Stage 1 Formation

CFC Singles for Christ

Talk No. 6: Financial Stewardship

Objectives:
1. Develop an understanding of and appreciation for the principles of Christian finance and
tithing
2. Empower SFCs in wise stewardship of their resources, especially their finances, applying the
principles of Christian finance
3. Instill a desire to support the work of God in Couples for Christ through regular tithing
4. Inspire generosity and responsible stewardship

Speaker’s Profile
An SFC leader who is able to exemplify good financial stewardship, in tithing and in the way
he/she manages his finances and other resources; one who can inspire and exhort the
participants to give generously to the Lord.

Speaker’s Outline
I. Introduction
Our Lord Jesus Christ wants all the dimensions of our lives, including our financial
responsibilities and resources, to be directed and guided by the Holy Spirit. The Lord asks
that we open our hearts to the Spirit and allow Him to give us a Christian outlook on our
possessions and money and on how to manage them wisely.

II. Principles of Christian Finance

A. Everything belongs to God.
 Scripture Readings
a. Psalm 24:1 "The Lord's are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who
dwell in it"
b. Haggai 2:8 "Mine is the silver and mine the gold, says the Lord of hosts"

 God created everything. And everything – the heavens, the earth, and all that they
contain – belongs to God.
 God is the owner of everything without exception. This includes what we normally
call our own: our house, our car, our clothes, our investments, and our money.
B. We are merely stewards of what belongs to God.
1. We are stewards (or managers) and not masters over the things God has entrusted
to us.

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2. We are to manage what has been entrusted to us wisely, unselfishly and in

accordance with God's plan.
C. It is God who enables us to acquire wealth.
1. Scripture Readings
a. Proverbs 10:22 "It is the Lord's blessing that brings wealth, and no effort can
substitute for it"

b. Ecclesiastes 5:18 "Any man to whom God gives riches and property, and grants
power to partake of them, so that he receives his lot and finds joy in the fruits of
his toil, has a gift from God"

2. Without God's blessings, we would not have the good things we have.
a. 1 Corinthians 4:7 "Name something you have that you have not received. If
then, you have received it, why are you boasting as if it were your own?"

3. Our minds, our education, business opportunities, "good luck", all are ours only by God's grace.
a. Sirach 11:14 "Poverty and riches are from the Lord"
b. Sirach 11:21 "It is easy with the Lord suddenly, in an instant, to make a poor man
rich"

4. We should use our finances (wealth and possessions) to glorify God and participate
in the spread of His Kingdom.
a. Proverbs 3:9 "Honor the Lord with your wealth."
b. Though God allows us to enjoy our possessions, these are not exclusively for our
benefit. We need to see how we can use our possessions to serve God and to do
His work on earth.
III. Tithing
A. Definition
1. The tithe consists of ten percent (10%) of an individual's income after taxes from
whatever source, i.e., wages, rents, investments, business, etc.
2. The tithe is given to the immediate body of Christ of which one is a part, and where
one draws support for one's Christian life. For us, that basically means SFC and our
parish.
3. It is given to support the work of the Lord.
 In SFC, your tithes will be used for: evangelization, members' formation,
community activities, administrative expenses, etc.

B. Scriptural basis: Malachi 3:7b-10.

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1. We rob God if we don't tithe. Simply because the money is His in the first place and
He's just asking us to turn over 10% of it.
2. We tithe so that there may be "food in God's house." Food is life-giving. The tithes
support our work for the Lord, which work gives life to many couples.
3. "open the floodgates": God can never be outdone in generosity. We will always
receive more than we give (not necessarily in terms of money).

4. Other Scripture Readings

🞍 Genesis 14:20
🞍 Leviticus 27:30
🞍 Numbers 18:26-29
🞍 Deuteronomy 14:22-27
🞍 Proverbs 3:9
🞍 Matthew 23:23
🞍 Luke 18:12
🞍 Hebrews 7:4-9

C. Tithing is not part of our covenant in SFC. But it is certainly an essential part of our life as
a growing Christian. However, we understand tithing as part of the life of a maturing
Christian. Thus, we encourage tithing as a means of moving our members forward in
their growth in the Lord.

1. The only source of income of CFC Singles for Christ is from contributions, basically
from its members. As such, the extent by which SFC is able to carry out its mission of
global evangelization, family life renewal, Church renewal and building Christian
communities depends very much on the amount of funds it can raise.
2. SFC uses its income from tithes and contributions to pay for the following:
🞍 Evangelization
🞍 Support for missionaries
🞍 Formation of members
🞍 Community activities
🞍 Administration (salaries and wages, transportation, repairs, office supplies,
communication, licenses, etc.)
🞍 Donations (for needy members)
🞍 Purchase of assets as needed
🞍 International mission

3. SFC members are encouraged to be generous in supporting financially the work of

the Church, both in the parish as well as the CFC mission.

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4. SFC members are encouraged to remit their tithe monthly. (Speaker should mention
mechanics for collection of tithe in that particular chapter; e.g., that their household
heads will set up a system to collect tithes regularly.)
5. Let us not lose the proper perspective.
a. It is important to give not because of the need for our money, but because it is
just the right thing to do.
b. In fact, while we see that God's work needs money, God Himself does not! He
owns the universe.
c. The practical need for money is just His way of giving us the privilege of being His
co-workers in Kingdom-building.
 Focus not so much on the 10%, but on the 90% we keep for ourselves!
 Remember, it is God's money. He owns it all, but He allows us to keep the
bulk of it for our own uses.
6. What if I do not have enough
a. Relate story of the widow’s mite. Luke 21: 1-4. She gave out of her poverty.
b. No one has too little that he has nothing to give. We trust in the Lord’s
providence and that He honors our faithfulness.

IV. Roadmap to Financial Stability

Financial stability allows us to share more with others and in God’s work. Proper
stewardship of our finances includes managing and using it wisely.

A. Remember that God desires our abundance

God wants us to be blessed abundantly. However, we sometimes do not realize that we
are blessed because we measure abundance differently.

1. We use different units – Some people equate abundance only with pesos or dollars
when we can also have an abundance of friends or good health.

2. We use different standards – Some people believe they can only be abundant when
they have billions while others already feel abundant when they have thousands.

B. Trust God for Provisions

God asks us not to worry about the material, rather to concentrate on seeking His
kingdom, then all else will follow. (Luke 12:22-34)

C. Do our part
Financial stability can be approached in two ways. First is to increase our source of
income. Second, is to decrease our expenses. In both approaches, we end up with

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having more resources to share and to give back to God and still have enough for our
own needs.

The following are practical tips you can use to improve your financial independence:

a. Increase our sources of funds

a. Salaries
 There is NO easy way to make money unless it is a scam or it is illegal. Learn
to earn money the old-fashioned way which is through hard work, innovation
and resourcefulness. Do not be afraid to start from the bottom and work
your way up.

b. Passive Income
 Augment your salary with passive income which is defined as income earned
without working for it actively. Some forms of passive income include
money market investments, stock market, rental income, etc. Invest in
education (study, read, enroll, consult) to discover which passive source of
income is best for you.

c. Business
 Cultivate the entrepreneurial spirit in you. Identify market needs and come
up with innovative ideas to meet the needs. Remember that there is always
a better way of doing things.
 If capital is a problem, start with something small and sustainable. Strive to
be an employer rather than an employee. Beware however, that not
everyone is cut out for business.

d. Debt
 Beware of debt. Do not borrow with the notion that eventually you will earn
enough to pay for what you borrowed. Instead, if you need to borrow, based
the amount on what you are able to pay now with your current capacity to
pay.

 Beware of credit cards. The interest rates of most banks are exorbitant,
especially if you opt to pay for your credit card purchases in terms. Avoid
paying the minimum amount only as interest will be charged on the interest
you have not paid, exponentially increasing your over-all charges.

 Think of the card as cash you left a home or cash that is in the bank. If you
have none, don’t use your card. Do not fall prey to free credit cards; you are
just opening yourself up to temptation. Thus, it is important to always live
within your means to avoid the use of credit cards.

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 Not all debt is bad. Some loans are given at preferential rates such as loans
from cooperatives or company benefits. Just have the discipline to know
when and how much to borrow.

b. Decrease our uses of funds

a. Simplify your lifestyle
o Live simply and within your budget. Identify what is important to you and
spend accordingly. Remember that what looks good on others will not
necessarily look good on you. Do not have the urge to "keep up with the
Joneses."

o Our closet and storage rooms are the best place to find out what we do not
need in life. Let us try not to fill them up by purchasing more.

o There are two ways to get enough or to be satisfied: one is to continue

accumulating more, other is to desire less. The second option is easier and
more economical to do.

o “Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and
into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and
destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9)

o Do not believe that material things will keep you satisfied.

“Their silver and gold cannot save them on the day of the LORD'S wrath.”
Ezekiel 7:19

o We need not spend to enjoy. Laughing, walking, talking, taking a bath in the
rain are cheap ways of having fun. Instead of meeting up with brothers and
sisters in coffee shops, meet up at someone’s house to enjoy inexpensive
coffee in the company of good friends.

b. Learn how to save

 The formula should be:
Income – expense = savings, and not
Income – savings = expense.

 This means always put aside a certain amount of income as savings already.
How can we save? Put money in a piggy bank or put money in a bank. The
bank will always be a better option than putting your money in the piggy
bank.

 If possible, open two accounts. One account is only for depositing. The other
account is your working account, where you will get your daily expenses.

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 Look for bank products which reward investors with higher interest if they do
not withdraw their funds. Do not be afraid of banks. Some banks accept
small amounts as initial deposit and still earn interest. Remember that the
money you put in the bank is the money you will use in the future.

 For the more financial savvy person, know what investment products there
are (money market, stock market, etc.). Always diversify, meaning never put
all your eggs in the same basket.

 Similarly, avoid bandwagon. If everyone else you know is investing in the

same product, beware especially if you do not really understand the product.

 Know your investment horizon (short term, long term) and your risk profile
(risk taker, risk averse). This will determine what types of investments you
should be making.

 The general rule is, higher risk means high return. If you cannot afford to lose
your investment, stay away from high risk investments.

 There are other forms of savings outside the bank. This includes insurance,
pre-need plans, memorial plans, etc.)

c. Make a budget
 A budget enables you to keep track of your spending. It allows you to see
where you can cut down on costs.

 Always compare budget with actual expenses to know where you have been
remiss or if you need to adjust your budget especially if it is no longer
enough. This also makes you see the trend which can be a good indicator of
future expenses. (e.g., summer months, tendency to spend more)

 Beware of one-time purposes; they are recurring albeit in another form.

How often do we hear ourselves justifying purchases even if it is beyond the
budget by saying it will not happen again? When the following month
comes, we repeat the same justification until the “one-time” purchase
becomes regular and permanent.

 Beware of unexpected purchases like sales. 0% spent is still better than 50%
off, or even 90% off. We may end up buying things we do not need.

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 Most importantly, Include tithes as part of the budget. Tithes should not be
what will be left after all our expenses. Tithes should come first before the
things we need to buy.

V. Conclusion
A. Be generous - Give, Give, Give!
B. Pay the proper taxes. Even our Lord paid taxes.
“When they came to Capernaum,the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and
said, “Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?”
“Yes,” he said.” (Mt 17:22-27)

C. Share with the Poor. Everything you give away will return to you with interest
“God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having
all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

D. Remember the floodgates God promised us

Remember to store treasures not here on earth. God gives us abundance so we can
bless others.

“I will bless you and make your home great, and upon you will be a blessing.” (Gen
12:2)

Activity: Pie Chart

1. Make a pie chart of how you currently use up your annual pay after taxes. Group them
into categories (e.g., Food, Rent/Housing Amortization, Clothing, Education,
Entertainment, Transportation, Communication, Tithing, Outreach, Support for Family,
Others, etc.)
2. Identify how you can save up on each pie (e.g. for Food, bring packed lunch instead of
eating in the office cafeteria, “softdrinks on weekends only”, Clothing – “buy only once
every quarter instead of once a month”
3. Estimate how much you save per year on each item you identified. Add up the
estimated total savings.
4. Make a revised pie chart, with the identified savings area. In the revised chart, it is
mandatory that you set aside 10% of income for tithing.
5. Discuss your work with your seatmate.
6. If time will allow, open the floor for 2 or 3 sharings.

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