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Series Code: IIWSS
Program Code: IIWSS023008S
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00:06 (bright music) 00:15 >> Welcome to Sabbath School brought to you by It Is Written. 00:18 We're glad that you could join us again this week 00:21 as we are looking at lesson number eight now. 00:23 This is "Planning For Success." 00:25 What does the Bible say about success? 00:27 What does it look like, 00:29 and how does that intersect with your financial life? 00:32 We're about to find that out. 00:34 With us again this week 00:35 is the author of this Sabbath School lesson, Ed Reid. 00:37 He is an ordained minister 00:39 and he is also a licensed attorney. 00:42 We're delighted to have him back, 00:43 and of course, we're delighted to have you once again. 00:47 Before we dive into today's lesson, let's pray. 00:50 Father, thank you for blessing us so far in our study, 00:54 and we anticipate that you will bless us again today. 00:56 As we look at what a biblical definition for success is, 01:00 help us to yearn for that success, 01:02 not for our glory, but for yours. 01:04 And we thank you in Jesus' name. 01:06 Amen. 01:07 Ed, welcome back. 01:08 We're glad to have you again. 01:10 >> Thank you. 01:10 It's a pleasure to be with you. 01:12 >> So we're taking a look here at lesson number eight, 01:14 "Planning For Success." 01:15 I'll read the memory text, and I'm gonna ask you a question. 01:18 The memory text is found in Colossians 3:23 and 24, 01:21 and it says, "In whatever you do, do it heartily, 01:24 as to the Lord and not to men, 01:27 knowing that from the Lord 01:28 you will receive the reward of the inheritance; 01:32 for you serve the Lord Christ." 01:34 So we're talking about success. 01:36 What does success look like for a Christian, 01:39 and is it different than success might look in the world? 01:43 >> Well, it's interesting 01:45 that from a purely worldly perspective, 01:47 we think that people that are wealthy are successful 01:50 or people that are famous, 01:51 sports stars, movie stars, that kind of thing. 01:54 But if you look at from God's perspective, 01:56 it's quite different. 01:57 In fact, the angel Gabriel who came to Zechariah 02:01 when he was in the temple, 02:03 telling him that he'd be the father of John the Baptist, 02:04 he said, "He will be great in the sight of the Lord." 02:07 So greatness in God's eyes is what we really strive for. 02:11 It's pretty interesting 02:12 because there are several cases of success in the Bible. 02:15 One of them is very interesting to me, 02:17 and that is, when we say Joseph was successful, 02:20 he went from the prison to the palace in his lifetime, 02:24 and he was honored to have his family come down and so on. 02:27 That would be a successful life, as likely. 02:30 But what would we say about John the Baptist? 02:32 This is interesting. 02:33 We've been reading in John for our worship this week at home 02:37 and I can just tell you 02:38 that John the Baptist was an interesting character. 02:41 A lot of people don't realize this, 02:42 but when you look at the chronology of his life, 02:45 his public ministry was only three months long, 02:48 and he spent three months in solitary confinement in prison, 02:50 then he lost his head. 02:51 But the interesting part about it, Jesus said, 02:53 "There's no man ever born of a woman greater 02:55 than this John the Baptist guy." 02:56 So from God's perspective, he also was successful. 02:59 >> So two very different views of success, 03:02 one of which most of the world would probably say, 03:05 yeah, Joseph was successful, 03:06 but John the Baptist, a lot of people would say, 03:09 seems like kind of a misspent life. 03:12 But Jesus would disagree with that very much. 03:15 >> Yes. 03:16 >> So all right, that's what success looks like 03:18 from a biblical perspective. 03:19 It can have different views, or it can look differently. 03:26 But what about how do we begin our quest for success? 03:31 Where do we start if we want to end up successful? 03:35 Where does success begin? 03:38 Where does it germinate? 03:40 What does it look like when it's just beginning? 03:43 >> Well, one of your long-range goals should be, 03:45 or your primary long-range goal should be getting to heaven. 03:48 So I tell people, for example, 03:49 I talk to young people about it. 03:51 You may never write a book. 03:53 You may never fly an airplane. 03:55 You may never climb a high mountain. 03:56 You never never hike the Appalachian Trail 03:59 from one end to the other. 04:01 You may never go on vacation in some exotic place. 04:05 But if you make it to heaven, your life is a success, 04:09 and there's no question about that, in my opinion. 04:11 On the other hand, 04:13 you might be famous from the world's standards. 04:14 You may be a renowned author, you may pilot your own plane, 04:19 go to exotic places on vacation, and so on, 04:21 but if you miss heaven, your life is a failure. 04:24 There's no question about that from God's perspective 04:26 and from my perspective as a student of God's Word. 04:29 >> So that's gonna look significantly different 04:31 for different people depending on their view of life, 04:36 their worldview, I guess. 04:38 >> Yes. 04:39 >> But ultimately if you miss out on eternity, 04:40 it doesn't matter what else you've accomplished, 04:43 how much you have in your bank account, 04:44 how big your house is, how nice your car is, 04:46 what job you have, or how influential you are in the world. 04:50 If you miss heaven, it's kind of been a misspent life. 04:53 >> That's true. 04:54 In fact, I've put a couple of references 04:56 from the Bible here. 04:57 Proverbs is a book of wisdom, as we understand. 05:00 Verse 10. 05:01 "The fear of the Lord," or trusting in God. 05:03 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, 05:05 and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." 05:07 So basic to success is commitment to God, that's for sure. 05:13 Another one, Ecclesiastes 12, verse one. 05:15 "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth." 05:18 In other words, don't wait 'til you're an old guy 05:21 to make your commitment to God, 05:22 because if you want God to bless your family, 05:24 you want to do it early on, 05:25 and that's an important thing as well. 05:27 >> So what about as a person matures from youth to adulthood, 05:32 one would expect that their views on things, 05:36 certainly their income is going to change. 05:39 What things should stay the same? 05:41 What part of their perspective should stay the same, 05:43 and where would things change 05:45 as when matures in age and so forth? 05:48 >> Well, that's a good question, 05:49 because I can just tell you this one. 05:51 I mentioned before, 05:53 and will later in the quarter talk about 05:55 Jacob when he had to flee from his brother's wrath. 05:58 The interesting part about it, 05:59 he's a young man, maybe 40 years old, 06:02 but he hadn't married yet, 06:03 and he was running away from his brother to save his life. 06:07 When he had the encounter with Jesus 06:09 in the place he later called Bethel, the house of God, 06:12 where the ladder was on the earth and reached to heaven, 06:14 the staircase and so on. 06:15 God stood above it and talked to him and so on. 06:18 As a young man, he said, 06:20 "If you'll be with me like you promised you have been. 06:22 In other words, since you've said that, 06:24 you're gonna be my God, 06:26 and of all you give me, I will surely give a tenth to you." 06:29 So as a young man, he first made his commitment to God 06:31 and he made his commitment 06:32 to be financially faithful as well. 06:34 And I think that's very, very valuable 06:36 for young people to know. 06:38 I can tell you another thing, 06:39 is the Bible talks to us about 06:41 do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. 06:44 So unless you want a home 06:46 where the shadows are never lifted, 06:48 don't marry an unbeliever. 06:49 This is important to understand, 06:51 and I can also tell you that it's interesting, 06:54 this principle is so important, 06:55 that your future spouse has the opportunity 07:02 and should know for sure what they're marrying. 07:04 Are they marrying a committed Christian? 07:06 Are they marrying somebody who's faithful with God? 07:08 Another thing is I tell people, young people, 07:11 when they're talking about getting married, 07:12 they should find out from the other person 07:14 if they have any student loans. 07:15 I mean, this is a big deal. 07:17 Some people have thousands and thousands of dollars of loans 07:19 or what they own, on their cars and other things. 07:22 It's not that you wouldn't marry the person, 07:23 but you go in with your eyes open. 07:25 This is pretty interesting stuff for the young people. 07:28 So after Jacob made his financial commitment to God, 07:30 the Lord directed him to his spouse, to Rachel. 07:34 Now, this is an incredible story. 07:35 The story of Rachel, to me, 07:37 is one of the most amazing stories in the Bible. 07:40 It was an amazing story because he fell in love with her, 07:43 and he told her father Laban. 07:45 He said, "What can I pay you for working for me?" 07:48 And he says, "I'll work for you for seven years 07:50 for your daughter Rachel." 07:50 This is an incredible thing. 07:52 And we remember that Laban tricked him, giving Leah first, 07:55 but Rachel was always his favorite wife 07:58 and his loved person, if you please. 08:01 And when she died, they were almost back home, 08:03 and she died along the way in giving childbirth to Benjamin, 08:06 as you may recall. 08:07 But the amazing thing to me, 08:09 is way over in the last part of Genesis, 08:10 chapters 49 and 50, 08:12 Jacob called his son Joseph to his bedside to talk to him, 08:18 and he said, looking back on his life, 08:21 and the only thing he remembered, 08:22 "I buried Rachel by the way. 08:24 We were almost there." 08:25 But that's the only thing he remembered, was Rachel, 08:27 incredible as it may seem. 08:30 >> So it sounds like he made a wise choice in who to marry 08:33 and she was an encouragement to him along the way. 08:36 >> Sure. 08:37 >> We're talking about success, success in finances, 08:40 success in marriage, success in life. 08:43 What about work? 08:44 What role does work play on our pathway to success? 08:50 >> Well, it's very interesting that the Bible is very clear 08:53 from the creation of Adam and Eve, 08:55 including the work they were given to do to keep the garden. 08:57 And also the Bible is very clear that Sodom and Gomorrah 09:00 were in the condition they were in 09:02 'cause people had idleness on their hands, 09:04 and they had lots of money as well. 09:07 But idle mind is the devil's workshop, as we know. 09:09 So work is very, very important, 09:11 and I can just tell you 09:12 that as youth matures into adulthood, 09:15 our thoughts should turn about how we can be successful 09:19 in our life on this earth 09:20 and prepare ourselves and our children 09:22 for the kingdom of heaven. 09:24 I saw also, I would just tell you 09:26 that work can be a blessing. 09:27 It was given to men to be a blessing, 09:29 and it is a blessing when conducted in the fear of the Lord, 09:32 and as our memory verse talked about, work is unto the Lord. 09:35 >> So work was never designed to be a punishment for us, 09:39 but a place where we can be productive, 09:41 an avenue for us not to be idle 09:44 and to get caught up in other things. 09:46 There are some people today 09:47 who look for opportunities not to work. 09:50 I guess you could fall into either side of the ditch. 09:54 You could either fall into the side 09:55 where you don't wanna work at all 09:56 and just wanna have everything given to you, 09:58 or you can be a workaholic. 10:00 Where would the the balance be in that? 10:03 >> That's also a good question. 10:05 In the years 10:06 that I've been speaking at camp meetings and so on, 10:07 I've had lots of people come to their counseling, 10:09 and I've had more than one time, I ask a man, 10:12 "What kind of work are you involved in?" 10:14 And he would say, "Well, I'm not working steady right now. 10:16 I'm kind of between jobs," 10:18 and the idea is how can you expect God to bless you 10:20 if you're not working? 10:22 I think that there's only a few jobs that you couldn't do, 10:25 you know, bartending or go-go dancing 10:26 or something like that, 10:28 but in general, work is valuable and work is good for you. 10:31 Both of our children learned to work 10:33 when they were in high school, 10:34 and it's interesting that they thanked us in later years 10:39 that we encouraged them to work, 10:40 because they feel responsible 10:42 for what they've done in their lives. 10:44 They've been able to help themselves through school 10:46 and that kind of thing as well. 10:47 >> So you develop a work ethic, you develop a habit. 10:51 It helps you to be to learn to be reliable to other people, 10:55 accountability, and ultimately it also helps you 11:00 to learn the value of a dollar, 11:01 all of which I think are very, very good things. 11:04 Especially if as you progress in life, 11:06 you end up owning a business 11:08 or having other people work for you, 11:10 it's nice to be able to have an understanding 11:12 of what it's like to be on the other side of things. 11:15 So all kinds of blessings when it comes to work. 11:19 We're gonna continue taking a look at this, 11:21 the planning for success, 11:23 and I think everybody wants to be successful 11:25 in different areas of their lives, 11:28 and we're looking at several ways 11:29 in which that can happen right now. 11:31 But one thing that I want to encourage you to do, 11:33 if you haven't done so already, 11:35 we're a little over halfway through this quarter, 11:38 and if you haven't picked this book up, 11:39 you are missing out 11:41 on some wonderful supplemental, additional material 11:45 that can help you to be more successful. 11:47 The book of course is called "Managing for the Master." 11:51 The author, as you well know, is G. Edward Reid. 11:54 He's with us today and has been through this quarter 11:57 and will through the remainder, 11:59 and in this book, you will find some additional insights 12:01 on how you can be successful 12:03 in managing the gifts that God has given you 12:06 for his honor and for his glory. 12:08 If you wanna pick up this supplemental book, 12:11 the compliment to the Bible study guide, 12:13 you can do that very, very easily. 12:15 Simply go to itiswritten.shop. 12:18 Again, that is itiswritten.shop 12:21 and look for "Managing For the Master." 12:24 And in the event that we're temporarily sold out, 12:27 we will get restocked again very, very shortly. 12:30 But this book will be a blessing to you, 12:32 and if you want to give a book to someone 12:35 who you want to encourage financially 12:37 in the right direction, 12:39 this book makes a wonderful, wonderful gift. 12:42 So "Managing for the Master" by G Edward Reid, 12:45 and that's available at itiswritten.shop. 12:49 In just a moment, we're gonna come back, 12:51 and we're going to continue our look at how to be successful 12:55 from a biblical perspective. 12:57 We're going through some practical tips, practical tricks, 13:00 if we can use that, 13:01 that you can apply to your life 13:03 and encourage others to do the same. 13:04 We will be right back. 13:06 (bright music) 13:10 >> He was chosen by God to Father a great nation, 13:13 but instead of trusting God to fulfill his promise, 13:16 he chose to run ahead of God's plan, 13:19 using lies and deception to secure the blessing 13:22 that God had already said would be his. 13:25 Join me for another episode of our series 13:28 "Great Characters of the Bible" 13:30 as we examine the story of Jacob. 13:33 Before becoming the progenitor of the nation of Israel, 13:36 Jacob conspired with his mother 13:38 to deceive his brother and his father, 13:40 and in doing so, 13:42 he set himself on a path filled with hardship and pain. 13:46 Yet even at his lowest, Jacob refused to let go of God, 13:50 and God never let go of Jacob. 13:52 Learn how Jacob's experience is relevant to your life 13:56 and how the same God who blessed Jacob 13:59 wants to bless you today. 14:00 "Great Characters of the Bible: Jacob." 14:04 Watch now on itiswritten.tv. 14:10 (lively music) 14:11 >> Announcer: This season on "Conversations." 14:14 >> Many times, I think I know what God wants 14:17 or doesn't want me to do, 14:18 and many times, it's the opposite. 14:21 >> I was looking next to the car, 14:24 and there's this family with a little ugly car, 14:26 you know, I would never have. 14:28 But I saw the family. 14:29 They're so happy they're laughing and giggling. 14:32 I say, "Lord, this is what I want." 14:34 >> Jesus just had this warm, loving feeling 14:38 that I just couldn't describe, 14:39 and I wanted it more than anything in this world, 14:42 and I knew he was the answer. 14:44 I don't know how I knew, I just knew he was the answer. 14:48 >> Amen, amen. 14:49 She is Gail Habikam. 14:50 His name is Dr. George Guthrie. 14:53 She once was a practitioner of Santeria. 14:56 I'm John Bradshaw, and this is our conversation. 15:00 (gentle music) 15:01 >> Announcer: Now available on itiswritten.tv. 15:05 (gentle music) 15:10 (bright music) 15:14 >> Welcome back to Sabbath School 15:16 brought to you by It Is Written. 15:17 We're looking at how to be successful financially 15:20 and ultimately in life during this week's lesson. 15:24 Tuesday's lesson is called "The Earning Years." 15:27 "The Earning Years." 15:29 Ed, how important is our work 15:31 in the stability of our families? 15:34 >> Well, it's interesting, 15:34 and this earning years thing 15:36 is the second phase of our lives. 15:37 We have three phases, actually, 15:39 our learning years, our earning years, 15:42 and our returning years, 15:43 'cause we can't take it with you. 15:45 So, we've talked about 15:47 and will talk about in more detail in the future, 15:50 giving back to God how that fits in and so on. 15:53 But a lot of people wanna skip that learning years part. 15:57 I don't like school, or whatever. 15:58 The bottom line is God can use anybody who's willing, 16:01 but those who have had advanced training 16:03 can be much benefited from it. 16:05 It's really incredible when you think about it. 16:08 In general, getting a college degree 16:11 will make sure that you get probably twice as much 16:14 in your lifetime earning 16:15 as you would if you just only went to high school. 16:18 So make sure you get counsel as far as what to study. 16:22 Make sure there's a job available for you 16:24 at the end of the time. 16:25 You don't wanna just take oriental basket weaving 16:26 and nobody has a job for you. 16:28 You wanna get something in the medical field 16:30 or in the construction industry or computers. 16:34 Whatever it is, 16:35 you'll find out what's the best thing for you. 16:37 But what we're talking about this time is the earning years, 16:43 and that is what you do 16:44 for the primary work years of your life. 16:46 And that is the longest section. 16:48 That's the time when you're paying for your house 16:51 and your cars and educating your children. 16:53 And believe it or not, 16:54 this is a stressful time for many families, 16:56 because if they haven't gotten the proper education 16:59 of getting a good income and so on, 17:00 it's very stressful, 17:01 because what do you mean we don't have any money? 17:03 People argue about those kind of things, 17:05 and people would like to buy something 17:07 and then people go out and buy things on credit 17:09 and run themselves in debt and so on. 17:11 It's amazing really what happens 17:13 when they're not willing to live 17:15 with what they have as far as their income. 17:17 But what I wanna share with you now is that, 17:19 during the earning years, 17:20 which is about 40 years of your life, 17:22 you need to be thinking about your needs, 17:24 the needs of your children, 17:26 and the needs of those who depend on you in some ways, 17:29 helping with God's church, 17:30 helping with others who are poor people, 17:32 poorer than you, for example. 17:33 Setting an example for our families in this area as well. 17:37 1 Timothy 5:8 is an interesting one. 17:40 It says, "But if anyone provide not for his own, 17:42 especially those of his own family, 17:44 he denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." 17:46 It's also true that Paul's writing says, 17:48 "He that does not work should not eat." 17:51 Most people like to eat, don't they? 17:53 So this is important that that happens. 17:55 "In all labor there is profit." 17:57 "Whatever you do do it heartily, as unto the Lord." 18:00 We've already looked at. 18:01 That's Colossians chapter three, verse 23. 18:03 And I like this also in the King James version, 18:05 where it says, "Knowing that of the Lord 18:07 ye shall receive your inheritance." 18:09 When we talk about lesson 12, 18:11 we're talking about the rewards 18:12 of the faithful financial people, 18:14 and it's gonna be an incredible thing 18:16 that you'll enjoy seeing and reading about and hearing. 18:19 So children who come into the world during the segment 18:23 are called to heritage of the Lord, 18:25 and we remember that we bring these children in, 18:27 we owe them a responsibility 18:29 because we wanna train them to become independent adults, 18:32 of course, not to depend on us for the rest of their lives. 18:35 So the ideal is I'm gonna share with you three things 18:39 that I think parents can do 18:40 as far as their children are concerned. 18:42 The first one is provide a Christian home environment, 18:44 and that means this would include 18:45 having regular and interesting family worships, 18:48 regular Sabbath school attendance, and church attendance. 18:51 Not, "I don't feel like going today." 18:52 You see, it is regular. 18:54 This is training children, 18:55 and faithfulness in tithes and offerings. 18:57 These are great habits to form in early life. 18:59 So provide a Christian home environment. 19:03 Second one is to teach them a willingness to work 19:06 and appreciation for it. 19:08 We started paying our kids when they were 10 years old, 19:11 and we had jobs for our children. 19:13 Our son kept up the yard, and it was a big yard, 19:16 and other things around the house, 19:17 and we paid them a weekly paycheck for that. 19:22 And Melissa helped in doing the laundry. 19:25 If you can imagine, she got so good at it 19:27 then when she came home from school 19:28 sometimes she would say, 19:29 "Daddy, is there any laundry I can do?" 19:31 To me, this is amazing. 19:33 She helped with the cooking, 19:34 making granola, and all those kind of things. 19:35 So when it came time when they could work outside the home 19:37 and get what we say real money, 19:39 they were happy to do it. 19:41 So teaching them to work and have good work habits. 19:44 Someone teased my son who worked for Taco Bell for a while, 19:47 and he said, "Isn't that the place that if you show up 19:49 at work three times in a row on time, 19:51 they wanna make you a manager?" 19:53 The point is being punctual 19:55 and diligent and faithful and dependable, 19:58 you learn those things by working, 20:00 and those are good skills to learn, of course, as well. 20:03 I want to tell you that the next one, the final one 20:07 is help with a good education. 20:10 Education is really expensive today, 20:12 and particularly private school Christian education, 20:15 but to parents who want their children not to be successful 20:17 only in this life, 20:19 but to be ready for heaven as well, 20:22 I would say that Christian education 20:24 is extremely valuable for this reason. 20:28 If I had not been in one of our colleges, 20:30 I would've never met my wife, 20:32 and it's during those years of your life 20:34 when you meet your life companion 20:35 and your lifetime friends and so on. 20:37 So maybe it's cheaper in the local junior college, 20:39 but you're gonna miss out on this awesome experience, 20:42 so as an investment in eternity 20:44 when you go for Christian education. 20:46 I know there are bad apples even in good schools, 20:48 but the bottom line is 20:50 you're more likely to find a good companion there 20:53 than you would be just in schools of the world. 20:56 Then you understand, very important. 20:58 Now, I'm gonna make one little caveat here. 21:00 When we talked about debt, 21:02 we talked about cosigning 21:04 and not becoming responsible for other people's debts. 21:06 The only exception that I can think about to that 21:10 would be helping your children get through school, 21:12 and if you don't have the ability, 21:13 they need to work as best they can, 21:14 you need to work as best you can, 21:15 but they need to borrow a little bit. 21:17 That may be one time when parents could help, 21:20 and the reason I say that 21:21 is because that will help them become independent adults. 21:24 But there's several caveats for that, too. 21:26 If they borrow any money, 21:28 they need to pay it back as quickly as possible. 21:30 In addition to that, 21:31 they need to make sure that the education they're getting 21:34 will be something that they'll have a job waiting for them 21:36 when they get done. 21:38 I mean, I knew a lady that was 70 years old 21:40 and she's still paying on student loans 21:42 because she decided to go back to school 21:43 and take something that nobody needed. 21:45 There was no jobs available for her, 21:48 but she's gonna have to pay that, you know, 21:49 even out of her retirement income, which she was doing. 21:52 So I would would suggest three things again. 21:56 Christian home environment, teach them to work, 21:59 and give them a good education. 22:01 Those are the things that I think we owe our children. 22:03 >> I think three very practical ideas or pieces of advice 22:07 that we can follow there. 22:09 Thank you for those, Ed. 22:10 Wednesday's lesson is called "Working With Integrity." 22:14 "Working With Integrity." 22:15 My guess is that a Christian 22:17 should be expected to have integrity. 22:20 What's the work ethic like of a Christian? 22:23 >> This is amazing because the real answer 22:26 is they're faithful to their duties, 22:28 even if no one is watching, 22:30 and this is incredible, 22:32 because I'm gonna tell you two stories about that. 22:34 One is the experience of Jacob 22:36 when he desired to leave his father-in-law. 22:38 Remember after 14 years of working, 22:40 and then he stayed six more years, 22:41 but when he wanted to go home, 22:43 he says, Laban told him, "Don't go. 22:46 I've learned by experience 22:48 that when you're with me, God blesses me." 22:50 Isn't that interesting? 22:51 He blesses you, so he blesses me. 22:53 And the same thing happened when Joseph was down in Egypt, 22:56 sold into slavery to his master Potiphar. 22:59 He made a similar observation to Joseph's work 23:01 and recorded him accordingly. 23:02 "I've learned that God has blessed me with you here. 23:05 Here's more responsibility. 23:06 You have everything that I have. 23:08 You just manage it for me." 23:09 Isn't that incredible? 23:11 Because God blesses me because of your work ethic. 23:13 >> Those are two very encouraging stories. 23:19 Paul also writes in 1 Corinthians 10:31, 23:21 "Therefore whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, 23:24 do all to the glory of God." 23:26 And that, of course, 23:27 is not limited to what we eat and drink, 23:29 but he says, "In all that you do." 23:31 Work ethic is in there as well, isn't it, Ed? 23:33 >> Yes it is. 23:34 >> So let's take a look at Thursday now, 23:35 seeking godly counsel. 23:38 If a Christian manager, 23:41 God has given us the opportunity to manage things. 23:43 If a Christian manager is looking for good counsel, 23:46 where ought they to go, and where might they avoid? 23:50 >> Well, it's interesting that you ask that question, 23:53 'cause years ago, 23:54 I took a course from Larry Briquette 23:56 called "Business by the Book." 23:58 And the bottom line is most people just work hard enough 24:00 to keep from getting fired, 24:01 and most employers just pay their people enough 24:03 to keep them from quitting. 24:05 So they're just barely getting by on both sides. 24:07 And really interesting. 24:09 Should it come into our mind at all 24:11 the needs of the people that we hire, 24:13 the needs of the people that we don't hire. 24:15 I remember hearing a story one time of a man 24:18 that wasn't doing what his boss wanted him to do, 24:21 so he called him in and said, 24:22 "What do you believe your job to be?" 24:23 And he told him what he was 24:24 and he was doing real good at things. 24:25 He said, "Well, that's not why I hired you." 24:27 In other words, 24:28 he thought he was doing what he was supposed to do, 24:29 but he wasn't doing it. 24:30 So you need to make sure 24:31 that everybody understands the rules 24:32 and what their job description is 24:33 and those kinds of things as well. 24:36 But good sources of Christian counsel. 24:38 I can give you a few of them that I've jotted down here. 24:41 One is I can recommend that you get organized. 24:45 Develop a spending plan or have a budget. 24:48 Many families just exist from paycheck to paycheck. 24:50 You know, that they don't know where it goes, 24:52 how much comes in, or anything like that as well. 24:54 We tell people to spend less than you earn. 24:56 We've always talked about determining 24:57 to live within your income. 25:00 Save a portion from every pay period. 25:02 Even if it's only a little bit, 25:04 save something from every pay period. 25:05 That's pretty good to know. 25:06 Avoid debt like COVID-19. 25:09 Proverbs, 22, verse seven says 25:11 interest is one expense you can live without. 25:13 In other words, the borrower is the slave of the lender. 25:16 and that's always true, 25:18 whether we believe it or not or whether we see it happening. 25:21 Be a diligent worker. 25:22 "The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; 25:25 but the soul of the diligent can be made rich." 25:28 Be financially faithful with God. 25:30 You can't expect God to bless your family 25:32 unless you're faithful with him, 25:33 because remember, all of the promises of God 25:35 are like bilateral contracts. 25:36 He's always doing his part. 25:38 No one's ever been able to accuse God 25:39 of not holding up his end of the bargain. 25:41 But if we wanna be faithful, 25:42 we need to make sure that we're holding up 25:44 our end of the bargain. 25:44 That's where the blessing comes. 25:47 Now, one thing that's really incredible, 25:49 understand and believe 25:51 that this earth is not our final home. 25:53 We're just pilgrims and strangers here. 25:55 Our real home is in heaven. 25:56 We want to be faithful with God and his Word, 25:59 so that we can have a home in heaven. 26:01 Not that we're working legalistically, 26:03 but God says that, "If you're willing and obedient, 26:05 you'll eat the good of the land." 26:06 From Isaiah, the first chapter. 26:08 It's interesting to me to see that many people 26:10 think of this earth as their home. 26:12 They're saving up stuff here. 26:13 Someday we'll have to leave it all. 26:14 Some of our stuff will get burned up here. 26:16 We don't wanna have much on our hands 26:19 to get burned up, do we? 26:20 >> That's right. 26:22 In the end, we wanna make sure that we have taken 26:24 what God has entrusted to us 26:26 and used it in the most effective manner. 26:29 We can't take it with you, as we've said before. 26:31 Ed, I want to end on this quote 26:34 from the book "Education" on page 14. 26:36 It says, "No scheme of business or plan of life 26:39 can be sound or complete 26:41 that embraces only the brief years of this present life 26:45 and makes no provision for the unending future. 26:48 No man can lay up treasure in heaven 26:51 without finding his life on earth 26:53 thereby enriched and ennobled." 26:56 So if we take our gaze and lift it heavenward 27:01 rather than earthward, 27:03 or another way of saying it, 27:05 take a vertical look at life 27:06 rather than a horizontal look at life, 27:09 we will find that in the end, 27:10 we end up in a much, much better place. 27:14 This week, we've taken a look at what success looks like 27:17 from a biblical, a heavenly perspective, 27:20 and it looks a little different 27:23 than it does sometimes from an earthly perspective. 27:26 If we set our sights on heaven, 27:28 on what God wants for us in life 27:30 and wants for others in life, 27:32 we can find success. 27:34 God doesn't want us to be poor in this world. 27:37 He wants us to be cared for and he wants us to have enough 27:40 that we can give to others as well, 27:42 and this week, 27:43 we've looked at how we can indeed be successful. 27:46 Thanks for joining us again this week. 27:48 We look forward to having you join us again next week 27:50 when we come back together again for more Sabbath School 27:53 brought to you by It Is Written. 27:56 (bright music) 28:04 (bright music) 28:14 (bright music) 28:23 (bright music) |
Revised 2023-02-16