Luke 12:13-34

Money is an issue in the world
1. The average American has $83.42 in the bank
2. 80% of Americans owe more than they own
3. The average charitable deduction is less than 2%

Money is an issue in the church
1. Over 50% of church attendees give nothing
2. Average giving in evangelical churches is 3.5%
Assemblies of God 5.3%
Nazarene 5.0%
Presbyterian 2.3%
United Methodist 1.8%
Roman Catholic 1.2%
3. God knows that money is an issue

How to Avoid Disaster
1. Don’t wait until there’s a specific problem before you apply biblical principles to your handling of money (12:13-14)
2. Realize early that how you deal with money and possessions is serious business (12:15a)
3. Realize that worldly wealth is deceptive and dangerous (12:15b)

Patterns to Avoid
1. Avoid the Me First approach (12:17-19)
2. Avoid the More Money In, More Money Out approach (12:18)
3. Avoid the Looking for Luxury approach (12:19)

Principles to Remember
1. Set limits on luxuries
2. Store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20)
3. Trust God for your basic needs (12:22-34)
He knows your need (12:30)
He asks for your attention (12:31)
He offers us the most valuable thing (12:32)
He offers us the greatest pension plan (12:33)
He wants us to ask ourselves the tough questions (12:34)