RCCG SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ MANUAL SUNDAY 17 APRIL 2022

 RCCG SUNDAY  STUDENTS’ MANUALS SUNDAY 17 APRIL 2022

LESSON THIRTY-THREE (33)

TOPIC: RUNNING BUSINESS AS CHRISTIANS

SUNDAY SCHOOL HYMN

1. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,

O how I love Thee well,

I am happy, it makes me glad

To rejoice at Thy birth.

2. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,

Thy friend friendship suits me well,

Both young and will sing Thy song,

We long for Sunday School.

3. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,

Christ was Thy first teacher,

The Holy Spirit, great teacher,

Does manifest in thee.

4. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,

This testimony is sure,

That God, the Father Almighty,

Poured His blessing on Thee

5. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day,

Though the sun be so bright,

Or if the clouds be black with rain,

I’ll be in Sunday School.

6. O Sunday School, on the Lord’s day

I rejoice to see Thee,

Will thou pass over me today?

Without my being blest?

MEMORY VERSE:

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19.

BIBLE PASSAGE: Psalms 37:3-9.

[3] Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

[4] Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

[5] Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

[6] And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

[7] Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

[8] Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

[9] For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

INTRODUCTION: While there are many paths to success, not all of them are ethical or recommended for a Christian business owner because the way you define success is probably different from the way a non-believer defines it.

To build a successful business, you must know the biblical principles for business success so that you can use them to achieve your business goals to the glory of God.

OUTLINES:

1. BIBLICAL BUSINESS PRINCIPLES

2. CAUTIONS FOR CHRISTIAN BUSINESS OWNERS

1. BIBLICAL BUSINESS PRINCIPLES

Principle No.1: God owns it all. As a business owner, it is easy to think you are the boss and everything you own belongs to you. Knowing God owns it all, you will strive to do everything for His glory and shun business practices and ethics that are not pleasing to God (Hag.2:8; Ps.50:10; Deut.8:18). See your business as a means to further the gospel and the kingdom of God. Use it as a platform to witness to others.

Principle No.2: Be a Value-Giver: We should create great products and services that we would gladly purchase ourselves (Exo.28:6; Exo.31:4; Rom.12:11). Being excellent at what we do is a fantastic way to honour God and to love our neighbours. Do unto others as you want them to do to you (Matt.7:12).

Principle No.3: Take action and work hard. Do not just talk about starting a business, or changing your current marketing strategy – take action (Prov.12:24; Prov.22:29). Also, do not just complain about something when it is not working well. Go and fix it. If you are trying to reach financial independence through starting a business, working hard will help propel you towards that (Prov.10:4,14).

Principle No.4: Wisdom. You need wisdom to make the right decisions for your business, so you can avoid making irreversible or costly mistakes (James 1:5). Do not be afraid to pray for wisdom or be too proud to seek God’s direction for your business (Prov.4:7; Ps.37:23).

Principle No.5: Humility. To relate well with people especially clients or customers, you must remain humble and approachable (Prov.11:2, James 4:6).

Principle No.6: The right business skills. To grow your business, you have to be skilful (2Chron.2:8). Thankfully, it is possible to learn new skills, so there is no reason not to acquire the skills required.

Principle No.7: The right tools and resources. For example, are there tools that can increase your productivity? Do you need a website to reach more people? Do you need to invest in some business technology? These are the types of questions you should ask yourself from time to time if you want to keep growing your business (Prov.18:15).

Principle No.8: Make money honestly. Do not cheat, lie to, or scam people out of their money. Build up your business little by little (Prov.13:11). Do not be greedy of gain.

Principle No.9: Be bold and get ready to meet with people of like passion. You will need to relate with people in similar business and from other walks of life, various societal status/class, etc. You should be articulate in your presentations and negotiations (Prov.28:1; Eccl.8:1; 2Tim.1:7).

2. CAUTIONS FOR CHRISTIAN BUSINESS OWNERS

Business ownership can become detrimental to one’s spiritual life if it becomes an idol or if the business owner is serving Mammon rather than God (Lk.12:16-21; Lk.16:13).

Some business owners become so immersed in work that they neglect family, friends, their health, and the Lord. When anything takes our total focus for an extended period of time, it can shift our lives out of balance (1Tim.6:10).

So Christian business owners must work to keep priorities straight and remember that a business with God’s blessing will fare better than one without it (Prov.10:22; 1Cor.14:40). The Lord will not tolerate our idols, so a business owner must work to keep success from becoming more important than anything else (Ex.20:4).

When a business owner’s motive is selfish or sin-based, the business will not enjoy God’s blessings and may become a hindrance to God’s plan for the owner’s life (Jer.18:9-10).

CONCLUSION: Christians need to take the lead and build the next Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft.

QUESTIONS:

1. Mention five biblical business principles.

2. What are the cautions Christian business owners must note?

FURTHER READING: MON: Ps.107:23. TUE: Prov.3:14, WED: Prov.22:29, THUR: Isa.23:18, FRI: Matt.13:45, SAT: 1Thess.4:11, SUN: James 4:13-14.

ASSIGNMENT: Give five (5) consequences of doing business without God.