess came from His hand, belongs to Him, and has been temporarily entrusted to me. Faithfulness is not measured by how much I possess but by how carefully I manage what He has provided for His purposes and His glory. God is not looking for wealthy stewards—He is looking for faithful ones.

WARFARE PRAYER

Father, I acknowledge that everything I have belongs to You. Forgive me for selfishness, impulsiveness, waste, discontentment, comparison, and spending without seeking Your wisdom. Break the power of materialism, greed, pride, and the constant desire for more in my life. Give me discipline to say no to myself, wisdom to distinguish wants from needs, courage to make difficult financial decisions, and faithfulness to manage everything You place in my hands. Teach me to give generously, prepare wisely, live contentedly, and remain available for You to use me to bless others. I surrender my income, possessions, spending, debts, savings, and financial future completely to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. My money will not master me, my possessions will not control me, and my desires will not rule me—Jesus Christ alone will be my Master. Amen.

DAILY CHALLENGE

Today, before asking God for anything financially, prayerfully examine your recent spending. Ask the Lord to show you one unnecessary expense you can eliminate, one area where you need greater discipline, and one financial decision that needs to be completely surrendered to Him. Then simply pray, “Lord, it is all Yours. Everything I have came from You. Show me how You want me to use it, and give me the grace to obey.” Do not make today merely about spending less; make it about surrendering more. The goal is not simply to have more money left at the end of the month—the goal is to have more of my life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

MONDAY’S PRAYER NEEDS

Darlene Kelley – Our Cousin _ Recovering from Cancer

Darlene Thaxton

Ginny Ford

Deanne Boynton

Anna Belle Taylor – Irregular Heartbeat – Jackson’s Special Friend

Rob Davis – cancer

Kim McClain’s Mother