1. Money can cause major problems if you do not have a healthy and correct attitude about it.
2. The devil will use any tactic he can to try and destroy your credibility and that of your ministry.
3. When talking about the leader and his money we must break it down into two main areas:
a. Personal finances
b. Ministry finances
II. PERSONAL FINANCES
B. In I TIMOTHY 3 & TITUS 1 when Paul lists the qualifications for leaders within the local church he mentions that each leader must show the ability to rule his own household.
1. While the general application to this is in regards to his spouse and children, I believe we can include the business affairs of his household as well.
2. Certainly if a man cannot manage his own finances at home he will never be able to handle the finances of a flourishing ministry.
3. Even if you don’t have the responsibility of handling ministry finances, problems with your personal finances can cause great problems for you in the ministry.
4. Financial pressures at home can interfere with your ability to flow with the Spirit of God and can distract you from concentrating on the things at hand.
C. Also it is necessary to maintain a good reputation within your community if you want to be effective in reaching your community.
1. If you have the reputation for not paying your bills or always being late with payments, it will hinder your effectiveness.
It will also cause problems if you ever have to borrow money for the ministry or establish credit for the ministry.
2. II CORINTHIANS 6:3, “We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.”