Introduction to Compass'
Small Group Financial Study
By Compass — Finances God's Way
© Sound Mind Investing | January 2012
[The Navigating Your Finances God's Way small group study by Howard Dayton of Compass — finances God's way is designed to "equip people to faithfully apply God's financial principles so they may know Christ more intimately, be free to serve Him, and help fund the Great Commission."
I can attest to its power to transform lives, as I've led the study in my own home. Many participants tell me that it made a great difference in expanding their understanding of finances and true biblical stewardship. SMI believes in this study — so much so that we asked Compass' permission to run a series excerpting some of the study's core concepts for the benefit of SMI's readers.
If you have a heart to see others experience the blessing of financial freedom through handling money God's way, I strongly encourage you to investigate leading a Compass small group study. It requires no financial expertise, and you'll get to watch God's Word come alive in the hearts of your students. You'll be glad you did! — Mark Biller] The way most people handle money is in sharp contrast to God's financial principles. Isaiah 55:8 puts it like this, "'My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord." The most significant difference is that the Bible reveals God is closely involved with our finances.
THE BIBLE AND MONEY
It may surprise you to learn how much the Bible has to say about finances. More than 2,350 verses address God's way of handling money and possessions. What's more, fifteen percent of everything Jesus Christ said has to do with money — how we view it and how we handle it. He made such a major point of teaching these things for three reasons:
1. How we handle money impacts our fellowship with the Lord. Jesus equates how we handle our money with the quality of our spiritual life. In Luke 16:11, He says, "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of worldly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?" The true riches in life grow out of a close relationship with the Lord.
If we handle money according to the principles of Scripture, we will enjoy closer fellowship with Christ. The parable of the talents demonstrates this, as the master congratulates the servant who managed his money faithfully: "Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master" (Matthew 25:21). We can enter into the joy of a more intimate relationship with the Lord as we handle money His way.
2. Money and possessions compete with God for first place in our lives. Money is often a primary competitor with Christ for our affection. Jesus tells us we must choose to serve only one of these two masters. "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24, NIV). It is impossible for us to serve money and still serve and love the Lord.
During the Crusades of the 12th Century, the Crusaders hired mercenaries to fight for them. Because it was a religious war, the mercenaries were baptized before fighting. Before going under the water, however, the soldiers would take their swords and hold them up out of the water to symbolize that Jesus Christ was not in control of their weapons. They claimed freedom to use their weapons in any way they wished. Unfortunately, that illustrates the way many people today handle their money as they hold their wallet or purse "out of the water." Their attitude is, "God, you may be Lord of my entire life — except in the area of money. I'm perfectly capable of handling that myself."
3. God wants us to be money smart. The Lord also talked so much about money because He knew that from time to time money problems would be a challenge for all of us. Stress and confusion in this area of life can impact our marriage, our family life, our happiness, and even our health. Because He loves and cares for us so deeply, He wanted to equip us to make the wisest possible financial decisions.
A DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES
Years ago, as my close friend and I identified the 2,350 verses related to money in Scripture and arranged them by topic, we were amazed by how practical they were. In the process, we discovered an important pattern — there's a clear division of responsibilities in the handling of money. Simply put, God has a role, and we have a role. Learning and applying God's financial principles is a marathon, rather than a sprint. In fact, gaining wisdom is a lifelong journey. When we learn God's responsibilities and our own, we will experience contentment, hope, and confidence about our financial future. Next month, we'll examine which responsibilities God has promised to carry Himself, as well as those He has entrusted to us. 
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