You Don't Have to Pay For It
Listen to the Podcast
In September we are focusing on Financial Stewardship...becoming great stewards who manage, multiply, and greatly increase all that God has entrusted to us.
Sometimes God calls us to things that may look impossible financially, but he is not asking us to pay for it, he is asking us to trust him for it. Something I have learned is that when something is on God's plan for our life, God provides and will continue to provide to sustain it as well. So, a big question I have learned to ask, when facing bigger financial decisions is... Is this on your plan God? Because if it is then we can trust that he will provide for it and sustain it.
Recently I have started managing several properties for other people. With these properties I didn't pay for them, and I don't pay for any of the maintenance or improvements. My responsibility is to manage the property and multiply the returns for the owner. When something is needed financially, I make the arrangements, but I don...
Circulating Money
Listen to the Podcast
In September we are focusing on Financial Stewardship...becoming great stewards who manage, multiply, and greatly increase all that God has entrusted to us.
When it comes to money, an important concept is to keep it circulating. There can be times when there are things that we need and we may have the money, but we don't spend the money for what we need because we are fearful of running out of money in the future. We must learn to circulate money by faith, that God supplies our needs.
Money is relational, and our decisions with money impact other people. If we were to live on a remote island by ourselves and have all of our own food, shelter, etc we wouldn't need money. But in a community other people have skills that can benefit us and save us time. But if we try to do everything ourselves it limits us, wastes time, and also blocks the flow to other people.
Today's communion is a time of gratitude that God supplies all of our needs. And we are asking him to...
Separating Money and Effort
Listen to the Podcast
In September we are focusing on Financial Stewardship...becoming great stewards who manage, multiply, and greatly increase all that God has entrusted to us.
Many people associate hard work and money, but the two are not always related. There are some people who work really hard but don't make us much money as others who work less. Also, consider that a good or bad investment can make or lose a lot of money very quickly with little or no work.
This is not to imply that we should be lazy... because we have work to do. We are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We are to work to fulfill his plan and purpose for our life and to be a blessing. And we can do so trusting that he will take care of us.
Today's communion is a time of gratitude that we can trust God to take care of us financially. And we are asking for his help to understand money and effort.
Today's Health and Fitness Tip
If something hurts one of the best ways I have found to r...
Be Bold and Decisive
Listen to the Podcast
Here is this week's Yearly Cycle Update.
The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) is coming up on the evening of September 25th. This night is like new year's eve in the Jewish culture and they typically celebrate with apples and honey to symbolize it being a sweet new year. Rosh Hashanah always starts the final 10 days of Teshuva, which are called the 10 Days of Awe. It is during this time that I do a Daniel Fast every year.
Download the Guide for the Daniel Fast & 10 Days of Awe
Teshuva = turning or repenting. This is an amazing time of year for answered prayer and making adjustments.
These 40 days are a reminder to make adjustments and course correct any areas that are off track. Part of making adjustments is that it starts with a decision. This time of year is a reminder to be bold and decisive. When we waver, we can't expect to receive anything.
Here is this week's filter(reminder) to write at the top of our journals each day... Teshuva - Be Bold and De...
Stingy vs Generous
Listen to the Podcast
In September we are focusing on Financial Stewardship...becoming great stewards who manage, multiply, and greatly increase all that God has entrusted to us.
Proverbs 23:6-7 says, Do not eat the food of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies; for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost. "Eat and drink," he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments.
Part of us becoming great stewards is getting rid of stinginess. We are called to be generous, but not wasteful. When Jesus multiplied the fish and loaves, he had the disciples pick up the leftovers.
In today's communion we are asking God to help us remove any stinginess we may have. And we are asking him to help us become more like him by becoming generous but not wasteful.
Today's Health and Fitness Tip
It's important to get regular consistent training, but it's also important to play and have fun. Make s...
Toiling and Wealth
Listen to the Podcast
In September we are focusing on Financial Stewardship...becoming great stewards who manage, multiply, and greatly increase all that God has entrusted to us.
Proverbs 23:4-5 says, "Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven."
We are not to be toiling to acquire wealth... We are to seek first the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness. But when we do this God promises to add things to us. Proverbs 10:22 says it is God's blessing that makes rich, and he adds no painful toil to it. We have work to do, but our work is to walk out God's plan and purpose for our life, and trust that he will add things to us.
I was reminded of this the other night while reading Bible stories with my kids. We read about Peter lending his boat to Jesus and then Jesus telling Peter to cast his nets into the deep waters. Peter had toiled all night and had no fish...
The Financial Stewardship Challenge Part 2
Listen to the Podcast
Here is the replay from last night's zoom on the Financial Stewardship Challenge.
In September we are focusing on becoming great stewards who manage, multiply, and greatly increase all that God has entrusted to us.
Last night we discussed management or making the most of the resources we have. Here is some of what we discussed.
- The key is to steward our resources together with God and our partners. Steward in agreement with one another.
- One of the first steps is to protect with emergency funds, insurance, business entities, and estate planning.
- How can income be raised? Expenses can only be cut so far but income can be raised exponentially.
- What expenses do everyone agree can be cut or changed?
- Can money be moved around to a better place?
- Can anything be restructured, refinanced, consolidated, etc?
- When making large purchases cash is not always the best option... Consider opportunity cost, debt, and cash flow.
- Develop the habit of consistently setti...
Ideas and Relationships
Listen to the Podcast
In September we are focusing on Financial Stewardship...becoming great stewards who manage, multiply, and greatly increase all that God has entrusted to us.
One of the ways we steward what God has entrusted to us is by increasing income and the best way I have found to increase income is through ideas and relationships. There is a saying in the business world that you are just one idea and/or relationship away from a breakthrough.
As we spend time with God every day, he is going to give us creative ideas and our relationship with him will open doors. Then we must take action on those ideas and cultivate relationships by loving people well.
Today's communion is a time of gratitude for God ideas and the doors of opportunity he opens for us. And we are asking for the ideas and relationships we need for breakthroughs to new levels.
Today's Health and Fitness Tip
Simple reminder today... results come through consistency. Nothing fancy needs to be done. Show u...
Buy Without Cost
Listen to the Podcast
In September we are focusing on Financial Stewardship...becoming great stewards who manage, multiply, and greatly increase all that God has entrusted to us.
Isaiah 55:1 says, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost."
This phrase "Buy Without Cost," has always intrigued me. How do we buy without cost? One way is that Jesus paid for us. We get to buy what he paid for. The other way we can buy without cost is if we purchase something of value and it makes more money than you paid for it.
Something I have learned is that whatever is on God's plan for our life he will sustain and pay for. We can buy without cost.
Today's communion is a time of gratitude that because of Jesus we can buy without cost. And we are asking God to give us wisdom and understanding of how to buy without cost.
Today's Health and Fitness Tip
Workouts need to be prioritized bec...
Gold Refined by Fire
Listen to the Podcast
In September we are focusing on Financial Stewardship...becoming great stewards who manage, multiply, and greatly increase all that God has entrusted to us.
Revelation 3:17-18 has a passage that has always been interesting to me. Jesus tells the church of Laodicea...
You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich,
Notice he doesn't give it to us... we buy it from him. How do we buy gold refined by fire from Jesus? My first thought is that we buy it from him with the currency of faith.
In today's communion we are asking God for wisdom and understanding of how to buy gold refined by fire from Jesus. And to help us buy it from him.
Today's Health and Fitness Tip
One of the most important keys to health is rhythm. Our bodies love rhythm. How are you doing with your rhythms of connectin...