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| Intensity plus time plus God equals Momentum. |
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Showing posts with label debt free living. Show all posts
Showing posts with label debt free living. Show all posts
Monday, November 14, 2011
Dave Ramsey’s Momentum Theorem by Stephen Blandino - ChurchLeaders.com - Christian Leadership Blogs, Articles, Videos, How To's, and Free Resources
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Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Be Good stewards of What God Has Given: Create and Maintain a Budget
By: Ron Mitchel
In Luke 16:1-13, Jesus told the parable of the dishonest steward as a way of warning us against poor stewardship. The moral of the story is “So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?”. We are also responsible to provide for our own family, as 1 Timothy 5:8 reminds us: “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
The first step to avoiding the troubles of financial debt is to create and maintain a budget. It’s not as intimidating as it sounds, don’t worry.
First off, create a list of all your monthly income and also a list of your monthly expenses. When determining income, list all sources including alimony, child support, side jobs, etc. In calculating expenses, be sure to include housing, food, transportation, utilities, entertainment, etc. To gain an accurate reflection of actual expenses, sit down each night and write down expenses, just make sure to save receipts. Determine if your income covers all of your expenses. If the answer is no, then some expenses need to be reduced.
Adjust expenses. If it is a small discrepancy, it may mean reducing some minor expenses like entertainment or cell phone plan. If the deficit is larger, you may need to downsize your vehicle or living arrangements. If your income covers all of your expenses, you still may want to trim some of the excess fat off your spending habits. This can free up extra money for things such as vacations or college funds for your children.
Additionally, consider if you need to add new categories. Some areas that are often overlooked are debt reduction, emergency savings funds, and retirement savings. An emergency fund ensures there is an adequate amount available to cover unforeseen events (car emergency, etc), should it arise. This will eliminate the need for using credit which can quickly damage your budget.
There are several advantages to sticking to your budget. Firstly, most people have set financial goals that they would like to reach in the future. Sometimes it may be a trip, a brand new car, or a college education. A budget can help people save money to make these goals a reality. Additionally, many people are crushed under heavy consumer debt. Without a disciplined pattern of spending, it is virtually impossible to make much headway in reducing debt. A personal budget will provide the necessary framework to begin eliminating these inflated account balances.
If executed properly, a budget will allow a person to simultaneously meet their expenses, place money into savings, and pay back outstanding debts. Therefore, it is anyone’s best interest to create and implement a budget.
For many in these trying financial times, having enough money to balance their budget can be difficult if not impossible. In this situation, it might be advised to take out a small loan with a trusted acquaintance or company to get the boat upright, so to speak. But what company is best suited for this task? I preferChristianCashAssistance.com
as they allow you to fill out a simple form and be connected with lenders who are willing to help you put your financial house in order.
The first step to avoiding the troubles of financial debt is to create and maintain a budget. It’s not as intimidating as it sounds, don’t worry.
First off, create a list of all your monthly income and also a list of your monthly expenses. When determining income, list all sources including alimony, child support, side jobs, etc. In calculating expenses, be sure to include housing, food, transportation, utilities, entertainment, etc. To gain an accurate reflection of actual expenses, sit down each night and write down expenses, just make sure to save receipts. Determine if your income covers all of your expenses. If the answer is no, then some expenses need to be reduced.
Adjust expenses. If it is a small discrepancy, it may mean reducing some minor expenses like entertainment or cell phone plan. If the deficit is larger, you may need to downsize your vehicle or living arrangements. If your income covers all of your expenses, you still may want to trim some of the excess fat off your spending habits. This can free up extra money for things such as vacations or college funds for your children.
Additionally, consider if you need to add new categories. Some areas that are often overlooked are debt reduction, emergency savings funds, and retirement savings. An emergency fund ensures there is an adequate amount available to cover unforeseen events (car emergency, etc), should it arise. This will eliminate the need for using credit which can quickly damage your budget.
There are several advantages to sticking to your budget. Firstly, most people have set financial goals that they would like to reach in the future. Sometimes it may be a trip, a brand new car, or a college education. A budget can help people save money to make these goals a reality. Additionally, many people are crushed under heavy consumer debt. Without a disciplined pattern of spending, it is virtually impossible to make much headway in reducing debt. A personal budget will provide the necessary framework to begin eliminating these inflated account balances.
If executed properly, a budget will allow a person to simultaneously meet their expenses, place money into savings, and pay back outstanding debts. Therefore, it is anyone’s best interest to create and implement a budget.
For many in these trying financial times, having enough money to balance their budget can be difficult if not impossible. In this situation, it might be advised to take out a small loan with a trusted acquaintance or company to get the boat upright, so to speak. But what company is best suited for this task? I preferChristianCashAssistance.com
as they allow you to fill out a simple form and be connected with lenders who are willing to help you put your financial house in order.Article Source: http://christian-topics.info
- Sweet Freedom from Debt - By : ctcpubs
Monday, July 18, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Jubilee: God Wants His People to Live Debt Free
by Reverend Eric Lampe
It is very important to God that his people live free. It is SO important, in fact,
that he included a provision in the Torah (Leviticus 25) for a year of Jubilee in each generation in which all slaves are set free, all property is returned to its original owner, and all debts are cancelled. He further ordered that:
that he included a provision in the Torah (Leviticus 25) for a year of Jubilee in each generation in which all slaves are set free, all property is returned to its original owner, and all debts are cancelled. He further ordered that:“‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. “‘If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you; they are to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. Then they and their children are to be released, and they will go back to their own clans and to the property of their ancestors. Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves. Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God. -Leviticus 25″35:43
There is to be no indebtedness for God’s people, neither as borrowers or lenders. We are not to profit from the need or another, and we are not to owe anyone but God. This is in accordance with the truth that everything belongs to God and we are but stewards of whatever he entrusts to us.The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. -Proverbs 22:7
Jesus came to set the captives free.When Jesus first announced his ministry, he read Isaiah 61:1-2. He announced that he was here to set free all who had become enslaved, to open the eyes of those who could not see the injustice of it all, and to shed light on those minds that were held captive to the unjust rule of the powers that be and their evil system. He then declared that, in him, Jubilee had come. The long awaited Messiah had come to set things to right.The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor -Isaiah 61:1-2
Isaiah’s use of the phrase “the year of the Lord’s favor” is a clear reference to the ancient Torah provision of Jubilee in Leviticus 25. Thus a radical restitution of the economy is here anticipated through the Messiah, Jesus. The good news of the kingdom of God, that Jesus thereafter proclaimed is debt-free living for God’s people. All debts are paid and we are never to allow ourselves to become enslaved again. We are free from fear, death, and debt forever!Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them,“Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” -Luke 4:20-21 Jesus has set us free! We can never go back to living as slaves again!
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. -John 8:36
Unfortunately, this is an area of many Christian’s lives, in which they have followed the ways of the world. If we are indebted to anyone, we must determine to free ourselves from that entanglement.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. -Romans 12:2
Clearly, it is God’s will that his people live debt-free! So get out of debt! Make a plan to pay off every penny that you owe!
“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8
For information on getting out of debt and living debt free visit Dave Ramsey’s website.
Jacksonville Chaplain Services Copyright 2011 The Reverend Eric Lampe is a licensed and ordained community chaplain in Jacksonville, Florida. He is a devoted husband, father, minister and Bible teacher.
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