This May as part of our Generous Livin' series at Liquid Church, we are discovering the joy & freedom that comes from an abundance mentality & generous living! In order to enjoy the freedom of generosity, we also need to learn how to control and manage our finances through a biblical lens. That's why today, we're talking about debt.

DEBT IS A SPIRITUAL ISSUE

Learning how to get out of debt is actually a profoundly spiritual issue. Why? In Scripture, Jesus actually spoke more about the topic of money and our stuff than Heaven and Hell combined! Think about it: when you become a Christian, you acknowledge that Jesus paid the debt for your sin. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus says this: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

The truth is, it’s hard to be a servant of Christ when you are a slave to credit card debt. Living above your limits is a stressful way to live! Proverbs 22:7 says “The borrower is slave to the lender.” So, practically speaking, how do you actually get out of debt and really start making a dent in those overdue bills?

DITCH YOUR DEBT

The truth is, debt is a trap - and recognizing it as so is a pathway to getting out of it. Debt steals your joy. For example, say you go out to a nice dinner with your spouse or a weekend away, all the while, you are in debt. Somewhere deep in your conscience, you are saying to yourself, "We shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't be eating this nice meal. Not in the financial condition we're in." As a result, your weekend away is plagued with worry and your relationship suffers.

Debt is painful, and it also cripples your ability to be generous. 1 Timothy 6:6-7 says "godliness with contentment is great gain" and "if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."

When you realize that true contentment comes from God alone - from the giver of life, not the gifts in our life - things start to change. You discover an inner peace in your heart. You develop a desire to be generous with God and with others. You're no longer driven to consume. Instead, you're content. The Bible champions simple living, but distinguishing between our needs and our wants can be tricky.

FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY

One practical tool to help you get out of debt and start managing your finances through a biblical lense is Financial Peace University. This is a 9-week, virtual class taking place this Summer at Liquid Church, and we invite you to join us! If you are struggling financially, hear our heart for you as a church - we don't want something from you, we want some for you. This course will teach biblical principles of money management. Based on a course developed by Dave Ramsey, you'll learn how to write a budget, how to systematically pay off debts, and even how to start saving for college and retirement to leave a legacy for your family!

Financial Peace University has been life-changing for hundreds of families at Liquid Church over the years. So, to sign-up for our virtual course this Summer, visit LiquidChurch.com/FPU.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

For additional, related content from Liquid Church, check out the resources below:

• MESSAGE: For the full message from Liquid Church's Generous Livin' Series Part 2, click here.
• ARTICLE: The Blessing of Generous Livin' - Do you know the one area God says to test him? Generosity! Click here to read the full article on The Liquid Blog.
• TITHE CHALLENGE: Are you ready to put God first in your finances? Take the 90-Day Tithe Challenge! To learn more and sign-up for the challenge, click here.