That Saturday Night Live video serves as a great segue into my message today. We're going to talk about money today and next Sunday. Quick survey. How many of you would like to have more money? I'm not going to tell you how to have more money. I just wanted to see how many honest people we have with us this morning.

How many of you have experienced any disagreements or conflict in your home over money issues? Again, I'm testing honesty levels here because I don't know of any home where stress has not surfaced because of money issues.

Go to Barnes and Noble today and you will find shelf after shelf filled with best-selling books on managing your money. Hot books on the USA Today list include Jim Cramer's Stay Mad for Life: Get Rich, Stay Rich (Make Your Kids Even Richer), Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Women and Money, and The Four-Hour Work Week. I've read many of these types of books, and they can be helpful.

But let me save you some money. Don't go out and buy these books right now because I hold in my hand the best book ever written on money management. The Bible is filled with stories and truths about how we can best handle money. Today I want to teach you five key principles that reflect what God says about managing money. If you follow these five principles (call them steps if you like), I can't promise that you will become financially rich or make your millions. But I can guarantee you that when you handle money God's way, He blesses you beyond measure. I can also guarantee that if you apply these principles, your stress level about money will decrease and there will be more peace in your home.

This two-part series I am calling Money Management 101. The title is not to insinuate that that we all need the most introductory lessons when it comes to financial planning. I'm calling it this because these five principles are very simple. And before you go spend money on Amazon for the hottest books out there, first, get these five principles in order. Start here, and then go read all you want.

Before I give you the five steps, there is one underlying truth I want to give you. This truth must be accepted before the five principles make any sense. I really believe most of you here today want to follow the teachings of the Bible, even in the most important area of managing money. But until you are willing to come to grips with this one truth, you will never have the inner motivation to follow what the Bible teaches. Are you ready for the foundational truth? Here it is: It is not my money; I am just a manager for the Lord.

If we were to take time to do an inventory of your possessions, what all would you list? Money in the bank, stocks, mutual funds, jewelry, automobiles, home, clothing, furniture, technology stuff, hobby stuff, etc. Everything on that list belongs to God. It is His. Everything that you might call your own actually belongs to God. He has entrusted these possessions into your care. He expects you to be a good manager (not owner) of all that He has loaned to you.

The Bible is loaded with verses and stories that teach this foundational truth. Many of the parables Jesus taught remind us that we are stewards/managers and that God will call on us one day to give an account on how we handled what He gave us. One of my favorite verses that talks about God's ownership of everything is found in a prayer of David. "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all" (1 Chronicles 29:11-12). Does that not put your money in proper perspective?

If you can accept this most important truth, then you're ready to learn these five money management principles. They are so simple. Yet with all the complexities of life, sometimes we need to be reminded of the basics. It's like Clemson's basketball game against the number one ranked UNC Tarheels last Sunday night. They got away from their basic game plan. As long as they worked the ball inside, they were getting points. But they started throwing up long threes and missed about every one of them. Christians do the same thing when it comes to money. We get away from God's basic plan, thinking that other game plans will work better. But they never do. So let's get back to God's plan for managing money.

First, have a written plan. To have a written plan requires that you become proactive and intentional. It means to take the time to sit down and write out your budget. If you haven't already done so for 2008, what are you waiting on? Jesus taught, "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?" (Luke 14:28).

Anita keeps our books. But we talk openly about where we are financially. And we make decisions together. Over the holidays she spent hours closing up 2007 and getting ready for 2008. Whether you use your computer or good old fashioned paper and pen and calculator, you need to have a plan.

Many of you are very impulsive. You act before you think. You make purchases without really thinking through your financial situation in a rational way. Even though I believe everyone needs a plan, I believe it is absolutely mandatory to force yourself to develop a plan if you are an impulsive person. Your impulsive spending habits will send you quickly down the cliff of being broke or filing bankruptcy.

Remember, you are a manager of God's money. When you don't have a plan, you're basically saying, "God, I'm just not the planning kind of guy. Sitting down to write out a budget and a plan…that's just not me." The way you make your dollars work best for you is if you have a plan. We all need to have "show me the money" moments before we go out and spend. What if you owned your own company and managed its finances the way you manage your finances? Would your company make it? Would you have to fire yourself?

Second, get out of debt. Debt doesn't take long to mount up, does it? But how long does it take you to get out of debt? Go back to the first principle. Have a written plan. Include in that plan the steps you will take in 2008 to minimize your indebtedness. The book of Proverbs reminds us, "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender" (Proverbs 22:7). You've seen the bumper sticker, "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go." That pretty well sums up how many of us live. Studies show that 70 percent of Americans live from paycheck to paycheck.

Certainly you are smart enough to figure out that at some point during this two-week series the subject of giving will come up. Actually, it's going to come up both weeks, especially next week. Research indicates that the typical church member gives 2.2 percent of his income for the work of God's kingdom. It's easy for me to stand up here and say, "You should be obeying God by bringing your 10 percent." Actually, I think most of you would love to be able to give more. But through poor financial decisions in the past, you've placed yourself in a position where you are totally strapped.

Therefore, it could be that just as important it is for me to remind you about tithing, it may be even more important to teach you how important it is for you to get out of debt. If you were to get out of debt, then the tithe would not be a strain for you. That's why we have financial counselors in our church who are willing to help you develop a plan. That's why in a few weeks we will conduct a weekend financial workshop that could be just what the doctor ordered to help you climb out of debt. Speaking of doctor, some of you need some plastic surgery right now. Get your scissors and cut up your plastic credit cards. I wonder what the people of God could do for the kingdom of God if they were debt free.

Third, act your wage. Stop buying stuff that you know you don't have the money to pay for. But it was on sale, and I saved tons of money. That's a common joke I hear often. The wife's out shopping and she calls home to say to her husband, "You won't believe how much money I saved us today." The question is how much did you spend. And did you have the proper amount of budgeted money to make the purchases?

Here's a great idea for a personal Bible study. Read through the book of Proverbs and do a biblical study on the fool. I know in our street talk today we say, "Hey, Fool." That's not what I'm talking about. Proverbs has a lot to say about the one who chooses to live foolishly. "In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has" (Proverbs 21:20). The wise person has sat down and planned his finances so that he has a good store of food and other life essentials. The fool spends his money as soon as he gets it. Many times he spends it before he gets it.

Fourth, save and invest. Can I use the same verse I just used? "In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has" (Proverbs 21:20). The wise person described here is someone who has disciplined himself to save and invest. Save for a rainy day and save for emergencies. About every ten year families face an emergency of some kind—a layoff, a disaster, a serious illness or even an unexpected death. Unless you save and invest now, these emergencies can leave you broke and desperate. Make investments for the long term. Can I let you in on a secret? All those full-page ads you see in the newspaper…those ads that want you to invest in some new stock or in some other type of commodity…well, let's just say if those things were as true as they claimed, everyone would be draining his bank account to make those investments. Don't believe in any get-rich quick scheme. If it sounds too good to be true, guess what? It is. Talk to a financial planner to get advice on how you can invest for the long haul.

Fifth, give. Invest in heaven. I won't spend a lot of time here because next week I want to talk about God's desires that we become generous people. But think about it this way. The first four principles—have a written plan, get out of debt, act your wage, save and invest. When you do these four things, you are in the position to give as a natural byproduct.

The Bible teaches, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house" (Malachi 3:10). When you bring your tithe to Chapin Baptist Church, you are making an eternal investment. We are helping people connect with God and become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. We are serving the needs of the poor and hurting. We are helping people discover that Christ can make a difference in their lives. So don't just think of the money you bring here as an obligation. You are making the greatest investment of all. You are investing in eternity.

I challenge you to become lavish givers. God has blessed many of you financially. The tithe is just the benchmark. If God has blessed you, plan ways that you can move beyond the ten percent. Giving is healthy. Giving unleashes creativity in your life. It adds blessings to your marriage and your whole family. A pastor of a large congregation observed that tithers never divorce. What a great insight.

There you have it. The first installment of Money Management 101. Today, straight from the Bible—five principles that reflect God's plan for managing your money. Remember, these principles won't mean a thing to you unless you accept the foundational truth that God owns everything including your money. You are the manager.

Next week, I'm going to talk more about the giving part of 101. You need to be here. Next week I'm going to give Chapin Baptist Church a few specific challenges, one of which I've never given before. You don't want to miss it.

I also have some homework for you. Before you leave today, be sure to pick up your 2007 contribution records in the foyer. Take it home and look at it carefully. Talk openly with your spouse about your level of giving in 2007. Get out a calculator and see if your total truly reflects the 10 percent benchmark. If not, what was your actual percentage? Then come next week with an open mind and heart to take the steps you need to take to put yourself in the position of maximizing the blessings of God.