Today, we finish up our 2-part series on money called Money Management 101. Last week I gave you five simple truths straight from the Bible that reflect God's heart regarding money: have a written plan, get out of debt, act your wage, save and invest, and give. Do you remember the foundational truth that you must accept before you'll be motivated to live by these five principles? It is not my money. I am just a manager for the Lord.

The message evidently generated a buzz in the hallways. I've gotten word from multiple corners that people were talking about the message last week. I was a little gun shy since it was a message on money. But then I found out people liked it. One person wrote a note and put it in the offering plate. It said, "This is our first time here. After the message, now we know why God sent us here." Another comment from a guest: "I'll be back next week. I've got to here the second part." I got wind of another couple who was on their way to purchase a new car since he had gotten a better paying job. After hearing the message, they realized they needed to hold off.

What is interesting about these comments is that they all came from young families. It's not only interesting; it is encouraging because it tells me that young families are eager to know what the Bible teaches. On the other hand, I saw more people than usual get up and leave during the message. I hope it was bladder issues instead of sermon topic issues.

One of the things I stressed last week is that I really believe most Christians would like to give more for the work of God's kingdom. But because of previous purchases that went beyond their affordability to pay, they are financially strapped and are living under a heavy load of debt. I wonder what the people of God could do for the kingdom of God if they were debt free.

Well, you're back for Money Management 101, Part 2 today. If you're a guest, you may be thinking, "Of all the Sundays for me pick to come…and it's a sermon on money." Well, at Chapin Baptist we take a few Sundays out of the year to talk about money and giving because about fifteen percent of what Jesus taught had to do with money and possessions. Come back next week because we'll be starting a brand new series called Money Management 201. Just kidding! Really, I'm kidding!

Today, I want to give you the best investment advice you will ever get. It has nothing at all to do with a hot stock pick. It has nothing at all to do with those signs along the highway that say, "Earn $5,000 a week part-time from your home." Nothing to do with doomsday predictors that say, "Cash out because the market is getting ready to crash."

I'm going to give it to you right now. It's so simple. If you take this advice and put it into practice, I really believe you will be on the road to financial freedom. Stressing about money will be greatly reduced. Your level of joy will skyrocket. Sound too good to be true? In this case, this is not a gimmick. It is true. Here is the best investment advice you will ever get: Decrease debt. Increase generosity.

Last week I believe I addressed the "get out of debt" issue pretty strongly. Before I close the message, I will give you a specific challenge in this area. But for the most part today I want to focus on the second part of the best investment advice you will ever get. I want encourage you today to consider a lifestyle of generosity. Let me breakdown this investment advice into two parts.

First, it is important that you see the big picture. Don't you love to make purchases that on the outside of the box it says, "Assembly required." No big deal. You open the box and spread out all the parts and hardware across the living room floor. Little did you know that assembly involved a total of 752 parts. But the manufacturers were very nice. The instruction book comes in six different languages. The only problem is that a Chinese or Korean who speaks a little English wrote the English instructions. And what I hate more than anything is when they start with step one without first giving you a sketch of the big picture. What the merchandise looks like when assembled. I think we all work better when we can see the big picture.

It would be easy for me to jump right in and give you some instructions on how to practice generosity. But I believe it would be helpful first for me to give you the big picture. Jesus gives us this big picture in Matthew 6:19-21. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Why do you think Jesus spent so much time talking about money and possessions? Because there is a fundamental connection between our spiritual lives and how we think about and handle money. You cannot divorce faith from finances because God seems them as inseparable. Our approach to handling money is not just important, it is central to our relationship with Christ.

Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth." Why not? Because they won't last. He wasn't insinuating that you might lose your wealth. He was saying you will always lose your wealth. Wealth either leaves you while you're living or you leave it when you die. No exceptions.

The stock market has experienced the worst ever first three weeks of a new year. It has investors worried and scrambling. Many times they will switch investments into less volatile options like CDs, bonds and money markets. Jesus is the best market timer. He tells us to switch our investment vehicles. He tells us once and for all to transfer our funds from earth (which is volatile and ready to dive at any time) to heaven (which is totally dependable and insured by God Himself). When you invest in heaven, you're always investing in a bull market. Bottom line—Jesus says that storing our treasures on earth isn't just wrong—it is outright stupid.

In these verses Jesus doesn't just tell us where not to store our treasures. He tells us where to put our treasures. He wants us to store up treasures. He just wants us to store them in the right place. Notice the wording: "store up for yourselves." When you make investments in heaven, you are actually storing up for yourself. When you make investments in heaven, no one loses. Everyone gains.

Store up treasures in heaven. Why? Because it is the right thing to do. And it is the smart thing to do. Because treasures stored in heaven will last. Jesus, nor I, am trying to argue for a lifestyle of generosity as an emotional appeal. It's logical. You should invest in things that have lasting value.

A good financial planner will talk to you about investing for the long haul. Don't think three months out or even three years out. Think thirty years out. Jesus takes it further. He says to make investments that will still be bringing you dividends three thousand years out.

So the big picture is to focus on eternal things over earthly things. The big picture is to develop a lifestyle of generosity instead a lifestyle of more and more material things. The big picture is to invest in eternal things instead of things that eventually wear out or corrode out. The big picture is to invest in the work of God's kingdom, not the work of our own kingdom. That's the big picture. It is a matter of priorities. It is a matter of developing an eternal focus. It is a matter of developing a lifestyle of generosity.

But how do I do that? How can I begin storing up treasures in heaven? That's my second point. Begin with the tithe. The tithe is just the starting point. But it is a huge one. Come to the point where bringing the first ten percent of your income to the local church becomes a habit. And as you see God's blessings flow, go beyond the ten percent. That's when you are venturing out into the arenas of true generosity.

The best investment advice you will ever get is to decrease debt and increase generosity. And this goes back to planning. To decrease debt may mean postponing a major purchase. It may mean scaling back. It may mean eating out less often. Decreasing debt will allow you to increase generosity. But I believe you can work on both at the same time.

Begin with the tithe. That means ten percent of your income. Your income is your gross, not your net. The Bible says, "‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it'" (Malachi 3:10).

Remember it all belongs to God. He wants you to begin this lifestyle of generosity by bringing the first ten percent of your income. When you do that, you are storing up treasures in heaven. Why? Because bringing your tithe is an investment in changing lives for eternity.

If you were to read the verses surrounding Malachi 3:10, you would discover that refusing to tithe is the same as robbing God. You will also see that tithing and the blessings of God are directly related. Give and God blesses. Don't tithe, and God will withhold His blessings. In fact, the verses teach that the people of God were under a curse because they refused to bring their tithe. The key verse also says we need to test God in this matter of storing up treasures in heaven. He says as soon as you start tithing, I will open the windows of heaven.

I received an email from a young man this week, someone really wanting to serve Christ, a solid Christian with great potential. In his lengthy letter he poured his heart out to me regarding some struggles going on in their family and their frustration in finding people in their church to mentor them. He proceeded to tell me that in the midst of all the bad stuff going on in their lives, they had to stop tithing. I wanted to crawl into that computer and scream back, "No! No! No! Don't do that. You've just removed yourselves from the channel of God's blessings.

Decrease debt. Increase generosity. The best investment advice you'll ever get. The Bible says, "A generous man will himself be blessed" (Proverbs 22:9). Generosity brings God's blessings. Do you want to maximize the blessings of God in your life? Then begin with the tithe.

I told you I was going to issue three challenges to you today. The three challenges fall right in line with the best investment advice you'll ever get. Did you do your homework last week? Did you look at your contribution records and then figure up what percentage of your income you contributed to your church last year? I reiterate that I believe most want to give more. Here are my three challenges.

First, attend the financial planning workshop. Hear me out. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of for going to a financial workshop. It doesn't mean you're going bankrupt. Those leading this workshop not only will give you specific practical advice on how you can make your money work better for you; they will also make themselves available afterwards to provide individual counsel if you need further guidance. They will provide insight on how to get out of debt, how to prepare for your kids' college education, how to save up for emergencies, etc. There is no charge to you. The church is paying for your materials, food, and childcare. And the leaders are not promoting any product whereby they can garner any financial advantage. Just people who see this as a ministry to God's people. Not everyone needs to attend this workshop. But if you struggle with getting out of debt or if you want some insight on how you can develop a lifestyle of generosity, then take advantage. Dates are Friday and Saturday, February 8-9.

The final two challenges specifically deal with increasing generosity through the tithe. Second is the One Sunday Challenge. I've never issued this challenge before, but I'm excited to see how you respond and God blesses. On the first Sunday of February (2/3) I'm asking every one of you to bring a tithe of your income to Chapin Baptist Church. If you're not a member here, but this is where you attend, the challenge goes for you as well. If you belong to a church elsewhere, take your tithe there. If you're not a Christian, don't do a thing except observe and see if Christians are willing to do what the Bible says.

Just try it for this one Sunday. You decide. Will it be a tithe off of one week's income? Or will it be a true tithe off of your twice a month paycheck or monthly paycheck? Of course, my prayer would be that the one time will become an every time you get paid deal.

I just want us to get a glimpse of what could happen through this church for the kingdom if God's people moved toward a life of generosity. We may receive the largest offering ever on that Sunday. Also, a huge offering on that Sunday will be a tremendous boost to our operating budget early in the calendar year. We ended with a bang, but we've gotten off to a slow start financially this year.

The third challenge is God's Guarantee. We did this for a number of consecutive years, but put it on the shelf for the last few years. I've had a number of members request that we bring it back. They testify that it was this challenge that prompted them to start tithing. And for them, they have not turned back. And God has blessed their lives immensely.

God's Guarantee challenges you to go beyond the one Sunday in February tithe. It asks you to consider giving ten percent of your income to God's work through this church for a period of ninety days. You see, tithing is a habit, a good habit. The more you practice the discipline, the greater the chances are that it will become a lifelong habit.

Here's the deal. If you accept the God's Guarantee challenge, you are committing to tithe for at least 90 days. The senior staff of our church guarantees that your family will be prayed for by name every single day during the period. And the church includes a guarantee as well. If you bring your tithe in such a way that the contribution can be recorded in our office…at the end of the 90 days, if you can sincerely say, "I tried it but God didn't bless me," all you have to do is contact the church by April 30, and we will refund every dollar you contributed.

Why am I willing to make such a bold guarantee? Because I know how God works. I've seen Him open the windows of heavens every time. So that's the three challenges. Now the ball is in your court.