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Published: March 20, 2016, 3:37 p.m.

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Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: \\u201cGive careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.\\u201d This is what the LORD Almighty says: \\u201cGive careful thought to your ways.\\u201d Haggai 1:5-7 (NIV)

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\\u201cThe Way Out\\u201d

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But godliness with contentment\\xa0is great gain.\\xa0 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.\\xa0 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.\\xa0 Those who want to get rich\\xa0fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:6-9 (NIV)

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Someone in the crowd said to him, \\u201cTeacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.\\u201d Luke 12:13-21 (NIV)

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Jesus replied,\\xa0\\u201cMan, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?\\u201d \\xa0Then he said to them,\\xa0\\u201cWatch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.\\u201d Luke 12:13-21 (NIV)

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And he told them this parable:\\xa0\\u201cThe ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.\\xa0He thought to himself, \\u2018What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.\\u2019\\u201d Luke 12:13-21 (NIV)

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Then he said, \\u201cThis is what I\\u2019ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.\\u201d\\xa0 And I\\u2019ll say to myself, \\u201cYou have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.\\u201d Luke 12:13-21 (NIV)

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But God said to him, \\u201cYou fool!\\xa0This very night your life will be demanded from you.\\xa0Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?\\u201d Luke 12:13-21 (NIV)

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\\u201cThis is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.\\u201d Luke 12:13-21 (NIV)

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1. Ungratefulness
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2. Ownership
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3. Impulsive
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4. Hoarding
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5. Standard of Living
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6. Debt
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The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. Proverbs 22:7 (NIV)

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The Lord is near to those who are discouraged; he sees those who have lost all hope. Psalm 34:18 (GNT)

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\\u201cWhen he came to his senses, he said, \\u2018How many of my father\\u2019s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!\\u2019 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: \\u2018Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.\\u2019 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, \\u2018Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.\\u2019\\u201d Luke 15:17-19 (NIV)

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1. Acknowledge the reality of where you are.
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I\'ve been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. What you\'re after is truth from the inside out. Psalm 51:5-6 (MSG)

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2. Develop a plan of attack.
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The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.\\xa0 Proverbs 27:12 (NIV)

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3. Do it now.
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I tell you, now is the time of God\\u2019s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NIV)

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4. Humbly ask your Father for help.
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\\u201cGod opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. \\xa0Humble yourselves, therefore, under God\\u2019s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.\\u201d 1 Peter 5:5-7 (NIV)

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