This program will help you undo financial bondage.
To grow spiritually, you must be content with the financial situation that God has placed you in. This doesn't mean you lack ambition to do more than you're now doing, rather it recognizes your appreciation for the present blessings that God has given you, that you consider closer fellowship with Him to be the success you seek, and that you wait on Him to open doors that lead you step-by-step to the fulfillment of your purpose and calling in Christ.
You must understand that what you consider to be the path leading to success may not be the path that the LORD wants you to choose. The blessings that come on His path for you far exceed what you believe you'll get from the path you would choose. You must learn to hear His direction and options for your life. These can be heard only through prayer, reading the word, living by the word, and fellowshipping with the saints.
These disciplines should motivate you to use the following biblical financial principles to manage your current and future income:
1. Working regularly and diligently. During periods of unemployment this means volunteering your time to worthy causes when you’re not beating the street looking for work.
2. Diligently budgeting prior to and through each month to ensure that your expenses are less than your disposable income. This means trusting God to provide what you need (through other people, etc.) when you don’t have money to pay for it.
3. Tithing each pay period.
4. Using excess disposable income to pay off current debt.
5. Refusing to continue using credit / debt to finance desires.
6. Building an emergency reserve account of at least $1,000 then moving to $2,000 and so on.
7. After all bills have been paid and after you’ve saved six months of gross income in your emergency reserve account, investing your disposable income in mutual funds, stocks, bonds, etc.
When you delight yourself in Him by loving Him enough to do what He instructed, you'll receive the desires of your heart because the closer you get to God the more His desires for you and mankind permeate your life and become your desires. You'll then have contentment by giving and building wealth from your present income source until you're promoted to a greater position of service to the kingdom of God and other people through entrepreneurship or your employer.
Please pray for this ministry and email any questions. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Luke 3:14, Philippians 4:11-13, 1Timothy 6:6-10, Hebrews 13:5-6
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
MoneyWalk 17: Should you do it yourself?
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
Throughout your life, you'll be faced with situations where you'll have to determine whether it's cheaper to do a job yourself or hire someone else to do it. You've seen sitcoms in which the husband who cannot fix anything constantly tries to perform household repair jobs and his lack of ability and know how end up costing the family more money and time than if he had immediately hired a competent professional to do the job.
This often happens in real life because it takes each person a bit of time and experience to understand how God specifically gifted him or her and/or endowed him or her with the capacity to be skilled in a specific type of work in a manner that allows him or her to perform quality work. Some people are simply not gifted to be great carpenters and truth be told may not be able to build or repair anything. Yet, this doesn’t stop most of us from trying to fix things we don't have the ability to fix because on the front end it seems much cheaper to do the job ourselves and it’s by trial and error that we begin to understand what we are truly gifted to do or are able to become skilled at doing.
The first few times who could blame you for trying to do necessary work yourself. It's natural to press the boundaries of your ability to try and learn new skills when the opportunity presents itself. Also, it is good stewardship to look for less costly ways to obtain goods and services and provide for your family’s needs. However, once historical evidence shows that you're unable to provide the quality workmanship you need to maintain your home and other areas of your life or that ‘doing it yourself’ winds up being more costly in the end, you should search for someone with a proven track record of providing the service you need at the lowest possible price.
So, when any major job needs to be done, you should ask the question, “Should I do it myself?” Your answer should be “NO!!!” when history has shown you’re not gifted to do the work, could not become skilled at doing it, or do not desire to spend necessary time to do quality work in the arena in which you need service. Otherwise, you will become a poor steward of the time and money God entrusted to you because you will waste time and money time trying to complete the task that you already know you cannot skillfully complete. To make matters worse, on top of the money and time you’ll have spent trying to do the job, you will then have to pay someone else to do it who has the necessary gift or skill to provide the service with quality.
Wouldn’t it be better to draw the right conclusion up front, so that this waste of resources does not occur? The right person does not necessarily have to be a high-priced professional. When you’re strapped for cash you can draw from friends and family members who are gifted or skilled in the area of your need or who know someone that is and who can provide you with the service at a cost that fits within your spending limit. If such help does not materialize when you think you need it, you must simply continue to have faith that God will provide all your need in due time and use this mindset to refrain from taking actions that will wind up costing you more money and time than should be spent on the job at hand.
Please pray for this ministry and email any questions. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Exodus 31:1-11, 1Corinthians 12:18, Ephesians 4:7- 11, James 3:1
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Throughout your life, you'll be faced with situations where you'll have to determine whether it's cheaper to do a job yourself or hire someone else to do it. You've seen sitcoms in which the husband who cannot fix anything constantly tries to perform household repair jobs and his lack of ability and know how end up costing the family more money and time than if he had immediately hired a competent professional to do the job.
This often happens in real life because it takes each person a bit of time and experience to understand how God specifically gifted him or her and/or endowed him or her with the capacity to be skilled in a specific type of work in a manner that allows him or her to perform quality work. Some people are simply not gifted to be great carpenters and truth be told may not be able to build or repair anything. Yet, this doesn’t stop most of us from trying to fix things we don't have the ability to fix because on the front end it seems much cheaper to do the job ourselves and it’s by trial and error that we begin to understand what we are truly gifted to do or are able to become skilled at doing.
The first few times who could blame you for trying to do necessary work yourself. It's natural to press the boundaries of your ability to try and learn new skills when the opportunity presents itself. Also, it is good stewardship to look for less costly ways to obtain goods and services and provide for your family’s needs. However, once historical evidence shows that you're unable to provide the quality workmanship you need to maintain your home and other areas of your life or that ‘doing it yourself’ winds up being more costly in the end, you should search for someone with a proven track record of providing the service you need at the lowest possible price.
So, when any major job needs to be done, you should ask the question, “Should I do it myself?” Your answer should be “NO!!!” when history has shown you’re not gifted to do the work, could not become skilled at doing it, or do not desire to spend necessary time to do quality work in the arena in which you need service. Otherwise, you will become a poor steward of the time and money God entrusted to you because you will waste time and money time trying to complete the task that you already know you cannot skillfully complete. To make matters worse, on top of the money and time you’ll have spent trying to do the job, you will then have to pay someone else to do it who has the necessary gift or skill to provide the service with quality.
Wouldn’t it be better to draw the right conclusion up front, so that this waste of resources does not occur? The right person does not necessarily have to be a high-priced professional. When you’re strapped for cash you can draw from friends and family members who are gifted or skilled in the area of your need or who know someone that is and who can provide you with the service at a cost that fits within your spending limit. If such help does not materialize when you think you need it, you must simply continue to have faith that God will provide all your need in due time and use this mindset to refrain from taking actions that will wind up costing you more money and time than should be spent on the job at hand.
Please pray for this ministry and email any questions. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Exodus 31:1-11, 1Corinthians 12:18, Ephesians 4:7- 11, James 3:1
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
MoneyWalk 16: Utilizing Other Peoples’ Skills
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
Have you ever needed carpentry work, but no ability to do it? Or, have you purchased something only to find out later that you paid way too much for it? This has happened to most of us. However, such situations can be remedied by knowing your limitations and seeking out people who have the skills you need to get the job done effectively, efficiently, and less costly than what it costs you to do it.
Don't become a lazy freeloader by relying on other people to provide for you at no cost. You must do the daily things you need to do to survive, live comfortably, and make a positive impact on others in this world. Slothfulness will cost you more lost money than not recognizing where your skills end and someone else's begin.
There may be certain things you know you can't do effectively, such as decorating, shopping, plumbing, or mechanical work. Search for a friend or professional with skills you need who'll do a good job and who'll allow you to pay less than normal until you're financially able to pay full price. Of course, you should obtain at least three estimates and check at least three sources of their work to make sure the person you choose performs good work in the field that you need them for.
Please pray for this ministry and email any questions. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Exodus 18:18-20, 2 Samuel 12, Matthew 25:27, Luke 5:4-7
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Have you ever needed carpentry work, but no ability to do it? Or, have you purchased something only to find out later that you paid way too much for it? This has happened to most of us. However, such situations can be remedied by knowing your limitations and seeking out people who have the skills you need to get the job done effectively, efficiently, and less costly than what it costs you to do it.
Don't become a lazy freeloader by relying on other people to provide for you at no cost. You must do the daily things you need to do to survive, live comfortably, and make a positive impact on others in this world. Slothfulness will cost you more lost money than not recognizing where your skills end and someone else's begin.
There may be certain things you know you can't do effectively, such as decorating, shopping, plumbing, or mechanical work. Search for a friend or professional with skills you need who'll do a good job and who'll allow you to pay less than normal until you're financially able to pay full price. Of course, you should obtain at least three estimates and check at least three sources of their work to make sure the person you choose performs good work in the field that you need them for.
Please pray for this ministry and email any questions. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Exodus 18:18-20, 2 Samuel 12, Matthew 25:27, Luke 5:4-7
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Monday, June 1, 2009
MoneyWalk 15: The Benefits of Bargaining
This program will help you undo financial bondage.
Your money will grow by bargain shopping for most items you buy. This consists of finding them for a price that's well below what others normally pay. You can't be a respecter of persons with the mindset, "give me Gucci or give me death."
Your mind must be renewed in Christ to realize that there are items which can meet your present need that are sold or provided for free in places other than the upscale store, designer label, or name brand section that you usually select. For instance, the household cleanser at the dollar store may be just as good as the cleanser you purchase at the well known retailer and blue jeans may contain the same quality no matter which store you purchase them in.
Don't waste money over brand name loyalty when you're in a tight squeeze and do not absolutely believe that a higher price equates to better quality or service. You must be willing to make some purchases at stores in which you did not previously shop to see if they have what you need at a lower price. Though there can be differences in quality and service, in many instances the same materials and workmanship can be found in similar merchandise with different labels.
The money you keep in your pocket thru bargain shopping will make you wealthy over time if you consistently save and invest it over a 10 year or more time horizon. My wife shops about twice per week: mostly window shopping which allows her to know the original price on items and the discounted price as time moves forward during the inventory process. She purchased a pair of curtains with an original price of $90 for $27 dollars. Two weeks later she was able to get a refund on these curtains because she purchased identical curtains at another store for $1.68. We engage the bargain shopping principle by doing what’s stated above and:
1) Continually asking the Lord for His blessing in this area.
2) Knowing that He desires to bless His people above what our individual incomes can afford.
3) Trusting that we don’t necessarily need to have money on hand to cover all of our needs and desires.
4) Becoming knowledgeable about store inventory and clearance practices, keeping her eyes open.
5) Asking for discounts even when the price tags don’t show they are available.
Please pray for this ministry and email any questions. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Exodus 12:35-36, Proverbs 8:19-21, Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 16:1- 12
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
Your money will grow by bargain shopping for most items you buy. This consists of finding them for a price that's well below what others normally pay. You can't be a respecter of persons with the mindset, "give me Gucci or give me death."
Your mind must be renewed in Christ to realize that there are items which can meet your present need that are sold or provided for free in places other than the upscale store, designer label, or name brand section that you usually select. For instance, the household cleanser at the dollar store may be just as good as the cleanser you purchase at the well known retailer and blue jeans may contain the same quality no matter which store you purchase them in.
Don't waste money over brand name loyalty when you're in a tight squeeze and do not absolutely believe that a higher price equates to better quality or service. You must be willing to make some purchases at stores in which you did not previously shop to see if they have what you need at a lower price. Though there can be differences in quality and service, in many instances the same materials and workmanship can be found in similar merchandise with different labels.
The money you keep in your pocket thru bargain shopping will make you wealthy over time if you consistently save and invest it over a 10 year or more time horizon. My wife shops about twice per week: mostly window shopping which allows her to know the original price on items and the discounted price as time moves forward during the inventory process. She purchased a pair of curtains with an original price of $90 for $27 dollars. Two weeks later she was able to get a refund on these curtains because she purchased identical curtains at another store for $1.68. We engage the bargain shopping principle by doing what’s stated above and:
1) Continually asking the Lord for His blessing in this area.
2) Knowing that He desires to bless His people above what our individual incomes can afford.
3) Trusting that we don’t necessarily need to have money on hand to cover all of our needs and desires.
4) Becoming knowledgeable about store inventory and clearance practices, keeping her eyes open.
5) Asking for discounts even when the price tags don’t show they are available.
Please pray for this ministry and email any questions. May God bless you richly as you follow His plan!!!
Exodus 12:35-36, Proverbs 8:19-21, Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 16:1- 12
Please forward these bondage breaking articles to other people who can use helpful insight!!!
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