I’ll admit, I don’t typically spend a lot of time in the book of Exodus. But the other day I wound up there, and a particular story really struck me.

Just one month after God rescued the people of Israel from a life of slavery in Egypt, they were journeying through the wilderness and grumbling the whole way.

Have you ever prayed and prayed for God to give you something—or take something away—and when it finally happens, you rejoice for a whopping 24 hours before finding something else you’re dissatisfied about? Continue reading

What comes to mind when you hear the word “investment”?

A 401(k)? A business venture? The New York Stock Exchange?

If you associate investments with money, you’re tracking with the traditional definition of the word, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But there’s so much more to investing than just money. Continue reading

Which of the following have you experienced?

A trip to the emergency room. A flat tire (or two). An unexpected, astronomical vet bill. Storm damage to your home. A broken appliance (not the toaster or the coffee maker…the refrigerator or the washing machine). A dead transmission. A notice that your rent is going up…a lot.

You may have personally dealt with one or two of these issues, or perhaps every single one of them. Either way, you know what they have in common: sticker shock. And if you don’t have a fully loaded emergency fund, you also know that awful feeling that can form in the pit of your stomach when you first set your eyes on an unexpected bill. Continue reading

May 1st is the National Day of Prayer in the United States. It’s a day for believers to pray for their local, state and national leaders. It’s also a great time to pray for financial peace—on a personal level and on a much larger scale.

1. Admit Your Own Financial Sin

The Bible says, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them” (James 4:17, NIV). It’s impossible to out-give God. Whether you barely give at all or steadily contribute tithes and offerings, talk to God about areas where you’re holding back. Repent, and ask God to help you to be a faithful, cheerful giver. Continue reading

The term “living paycheck to paycheck” is used to describe any financial situation in which there is no reserve money between pay periods. This can create quite a stressful situation, especially when unexpected expenses pop up. For some families this can be disaster. One emergency can send the budget into a tail spin which cannot be easily recovered from. Continue reading

Christian debt management is all about making changing in the present. In order to get out of debt major spending and behavioral changes must take place in your heart and mind. Every dollar you spend must be considered and accounted for in order to make a Christian debt relief program work. You may find your mind swirling with information and choices every day and all of these things are focused on right now, changing things right now in your financial life. While you are in the throes of this major life adjustment you will see commercials are hear people talking about “planning for the future.” These moments may have you thinking, “I’m just trying to survive right now! I can’t think about the future!” You may not realize it, but if you have sought out Christian debt help, you are securing your future in more ways than you might imagine.
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If you are in the trenches of a Christian debt consolidation program, the last thing on your mind might be helping the needy in your community. You might very well be feeling as if you yourself are the needy one right now. However, the Christian obligation toward the needy is a relevant financial issue and as you continue your journey toward financial freedom you will have more disposable income with which to give. The question for many individuals is not should they give. Most Christians understand the giving principals and want to keep blessings flowing their way by giving to others. The question is to whom do we give? And how much of our own personal prejudice gets in the way of our giving to others?
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We talk about money a lot around here. Like it or not, the way money is managed (or mismanaged) has a profound effect on just about every aspect of life, from relationships to physical, emotional and spiritual health.

But as we prepare to celebrate Easter, we are reminded of one gift that money could never buy.

More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus chose to leave his perfect home in heaven and become one of us. He could have entered the world as a king in a palace. Instead, he took the lowly position of a carpenter’s son, spending the first hours of His life in a feeding trough for animals. Continue reading

He is risen! – Matthew 28:6

Holy week is upon us and soon we’ll be celebrating the good news on Easter, that Christ is risen! If you’re like most Christians, you’ve spent the past six weeks of Lent reflecting on your life, your faith and your commitment to God and your church. It’s the season of spiritual rebirth, of cleansing and of hope. You can apply this feeling to most any aspect of your life, including your financial affairs. If you’re looking to rebuild and reinvigorate your finances, below are a few things you can do to easily enrich your financial health this Easter season.

1. Start or Add to an Emergency Fund

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The last century has seen a decline in the overall character of man. On a national level the moral compass of our society has tilted far from “true north” so to speak. We see this through the lack of morality on television and in movies. We can see it through the increased crime rates in every city in America. We see it through an increase in crimes that in times past were absolutely unheard of.

We also see this decline in the financial world in the way businesses and government conduct their money as well as how individual’s view their own financial responsibilities. The decline in money morality has resulted in near catastrophic recession in the last decade which forced many Americans out of their homes and into foreclosure and bankruptcy. During that time period many people were comparing the events to those of the 1930s in which “The Great Depression” had a similar effect on American families. Continue reading