WEBVTT 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:04.080 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:08.960 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:10.720 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:18.559 You know, uh five and a half years ago, my wife and I moved to the Bay Area from Portland, Oregon. 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:20.559 We moved here five and a half years ago. 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:28.160 And um there's so much that when coming to the Bay Area, I didn't know about myself as an Oregonian. 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:31.679 And you come to California and you just have some revelations, you know? 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:37.520 Like, I never knew that I'd never had a good taco until I moved here. 00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:44.880 Like, we have tacos in Oregon, but then you come down here and you're like, oh, you know? 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:47.119 Or like an avocado. 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:49.600 Like we had them in Oregon. 00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:50.240 We did. 00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:51.439 I could have bought them. 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:55.359 But when I came here, I was like, oh wow, this is like a real avocado. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:57.439 This is like really, really, really good. 00:00:58.079 --> 00:01:04.159 I I also learned when I moved here five and a half years ago that um that I was a slow driver. 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:06.959 Like, I never knew that. 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:09.680 Like I come down here and I was like, whoa, what? 00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:15.680 You know, what is and I had an organ license plate when I first came here, and I feel like you guys treated me like worse. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:16.799 Like I was driving slow. 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:18.719 I'll admit, okay, I was driving slow. 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:22.079 But like people were like cutting me off, they were like, Oregon driver, you know? 00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:25.840 And I have totally changed because like a couple weeks ago, I was back home in Oregon. 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:29.519 I was driving my mom, she's like, You drive like a maniac. 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:33.680 I was like, I live in California, mom. 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:38.000 Um yeah, like things totally changed. 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:44.159 The other thing when I moved down here was that I really learned what it meant to be rich. 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:48.319 I I didn't know, I thought I knew rich people in Oregon, right? 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:50.159 But I knew Oregon rich people. 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:52.799 And then I come here and I'm like, oh, this is rich. 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:58.799 This is like Silicon Valley stock options, like this is money money. 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:01.599 And Oregon rich and California rich are different. 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:06.159 Like, Oregon rich is like, do you drive what kind of Subaru? 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:08.479 That is that's the richest. 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:13.199 Like the richest people in Oregon, they drive the brand new Subaru, and you're like, shoot, that outback looks dope. 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:15.280 And it's like, yeah, it's a 2021, you know? 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:18.639 You're like, whoa, that's that's that's serious money, you know. 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:21.280 They, man, that that couple down the street, they're super rich. 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:22.240 They have the new Ascent. 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:24.000 Like, that is that is sweet. 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:24.719 That's a Subaru. 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:27.120 You don't even know Subarus, you know, in California. 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:29.759 You guys are driving Hondas and stuff because it doesn't snow. 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:42.639 So, you know, uh, yeah, and like coming down here, I'll be honest, it actually affected me seeing all this money moving down here because my wife and I, as good Oregonians, like we moved down here with two 2001 Subarus, you know? 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:44.479 They were like at the time 15 years old. 00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:45.520 Like they were doing great. 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:46.240 They were awesome. 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:46.960 I loved them. 00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:55.199 Um, but I came down here and I saw so many Teslas, I was like suddenly realizing like I found myself thinking, like, should I buy a Tesla? 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:57.599 Like I literally thought that one day, like driving along the road. 00:02:57.680 --> 00:03:01.439 And I don't know if I would have ever thought that way had I not been surrounded in such an environment. 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:10.159 And I thought about this verse when I had moved down here and I was seeing all this money, seeing these houses that I'd never really seen before and this level of wealth I'd never seen before. 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:13.840 I thought of this verse that actually Ryan quoted last week in the sermon. 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:15.840 He quoted Luke 12, 15. 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:24.159 Jesus says, Watch out, be on your guard against all kinds of greed. 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:29.919 A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:34.800 This is before he tells this really great parable in Luke chapter 12. 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:41.120 And I thought about that verse because it was like, Jesus was like, watch out, be on your guard. 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:45.599 And he says, against all kinds of greed, like greed's gonna come in various forms. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:47.199 But you know, greed, right? 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:53.919 Greed is the insatiable desire and belief that you consistently owe yourself something. 00:03:54.080 --> 00:04:00.719 It's not just saying, I owe this to myself once, you know, like I owe, you know, I really am tired. 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:02.639 I owe myself this ice coffee one time. 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:03.680 That's not necessarily greed. 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:05.919 Greed is the consistent thought all the time. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:10.319 Like Andy Stanley says, greed is defined, I owe me. 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:13.199 Like I owe me this thing. 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:14.960 Um, I deserve this. 00:04:15.039 --> 00:04:19.040 It's the constant state of deservedness that we sit in. 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:22.319 That greed suddenly creeps in. 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:25.120 You know, Tom Haveford would say, treat yourself. 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:28.639 Like that's the mentality we live with all the time. 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:30.160 It's not wrong to treat yourself. 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:34.319 It's just like the consistent desire to treat yourself and that you deserve this. 00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:35.759 Greed sneaks in. 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:38.879 And it sneaks in because we swim in these waters. 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:42.800 We've been talking through this series about the normative practice of the Silicon Valley. 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:46.000 And man, this is just mostly American life, too. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:50.720 Like, first, the normative practice we've been saying is that you consume what you make. 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:55.040 Like, whatever you make, the first thing you think about is what can you buy with that thing? 00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:56.800 That's the first thought that goes in your mind. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:58.879 You know, I get this paycheck of$1,000. 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:00.959 How can I spend that$1,000 best? 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:02.879 Just consume, just spend. 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:07.040 Secondly, then, whatever you have left, you can save if you can. 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:08.959 If you have enough, you can save. 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:18.560 And the normative practice, the American way, the Silicon Valley way, consume, save, and then at the end, hey, if you got a little left over, like give to a nice cause or your church or something like that, right? 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:20.800 That's the normative practice. 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:30.720 But we've been discussing the simple but profound reversed order of the biblical wisdom, which is to reverse the order that I just gave you. 00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:33.519 That we are to first, the Bible teaches, give. 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:36.160 First, give to God first. 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:44.879 Out of what you get, the first thing that goes out of what you get is to give it back to God, to give it, and then to save. 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:51.360 And then the last thing you should do is be in consuming or living on the rest. 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:53.839 And so we've said, give to God the first 10%. 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:56.319 This is reversing the normative practice. 00:05:56.639 --> 00:06:04.959 Give to God the first 10%, the Bible teaches, to save appropriately the next 10%, and to live off of 80%. 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:17.439 And here we are, we've done week one, give, week two, live, or uh save and invest, and this week we have the impossible tall order of how do you live on 80% in the Silicon Valley? 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:18.319 How do you do it? 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:20.000 Is it even possible? 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:29.040 Is it possible in this area and in this space, this time in history, is it even possible to live a good life on the 80%? 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:35.439 How can I live a good life on 80% of my income right here in the Silicon Valley? 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:36.879 How can I do that? 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:42.879 I'm suggesting today it's going to require mindset changes and lifestyle changes. 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:48.319 There's going to be have to be new ways you think about the 80%, about what you live on. 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:52.319 And there's going to have to be things that you do differently. 00:06:52.560 --> 00:07:04.639 If your mind changes and your lifestyle changes, you can live a full, good, joyful, peaceful life in your financial life here in the Silicon Valley. 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:05.920 I really believe that. 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:08.959 We're after in this series financial peace. 00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:11.600 And go back to week one and listen to the message Ryan gave. 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:14.639 We're not talking about financial freedom, just whatever we want to do with our money. 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:20.800 We're talking about true peace, abiding joy, mindset changes, and lifestyle changes will lead to that. 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:28.639 I want to show you this proverb from the wisdom book Proverbs in your Bible, chapter 30, verse 7. 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:32.879 This is a wisdom saying, ancient wisdom saying from your Bible. 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:40.079 It says this two things, the Proverbs writer says, two things I ask of you, Lord, do not refuse me before I die. 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:41.680 Two things he's asking. 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:45.920 Look at number one, keep falsehood and lies far from me. 00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:52.560 Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:53.439 Two things. 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:10.000 This is where Jesus uses this line for the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 and Luke 11 to say, God, give us our daily bread. 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:11.600 Just give us what we need. 00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:18.319 Otherwise, the Proverbs writer goes on, I may have too much and disown you and say, Who is the Lord? 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:20.399 Because I'll be satisfied in my riches, right? 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:26.800 Or I may be become poor, too poor, and steal and thus and so dishonor the name of God. 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:32.399 You see in this proverb, mindset and lifestyle changes in approaching a livable wage. 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:36.000 The mindset changes, I don't need too much or too little. 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:37.440 Just give me what I need, Lord. 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:40.799 I'm asking you to keep me away from lies and just give me what I need. 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:42.559 And a lifestyle change. 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:46.879 They're worried, this writer is worried that if I have too much, I'll do something wrong. 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:48.799 If I have too little, I'll do something else. 00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:55.840 And I'm praying that God, two things I'm asking that God would give me, man, keep me in the truth and just give me what I need. 00:08:56.320 --> 00:09:02.320 That is a different approach to living on the 80% than most of us had. 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:03.679 So let's have right now. 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:06.320 Let's look at mindset changes and some lifestyle changes. 00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:10.080 The first four mindset changes and four lifestyle changes. 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:11.440 Four mindset changes. 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:16.960 Okay, first is this the 80% is going to take time to develop. 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:19.120 So take one step. 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:30.559 Okay, I'm not gonna spend a lot of time on this because we've talked about this through the series, which is that the biblical model, 10%, give 10%, save 10%, live on 80%. 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:36.399 It might sound to you walking in these doors like you're like, whoa, I didn't know we were talking about money today, this is crazy. 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:40.879 Like you're telling me I need to work to live towards 80, 80%. 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:43.279 I I can barely live on 100%. 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:49.840 What we've been saying through this series is what is the one step you can take towards that goal, okay? 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:55.919 Because again, we're after, and Jesus is after, your peace and your joy in your financial life. 00:09:56.240 --> 00:10:04.080 We really believe the Bible is true in this matter, that if we can take a step towards 80, it's going to get easier each step we take. 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:08.080 That if you can take one step today and do 1% and 1%, great. 00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:11.440 If you're at 3% and 3%, can you go to 4% or 5%? 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:16.639 Taking one step gets you further down the road and can get you to 80% before you know it. 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:18.639 It can get you to 80% before you know it. 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:22.080 How what would it look like to set some goals to get to that place? 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:26.320 The question is not necessarily like, are you living on 80% right now or not? 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:30.639 And if you're not, you know, you're outside of the Bible's wisdom and you're not living wisely. 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:31.120 No, no, no. 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:36.960 It's just saying, how can I become more disciplined in this area to lead to more joy? 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:41.919 How can I become a little more disciplined in this area to lead to more joy? 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:51.919 Because if the Bible teaches this and we really believe that God, God's heart for us is hidden in this, man, we need to take steps towards that reality. 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:55.279 So the 80% is gonna maybe take time for some of you to develop. 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:56.720 That's okay, take one step. 00:10:56.879 --> 00:10:58.000 Second, mindset change. 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:02.159 These are things to just, again, in your brain, rewiring it a little bit. 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:05.279 Second, getting rich is not the goal. 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:13.200 Okay, one lie out there is like if the 80% were bigger, I'd live on the 80%, right? 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:19.200 So my goal, Chris, is I can't do that right now, so I'm just gonna make my 100% larger. 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:21.759 So my new 80 is my old 100, right? 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:29.279 Like I'm just gonna increase that and grow that and get rich, and then when I get rich, I'll live like the Bible tells me to live, you know? 00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:31.360 And this is this is a lie. 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:35.919 For many of us, we legitimately believe if we had more, we would be more obedient. 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:40.320 If we had more possessions, we would be more obedient. 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:42.639 And I wanna question that. 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:47.120 I wanna question that is that the right way for us to live? 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:50.320 Desiring to be rich is a dangerous thing. 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:53.519 Being rich is not a bad thing. 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:59.679 But desiring to be rich and setting your heart on these riches, the Bible has stern warnings about. 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:07.759 In fact, the more we set our heart on our riches, the more Jesus would say, spiritually disadvantaged you become. 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:13.919 Because the more you're setting your heart on your riches, you're starting to grow your own like security in yourself and your well-being. 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:15.519 You stop relying on the Lord. 00:12:15.679 --> 00:12:21.679 Jesus put it this way, in probably his harshest words, after a rich person uh leaves Jesus. 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:25.679 Jesus asks him to give away all of his possessions, and the rich man cannot do it. 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:27.919 He walks away and he walks away sad, by the way. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:30.159 Again, Jesus' life is towards joy. 00:12:30.399 --> 00:12:35.600 And this man leaves Jesus' way and leaves sad, and Jesus turns to his disciples. 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:45.600 He says, This, Matthew 19, 23, truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:51.840 Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. 00:12:52.000 --> 00:13:04.320 The kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, Jesus' space where his will and and work is happening, Jesus says, it is going to be very difficult for you to get into my kingdom if you're building your own. 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:16.639 And so for us to think we need to just build our kingdom and then we will deposit our kingdom to God's kingdom once ours is built is a very dangerous thing, according to the Bible. 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:18.960 The Bible has stern warnings about this. 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:23.279 In Mark 4, 19, Jesus uses this phrase I've always found so interesting. 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:28.720 He calls, uh he says, there's something called the deceitfulness of wealth. 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:30.960 The deceitfulness of wealth. 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:32.559 It lies to you. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:34.960 Wealth lies to you, riches lie to you. 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:36.559 Psalm 62, 10. 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:39.840 Though your riches increase, that's not a sin. 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:42.000 Look at what the psalmist says though. 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:49.200 So God gives you more, but don't set your heart on that more. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:52.960 Tertullian was an African church father. 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:55.120 I think the slide says fourth century. 00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:55.919 That's a typo. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:59.519 He was born in 160 AD from Africa. 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:02.879 He was commenting on these verses and he said this. 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:11.840 Like that is some wisdom. 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:13.360 Do we believe that though? 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:15.360 Our mindset's going to have to change. 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:17.600 Getting more is not the goal. 00:14:17.919 --> 00:14:23.600 Getting disciplined and thankful for what we have been given with what we have been given is the goal. 00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:32.960 What has God given you, and how can you become disciplined and grateful with what God has given you so that you can live a more full life in Him. 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:41.039 The more we the more we have set on the more we're going to just be dissuaded by the things Jesus is calling us to do. 00:14:41.279 --> 00:14:42.960 I love what Randy Alcorn says. 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:47.039 One of my favorite books on money is called Money, Possessions and Eternity by Randy Alcorn. 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:56.720 He says this God prospers me or gives me more, not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving. 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:00.879 This man totally lives it, by the way. 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:05.600 He sells more books than anybody, millions and millions of dollars in royalties. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:07.200 He gives it all away, everything away. 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:08.879 He lives on minimum wage, I think. 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:10.320 An incredible life. 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:12.080 And he wrote this great book. 00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:14.799 And in it, he's sharing with us this wisdom. 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:16.080 More is not the answer. 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:20.799 When God prospers us, it's not to raise the standard of living and to get nice cars. 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:22.559 It's to raise the standard of giving. 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:23.600 How can I give more? 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:24.960 How can I be more generous? 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:29.519 How can I allow this 80% that God has given me, this 100% that God has given me? 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:31.759 And how can I give even more? 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:33.519 Our mindset has to change. 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:36.080 Riches is not the answer. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:38.559 The third mindset change is this. 00:15:38.799 --> 00:15:45.279 The 80% we're talking about, give 10, save 10, the 80%, that's still God's. 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:47.600 The 80% is still God's. 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:55.919 We shouldn't have this mindset that God just like owns 10% or something, you know, and he's like, we're giving it back to him like taxes or something like that. 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:57.360 That's not what's happening. 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:01.840 You give God 10 so you can remind yourself he owns 100. 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:07.440 You give God a little so that you know the rest is his. 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:09.440 You remember where it comes from. 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:18.480 You remember, you know, scripture, one of my favorite Psalms is 24, it opens this way: the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:21.840 The world and all who live in it. 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:29.679 In Psalm 50, another psalm, he uh the Lord is talking about the sacrificial system and people bringing animals to give to God. 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:36.320 And he's so frustrated because they're not giving him with their full heart and they're not giving him the full sacrifice. 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:39.759 And he says, you know, I own all these animals, anyways. 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:43.440 Like, I'm not after, like, I don't need money. 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:45.279 I don't need animals. 00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:47.360 What I'm looking for is your heart. 00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:59.120 And when we give, it trains our hearts to trust God, it trains our minds to submit to the Lord, and it reminds us who God is, how much he owns, and that informs the 80%. 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:10.640 I have found when you are generous with the 10 and 10, or even more than that, that actually you're reminded to live more wisely on the 80, because you're just thinking all the time about this is God's. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:17.200 The lie is that God only cares about the tithe, which means the 10% of giving that we talked about uh two weeks ago. 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:20.160 But we think, man, after that I can just do what I want. 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:24.480 After that, like everything is cool, and my, you know, I can do whatever I want with this 80%. 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:34.319 But that's not true, and we have to do this fourth mindset change before we move to the lifestyle, which is this money decisions are spiritual decisions. 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:37.519 Money decisions are spiritual decisions. 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:40.319 And this is what I mean by this 80%. 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:45.680 Some some of us think, like, I I mean, I totally used to think this way. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:49.279 Like, the spiritual decision is to give 10%. 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:51.599 That makes me spiritual. 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:56.480 And so the 90, if I save it or how I spend it, like it doesn't really matter what I do with that. 00:17:56.640 --> 00:17:58.880 Because the spiritual thing I did was give the 10%. 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:13.920 But we have to change the way we're thinking about this because again, we give that 10 and then we look at the 90 or we save that other 10, and we look at the 80, and we go, God, how would you instruct me to spend this 80%? 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:30.079 And I the spiritual decision making that's involved in money is important because some of us we don't like to talk about money because you know, we get uncomfortable because of the ways it's revealing like our hearts, right? 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:37.440 Jesus says this, we quoted this last week, Matthew 6, 21, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:45.599 The direction of your treasure, your time, your money is going to determine the direction of your character. 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:52.400 And we are in a process right now of discipleship with Jesus, if you're a Christian. 00:18:53.599 --> 00:19:01.440 Discipleship is the word we use in the church to talk about following Jesus, doing what he tells us to do. 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:05.839 To be apprentices is another word, or a student. 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:11.519 Like you think about when you were a student and you were writing down the things that your teacher was saying. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:23.039 Or if you've ever been an apprentice or known an apprentice, which is someone who's like training with someone who actually has practical means, like a plumber or a welder, they have apprenticeships. 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:23.440 Why? 00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:27.359 Because you can't learn some of those things uh in a classroom. 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:29.519 You've got to like get onto the job. 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:47.200 My wife is a resident, they call them residents, but they use apprenticeship in in um the medical world a lot because you're walking alongside attending physicians, and you as a resident physician are practicing medicine under the authority of an attending physician who's attending to the matters that you are doing. 00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:52.559 We in discipleship, we are those residents that are working God's will. 00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:57.119 He's our attending, he's our our master, our Lord. 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:00.799 And you know, you've seen baptisms maybe at awakening before. 00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:07.759 A baptism is a dying of the old life, laying it down, and being resurrected into a new life. 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:17.039 Like Paul says this, one of the writers of the New Testament, he says, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:25.200 So I don't make the decisions Chris Nye wants to make about my future or about my money. 00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:28.880 I make the decisions because I'm living a new life. 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:31.920 I make the decisions Jesus wants me to make. 00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:35.440 That's what it means to, we say this a lot in church, trust Jesus. 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:42.319 To trust Jesus is not to have a positive emotional temperament towards his word, like, ooh, that was nice. 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:49.359 But to trust Jesus is to hear what he tells you to do and to actually do it. 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:53.039 To practice it, to be a disciple, to walk it out. 00:20:53.359 --> 00:21:02.240 The word disciple is used to describe the early church and the followers of Jesus 260 times in your New Testament. 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:06.559 The word Christian is used three times in the New Testament. 00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:12.319 Which word speaks to the profound nature of the Christians more? 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:17.039 The most common descriptor was student, apprentice, disciple. 00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:24.799 I'm saying all this to remind you that you and I do not live the financial life we want to live because that died in our baptism. 00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:29.680 Now we're raised to a new life going, God owns everything. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:32.400 What I do with my money matters. 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:38.240 It reveals my spiritual life before the Lord, my heart, my character. 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:43.359 It has something to say to my life, and God cares about it. 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:46.480 God cares about this because it is connected to our character. 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:56.240 I gotta pause right here because this is always kind of the time in the message, maybe where if I were listening to it, uh I would call it my Catholic guilt starts to kind of crop up a little bit. 00:21:56.400 --> 00:21:56.720 Okay? 00:21:57.119 --> 00:22:10.319 Like, I grew up around the Catholic Church and I love the Catholic Church and I have so much respect for so many, I still stay in touch with so many of my friends there, but I have this in me, and maybe you don't have this in you, so this is my therapy, okay? 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:21.519 But maybe you do have this in you, where you start to think, oh man, money decisions are spiritual decisions, and everything I spend on, like I need to feel bad about it if it's gonna be good. 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:22.160 You know? 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:27.039 Like, if I feel good about a purchase, God hates it, or something like that. 00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:30.880 Now, if you're like me, okay, that's built in me. 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:36.000 That's like bad stuff that I was raised with or whatever. 00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:38.319 That's not what Jesus is after here. 00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:44.799 Jesus is after your joy, the peace that comes from God, and a free life. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:46.400 God is after that. 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:54.480 And the strictures that he puts on our life through his commandments are given to us like a good parent would give to a child. 00:22:54.720 --> 00:23:02.079 To live a free life and a peaceful and joyful life based off of what he's been given, uh, what he's given us. 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:11.279 So that's also a mindset change hidden in this here is to remember to be a disciple is not to be a sad person about your money. 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:18.000 To be a disciple is to joyfully receive the instructions of Jesus, knowing they're meant for your peace. 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:20.720 They're meant for your peace. 00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:26.319 So with that in mind, these mindset changes can flow to a different life. 00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:30.240 Mindset changes, now some lifestyle changes, four of them to close. 00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:32.559 The first, lifestyle change. 00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:35.920 With that stuff in your mind, allow that to transform your mind. 00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:37.519 Pray through these things. 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:39.839 This is how it might look in your life. 00:23:40.160 --> 00:23:46.079 Number one, is to seek wise financial counsel and do what they say. 00:23:46.960 --> 00:23:51.599 Seeking wise financial counsel and do what they say. 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:57.359 The Proverbs are obsessed with this kind of thinking, not just in financial life, just in life. 00:23:57.519 --> 00:23:59.279 Look at what Proverbs 13, 20. 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:05.440 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm. 00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:07.920 Some of you are like, I really want to be wise. 00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:11.839 I want to be somebody that comes to, could they come to me for advice. 00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:14.799 Proverbs says, just get around wise people. 00:24:15.039 --> 00:24:21.200 Years from now you'll realize you're a wise person because you've submitted yourself to wisdom. 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:29.920 Proverbs also says, uh, Proverbs 15, 22, without counsel plans fail, but with many advisors they succeed. 00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:35.519 Like if you want your financial plans to go well, don't make financial plans alone. 00:24:36.319 --> 00:24:41.119 Your financial life needs to have uh wisdom in it. 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:46.400 My life changed when I got wisdom in my life uh around finances. 00:24:46.480 --> 00:24:49.119 And I got wisdom in my life because somebody really cared about me. 00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:57.440 I was 19 at a church, uh, I was like interning, and then I was I was uh ordained and licensed as a pastor like the next year or two. 00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:01.839 And I was so young and I knew nothing about ministry, and I definitely knew nothing about money. 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:03.279 I barely know stuff about money now. 00:25:03.359 --> 00:25:05.839 I know what the Bible teaches about money, but man, I need help. 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:08.799 Like I'm not a financial guru, I'm not a CPA. 00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:11.039 A lot of you are smarter at money than I am. 00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:14.079 I needed somebody to come into my life, and somebody did. 00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:16.240 Money Dave, call him Money Dave. 00:25:16.319 --> 00:25:16.880 He's awesome. 00:25:17.039 --> 00:25:18.000 Not Dave Ramsey. 00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:28.559 I don't know Dave Ramsey, but uh I know Money Dave, and Money Dave showed up in my life, and he was like, Hey Chris, um, are you saving? 00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:31.440 And I was like, bro, do you know this church pays me nothing? 00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:36.160 Like, I don't make money, like I think I do, and then it's gone, you know? 00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:39.279 Um, and he was like, Well, you want to sit down? 00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:39.920 I can help you. 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:42.160 You know, I can help you kind of form a budget. 00:25:42.400 --> 00:25:43.839 And I was like, okay. 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:50.319 And you know, me and Dave sat down and he really, really encouraged me, actually just told me, and I just did it. 00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:51.440 And this is what wisdom does. 00:25:51.519 --> 00:25:52.240 You gotta listen to it. 00:25:52.319 --> 00:25:56.160 That's why I said, like, uh seek wise counsel and then actually do what they say. 00:25:56.319 --> 00:26:01.519 Is like, he told me, he's like, Chris, I work with a lot of like you're uh starting your first year as a pastor. 00:26:01.680 --> 00:26:04.720 He's like, I meet a lot of pastors on the other end of life. 00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:10.400 They're like in their 60s or 70s and they're they're trying to retire, but they can't because they haven't saved. 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:14.400 They haven't been wise about this, and they stay longer at their churches than they should stay. 00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:15.200 And they don't, right? 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:17.920 They don't do, they're not able, they're not free. 00:26:18.160 --> 00:26:22.160 They're not full fulfilled because they haven't been wise. 00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:23.920 And I was like, wow, I didn't know that. 00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:30.960 And he's like, Yeah, I mean, pastors don't make a lot of money, so they usually just live on the 100 or they live on 120%, and they don't plan well. 00:26:31.200 --> 00:26:34.240 And sitting with Dave, I got a budget. 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:40.960 I mean, it was very embarrassing, but he like made me show me his my bank statement, which at the time was a disaster. 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:44.160 I mean, I was 20, I was single, I was living in Portland. 00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:50.079 He was like, Taco Bell, Taco Bell, Taco, like what? 00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:57.119 Can you how many times do you like you know, he was so generous, he was so and Money Dave is with me to this day. 00:26:57.279 --> 00:27:00.240 Like, he helps me and helps my wife and I. 00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:02.720 Like, we've got student loans, right? 00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:04.799 We've saving, we want to buy a house. 00:27:04.960 --> 00:27:08.880 Like, he helps us with all of this, and it all started with just submitting to his wisdom. 00:27:08.960 --> 00:27:12.000 And I literally, man, when he tells me to do something, I do it. 00:27:12.240 --> 00:27:12.960 I trust him. 00:27:13.119 --> 00:27:18.079 And for you, it might not be a one person, it's going to be maybe some good online resources, you know? 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:21.039 Maybe it's going to be a community of people, a few people. 00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:23.839 Maybe it's a family member of yours that you really trust or something. 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:29.440 But seeking that counsel is really, really important and really essential for you to do. 00:27:29.759 --> 00:27:35.359 Um, secondly, not only seek wives for financial counsel and do what they say. 00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:41.759 If you're gonna live at the 80%, I I would say a lifestyle change is to stay in close proximity with the poor. 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:50.000 This is something that might surprise you, but it's a biblical truth that in my life has been super transformative. 00:27:50.240 --> 00:27:59.519 Staying close to people who have less material items than you do and have less means to purchase material items than you do changes the way you purchase material items. 00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:00.880 It's that simple. 00:28:02.079 --> 00:28:09.039 When you are just friends with people of your same class, you end up probably buying above your class. 00:28:09.440 --> 00:28:16.799 But if you know people at different socioeconomic places, it actually changes your financial living on the 80%. 00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:20.319 Just trust me with this and look to God's word on this. 00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:28.319 Jesus says in Matthew 25, 40, one of his most kind of crazy, I mean, this this line is should stick with us, right? 00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:38.079 He tells this really stark parable and says, Whatever you did, he's talking past tense to people who meet him in eternity, for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine. 00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:46.480 And he is talking, do not mistake the context, he's talking about those who don't have enough to eat, don't have enough to be clothed, and those that are shut in prisons. 00:28:47.200 --> 00:28:51.680 Whatever you do for those, brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. 00:28:52.480 --> 00:28:59.039 Notice that Jesus is not saying when you are generous to the poor and you stay in close proximity to them, he's really proud of you. 00:28:59.359 --> 00:29:00.400 He's not saying that. 00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:02.480 He's saying you meet me there. 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:04.240 I'm there. 00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:10.640 You're wondering where I am, you're looking all over this world, seeking spiritual enlightenment, looking at apps, doing mindfulness. 00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:13.440 And you don't even know anybody who's poor. 00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:20.799 And for us to sit in this reality, you know, Jesus isn't teaching some landmark brand new Jesus thing. 00:29:20.880 --> 00:29:22.160 He's actually teaching Proverbs. 00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:27.200 Proverbs 14, 31 says, Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his maker. 00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:29.599 There's a connection between those who are poor and the maker. 00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:33.839 But he who is generous to the needy honors him, honors God. 00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:35.839 Proverbs 19, 17. 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:40.319 Whoever is generous to the poor, look at this, lends to the Lord. 00:29:40.559 --> 00:29:43.359 When you give to the poor, you're lending to the Lord. 00:29:43.519 --> 00:29:45.519 I don't know how more clearly to put it, right? 00:29:45.680 --> 00:29:48.319 And he will repay him for his deed. 00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:49.680 I don't know. 00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:59.039 You won't feel super great, and I don't feel super great when I make dumb purchases when I know people who can't afford groceries. 00:29:59.279 --> 00:30:04.079 Like it changes who your heart when you're in close proximity with the poor. 00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:06.960 You can volunteer at this food pantry we do. 00:30:07.039 --> 00:30:16.079 Man, last Thursday, hundreds of cars, people waiting for sometimes 30 minutes, sometimes an hour in line for groceries, right? 00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:20.720 You think that does something to you if you sit there and you serve in that kind of manner? 00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:22.480 Yes, man, I was there on Thursday. 00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:27.440 It's like, man, I'm thinking about this message, just going, man, Lord, help me. 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:30.960 Help me see the world the way you see the world. 00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:38.240 Help me see possessions the way you see possessions, how stupid some of the things we choose to pursue are. 00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:44.799 And God, help me see what you see in the eyes of those who don't have that much. 00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:54.720 You know, I think another way to do that is to um, like, there's uh a certain programs that help you send money to children that really need it. 00:30:54.960 --> 00:30:57.839 Compassion International has like a child sponsorship program. 00:30:57.920 --> 00:31:07.920 We've always done Africa New Life because we've known these partners in Africa for years, my wife and I, sponsoring children, and they write you letters and they give you updates on like what your money did to help that person. 00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:14.559 And you just go, man, I didn't give that much, but it gave them so much, and I didn't realize they didn't have so, they had so little. 00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:22.160 And you know, it's kind of like in a good way, like addictive, like you want to give more because it's changing your heart. 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:26.799 It's actually changing who you are to be in close proximity to those that don't have that much. 00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:31.440 And so change your life by involving yourself in organizations. 00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:34.960 You can, you can uh volunteer with us, you can volunteer with City Team, our partner. 00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:40.559 They have service opportunities all the time to put you in close proximity with those who don't have that much. 00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:45.680 I'm telling you, it has changed my life to know the names of people who cannot afford groceries. 00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:52.960 And my wife and I are privileged in working in ministry and working in medicine as she does, to just be close to people that don't have that much. 00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:55.279 It just changes who you are. 00:31:55.839 --> 00:32:02.960 The third lifestyle change you could probably make here to live more wisely on the 80% is to just track your spending. 00:32:03.200 --> 00:32:12.640 As your mind starts to change and you're involving yourself with these different, you're surrounding yourself with wise people, you're involved with the poor, just start tracking your spending. 00:32:12.720 --> 00:32:17.200 It's so simple, you guys, but hey, this series called Keep It Simple, so I'm sticking to the name. 00:32:17.440 --> 00:32:20.640 Just how much money do you make and where is it going? 00:32:20.799 --> 00:32:23.200 For some of you, you don't even know where your money is going. 00:32:23.279 --> 00:32:24.480 It's time to find out. 00:32:24.640 --> 00:32:27.920 And I'll be honest, preparing this message, I did a little review. 00:32:28.079 --> 00:32:29.599 And I got work to do. 00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:31.200 I do. 00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:34.079 Looking at where my money goes, I have found here's the deal. 00:32:34.319 --> 00:32:39.200 When I pay more close attention to where my money is going, I live a more peaceful life. 00:32:39.359 --> 00:32:40.240 I just do. 00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:42.720 It's when I'm not paying attention to that 80%. 00:32:43.119 --> 00:32:46.799 Like again, we think, oh, I gave 10, so now my spiritual stuff's over. 00:32:47.039 --> 00:32:48.640 No, it's just kind of beginning. 00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:50.000 What do you do with that 80%? 00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:51.839 What do you do with that? 00:32:52.000 --> 00:32:52.559 Track it. 00:32:52.640 --> 00:32:53.680 Where is it going? 00:32:54.000 --> 00:32:56.079 Um, how are you spending it? 00:32:56.400 --> 00:32:59.920 Use something like Mint, which is like a budget and expense app. 00:33:00.160 --> 00:33:00.480 Really good. 00:33:00.559 --> 00:33:01.759 I've used it on and off. 00:33:01.920 --> 00:33:07.039 And then it like links your credit cards and stuff and can it look that up on the app store. 00:33:07.200 --> 00:33:08.480 It can help you track your expenses. 00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:11.680 I also use my bank, Bank of America categorizes certain things. 00:33:11.839 --> 00:33:17.920 Sometimes your bank will do a good job or not so good job, and it can categorize some things to help you just know and look at it that the month. 00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:24.480 Maybe your first action step after this sermon is like just look through your bank and just go, oh, I didn't realize I spent all this on this. 00:33:24.640 --> 00:33:31.119 And again, this is we're tracking our spending not to be fundamentalists, we're tracking our spending to track our heart. 00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:35.680 Jesus says, where your money is, there your heart will be also. 00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:39.119 I can lie to you left and right about being a generous person. 00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:41.759 I can I can tell you, oh, I'm pretty generous, right? 00:33:42.079 --> 00:33:43.359 You know what doesn't lie? 00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:44.240 Math. 00:33:48.559 --> 00:33:48.880 Okay? 00:33:49.839 --> 00:33:54.000 And you can convince yourself in a small group, yeah, guys, like I'm really generous. 00:33:54.079 --> 00:33:55.680 I'm really working on that, you know? 00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:58.799 But I would encourage you, man, get onto your bank account. 00:33:58.960 --> 00:34:00.799 This is a spiritual practice. 00:34:01.119 --> 00:34:07.200 Like, the reason we're telling you this is we're as pastors, we're not financial advisors, but we're pastors. 00:34:07.440 --> 00:34:12.400 We care about your life, we care about your heart, we care about your spiritual life. 00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:18.400 And it's it it's it's time to really change who we are so that we might become more like Jesus. 00:34:18.559 --> 00:34:24.559 I see in my own life a direct correlation between where my money goes and my devotion to the Lord. 00:34:24.639 --> 00:34:25.199 I really do. 00:34:25.360 --> 00:34:25.920 I really do. 00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:32.480 When I'm not tracking it, I suddenly find myself maybe like discouraged or lacking peace and having anxiety. 00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:34.800 Yeah, like Jesus is right. 00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:39.840 Finally, four, make a budget based on values and reality. 00:34:40.239 --> 00:34:40.880 Make a budget. 00:34:41.039 --> 00:34:45.760 So track your spending and then just like look at a budget based on values and reality. 00:34:45.920 --> 00:34:47.760 Proverbs 21, 5, I love this. 00:34:47.920 --> 00:34:52.239 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance. 00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:56.960 So the plans, the discipline, it leads to abundance, to good life. 00:34:57.280 --> 00:35:01.280 But everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. 00:35:02.079 --> 00:35:04.400 Making a budget based on values and reality. 00:35:04.559 --> 00:35:07.199 Values, start with values, like what do you care about? 00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:08.639 What does God care about? 00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:11.280 Talk about that with a spouse, with your roommates, even. 00:35:11.360 --> 00:35:12.400 Like kick this around. 00:35:12.559 --> 00:35:15.519 Like, what does God care about and what do I care about? 00:35:15.679 --> 00:35:17.519 And then match that with reality. 00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:20.000 Like, how much do I actually make and can I do here, right? 00:35:20.079 --> 00:35:21.199 I'll give you some examples. 00:35:21.280 --> 00:35:24.800 Like for my wife and I, we really value hospitality. 00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:27.199 So we actually put money towards hospitality. 00:35:27.280 --> 00:35:30.079 Like when you come over to our house, I want to feed you. 00:35:30.239 --> 00:35:31.360 I want to make you that drink. 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:34.480 Like I want to make you something in your hand. 00:35:34.639 --> 00:35:37.599 I want you to sit down, I want you to enjoy the environment, right? 00:35:37.760 --> 00:35:40.880 Uh we have a guest room because we want people to stay with us, right? 00:35:41.039 --> 00:35:49.599 These are things that have changed because we value it, but the hospitality is like we value that, but it's also curbed with reality, okay? 00:35:49.920 --> 00:35:53.280 Come over and stay at the Nye house, like you're getting Target towels. 00:35:53.360 --> 00:36:00.079 Like, I love you, and I'm I want to be generous and hospitable, but the reality is I ain't living that pottery barn life, okay? 00:36:00.239 --> 00:36:01.679 I'm not there yet, all right? 00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:05.119 God has given me Target and I love Target, okay? 00:36:05.280 --> 00:36:15.280 So you come to my house, my value is hospitality, but I don't, we don't have the nicest everything, but we do put more money towards hospitality stuff, my wife and I, than maybe some of you do, right? 00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:16.960 Because that's a value of ours, okay? 00:36:17.119 --> 00:36:19.599 Rest and vacation is a value of ours. 00:36:19.840 --> 00:36:24.960 Ali, uh my wife, she has like uh blocked time off through the year through her program. 00:36:25.199 --> 00:36:27.599 We always take that time off, we always go somewhere. 00:36:27.760 --> 00:36:28.719 It's just a value. 00:36:28.880 --> 00:36:31.039 Now, again, reality, that's the value. 00:36:31.199 --> 00:36:39.119 The reality is we're not going to the Greek islands, not living the Greek island life, like God bless you guys who are, but like we're going to Carmel, right? 00:36:39.199 --> 00:36:40.800 We're going to Tahoe or whatever. 00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:41.840 We're driving. 00:36:42.079 --> 00:36:43.920 That's the reality of where we're at. 00:36:44.159 --> 00:36:47.280 But your values and your reality should be shaped in the budget. 00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:52.719 And I would tell you this: write in pen your values, right? 00:36:52.960 --> 00:36:58.320 Hey, this is what we're about, but write in pencil the reality, the budget. 00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:00.079 Because it's gonna always shift and change. 00:37:00.239 --> 00:37:04.800 Like my wife did not work in August, she was ending her uh residency, starting a fellowship. 00:37:04.960 --> 00:37:06.320 All of August, no income. 00:37:06.400 --> 00:37:11.119 Okay, we had to pencil and change like our spending and stuff based off of that reality. 00:37:11.280 --> 00:37:13.840 So your money's gonna shift and change a lot. 00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:19.440 Write in pencil your budget, but your values keep to those values. 00:37:19.599 --> 00:37:24.960 And your reality and your and your values are going to kind of shape a really, really good budget. 00:37:25.119 --> 00:37:28.880 Um, and again, seek the wisdom and the counsel of people that are around you. 00:37:29.199 --> 00:37:33.039 Mint that app I mentioned, it will give you uh notifications on your limits. 00:37:33.119 --> 00:37:36.000 It'll like buzz your phone and be like, dude, you're spending way too much money on coffee. 00:37:36.159 --> 00:37:37.599 Like, maybe you need that. 00:37:37.840 --> 00:37:39.920 Set that limit, set that budget. 00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:43.119 You can Google, you can write this down, quick start budget. 00:37:43.280 --> 00:37:48.000 It's a thing that the Dave Ramsey organization provides for free, I think, or something close to that. 00:37:48.159 --> 00:37:53.039 The quick start budget, it just can get you going in the budget area if you need help with that. 00:37:53.280 --> 00:38:01.920 I was thinking this morning, an old uh an old girl in my youth group who was in my youth group a while ago, uh, she has a YouTube channel called the budgeting wife. 00:38:02.159 --> 00:38:03.519 And then I mentioned this first service. 00:38:03.599 --> 00:38:05.440 Someone's like, I've been using the budgeting wife for two years. 00:38:05.679 --> 00:38:07.679 She's like super YouTube famous or whatever. 00:38:07.840 --> 00:38:14.000 But I just knew Marissa when she was in my youth group, she gives really good financial advice uh on YouTube and does a great job with that. 00:38:14.159 --> 00:38:18.960 Maybe you need that kind of help with your budget, but get there, make those steps. 00:38:19.199 --> 00:38:21.280 Okay, here's why. 00:38:21.920 --> 00:38:27.199 At the end of all this, guys, discipline with money, I know it might cause anxiety. 00:38:27.360 --> 00:38:29.199 You might be like, dude, I need work to do. 00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:34.320 Discipline with money leads to more joy and not less. 00:38:35.920 --> 00:38:37.280 More joy and not less. 00:38:38.159 --> 00:38:43.840 Everything I've given you is an invitation to something Christians call repentance. 00:38:44.159 --> 00:38:47.519 Repentance is not telling God you're sorry for your sin. 00:38:47.679 --> 00:38:49.039 That's maybe more confession. 00:38:49.280 --> 00:38:52.639 Repentance is as is actually a 180-degree turn. 00:38:52.960 --> 00:38:54.559 It's about changing your life. 00:38:55.119 --> 00:39:00.639 And the invitation to change our life through repentance, Jesus says will bring us joy. 00:39:01.039 --> 00:39:06.000 In the Gospel of John, chapter 15, verse 11, Jesus says this, these things I've spoken to you. 00:39:06.239 --> 00:39:08.719 He shared his commandments, his teachings. 00:39:08.800 --> 00:39:11.360 He goes, the things I've said to you, look at this. 00:39:11.920 --> 00:39:20.960 I have spoken to you that my joy, the joy of Jesus, might be in you, and that your joy may be full. 00:39:22.320 --> 00:39:34.960 Dallas Willard, the great philosopher, said this if there were a better way to live that gave you more joy, Jesus Christ would have been the first person to tell you about it. 00:39:36.960 --> 00:39:47.760 If there were a better way to live with finances, if it really was, if really the best way to live with finances was to go into debt and live on 120%, Jesus would have been the first person to tell us about it. 00:39:48.559 --> 00:40:00.239 But Jesus gave us commands, like a good father or mother, to put limits and strictures upon a life so that it might bring more joy, not less. 00:40:01.199 --> 00:40:09.920 And Jesus was the one who told us about the abundant and the good and the full life, saying, I'm giving you these commands that your joy may be full. 00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:16.159 Good life of stewardship recognizes the link between joy and discipline. 00:40:16.400 --> 00:40:18.320 Between joy and discipline. 00:40:18.639 --> 00:40:24.000 Want the thrill and the joy of hitting a game-winning shot, you shoot your free throws. 00:40:24.159 --> 00:40:30.159 You want the amazing experience and the joy that comes with playing music with friends, practice your scales and chords. 00:40:30.400 --> 00:40:34.960 Want the happiness that comes from finishing a race, you need to go for a run. 00:40:35.199 --> 00:40:51.599 The Bible teaches a life of discipline because it recognizes the a fundamental feature of human reality that discipline leads to joy, that a level of disciplined life in our finances is here for our joy, not for our pain, and not to make life harder, but to make life more full. 00:40:51.760 --> 00:40:56.480 And I wonder, the question is, will you step into this life that Jesus has given you? 00:40:56.639 --> 00:41:00.639 These three weeks, as you've contemplated these messages, it's now in your court. 00:41:00.880 --> 00:41:02.480 Ah, we can't make you do anything. 00:41:02.639 --> 00:41:07.920 I can't make myself do anything other than I gotta take this to prayer into my wife, and we've got to repent together. 00:41:08.079 --> 00:41:11.119 Repentance is about turning and changing and shifting. 00:41:11.280 --> 00:41:13.039 So as a community, will we do that? 00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:17.039 Will we live under the discipleship of Jesus as apprentices to him? 00:41:17.360 --> 00:41:18.480 Do we trust him? 00:41:19.039 --> 00:41:22.800 Man, this stuff is really where following Jesus becomes real. 00:41:22.880 --> 00:41:24.480 And I can't wait to see the fruit of it. 00:41:24.559 --> 00:41:25.519 So let me pray for you. 00:41:26.639 --> 00:41:40.320 Jesus, um Yeah, I I am aware of God, the the difficulty of this message because having prepared it, God, man, I know where I need to repent here. 00:41:40.800 --> 00:41:48.880 And I know where I need to change, and I and identifying that as it's hard, but Jesus, we as a community, we say we trust you. 00:41:49.280 --> 00:41:51.199 We say your way is better. 00:41:51.519 --> 00:41:56.719 We say, Jesus, uh, give us faith. 00:41:57.360 --> 00:42:02.320 Holy Spirit, I pray for some in this room who I know it's gonna take courage and faith. 00:42:02.400 --> 00:42:05.039 And so I pray courage and faith over my brothers and sisters. 00:42:05.199 --> 00:42:09.360 God, would you grant to them the courage and the faith that needs to come with this? 00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:13.519 I know, man, this is some of the real stuff that discipleship comes down to. 00:42:13.599 --> 00:42:17.280 And I just I pray that you would grant to us what we need. 00:42:17.360 --> 00:42:20.400 And um, and I pray for perspective too, Lord. 00:42:20.480 --> 00:42:32.480 I pray that as we worship, as we come to communion, uh give us this amazing perspective of how great, majestic, and big you are, that you are able to show us the path to life. 00:42:32.639 --> 00:42:42.400 You are our good Father, you are our Lord and our master, our God, our King, the compassionate one, the one who died, the one who rose from the dead. 00:42:42.800 --> 00:42:50.559 As we worship, as we come to communion, pull our perspective out of our anxieties, and may we trust you, God. 00:42:51.199 --> 00:42:54.000 Give us these graces we pray in Christ's name. 00:42:54.239 --> 00:42:54.880 Amen. 00:42:56.400 --> 00:42:58.639 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:42:58.960 --> 00:43:03.920 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:43:04.159 --> 00:43:06.400 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:43:06.639 --> 00:43:12.559 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.comslash card.