Greetings brethren and Happy Sabbath!  Last week's memory verse was Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV), "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."  Be diligent and see if I state enough clues to help you figure out this week's memory verse!

A Penny Saved...

...is a penny subject to taxation.  Sorry, maybe that's being cynical (even if it is true), but it points to something I think we've all learned in life - there's always something there to take your money.  Just when you have a little 'mad money' set aside, it seems something - car repairs, rent increase, new shoes for the kids - comes along to help relieve us of any extra money we might have.

Of course, if you have some financial security, you can survive those unexpected expenditures a little better than if you're just getting by.  While sometimes it feels like there's not much we can do to help our financial state, there are in fact many Biblical principles that apply!

Make a plan

In virtually every type of work out there, there comes a point in time where a budget must be considered.  If a company wants to expand, or give raises, they need to plan accordingly in their budget.  Or, perhaps you've been on the opposite end of the spectrum, when the boss has told you there was no room in the budget for raises this year.

The workplace aside, what about your own personal budget?  Have you ever tried to create one?  Do you stick to it?  How far over or under budget to you typically run?  If you don't know the answer to any of these questions, it might be time to sit down and 'ride herd' (pay close attention to) your financial affairs.

Know your flock

Just like a shepherd needs to know the state of his flock, we need to know the state of our finances.  How much money do I have coming in every month?  What are my expenses?  What are my financial goals?  Do I want to buy a house?  Do I have debt I need to consolidate?  In order to obtain financial security, we need to answer these questions!

The Bible teaches us to be diligent stewards of whatever we have - whether it be a herd of cows, a flock of sheep, a checking account or a 401(k).  If we pay close attention to the state of these things, we can begin taking the necessary steps to create a budge and obtain financial security!