Earn. Save. Give.

Today, I want to talk to you about…

• Earning money,
• Saving Money, and being a 
• Generous giver

“Earn all you can, Save all you can, and Give all you can.”- John Wesley

John Wesley was a Methodist Preacher who once implored his congregation to “EARN all you can, SAVE all you can, and GIVE all you can.”

This is good advice. John Wesley was concerned about what people did with their money. 

He encouraged people to EARN all they could. In other words, work hard. Be a person of excellence. Do your best to earn money. 

John Wesley also urged his people to use the money they earned wisely, not just to cover living expenses but also to save money and not to forget to be generous and give.

When it comes to EARNING MONEY, God’s word tells us…

• “The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.” (Proverbs 10:16)
• “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5)
• “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

When it comes to SAVING MONEY, God’s word tells us…

• “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.” (Proverbs 21:20)
• “Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.” (Ecclesiastes 1:1-2)
• “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince, governor, or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.” (Proverbs 6:6-8)
• “Whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.” (Proverbs 13:11)

When it comes to GIVING MONEY, God’s word tells us…

• “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse – your whole nation – because you are robbing me. 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 there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty.” Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.” (Malachi 3:8-18)
• “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10)
• “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” (2 Corinthians 9: 6-11) 
• “Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:24-25)

So, if you want to manage your money well… 

• EARN all you can, 
• SAVE all you can. 
• But above all, GIVE all you can.