By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Ecclesiastes 11:1-6

God desires for His children to be good stewards both in their life and finances. Herschel Hobbs said, “Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes the writer identified two key concerns connected to wealth: (1) Don’t be consumed with the quest for wealth; and (2) Don’t fall into poverty through laziness or misfortune.” There has to be a balance between those two statements. A godly person is to plan well, and make investments wisely; and then leave it in God’s hands. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Proverbs 31:13-21

Often Proverbs 31 is viewed as a passage written describing an ideal wife. Yet this Proverb contains many business principles that apply to both men and women. The Proverbs 31 “business woman” understands that her business and its success are directly related to her God-given talents, skills, abilities, and the plan He has for her life. Her goal for both her business plan and her life is to seek God and to glorify Him in all her endeavors. All business activities should be viewed as a ministry for God.  [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Proverbs 6:6-11

Hard work is a Christian virtue. It is a sign of increasing godliness. God does not want a person to waste their life but to move forward using all the opportunities that God has placed within each person’s path. Even before “The Fall,” Adam was to tend the garden. Hard work leads to a purposeful life and a balanced life. God does want a person to work (if able bodied) but He never wants a person to be a workaholic.

Solomon used the ant as an example of how a person is to approach work.  An ant has a tireless work ethic. An ant does not have someone standing over them making sure that their daily work is done. An ant has something inside of them that causes them to work diligently. The only way to keep an ant from working is to kill it. Ants do not procrastinate. The ant prepares its provisions in summer. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Proverbs 6:1-5, 22:7

Solomon, the man who asked for and received wisdom, warns about the snare of over-extended financial obligations. His words are needed as society is drowning in debt, both consumer and national debt. The average credit card debt is over $16,000. The national debt is about 18.9 trillion dollars. “Spending out of control” seems to be a way of life.

Proverbs 22:7 warns that debt enslaves a person. Debt causes a person to lose their freedom. People who owe money work for their creditors. Work then enjoy possessions is now enjoy possessions then work to pay for them. Debt causes all kinds of problems. Debt brings stress into a person’s life, and leads them to make bad decisions that cause even more problems. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Proverbs 23:4-5, 30:5-9

So much of a person’s life is consumed with matters concerning money. Therefore it is important that “money matters” are kept in proper perspective. Security is not to be found in our wealth but in God. Wealth is to be used for the glory of God. One of the areas where wisdom from God is needed is in personal finances. There has to be a proper balance between hoarding and generosity.

A believer is not to seek after riches in the same way that the world does (Proverbs 23:4). A believer should seek riches but in a way that brings God’s blessings. Mere riches just for riches’ sake are not to be sought. Common sense should be used in all business dealings; however, it is a mistake to seek anything in life without asking God for His direction and His blessings.  A person should seek God’s help in all areas of life, but especially in personal finances. Riches give a false sense of security (v. 5). When a person seeks protection under the wings of their wealth, it is a false protection. If riches are not taken away from man by theft, taxes or poor management, eventually riches will be taken away by death (I John 2:15-17).  Under the wings of the Almighty God is sure protection. Our Heavenly Father cares for His own. He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Matthew 7:13-27

Every day choices have to be made in life. The choices made today affect the outcome of our tomorrows. Jesus warns us to carefully consider the outcome of those choices especially concerning spiritual matters.

Jesus commands us to choose the narrow road or the narrow gate that leads to life (vv. 13-14). However, many will choose the wide road or wide gate that leads to destruction. In spite of the fact that salvation is available to any and everyone, not everyone will be saved. Many believe in universalism which is the belief that all men will be saved. Jesus confronts this error. It is a lie from hell that all will be saved. Jesus said there are two kinds of people: heaven bound or hell bound, sheep or goats, good seed or bad seed, wheat or tares, saved or lost. Jesus is the dividing line in history, therefore He commands us to enter through the narrow gate. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Matthew 7:1-12

In this passage Jesus speaks first of our relationship with other people (ch. 7:1-6). A Christian is to be a brother who loves rather than a judge who judges. Then Jesus deals with our relationship with God. A Christian is to be a child of God who asks for good things and receives His providential blessings.

Perhaps the favorite verse of a lost person is verse 1, “Judge not that you be not judged.” Lost people use that verse but they do not understand the context. Every day a person has to make judgments about both actions and people. This evaluation is necessary. In John 7:24 Jesus said “Judge not according to the appearances, but judge correctly.” Those who are called to serve on a jury are an example. As Christians we are called to correctly discern what is right and wrong according to God’s Word. Jesus is forbidding a critical, judgmental spirit that looks down on other people. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Matthew 6:25-34

We often hear people say, “Don’t worry about it.” We have all heard those words. They are easy words to say, but hard to put into practice. It is amazing that we worry about the same things that people worried about 2,000 years ago.  People worried about their finances (Matthew 6:19), about food (Matthew 6:25a), fitness or body (v. 25), fashion (v. 28), and their future (v. 34).

Jesus reminds us that worry is sinful. Many do not think of worry as a sin but sin is disobeying any commandment of God. Three times in this passage, Jesus said, “Do not worry” (v. 25, 31, and 34). The word “worry” means to have a divided mind which causes a person to be pulled in two different directions. Worry is often seen as an acceptable sin by many Christians, but no sin is respectable in the eyes of God. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Matthew 6:19-24

This section of the Sermon on the Mount deals with wealth and possessions. Possessions are important to all people of all ages. Jesus warns to invest in things that will last. Life is too short and eternity too long for us to seek fool’s gold and imitation pearls.

In vv. 19-21, we are told to be careful where we store wealth. We are not to treasure our treasures. It is not wrong to have money (I Timothy 6:17). Whatever God has given us, He wants us to enjoy. So there is nothing wrong with having possessions. The “wrong” comes into play when possessions possess the person. In biblical times, much wealth was found in clothing, food, and money. Much clothing was made with wool and it could be eaten by moths. Clothing didn’t last very long. Grain, another source of wealth, could rot. Some people had their wealth in gold or perhaps silver. With no banks in that day, a thief could easily and very quickly steal your money. Jesus warns us not to put our treasures in anything that can be ruined, rotted, or robbed. Knowing that, a person should invest their money in eternal things. [Read more…]

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Matthew 6:9-15

Jesus reminds us of the importance of prayer. He warned not to pray as the hypocrites do, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Now Jesus shows us the proper way to pray and this prayer is often called, “The Model Prayer” or “The Lord’s Prayer.” The first part of prayer deals with God and the second part deals with mankind.  The ingredients of the type of prayer that God answers are found in this prayer. This prayer reminds us what our real needs are in this life. When real needs are determined, then we do not waste God’s time and ours in praying meaningless prayers. [Read more…]