Money.  It’s not supposed to be hard.  It is, however, without knowledge.  A zillion books have been written about it, but one small story and three little principles explain it all.

It’s about a desperate widow…

Growth is first internal, then external.

Whatever your job, your business, your ministry, or your finances, you can grow beyond it this year. Change is inevitable, growth is optional.  Wouldn’t it feel good to CRUSH that invisible barrier you haven’t been able to penetrate?

Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon) just went over $100 billion in net worth this week.  That is more than the individual GDP of 146 out of 211 countries!

That’s ridiculous prosperity. 

How do you insure that your soul is prospering that well?

Jesus said deception would be rampant in the final days of this age.  That deception will culminate in the “Beast” (the Antichrist) and the “False Prophet.” 

What are some of the warning signs of a false prophet, a “wolf in sheep’s clothing?”

Everyone wants to be a great leader.  They try every book, conference, and seminar.  They pump themselves full of motivation.  They read and listen to the latest leadership strategy.

All good.  The missing ingredient of all of the above?  “Self-awareness.”  

Why are people making more, owning more, and interacting more…and enjoying it less?

Solomon had everything:  intelligence, pleasure, productivity, possessions, and long life.  In spite of that, he said, “I hated life!”  Really?

What are the secrets to enjoying your life…without or without all those things?

Do you ever wonder how the wheels of power turn?   How a person with millions of people looking to them for leadership manages his life, his time, and his priorities?  

I had six wonderful years holding a weekly Bible study for Louisiana Governor Mike Foster and his top staff.  He didn’t know it, but while I was teaching him the Bible, he was teaching me excellent leadership! 

Here are the 4 main lessons I observed about him that made a lifetime impact on me:

It is no secret how to have more money:  spend less than you earn.

The problem is not the consumerism we all fall into.  It is when we constantly HAVE to buy more because we haven’t taken care of what we have.

Here are some good ideas to “give yourself a big raise” on the same salary:

Accountability is “your shield against self-deception.”

To avoid deception, you must be totally (that means all 360 degrees) “self-aware.”   You know you cannot do that.  The only way to achieve that is through accountability.

How do you find and lock down this critical piece of your future success?

“Out of order.”

It’s a sign you often see on a gas pump.  Why doesn’t it just say, “Broken?”  When something has no order, IT IS “broken.”

Life, family, health, finances, and relationships can all be “broken.”  How can you repair them?  By putting them back into order.

Let’s look at some of these areas and see how the principle of order can transform your life:

“Wealth begins with perspective:  “Your OUTLOOK determines your OUTCOME.”

Your outlook on money and finances are directly determining how much of IT you have.  And…how much wealth has of YOU!

Here are 7 principles Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 6: 19-24) that should control your outlook on wealth:

The Internet has been filled with images of “giant footprints.”  One of these was found in Mpuluzi, South Africa and would have to be the footprint of a person 25 foot tall!

I’m not sure about this, but I HAVE walked with some spiritual giants in my life.  I find myself walking in their “giant footprints” every day.

Knowing my “giants” and the main lesson I learned from them may help you in your journey.

WHO ARE THESE SEVEN SPIRITUAL GIANTS?

Integrity has become “mission-critical.”

Look at the present national state of hyper-sensitivity to anything that looks, sounds, or smells like corruption.

Integrity is the currency of influence.  Power and success are like paper money but integrity is the GOLD.
    
Job, in the Old Testament, "had integrity."

WHAT ARE THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF INTEGRITY HE POSSESSED?

All of us face hurt.

Some of us choose to forgive. 

The rest of us live in bitterness.

How do you “forgive and forget?”  We have a pretty good Example.

Here are 4 perspectives that will help you to forgive:

Shoelaces are important.

They hold everything together.  When they are tight, they keep you from falling.  No one tries to walk in loose, floppy tennis shoes without good, snug laces.

YOUR FINANCES HAVE “LACES.”  If they are untended, your entire life could come crashing down. 

What are the 5 financial issues you need to keep “tight?”

If you can’t see past the outward appearance of someone, you will never be a great leader.  EVER.

People are cunning and shrewd.  Some have experience with deception.  Others put up a good front.  Discerning the difference between a good talker and a hard worker can “make or break” your organization.  You could even find yourself married to the wrong person.

Here are a few lessons I have learned about discernment:

The world is making a bold bid for the new generation.  They want them.  Satan wants them.  Why don’t we want them? I burn with a passion for this wonderful, beautiful new generation.

What should my attitude be toward this new generation God loves?

Love your neighbor as yourself” (the Golden Rule) is the second great commandment.  It’s easy to say, but what exactly does it mean?  How our nation would be changed if we PRACTICED it! 

This famous law was originally spoken by God in Leviticus 19:18.  I did not know, however, that there are seven applications that lead up to that law:

Fake news” is a big topic right now.  Is the media truthful?  It’s probably a good time for us to ask that of ourselves:  “Am I truthful?”   You will be known by your truthfulness.  You will be respected by your truthfulness.  Your business will be known by your truthfulness.  Your marriage will continue only if you are truthful.  Can you pass the “truth test?”

Here is why you have to tell the truth:

Leadership is all about momentum and focus.  Leading people out of a comfort zone and into a conquest zone takes skill and experience.   Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem to a defeated and discouraged population.  In just days, he turned the same people into conquerors who said, “Let us rise up and build.”  How did he achieve that momentum?

Here are my top 7 things to build momentum: