Contentment

The Salvation Army you're listening to wonderful welcome back to wonderful words of life. Everybody were glad you're here. I'm Bernie Dick Cheryl Cheryl, this is our final episode of our series on finance with our mutual friend Mike Harris and today we wrap up the series by really highlighting the key to finding peace in your finances. Absolutely everything we discussed really leads us to the idea of contentment being content with what we've been given removes the comparison trap keeps us from living beyond our means and it keeps us in a state of thankfulness. I am very thankful for people in my life that have shown us a good way to live the in particular I have an uncle who was a finance guy for all those years may help my parents manage their own finances to them and they of course that important to me that I married a very wise woman who takes care of all of our finances in the house and because of that I were able to do some things that are beyond our means, but beyond our may be our our own needs. That's a good thing. The Salvation Army practices something called self-denial. So we have our regular ties in our offerings that we would give may be weekly or monthly. However you choose to do it but self-denial is really maybe taking something that you might have had in giving it away that's offscreen right and I'm really grateful that the people in our lives have shown us how to do that. I'm thankful for them because I think their generosity creates a spirit of of thankfulness amongst other people and then in a sense they're paying it forward. I don't know if that's how you feel. But for me I just wanted to say I'm grateful grateful to God for bring those people in my life. I'm grateful for having opportunities to to also be generous, absolutely. And no in my frame of thinking in the way I think about also gives us opportunities to partner with him and men right and so when we are intentional about that self-denial, putting that money aside and then we can give above our ties to someone in need, were actually partnering with God to help out his children and that is that is a great idea in regards to your great thought in my head that we get to partner with, it's not just a notion. It's actually in Scripture to partner with him and so he gives us that that opportunity to do so when we deny ourselves we put some money aside and were able to give above and beyond beyond our ties as an offering move that's a good were true, we really pray that this series has been a blessing to you and your finances. We we will have some additional links and articles and resources on our site Salvation Army sound cast.org so if you'd like to share some advice you've learned are some resources you found helpful. We'd love to hear from you.

Please send us an email at radio@uss.salvationarmy.org or call 1-800-229-9965 and be sure to follow us on social media to find out about our upcoming series starting. It is a privilege to have you come back to wonderful words of life with our friend Mike Harrison hear his thoughts in this message on the idea of financial things from a biblical perspective.

This week is our last portion of this series with Mike is going to talk about contentment, like give us some ideas on how we can be content again with my hassle is a social meal for so therefore looking for was biblically think the best way to illustrate what we talking about here, but but with contentment.

This is to go back to it but it's really my thing into the story of Jackie us was children will must reject this little song. So most people know the story of the little techs collectively climbed into a tree. What Scripture tells is is he was treated people hate to this guy could text like this with each other had their own Degree of sin, it will often see in Scripture that was soon as tax collectors and prostitutes, and with that, that was will categorize them so chose. Jackie us was despised by people he was treated by people because he would basically trust text is not a little bit extra put it in his pocket and take it home, as was the way and and so what you have here is a man whose hole was held by money money is just focus money is what dictates his life. You can see that because he didn't care about what people think you can see that by the nature of what he did. Money had a hold on his life. You would say in this day and age that was he was seeking contentment and things she can contentment and money so welcomed Jesus crowds of people coming to to to see Jesus and suddenly he stops. He looks up into the tree and invites himself to Zach uses home. Nobody expected that leasable executives shift the despised man thing that Jesus was.

He sold out sinners and so he goes to the home of Zach is that we don't know again what happened in that conversation. What we do know is what happened often the conversation if you remember, Zach is basically said I would get back everything up stolen from anybody. Most of the release removes all rest of my body and just give it away. That is the key to this whole story because before the encounter with Jesus. It was a man who built his life and made the foundation for his life. Money thinks but somehow often his conversation with Jesus. He released little it all was gone, but he still has to the foundation so it has to be that that foundation is Jesus Christ.

And Jesus said it himself. Salvation has come to this house. I can tell you with no doubt whatsoever that the level of content from executives was now complete.

Because he was on the right foundation of the many ways it was the releasing of the money, the releasing of that wealth just letting it go.

That allowed them then to go back to the would be big, talking about all the way through the series to become a man of face allowing his foundation to be built on Jesus Christ right story just a great outcome. A great illustration of what contentment is that I assume that if our listeners have come this far with us that they might be kindred spirits. They may already have a right relationship with Jesus Christ but I can also assume that God has a plan for someone that might be listening to this episode that may not know Jesus Christ, Mike, I want to encourage you to lead our listeners and a prayer of salvation and encourage you as listeners to maybe repeat after Mike as he prays this prayer. If you have an opportunity to turn your life over to the Lord, you will experience a freedom and a joy that is indescribable. And we pray that as we take a moment to just do that with you that you would consider a right relationship with Jesus Christ looking for this proponent because it is my experience actually released so much of my life to Jesus Christ, at least when I went to this ministry and the Salvation Army and and he is not failed me. In fact, quite the contrary is give me so much will be happy to lead in the press limitless. Pray together. Heavenly father, I thank you for the promises promises such as I will not leave you or forsake you promises that that I've seen in my life come to fruition, where heavenly father. I've given up things will even in some cases just give up every particular thing that I own in this world believing heavenly father that you would be that to sustain me and you have but I feel for so many in this will, particularly those who live in the West who continue to put their faith in the things of this world. The accumulation of wealth. The accumulation of things hoping will somehow that gives them a foundation will notice we've seen so often things can go away rust on most will destroy however the Lord for you and your faithfulness that never goes away. It's on that foundation.

I pray that people have the ability to stand for some it may be a step of faith to now release something to identify what is in their lives that they dependent upon give them heavenly father. The faith in the belief that they can release and release that thing stand firmly on the foundation that is you is anybody listing that simply does not know you hoping to see through our conversation through the enthusiasm the ability and I share a few heavenly father may it be through that the people start to wonder what it is to be a Christian is to fall you what it is to give up our lives and fully you believing heavenly father that you have our eternity in mind in the days ahead. Beyond this world are far greater that we could possibly imagine. Because there Lord lies the reward for the sacrifice that we given this life to bless our viewers… I pray bless Bernie and me and all of us in Jesus day, we hope you enjoyed the series and we pray that you will continue to seek out the Lord all that you do publish the Salvation Army's mission doing the most good means helping people with material and spiritual needs. You become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army visit Salvation Army USA.org to offer your support and we would love to hear from you. Email us at radio@uss.salvationarmy.org or call 1-800-229-9965 or write us at PO Box 29972, Atlanta, GA 30359 20 contact us will send you our gift for this series is totally free for listeners like you, one per household, while supplies last. You can also subscribe to our show on iTunes or your favorite podcast store and be sure to give us a rating. Just search for wonderful words of life follow some social media for the latest episode extended interviews and more.

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