Does God really care about how I spend my money?

YES, God wants me and my family to be in the healthiest life possible and managing money well is a huge part of being healthy.

Talking about money is only uncomfortable when we’re not dealing with money well. Or we are asking someone to give.

Achieving and maintaining financial health involves several key practices and habits. Here are some top tips to consider:
Budgeting: Create and stick to a budget that outlines your income and expenses. This helps you understand where your money is going and ensures you live within your means.
The healthiest budget sacrifice in many areas to flourish in the most important areas.
I don’t know where it all goes!!!
Emergency Fund: Save up an emergency fund equivalent to 3-6 months’ worth of living expenses. This fund acts as a buffer during unexpected financial setbacks like medical emergencies or job loss.
Debt Management: Minimize high-interest debt and focus on paying it off strategically. Prioritize debts with the highest interest rates first (avalanche method) or start with smaller debts for quicker wins (snowball method).
Saving and Investing: Save a portion of your income regularly. Consider investing for long-term goals like retirement or major expenses. Take advantage of employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k)) and consider opening a separate investment account for additional savings.
Insurance Coverage: Ensure you have adequate insurance coverage, including health insurance, life insurance (if you have dependents), and property insurance (for homeowners or renters).
Financial Goals: Set clear financial goals such as saving for a house, education, or retirement. Establishing specific goals helps you stay motivated and focused on your financial priorities.
Educate Yourself: Continuously educate yourself about personal finance topics, such as investing strategies, taxes, and managing debt. This knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions and avoid common financial pitfalls.
Review Regularly: Regularly review your financial situation and adjust your strategies as needed. Life circumstances change, so your financial plan should evolve accordingly.
Seek Professional Advice: Consider consulting with a financial advisor, especially for complex financial situations or long-term planning. A professional can provide personalized advice based on your goals and risk tolerance.
Practice Discipline: Practice self-discipline when it comes to spending and saving. Avoid impulsive purchases and prioritize your long-term financial stability over short-term indulgences.
By incorporating these tips into your financial habits, you can work towards building and maintaining a solid foundation of financial health.
Keeping the Lights on!!! Or an Enlightened Life!

Wealth & Money: In The Bible
How I get it
How I manage it
What I do with it

How I get it…
Scripture regarding money says…
Defrauding, or taking advantage of others to make money.
Making bad loans to poor or unwise people.

Proverbs 22:7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

THE AGENDA - retailers, lending institutions

How I manage it:
Luke 16:10-12 ‘Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own.

Matthew 13:12 Those who have will be given more, and they will have an abundance. As for those who do not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

Lottery winners, 75% bankrupt in five years

This is because having more money doesn’t create financial stability… Knowing how to manage money creates financial stability.

The healthiest management sacrifice in many areas, to flourish in the most important areas.

Matthew 25:14-21’Again, the kingdom will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to there ability… (natural ability, learned ability)
The first 2 Doubled their investment by wise use.
The third… who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

’After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ ‘His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Matthew 25:26-30 (NOT FAITHFUL) ‘His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! … you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. ’ ‘Take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.

The ability to say no!

Budget and financial health lets me know what to say “YES” to, and what to say “NO” to.

BIG 3
Options
Investments
Expenses

Provides Options:
How will I have options no matter what life hands me?

Emergency Fund: (1,000 now…) (10,000 - 3 months expenses)

Savings: Average savings in Europe is 12%, Japan 25%, average in American -1%

80% of Americans are one month away from bankruptcy…if they lost their job and had no income for one month it would send them into a place of jeopardy.

Proverbs 14:8 “The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool themselves and won’t face facts.”

Retirement Investment

Insurance

(Failure to do these will result in our options being limited, or nonexistent)

Investments:
Education
The health of family, kids
Causes & Charities
we are genetically wired to experience the most joy in life when we give to things beyond us that make a difference in the world.

Financial investments - Home, stocks, bonds, businesses, rentals.

Expenses:
Home
Food
Clothing
Utilities
Transportation

What I do with it:
1 Timothy 6:17-18 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

ADAM

I am convinced that GodWhy needs to exist at this time, in this city, in the conservative south, at this point in Church history. We see in the life of Jesus and a large number of other Christian reformers that whenever someone tries to correct understandings of scripture they will face strong opposition from those seeking to maintain the status quo. The advances made by Jesus and other reformers required great spiritual maturity, and courage to stand in the face of opposition, and continue to maintain a Godly character. And this is what we as the leadership of Godwhy are dedicated and committed to do. We knew when we pursued this course that we would not only face opposition from the outside, but there would be people on the inside, who would not be comfortable with the changes and challenges and would choose to attend other churches. We hold no ill feelings toward them, because we understand where we are called to walk requires a conviction to face the challenges that come along with it. We are just starting to see the growth that comes from making such bold decisions. Our weekly attendance is continuing to grow even during the summer when normally numbers are down yet even with the numerical growth we are experiencing we have not had the financial growth to compensate for those strong givers that chose not to take this journey with us. So… We are now at a place where we have to be good stewards of the money that we have, and make the appropriate changes and modifications to live within our current means. Currently our weekly Giving is about half of what we need to fully fund everything GodWhy does in the way that we have over the history of the church. We are first asking for your prayers to give us great wisdom about what needs to be cut or modified and what needs to continued for GodWhy to thrive in its ministry. The second thing that we need at this time is for everyone that loves Godwhy, and wants to see it thrive to be giving at some level consistently, so that we can make wise financial decisions at all areas of our church ministry. We all need to recognize that GodWhy has only been able to thrive over the last 24 years because of the members who have made tithing a part of their spiritual commitment, giving proportionately based on their incomes. For some that is hundreds of dollars a year, for others its thousands. That is the commitment that Paula and I have made every year over the last 24 years. According to the bookkeeper we have been one of the top ten giving families every year, giving well in excess of $10,000 because we believe in the ministry of this church and would never expect others to do what we ourselves are unwilling to do. Many others have also invested deeply and without those generous gifts, we actually would not exist. And we should all be amazingly grateful that those already giving deeply continue to respond with greater generosity when needed. This is not a competition and a small consistent financial gift is just as important at this time in our history as a large gift. The best way for us to be able to make great financial decisions for the church is for as many people as would be willing to set up online giving on a reoccurring weekly or monthly basis because then we can have a baseline understanding of what we can expect to be coming in as we make our financial decisions. Even 20$ a week consistently given will have an impact as we continue to grow from this point forward building on our new foundation. So, if you believe as we do, that this church is vital, especially for people who are questioning, struggling with their faith, as well as those who would not neatly fit into many of the other churches in our community, then we ask you to prayerfully consider what you can consistently give to empower the vision and ministry of GodWhy. Let’s pray.