THEME: DEBT-FREE LIFE SERIES
TOPIC: IF YOU MUST BORROW
Introduction:
The Bible makes it clear that being in debt is not God’s best for us. I haven’t found anything to indicate that it is a sin for a Christian to be in debt (unless of course you are disobeying God’s personal instruction for you), but Jesus came to set us free, not make us slaves. Therefore, when Proverbs 22:7 says “the borrower is slave to the lender,” I get the impression that God wants us to be debt-free. We live in a unique time, with unique challenges. We are inundated with so much advertising and marketing almost everywhere we go. The world is screaming a lot of things, and most of them aren’t in agreement with what God is whispering to us. It is a challenge to live within your means. Especially when you see so many others living way beyond their means and enjoying the fleeting pleasures of the moment. It requires great sacrifice to see long term and to think beyond what our flesh wants right now. Before I tackle the thrust of today’s teaching, I will have you settle these scripture-based issues in your heart:

1. Debt is NOT normal
I am not going to go on a tirade against credit facilities or so many forms of loans all around us right now, but we have got to start understanding that debt is not normal. Just because most of society calls it normal and good does not make it either of those. See Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. KJV

2. Debt is a form of slavery – Economic slavery
Every time we enter into lender/borrower agreement we are actually entering into a master/slave agreement. Prov 22:7 The rich rule over the poor, and borrowers are servants to lenders. NCV Just as there is a bondage that comes from being in debt, there is a opposite and equal freedom that comes from being liberated from it. He wants to see us liberated from the slavery of debt more than we do. By doing our part and asking Him for help a lot of power is present to break us out of the bondage of debt.

3. Being Debt-Free isn’t just for us, God wants us to prosper
Whether God wants everyone to be a millionaire, I can not answer. But I do know that he wants all Christians to prosper. Psalm 35:27 …And let them say continually, “The LORD be magnified, Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.” He wants us to thrive and use that which we have been blessed with to bless others. He says, we will lend to many nations and not borrow. In order to lend to others we need to get ourselves in a solid financial situation that will allow it. See Deuteronomy 15:6, 28:12,

IF YOU MUST BORROW THEN, YOU MAY CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING MATTERS:
1. First, stretch yourself – it is not time to live in luxury – Lam 3:27
2. Don’t borrow in such a way to make you unfaithful to God and your family
3. Borrow from sources that would not dishonour the Lord and your faith in Him – it is a sign of curse and servitude to borrow from enemies of the Lord – Deut 28:43-44
4. Develop a payback pattern that would neither hamper nor hurt the basic necessities of life and the family.
5. Be sure you pray and God leads you and allows you to borrow as a last option – See Prov 3: 5-7; Ps 37:5
6. Make borrowing a last resort because the Lord has promised to meet your needs – Ps 23:1; Phil 4:19;
7. Don’t borrow to finance depreciating assets like a vehicle for pleasure and status enhancement. It is a godly virtue to live within your means.
8. It is a personal advice that you do not borrow to start a business, but rather to boost and expand a business
9. It is a personal advice that you don’t borrow to start a building project; you may borrow to hasten or finish it and pack in – see Lk 14: 28-30
10. If you have to borrow, do so from low-interest organizations
11. Do have a plan to pay back immediately

God Bless You,
Do not forget to share this and God will meet your needs. Amen.

RISING UNTO STARDOM

INTRODUCTION
There is a seed of SUCCESS and GREATNESS in every man/woman born into this world, and you are of no exception. He says in Gen. 1: 26 be fruitful………………. Have dominion over all the earth. Greatness, success, excellence is not determined by you, nativity, race, gender or location, it is determined by right attitude, disposition, character, habit, way of life towards life There are a number of attitudes that promote a man to higher attitude, greatness, and stardom and they are indispensable. To ignore them is to dig your pit of failure. But you don’t have to be a failure in life while there is already a free provision to be an outstanding success.

1. LIVING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS:

i Righteousness is living/acting in accordance with what is right in the sight of God/according to God’s standard.

ii Righteousness is conforming/yielding to God’s moral standard.

iii To live righteous is to live straight, no crookedness, no shade dealing, living just, honest and true.
This is important because it is the foundational key to rising to stardom: 1 Sam 26:23, 2 Sam. 22:22-25, Prov. 11:5-6, Prov. 14:34, Ps. 45:7,

* Every High flier in the past were people committed to right living

i Thomas Edison – The inventor of electric bulb

ii Abraham Lincoln – The best President America ever had

iii Noah Webster – Webster Dictionary

iv Isaac Newton – Law of gravity

v Michael Faraday –

vi Righteousness takes a man up, keeps him there.

2. TEACHABLENESS:
Willingness and readiness to submit one’s self to learning and making changes.

This is necessary because:

i We never rise above our information

ii New information always creates a need to change something which you are doing.

iii You cannot change what happens to you until you change what you know

* Life will be a constant series of promotion to anyone who is flexible and teachable.

3. DILIGENCE:
Diligence is a steady effort; careful hard work to make things happen. Diligence is a dogged determination and energetic pursuit of a goal you desire and respect

N.B. There is no poverty that can overtake diligence
God reacts strongly to any Christian who is diligent in business.

*Give yourself to hard work; avoid laziness, indolence, layabout, and unnecessary roaming.

4. PATIENCE:
Patience could be defined as the ability to hold on in any painful unwelcomed circumstances. Patience implies ability to co-operate with God’s timing for your life/breakthrough e.g Thomas Edison Patience and endurance: the queen of all virtues: Billy Graham

BEWARE:
 The perceived success or achievements of other people around you may set you impatient  Your association with gifted people/proud people  When your age mates have already made it – academically, maritally etc

5. GENEROSITY:
Giving, giving, giving with a liberal heart to God, to man, to those who blesses your life, friends, etc Bedford was a Giver/Thither

*Generosity is a key to open up good relationship. Learn to give your way to the top.

i.Give what you have

ii.Give out from what you do

iii.Give out from who you are.

THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN AND DIVINE PROVISION

INTRODUCTION:
Thesis:
God Promises to Meet Our Needs Perhaps God’s greatest “financial promise” to believers, is that He will meet our needs, as we put Him first Jesus said: “So do not worry, saying,What shall we eat?’ or `What shall we drink?’ or `What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” [Matthew 6:31-33] God has promised to meet our needs and God does not need the bank, credit cards or a borrowing system, in order to accomplish this. The apostle Paul confirmed this: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19 Nowhere in the Bible did God ever direct anyone to borrow money in order for God to meet their needs. Because God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere, when God decides to provide, He does so by using His own resources. King David testified: “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread” (Ps 37:25).
1. God’s Ability to meet your needs – Eph. 3:20
2. God’s sufficiency to meet your needs – Phil. 4:19(NCV), Joel 2:26(NIV)
3. God’s commitment to meeting your needs – Joel 2:19, Gen 22:17(MSG)

There are many examples of God’s miraculous provision in the Bible. Here are a few:

1. God provided the Israelites with manna for 40 years in the desert [Exodus 16:35]
2. Jesus fed 4000 families with seven loaves and a few fish [Matthew 5:35-38].
3. God provided for Elijah’s needs via the ravens during a severe drought [1 Kings 17:2-6].
4. Working through Elijah, God provided for the needs of a widow and her son [1 Kings 17:13-16].
5. God provided for the Israelites by making Joseph the Prime Minister of Egypt [Genesis 41:41 & 45:7]
6. On many occasions, Christ met needs by healing the sick e.g [Matthew 4:24, 8:16]
7. God created oil by filling many jars so a widow could pay her debts (2 Kings 4:1-7)

In light of the above, is it not reasonable to trust God [not a lender], to meet our needs? Of course it is! As a pastor, I have discovered through my interactions and observations that so many of us in the working class group has a lot of debt -in many cases more than they could personally and easily pay back. However, as you start to learn to manage money God’s way, God would bless you for your obedience via “mini miracles” of provision and unique wisdom. Obedience always brings blessing [Deut 28:1-14]. God has promised to meet our needs, but not necessarily our wants and desires. Often, what we believe to be needs are really wants and desires or even things we do not need immediately. And so often, we believe that our needs are not being met when in fact they are. In Matthew 6:31-33 , cited above, Jesus said that needs included food, drink and clothing. Similarly, in 1 Timothy 6:6-8 Paul said: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it, but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” In summary, God does not need a lender of any kind, in order to accomplish His Will (Isaiah 46:9-11)

He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev 19:16). Unfortunately, Christians often borrow money without:
(1) Consulting God [1 Kings 22:5]
(2) Asking God to provide [Matthew 7:7, 8 & John 15:7]
(3) Waiting for His provision [Psalms 37:7]
God admonishes us, not to worry, but rather put Him first and He will meet our needs (Luke 12:27-31)

GOD'S PRINCIPLES TO HANDLE TOUGH TIME

INTRODUCTION
In tough times, 25% of people/businesses fail, 70% survive, and 5% thrive.
1. THE PRINCIPLE OF COURAGE
2. THE PRINCIPLE OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
3. THE PRINCIPLE OF RIGHT PERSPECTIVE
4. THE PRINCIPLE OF PERSONAL PERSONALIZED PERCEIVED CONTROL
5. THE PRINCIPLE OF PERCEPTIVE PROMISING TOMORROW/LIVING DAILY LIKE THERE IS A TOMORROW

6. THE PRINCIPLE OF PRODUCTIVE CREATIVITY: Tough timers always see a way out of difficulty. With creative mindset, tough timers know that adversity is prosperity turned inside out. Creativity is fundamental to resilience and persistence. Creativity is about productive excellent thinking. To become more creative you must learn how to think out of the box. Approach the problem differently. Trust your creativity. Encourage your creativity. Engaging in Creative Thinking, will lead to the flow of ideas that are productive and inventive; and when it works, there is no possibility of fitting it into or remaining in the slot and cocoon of adversity. Gen 30:37-40 NLT

7.THE PRINCIPLE OF PERSEVERANCE: Tough timers persist until they win. They know nothing great was ever accomplished by a quitter. They know, at a gut-level, that there is a time limit on tough times. Every downturn in world’s economy was followed by a period of expansion. Knowing that misery will not last fuels tough timers with the hope they need to get up another day and fight the battle. Winners never quit and quitters never win. Keep on, keep going, keep pressing; the pressure will soon be over.1 Sam 30:9-10KJV, Heb 10:35-39 Matt 10:22 KJV

8.THE PRINCIPLE OF OPTIMISM: Tough timers are positive thinkers, but their optimism cuts deeper than happy thoughts. They draw from a wellspring of confidence and hope. Because of their sense of control and creativity, tough timers look at the future through the eyes of an optimist. This is a bone-deep belief in their right and ability to live a positive life. This belief is manifested in positive behaviours. They behave as they believe, and their behaviour reinforces their positive beliefs. (The Parable of the Two Frogs). Keep your words and mind positive and your attitude optimistic. You may have to depend on this for a desperately needed shot in the arm. If you pack some hope in your briefcase and use it generously, you may discover that is what would see you through difficult times. Coming out of tough times successfully is nonetheless a matter of attitude and a correct frame of mind. Positive thoughts provide the mental fuel you need for your journey. Positive behaviour results from these positive thoughts. These tips will help you move in a positive direction in tough times. Your sense of optimism can fuel the extra effort needed to prevail in tough times or it can be an inhibiting force that keeps you down.2 Cor 4:17-18 NLT

9. THE PRINCIPLE OF NETWORKING: This is the process or practice of building up or maintaining informal relationships, especially with people whose friendship could bring advantages and productive and transforming opportunities to your life. John Donne, a seventeenth-century English poet and cleric wrote, "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main. . . “Who is as strong individually as we are collectively? No one. Connect to people who had been there, or are there but are willing to slog it out. The presence of relevant people in your life lessens your burdens but multiplies your strength especially in tough times.1 Sam 30:9-10KJV, Prov 27:9-10KJV

10. THE PRINCIPLE OF THE GOD-FACTOR: Men who have watered the storms of life are also known to be men connected to the supernatural. This I called ‘the God-Factor’. This is Africa and Nigeria in particular where religion takes the centre stage in everything we do. Connect to him, pray to him not to change your seasons and times but rather that He empowers you to go through the season and come out better. Then would have become a precious gem refined from the furnace of affliction. Ladies and gentlemen, even if tough people and tough timers fail and fall in tough times, in the end I like to announce to you unequivocally that Tough times never last but God’s peopleHeb 13:5KJV, Ps 50:15KJV

CONCLUSION
Having gone through some tough times myself in my search for identity and fulfilment of destiny, I know very well that walking out of tough times require vision, passion, economy, discipline, diligence and commitment. Time is not sufficient to discuss these in details. However, the tough times attitude you must embrace is that unless you are ready to die now, you have an opportunity to grow and become better. Plan to be around in a big and better way when tough times are over. Some will fail in tough times; some will survive, and some will thrive and turn out to be saviours. My question to you dear listener is, ‘Which will you do?’ Thank you so much for giving me your time and listening attention. I believe what I have shared with you will do you good if you take to them and do them consistently. Thank you and God bless!!!

SOME LIES MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE ABOUT MONEY

INTRODUCTION
* In all areas of life, what you think and believe about something makes the difference.
* It determines your action, your reaction to that thing.
* What you think about money often reveals who you are and what you think about life.

A SIMPLE DEFINITION OF MONEY
* Money is any medium of exchange that is widely accepted in payment for goods and services and in settlement of debts. Money also serves as a standard of value
* It is a means of value
* It is a measure of value/ work

1. LIE NUMBER 1:
MONEY IS AN UNSPIRITUAL SUBJECT AND SHOULD NOT BE DISCUSSED IN THE CHURCH

2. LIE NUMBER 2:
MONEY IS EVIL: A MISQUOTE OF 1 TIM. 6:10

3. LIE NUMBER 3
MORE MONEY WOULD CURE YOUR PROBLEM AND GUARANTEE PERSONAL HAPPINESS – ECCL. 5:10-14

LIE NUMBER 4
SOME ARE GIFTED FOR WEALTH AND SOME DESTINED FOR POVERTY
* This notion destroys initiatives, drives and motivations in many potential winners - Acts 10:34-36 (NLT), Rom 2:11(KJV), Rom 2:11(NLT), Eccl. 5:9(KJV)
* Truth: through the development of your God – given talents, principles if giving, hard work, you can determine the financial harvest of your life - Prov. 12:11; 24 TLB, Prov. 14:23 TLB, Prov. 11:24, Mal. 3:8-11

LIE NUMBER FIVE:
GOD DOES NOT WANT YOU TOE BE FINANCIALLY PROSPEROUS
* This is absurd and a contradiction to Matt. 6:32(KJV)
* God is your source Mt. 7:11(KJV)
* God gives wealth Deut. 8:18 Solomon 2 Chr. 1:12
* He delights in your prosperity Ps. 35:27

While money may become a snare for the unbelievers, it is one of the Christian tool for evangelization
There are three types of achievers in the Christian world
i. The givers
ii. The senders
iii. The makers/doers

Money in the hand of Christians is a threat to Satan. Through our giving missionaries are sent, Bibles, tracts are printed, Gospel preached through electronics and print media
Prosperity is much more than Rolls Royce and estates.
Prosperity is having enough of God’s supply to carry out and complete His instructions for your life. It is having enough of God’s provision to accomplish God’s commands and expectations.

LIE NUMBER SIX:
GOD DOESN’T CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU GIVE AND HOW YOU GIVE IT
* This is a wrong notion. Emotional giving does not build faith that produce eternal results.
* God cares about what and how you give: Mal 1:6-8(NLT)

Establish a pattern of giving
Mark 12:42-44 – Jesus noted the amount people brought
1 Cor. 16:2 – Give to God at least weekly
2 Cor. 9:6-7 – Give cheerfully and bountifully

LIE NUMBER SEVEN:
IT IS SELFISH AND WRONG TO GIVE EXPECTING TO RECEIVE MORE IN RETURNS
* Truth: false humility
Luke 6:38 – Give and it will be given unto you Mt. 19:21
Acts 20:35 – it is more blessed to give

Prayer Point
Lord give me an accurate and Biblical understanding about money

PRAISE: THE PASSWORD TO ALL-SURPASSING BLESSINGS

MOTHER'S DAY

THE DUTIES OF A MOTHER

Ministering: Mrs. Oluwatoyin Obalade

Some of the duties are listed below:

1. The Duties to take care of your Husband – Prov. 31:11-12 NLT
As a mother your number one duty is to take care of your husband and not your child/ children. Let him feel trusted, cared for in all areas of life. Prov 31:11-12(NLT)

2. Home Building – Prov. 14:1
Another duty that is fading away in our generation is Home Building. Many mother are pursuing/ running after money (career) at the expense of their home.
Mothers are no longer there for their children to see them through. Prov 14:1 (NLT)
This means God expects the women to build the home. The duty of home building is left in our hands as a mother. God wants to equip us to build home for him. God is looking for godly seed from our homes. Mal 2:15b(NLT)
Home where God Dwell
The home is God’s arena to produce godly seed for His Kingdom, even Jesus had to be born into a family. Home where the word of God is loved and taught, homes that lives/ unite together an example of heaven while on earth. 2 John 1:4(NLT)

3. The duty to take care of your children – Prov. 22:6, 15 NLT
This involves
Child training – Prov. 22:6A (KJV)

Giving of instructions Prov 31:15c(NLT) Teaching – home training not only education
Discipline and Correction – Prov. 22:15(NLT), Prov. 23:13-14(NLT)
Modeling Prov. 22:6a
Equipped for the future Prov. 22:6b(NLT)

4. The duty of standing in the gap – (Prayer): 1 Thess 5:17(NLT)
We (mothers) are gatekeeper to our homes. Whatever we allowed that will enter into. A mother that cannot pray will expose her home to the peril of the devil James 5:16b(NLT)

5. The duty of total surrender
i. In submission Eph. 5:22(NLT)
ii. In giving of yourself 1 Cor. 7:4a (NLT)

Conclusion: Let us rise up to our duties, God is depending on us to raise a godly seed through our homes. May God find us at our duty post, so that we can be praised. Prov 31:31(NLT)

ENCOUNTERING THE RISEN/RESURRECTED CHRIST

SOME WAYS THROUGH GOD SPEAKS TO US.