Money Talks: The Three Rivers | Pastor Austin Hix

Reading –

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
⁸ It will be healing to your flesh^[a]
    and refreshment^[b] to your bones.

⁹ Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
¹⁰ then your barns will be filled with plenty,
    and your vats will be bursting with wine. – Proverbs 3:5-10 ESV

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God is the source. We are the stewards

Signs of a First River Mindset

• • Worry about money
  • Look to money to provide security
  • Struggle with giving

“Money is my shepherd, I shall not want. Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, money will comfort me”

“Where does my help come from? It comes from money.”

“My money shall supply all of my needs”

¹⁷ And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” ²⁰ And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” ²¹ And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ²² Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. – Mark 10:17-22 ESV

What to do

• • Trust the source, not the resource.

Signs of a Second River Mindset

• • Positive view of money
  • Lifestyle Creep

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” ¹⁶ And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, ¹⁷ and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” – Luke 12:13–21 ESV

What to do

• • Thank and Ask

Signs of a Third River Mindset

• • You don’t work for money. You work to honor God.
  • You aren’t anxious, you’re content.
  • You don’t complain, you’re thankful
  • You have, but don’t hold.
  • See yourself as a steward and god as the source.