These are tough times. Your shortage will be different than the person next to you, but count on it, no one is free of shortages. Ponder a few strategy points that will build a workable approach for your life.  1. Release your fear of losing...by doing the opposite of your natural inclination. When we face a shortage our knee jerk response is to hoard the very thing we fear losing. Instead of clinging, walk in a spirit of generosity. Giving is the exact opposite tendency of all of us when we face a shortage. To pull this off we need the empowering of God's Spirit. Pray "Touch me, fill me, empower me." God delights in answering that prayer. Receive it in faith and simply begin to walk in it. 2. Live as a pipe, not a pan. God loves you. He is in the business of providing for you. Let his life flow. Jesus said, "Out of your innermost being will flow rivers of living water." Don't cling to his life. Live with an open hand, not a clinched fist. Regardless of the natural inclination t… [more]

Today I ran across a great article on the Baptist Standard. It was an excellent piece on whether or not a Christian should go into debt and the amount of Christians today that are buried in debt they are struggling to repay. I wanted to share this article with you because I know that many of you are wrestling with the issue of debt and whether or not debt free living is the lifestyle that is most honoring to God. I have my own perspective on debt and whether or not Christians should enter into debt. However I know that my perspective is a matter of my own conscience, rather than a biblical edict. You see, if I was not debt free, I would not be able to afford to pastor the church I am pastoring in the community it is in. The church and the community is not able to provide enough money to support somebody with a high debt load. I also would not be able to dedicate myself to reaching the hundreds of thousands of people that are reached with this website if I was not debt free. At this po… [more]

By Bob Brooks The financial services industry wants you to believe in the concept of an absolute truth. They want you to believe that you will be just fine if you buy and hold investments for the long-term. Unfortunately, that is not a slam dunk solution to investing. That formula is not an “absolute” and does not “always” work.  As we enter into the post-financial crisis “new normal” world, I think that the answer lies in the following set of principles –starting with the most important first. (1) Pray about how you have your investments invested Do you ever stop and think about including God in the investment process? It is the basis for stewardship and it is the first place to start. It was never meant for us to handle money decisions outside of our relationship with Christ and on our own. God cares about these decisions just as much as you do. Pray for wisdom and for Him to make resources available to help you make decisions. Seek and look for answers and tr… [more]

Q: I'm sure this has been asked of you before, but I wanted to know what Biblical rationale can I use to invest in the stock market? Stocks are risky and that means taking a gamble. How is investing in the stock market any different from going to Vegas and gambling? A: I think that stock market investing done the wrong way could be the same as gambling. As managers of what God has given us, He has charged us with the responsibility to be prudent when it comes to what He has given us and what He still owns. Let’s start off by looking at the definitions of gambling and risk and then see how they are two different things. Gambling, according to Wikipedia, is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods. Typically, the outcome of the wager is evident within a short period. Risk can be defined as the probability that an action or event will negatively or positively a… [more]

Although the financial crisis of 2008 is in the rearview mirror, the crisis itself is far from over.  Politicians, media, etc. can all point fingers and assign fault. Realistically, this debt crisis originated from a much deeper problem.  God has slowly been replaced by the almighty dollar as the No. 1 priority in Americans’ lives. Christ specifically warned us of the consequences that come with giving money priority over God.  “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24  Today, we are facing those consequences.  If money has been the god of choice, then credit has been its prophet.     How bad is the problem? Consider these statistics:  $56.9 Trillion Dollars of Total Debt in this country and counting. (Only $15 trillion is due to the Government – A whopping $41 trillion consists of personal and corporate debt.   We have $870 bill… [more]

Is it his money, or is it her money? I see this all the time when counseling couples. If the husband is the sole income earner in the household, the woman approaches it as if it is his money. Ironically, most husbands don’t view it that way. In fact, minus the unhealthy relationship where the husband is using money as a control tool, most men attempt to dispel the notion that there is a single ownership of money in a relationship…at least in theory. However, through their actions, men oftentimes send another unintended message. First, men have a tendency to take control over the finances and not include their wives in the day-to-day decision-making. Without both the husband and the wife seeing the day-to-day issues dealing with money, there is no way that the two can be on the same page. For example, let’s say the wife really wants the family to go on a vacation. Every time she brings it up, the husband, knowing the financial strain the family is under, reacts with a condesce… [more]