Your Money Counts
by Howard Dayton
Paperback: Tyndale House Publishers (1997); 175 pages

About This Book
Written by the cofounder of Crown Financial Ministries, this book is another sensible, biblical guide to managing personal resources.

Dayton presents stewardship as first and foremost a spiritual issue. God is master of everything, including the money we make, and he has promised to do his part to take care of us. God's part is only half the equation, however.

Handling our money in a way that is faithful, honest, and wise is a crucial component of Christian discipleship. We prioritize that which we care about, so Dayton asserts that our money management is intimately connected to our character.

In essence, this book is a topically-arranged discussion of a Christian's duties in eight areas of financial responsibility. Notably, this book is part of Crown's 10-week Biblical Financial Study, one of its most widely used resources.

How It Will Help
Dayton does an exceptional job of juxtaposing Scripture's view of money and that of the world. This is especially visible in the "Contrast" section closing each chapter; Dayton summarizes society's attitude, then that of Scripture, regarding the topic at hand (standard of living, for example).

Also closing each chapter is a "Commitment" that Dayton challenges his readers to make on their stewardship journey. You could offer any of these to your congregation as a concrete step they might make toward financial wholeness. And a quick perusal of the "Questions and Answers" portion at the end of the book provides common questions and Scriptural answers regarding Christian financial responsibility.

Additionally helpful will be Dayton's organization; his book is extensively outlined and subcategorized.

Table of Contents
     1. The Problem
     2. The Answer
     3. God's Part—The Foundation
     4. Our Part—Good and Faithful
     5. Debt—Act Your Own Wage
     6. Getting out of Debt
     7. Counsel—A Triple-Braided Cord
     8. Honesty—Absolutely
     9. Giving—What Is Your Attitude?
     10. Work—Who Is Your Real Boss?
     11. Investing—Steady Plodding
     12. The One Guaranteed Investment
     13. Children—The ABCs of Money
     14. Budget—Keep Abreast of the Facts
     15. Standard of Living—How Shall We then Live?
     16. Perspective—What's Really Important?
     17. Summing It All Up
Questions and Answers
Notes

About the Author
Howard Dayton is the cofounder and CEO of Crown Financial Ministries, the world's largest financial ministry. Crown seeks to train people through small groups to manage their resources scripturally.

Howard graduated from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University in 1967. He served two and one-half years as a naval officer, and was also a restaurateur and real estate developer.

Howard married Beverly in 1971, and they have two married children. The Daytons live in Gainesville, Georgia.

Other books by Dayton:

Your Money Map: A Proven 7-Step Guide to True Financial Freedom (Moody, 2006)
Free and Clear: God's Roadmap to Debt-Free Living (Moody, 2006)
Stories of True Financial Freedom: God's Impact on Real Lives (Bridge-Logos Publishers, 2006)
Set Your House in Order (Crown Financial Ministries, 2005)
The Secret of Handling Money God's Way (Moody, 2003)
The ABC's of Handling Money God's Way (Moody, 2003)