Godliness with Contentment

'Jabez' sounds like the Hebrew for pain. His mother associated him with pain. Imagine growing up labeled as one who causes pain. He may have been picked on. He may have had an issue finding a girlfriend/wife. No one typically wants to hang around with someone who causes pain. This is the backdrop of Jabez' life. At some point, he cries out to God. It was like there was a curse on him and he wanted...

Joseph was not just a dreamer, but he had a plan. Sometimes this is where we fall down. We have countless dreams, but not many plans. In fact I challenge you to come up with a plan for your dream(s). Put them on paper and see if they are plausible. Are they profitable? If it looks profitable then figure out the best way to make them happen. I am not a dream killer, so don’t call me that. Put some...

Jacob tricks his brother out of his birthright and his father out of the blessing of the firstborn. He then flees to his mother's brother Laban another trickster. Quite a bit happens to Jacob including him becoming very wealthy while in Paddan Aram. He eventually leaves making a truce with Laban. One night he wrestles with a man who is able to injure him with just a touch. Jacob holds on for dear...

Isaac was the child of the promise. Through his descendants, all people on earth would be blessed. Last week we looked at Abraham, and how God had blessed him abundantly. Today we turn to Isaac his son. We will see that Isaac received an inheritance which is biblical, but did not become lazy. He was not afraid of hard work. God blessed him in his travels and in his agricultural endeavors. Men saw...

There is so much to talk about when we think about Abraham. I will try to focus on a few things. This means that I will miss out a lot of aspects you would think I should include. As I think about wealthy people in the Bible, I think that one big reason they got to be wealthy because God blessed them. That is how they got wealthy. In Abraham's case that is very clear. We will read a few verses fro...

Today we are embarking on a journey through the Bible and will be looking at wealthy people in the Bible who were people of God. This week, we start out by looking at Job. God blesses, protects and provides.

I believe that God wants me to teach believers how to win with money.  Financial problems/stress is one of the top reasons for divorce.  Love of money or lack of it can keep people out of church because they are too busy working to get it.  If we understand what God wants us to do with money, then we pass a big roadblock that Satan wants to use to keep us away from God. Today I want to share with...

I respect that the sandwich generation guys are taking care of children and parents, but I also want you (if that is you) to find a way to get some margin so you can pay off debt, and save for later and give and enjoy some of the hard earned money. It is hard when we are living paycheck to paycheck.

One of the biggest things for you to be aware of is a money scam. Scammers are after your money. Your hard earned money. Scams can come with the promise of fast and great returns. Other scams like charity scams or romance scams play on your heart strings. Unfortunately, they are all too good to be true. 

Before going on your summer vacation trip make sure you have a buffer. Stuff happens. Don’t just think budget for the trip - flight, hotel, car, food etc. but make sure you have a contingency. Missed flights, delays, hotel nights, food,…. It can pile up.

There are three levels of seriousness: normal, disciplined and in strict training. Which level are you at?

You will not win by accident. You will win because God is with you. But also, God is with you since you delight in him. You delight in Him meaning that in your life you are shooting after living the way God wants you to live, and every day you are trying to figure that on out as you read the Bible and pray.

It has been widely discussed that money cannot buy happiness, cannot buy love, cannot by peace of mind. Today, I talk about something else money cannot buy.

One big lesson to learn before you leave you day job for greener pastures is about gratitude. The employer did not have to hire you. They took a risk in some cases hiring you or promoting you. God has been good to you. Work in your current job as unto God. This is the secret of good workmanship.

Today, I am not gonna suggest counting coins or turning the cable TV off. Not even rice and beans. Instead, I am suggesting saving without even knowing. Saving and not having to wrestle the money out of your hand to put in a savings account. Closing your eyes and saving!

This week, grab some time to rest. You need it.  Get some. Get back on track if you strayed off. Come back stronger. Come back determined to hit your goals.

Serving money means that it becomes the most important part of our life. When we serve God, he becomes the most important part of our life.

When you get started on your money journey, the best thing to have is an emergency fund. I think of it like a cushion or buffer between you and life. Some call it a rainy day fund, an umbrella. It is a necessity.

Even with friends, money can cause some weirdness. Don't make money the priority but find out how to navigate money and friendship. Use money to help people, not using people to gain money.

Where did you learn how to handle money? You may have learnt the same place I did. For the majority of my life, I learnt by trial and error. A lot of trial and tons of error.

A mic check, a gut check. You said you would spend wisely this year, you would save, you would stick to the budget, you would eat out less. How is it going? What you did yesterday would tell the story.

A lesson learnt from watching football. The Jacksonville Jaguars beat the LA Chargers 31-30 after being down 27-0 in the first half.

Hard word is honorable and brings a profit. The question is: Is a 9-5 job working for the man riskier than you having your own business where you are the employer employing others?

Don't get bummed out by what did not happen in 2022. What did or did not happen in 2022 has no bearing on what will happen in 2023.

Don't buy in to the lie that consolidation is the best move. Getting out of debt is not easy, but imagine the day when you are debt free.  Imagine the freedom…  All the hard work and sacrifice would have been worth it!