Aim: To consider our attitudes to and use of money and possessions.

To start you thinking

How do you spend money? Take a little time to complete the table below. Be prepared for surprises!
THIS IS FOR YOUR OWN STUDY ONLY. You may care to discuss what you discover but you will NOT be expected to show this sheet to anybody else!!_

Purpose of money Amount £ per week Amount £ per year % of total
Housing
Food
Travel
Clothing
Holidays
Entertainments
Household expenses
Giving to the church
Other giving
Saving
Repayments
Other purposes
LOST WITHOUT TRACE
TOTALS =

 
To discuss
How should being a Christian affect the way we spend money. You may find the categories above a helpful starting point. You will NOT need to talk about precise amounts, but you may wish to comment on the proportions of your resources which are used for different purposes.
In what ways do you think we can be (or already are!) trapped by the materialism of society today?
Why does God care about how we use money?
How much should we give to the church and to Christian causes?
To guide their giving, some Christians like to use the Old Testament principles of TITHES (giving 10%) and OFFERINGS.
But in that case, 10% of WHAT? Before tax, or after? What about national insurance?
There is an obvious difference between ‘‘stewardship giving’’ (our planned regular gifts to support our own church and mission overseas) and ‘‘spontaneous giving’’ (as we respond to a particular need brought to our attention).
What would be the right balance between these two forms of giving.
Should we tithe our TIME too?

God also cares about how we use ‘‘our’’ possessions. Discuss how we can serve God practically with ‘‘our’’ homes and belongings.

How should Luke 19:22 apply to us today?

What should Christians and churches be doing to help folk caught in ‘‘the debt trap’’ or ‘‘the poverty trap’’ or ‘‘the mortgage trap’’? What action should we be taking to help prevent such injustices from happening?
In fact, ‘‘our’’ time and talents, money and possessions do not belong to US at in any sense. Surely ALL our time, treasures and talents belong to GOD alone? They are entrusted to us to look after on His behalf – we are His stewards. We can’t just give God a fraction of our lives and think we can keep everything else for ourselves! We are responsible for how we use what we give AND what we keep.

HOW WILL YOUR USE OF MONEY AND POSSESSIONS BE DIFFERENT AS A RESULT OF THIS STUDY?