Today on MoneyLife with Chuck Bentley

I'd like to introduce my son, Luke, to you. Luke is 8 years old, and he's here as sort of a follow-up to an earlier appearance by my son, John.

Luke is always interested in what I do here at Crown Financial Ministries, so I thought it would be good to show him.

I'm always interested in what Luke learns from listening to MoneyLife. He says he learns how to use money wisely, and not spend it on stuff he doesn’t need. He also learns how to save money and to give money to the church.

Luke says spending money at an arcade is an example of not using money wisely. He says giving money to the church helps the church teach people how to follow God and use their money wisely. Luke says he’d like to be on the radio like his dad one day.

I'm going to teach today on the four relationships you must have to experience the abundant life.

We often think of abundance in terms of money and possessions. That’s the viewpoint of most of the economic experts in the media. God’s perspective is very different. He teaches through His Word that abundance is found in four key relationships.

The First Relationship is with God Himself. God has abundantly provided us grace and righteousness (Romans 5:17). We have victory in life because of that relationship.

Abundance is a blessing of God. True wealth comes from knowing God. There is no sorrow in it (Proverbs 10:22). Man’s wealth can bring sorrow. Pursuing money first and making your relationship with God secondary brings sorrow (1 Timothy 6:10).

Knowing God and experiencing His grace and righteousness is most important (Ephesians 2:7). I know people who are poor materially but rich in faith (James 2:5). If we have a relationship with God, we can serve Him with all of our heart. We can be free from the bondage of this world and being controlled by money.

You need to have a vibrant relationship with God. If you don’t have one, God suggests some things in His Word:

Learn to be generous, give to the needy (Matthew 6), generosity shows you believe God and trust He will take care of you. When you give, don’t have a motive of being recognized by men or other selfish agendas. The best reward doesn’t come from men, it comes from God. He may not reward you with more money.

Another way to improve your relationship with God is through prayer. Don’t pray publicly to get the attention of men. Humble yourself before the Lord, confess you don’t have the kind of relationship with Him you need, ask Him to draw closer to you, to free you from fear, and allow you to experience His abundance.

Another way to improve your relationship with God is by fasting. If you trust God and follow through with fasting, you’ll discover God is ever-present, the true master of your life.

The Second Relationship you must have for an abundant life is a relationship with a community of believers. Christians in the early church shared everything they had with other believers. There were no needy among them. (Acts 4:32-35)

We can contribute to our poverty and struggle if we’re not living as part of the Body of Christ. God wants us to live in harmony with other believers. He wants to experience things through those relationships that money can’t buy, expressions of love and support, and prayers. You can’t experience the riches of relationships with others if you don’t join, participate and serve.

You can improve your relationships by joining a church and becoming an active member. Serve others, especially leaders in the church. You’ll discover ways God can provide for your needs through others.

The Third Relationship necessary for an abundant life is relationships with your family and friends. They bring a quality and richness to life. Relationships with your parents, siblings, spouse, children usually have nothing to do with money.

God says to honor your parents and you will be blessed (Exodus 20:12). Proverbs are full of advice to listen to your parents and care for them. If you have broken relationships, it's important for you to be the one to seek to restore them.

You can improve your relationships with your family and friends by investing time in them. Offer hospitality, kindness, grace, forgiveness, and mercy to them.

Communicate with them and show interest in them. Listen to them and open up your heart to find out what needs they have. When you do those things, you’ll begin to experience an abundance that has no relationship to your finances. You’ll feel rich in your soul.

The Fourth Relationship for experiencing the abundant life is a right relationship with money. Money has a grip on the lives of many people. Money is the master of many people. You should only have one master, God.

He wants you to be free to serve. Money has to be a slave to you. You can’t serve God if you’re a slave to money. Once you have the order right, you’ll experience abundance. You’ll have surplus and margin and the ability to serve others. You’ll be able to experience the joy of giving.

On my recent trip to Africa, we showed the Widow and Oil film in the God Provides series. The film shows how God provided for a widow and her children (2 Kings 4) through miraculously multiplying oil she could sell.

We showed the film at a public school for girls. One girl said she was blessed by the mother’s willingness to defend her children. She didn’t have a mother herself and she longed for a relationship like that.

We often take for granted the riches we have, like having mother who cares about us. We have riches beyond compare when we know Christ. He’s our Protector and our Provider. God blesses us when we’re part of the Body of Christ through a church.

God blesses us through family and friends who help us bear burdens. God blesses us when we have a right relationship with money. Money can be used to fulfill God’s purposes instead of using it to have a comfortable life or get treasures on earth.

It’s liberating and exciting to see the reaction to the films. I'm passionate about seeing Christians understand this message. If you are too, I hope you will become a financial partner. You can help us get this message all over the world.

I hope you will take the steps I’ve suggested today to have the four right relationships need for an abundant life. Then consider joining us as a financial partner.

Ministries are struggling in this recession and this summer is especially difficult. If you’re a faithful listener and care about this message, join us and help us spread it to the ends of the Earth.

You can become part of Crown's effort to teach biblical stewardship by making a gift online or by calling 800-722-1976. Thank you!

Effectual Giving

It is not the amount of money given that concerns God, because He owns it all; it’s how the money is being used that’s important.

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Responding to God's Mandate

Sometimes generous givers are tempted to think that all they have to give is money.

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God and Money

Once we understand how God uses money and why He chooses to use it in a particular way, we can better understand His directives regarding finances.

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Teaching God's People God's Principles

God calls each of us to fill the gap in order to spread His Gospel to all parts of the world.

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Other Resources:

• ABCs of Money Package
• Career Direct
• God's Principles for Operating a Business
• Business By the Book
• Crown Mvelopes