Starting the New Year Well: Financially

SERMON TITLE:                 “Starting the New Year Well:  Financially”
SERMON TEXT:                  Matthew 25:14-30
PREACHER:                         Rev. Kim James
OCCASION:                         February 19, 2017, at First UMC
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
                I have a wonderful celebration to share with you today.  On Wednesday, we finally completed the refinancing of our church mortgage.  Through the Rocky Mountain United Methodist Foundation, our interest rate is lower, and our monthly payment is lower too—by about $2000 per month.  Our 2017 budget was created and balanced with the expectation that this would happen, so I hope you won’t jump to any quick ideas about reducing your pledges.  But I definitely want to share this good news with you.  This reduction is an incredible relief, and puts our church in a much healthier financial position.  You could say that we are starting the New Year well financially.
                Today is the final installment in this sermon series about starting the New Year well.  Some of you may be wondering why I dragged out this New Year’s resolution series so long, but there really are a lot of different aspects to our health and wellness.  We aren’t just spiritual beings floating around in the heavens.  We have minds, bodies, and emotions.  We have a need to be creative.  We live in a society, and good relationships are vital to our happiness and health.  And, yes, whether we like it or not, we have to have money and use it wisely if we are going to be well.
                So, I invite you to look with me at Matthew 25:14-30.  Let’s listen to Jesus’ Parable of the Talents and hear his advice about starting the New Year well financially.

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