Fast and Furious
EASING UP TO CREATE MARGIN
Luke 5:16
AFTER OFFEERING PLAY VIDEO: “Go For Broke”
Well, welcome to the third week of the series called “FAST & FURIOUS: EASING UP TO CREATE MARGIN”. Today I want to talk to you about Financial Margin, as we dive in.
I wonder how many of you would just go ahead and say in front of the world and everybody that you occasionally or maybe even often have some financial stress in your lives?

In our culture today, financial stress is completely normal. You see it in almost everyone you come in contact with. Today, living paycheck to paycheck, it's absolutely normal. Having monthly payments...normal. Debt...normal. Worry, anxiety, fear; especially in a slowed economy is very normal. Sadly, having tension in your relationship, fights if you are married, is very, very normal. Sadly again, having little or no financial margin is very, very normal. That is one reason we do not like normal, because normal is not working.
! MARGIN (FINANCIAL MARGIN): THE
AMOUNT AVAILABLE BEYOND WHAT
IS NECESSARY.
! DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT YOU HAVE AND WHAT YOU NEED.
oHAVE $3K PER MONTH INCOME AND2.5K IN BILLS, YOU HAVE $500 MARGIN
oHAVE $3K PER MONTH WITH $3K BILLS, NO MARGIN
oHAVE $3K INCOME AND SPEND $4K....YOU HAVE A BIG PROBLEM!
! What does financial margin look like? !
It is having money left over at the end of
the month. It's possible and it's a good
thing! It's having money available to help
someone who is in need. It's having
money available to give without feeling
stressed when you give. It could be
having money available to do something
that you enjoy.
In the house of the wise are stores of
choice food and oil, but a foolish man
devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20

! Example of my two friends (imaginary)
! LOOK AT THE WORDS OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY. THE SMALLER HOME WITH MARGIN COULD BE SEEN THIS WAY...
6 But godliness with contentment is
great gain. 7 For we brought nothing
into the world, and we can take nothing
out of it. 8 But if we have food and
clothing, we will be content with that. 9
People who want to get rich fall into
temptation and a trap and into many
foolish and harmful desires that plunge
men into ruin and destruction. 10 For
the love of money is a root of all kinds of
evil. Some people, eager for money,
have wandered from the faith and
pierced themselves with many griefs. 1
Timothy 6:6-10
! WE SEE DEBT CAUSING TREMENDOUS GRIEF
! WE SEE FINANCIAL PRESSURE CAUSING TREMENDOUS PRESSURE
! WE SEE PEOPLE UNABLE TO ENJOY WHAT THEY DO HAVE BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSTANTLY WORRIED THAT THEY MIGHT LOSE IT ALL.
! OUR CULTURE TELLS US SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRUE!
oWhat's the problem? Why is it that so many of us trade margin, flexibility, security and peace and such, from
material things that do not last? Why is it? Well, our culture is convincing us of a lie. Our culture is lying to us over and over again. Our culture is telling us this is the definition of happiness.
· OUR CULTURE’S DEFINITION OF
HAPPINESS: MORE THAN I
CURRENTLY HAVE.
! In our culture, most of us have life-styled our way straight past margin. It's not an income problem for most. Most of you will say, "If I only made more money!" But, it is not an income problem, it is a lifestyle problem. It is not an income problem, it is a lifestyle problem. As your income goes up, your lifestyle does too. We have no margin because we have a
lifestyle problem. Which, if we get past the obvious and get to the root of it, what we really have is not just a lifestyle problem, but a spiritual problem. That is what we really have, a spiritual problem.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures
on earth, where moth and rust destroy...
20 But store up for yourselves treasures
in heaven... 21 For where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also. Matthew
6:19-21
Where your money goes, there your heart follows. Let's be honest, the average Christian in the US gives about 2% of their income toward God. That means about 98% goes to the world. That means that 98% of our heart goes toward the world. We wonder why we want more of the world
and we are not satisfied with God, because it's a spiritual problem. We actually think that more is going to make us happy.
So what do we do? What do we do? How do we create financial margin? Now, you don't have to write this down, but the most simple answer, and the very obvious is this; you either earn more, or spend less. That's it, both or either will work. Earn more, spend less. That's the very obvious answer. If you want to create margin, do that. That's as simple as it gets. Earn more, or spend less. Earn more, or spend less. But, every one of you are smart, you already know that. You know that, you know that, you know that! But, most people are not doing that, because there is a deeper root issue. I want to try to answer the deeper root problem that will help us to create margin.
HOW DO WE CREATE FINANCIAL
MARGIN?
· YOU PUT GOD FIRST IN YOUR
FINANCES!
PLAY VIDEO: “THE MONEY RANT”
How do we create margin? The very simple answer is this; you must put God first in your finances. You must put God first. You must put God first, because in our world we tend to come first. If we want it, we are going to get it. If we have anything left over, we are going to bring God in on the deal late in the game. But in reality, "When we seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, then everything else will be added unto us". When we seek Him first, and I am not just talking about the tithe, although that is a big part of it, but I am talking about being prayerful, about being close to God, about genuinely asking Him, "God, how would you have me manage the resources that you entrust to my care?" About sincerely seeking His will and His direction. When we put Him first, we are going to see three of the most incredible benefits in our lives, and truthfully, many, many more. Let's talk about them.
WHEN YOU PUT GOD FIRST
1) YOU EXPERIENCE GOD’S
BLESSINGS.
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
! What does tithing do? When we bring our first and our best, God will bless the rest. It trains us, teaches us that God will do more with 90% than we can do with 100%. Tithing builds our faith. It's one of the most tangible and practical ways that we can put God first
! Guess what else it does? It breaks the power of materialism and consumerism in our lives. It breaks that power, because it forces us to let go of some of the places our money has been going, so that we can instead return the tithe to God. That's
Better a little with the fear of the Lord
2) YOU BECOME
SUPERNATURALLY CONTENT.

than great wealth with turmoil. Proverbs
15:16
! There are very few people in our society today that believe that is true. That is the Word of God and it is absolutely true. Better a little with God, better a little with margin. Better a little with peace than big houses, nice cars, great wealth with turmoil. Better something paid for than something nicer with the stress of debt. Better a little with the fear of the Lord than what everyone else wants, with what everyone else has. Great turmoil! Better! Better! Better! Better! Better! Believe it! Live it! Better! Better! Godliness with contentment is great gain! Great gain! Big win! Great gain! The world says more will make you happy. You can never get there! God says happiness is contentment with
what you already have! Better! Better! Most of you say, "Oh, I don't think so!" You've never tried it! Better! Better! When you believe that, you are not normal! You become weird! You start doing things where people look at you going, "What's he smoking? Why are you selling that big, nice house for and down-sizing?" You have no idea what it's like to have margin. It's better!
! Some might say to you: “Why are you driving that older car, when you could have a new one with the nice leather and better?” Why are you cutting up your credit cards and paying cash? When you realize it's better, you become different! You start doing really weird things, you start paying cash and budgeting, you tattoo Dave Ramsey's face on your shoulder! You are going
around and going, "We've got margin, yes we do! We got margin, how about you?"
3) YOU END UP WITH MORE OF
WHAT MATTERS.
! You will, you may not have what everyone else wants physically, but you will have what no one else has spiritually. You will end up with more of what matters.
With me are riches and honor. With
me are lasting wealth and success.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold.
My gifts are better than the finest
silver. Proverbs 8:18-19
! I can tell you this, Kim and I have not always worn new clothes, because

for years we purchased used. Dead true story. And most of the clothes Kim wears are less than ten dollars!
! This jacket I have on today, we got it from a thrift shop. I think it was 5 Dollars.
! We have not always gone out to restaurants whenever we wanted to. We have not always lived in a nice home, but we have always put God first with the tithe, and we have always had margin.
! Yet, when I preach passionately, it is because I ache for those who ache in the bad trade, giving up the blessings of margin, for the things of this world that do not last. When you put Him first, you will experience His blessings. You will be supernaturally

content, and I promise you, you will have more of what truly matters. The choice is yours. It is not an income issue. It is a lifestyle issue. The choice is yours, you first, or God first? Putting God first is better.
