The other day I received this email from a reader… “Hi Bob, When is it ok to say no in your giving? It seems through my giving I have gained a reputation of being a bank to some needy people. I myself am in debt and seem to give more than take care of my own needs. These same people have come to expect me to give and some have even demanded that I give more than I have to... Read more
Alright it is time to cut some expenses! I encourage you to take a long, hard look at all your expenses and ask yourself, “Do I really have to have this?” Often times you will find that you really don’t and that giving it up for a short while (whatever it is) is well worth getting more of your debt paid off! So if you are ready to get started saving some money, then let’s get started!! 1. Car Insurance... Read more
Pay Off Your House Early When you are a homeowner, you may feel as though you will be paying your mortgage forever, but let me reassure you that you can pay off your house early! Let’s ponder this… “It seems like we will be making house payments forever. We owe $140,000 at 6% interest and are paying $1000 a month. How much sooner could we pay off our mortgage early if we started paying an extra $100 a month?” The... Read more
The Burden Load Principle “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth”. 1 Jn 3:17-18 These verses tell us that if God’s love abides in us, we will put it into action. When we see a brother in need, we will not close our hearts against... Read more
Procrastination “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” I Th 5:2-3 This passage begs this question, “If we know that certain events are going to happen, why do we fail to take preventive actions?” This isn’t just about... Read more
Frugal vs cheap Have you ever been called “cheap” by someone whose spending is out of control? How do you react? Hopefully, you can simply smile and consider this designation as a backhanded affirmation that your frugality is being noted. Of course you may indeed be a cheapskate: always pinching every penny, never being satisfied with however much money you have accumulated, and basically living a self centered life. But, assuming you are simply a financially responsible person, reality is... Read more
Learning from Joseph What kinds of storm are you in? 10% of you are currently unemployed. 50% of you who have been married have also been divorced. Many have been through bankruptcy or foreclosure or repossession. All of us know what it means to lose loved ones. Some storms could have been prevented; some could not. The question is this: “How do you cope?” Joseph of Bible times was rejected by his siblings, unfairly imprisoned and lied to by those... Read more
Entrepreneur JC Penney was born in 1875 to a Missouri farmer and Baptist preacher whose Golden Rule philosophy (Do unto others what you would have them do unto you) impacted not only his personal life but his business life. Penney purchased one third ownership of his first store (named “Golden Rule”) for $2,000 in 1902. Five years later, he bought out his partners and was sole owner of three Golden Rule stores. By 1912 he owned 34 stores, a number... Read more
How do you handle conflict? I realize that many smart people tell us that conflict is a positive thing: it pushes issues to the forefront that would otherwise remain stewing in our internal crock pots. Let’s first get a Biblical perspective on confrontation… Let’s start with a Bible verse that addresses conflict, 1 Cor 16:8,9 “But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Apostle Paul... Read more
The Spiritual Gift of Giving In my years as a Christian, I have observed that most discussions of spiritual gifts tend to focus on the more sensational gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12: 8-10: gifts such as working miracles, tongues, prophecy, special knowledge and healing. However, I have rarely heard believers dig into the more ordinary gifts of giving, encouragement, serving, kindness and leadership described Romans 12: 6-8. I wonder why. Could it be that we prefer being zapped with... Read more
Faith and Finance
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