Fact: sermons about money are powerful.
If you don’t believe that, stick with us
Your congregation is made up of a variety of people, right? Every week, you look out at a room full of people from all different backgrounds, races, stories, and beliefs. But what’s one thing they all have in common?
Money.
No matter who they are or where they come from, all the people in your congregation are dealing with money. Maybe they’re in a position in life where they have more than they need and aren’t struggling with their finances. Maybe they’re just making ends meet. Maybe they’re on the verge of bankruptcy. Or maybe they’re somewhere in between.
The point is this: regardless of their current financial situation, every person in your congregation is dealing with money on a regular basis. And because of that, it’s important that you as a church leader incorporate the subject in your teachings. Everyone can relate!
Now, there are a lot of sermons about money there. Some are really good, and some are really bad. Some are really helpful; others not so much. Some are full of great information, and some are full of fluff. Some present Biblical and practical ideas; others present really extreme approaches.
Since the subject of money can be sensitive and even a little awkward at times, it’s important to make sure you craft your sermons on finances carefully.
We think it’s pretty safe to assume most of you don’t want your sermons to land on the extreme, bad, unhelpful side of the scale. And we don’t want them to either! So to help you avoid an uncomfortable approach to money from the stage, here are just four things we think are important to include in your talks and sermons about money.
1. Accurate Biblical Truth.
Like any of your sermons, talks about money need to be founded on the Truth of God’s Word. And the good news is: the Bible has a lot to say about money. If you’re working to craft a sermon on finances in any regard, the best place to start is with the Bible. Find out what God has to say on the subject. Are there stories in the Old Testament that represent the Truth you’re trying to convey? Is there a parable in the New Testament that illustrates the point you’re making? Use them! There’s no better authority on any subject than the authority of the Scripture. Just be sure you’re carefully considering the verses or passages you use. You don’t want to cherry-pick a verse or misrepresent it simply to back up what you want to say.
2. Hope.
This one is big! Our God is the God of hope, right? We believe that’s true! The problem is that most people facing difficult or uncertain circumstances don’t always feel that way. The world is constantly bombarding us with messages of fear and anxiety—especially when it comes to money! People need to be reminded of the hope they have in Christ no matter what they’re facing. They need to know that it’s possible to get out of debt. They need to be encouraged to live generously. They need to be motivated by hope, and the church is the best place to do it. A good sermon on money will certainly teach your people truth, but it will also give them hope in the process.
3. Help.
We’ve touched on this before, but the reality is that most people think the church only talks about money when we’re asking for it. And unfortunately, we all know that’s a little bit true, at least some of the time. But we also know there are hundreds of churches who are doing it right, and that’s because beyond just giving truth and sharing hope, they’re offering practical help. While teaching on giving and generosity is certainly important (and Biblical), your congregation also needs to learn about debt, savings, giving, and spending along the way. Consider doing a series on money—maybe even three or four weeks—both to unpack Biblical truth and provide helpful instruction in multiple areas of finances.
4. Next Steps.
The best way to provide a little help and hope to your people is to give them the opportunity to take some next steps. Offering some immediate action steps is critical to a sermon or series on money. Right there in your church you have so many people and resources available to help you help others take action on their finances. It could be as simple as offering a one-time money seminar following your money sermon series, teaching your members about online giving, or even opening up small groups that walk through a financial book together. Or you could expand to offer continuous financial counseling through your church to those looking to get out of debt. You could even form a team of people willing to spend time walking with couples or individuals in your church or community through developing a spending plan and growing in financial wisdom. Think through what next steps you can offer that would be serve your specific church. Start putting those plans together to help your community walk in financial freedom and wisdom.