One More Thing with Pastor Tim Burchill 2.19.2023

Welcome to our new Sermon Follow Up—One More Thing…

    In our final sermon on Guardrails I drilled down into how to put into place guardrails against Greed.  Christians have been fighting this battle for centuries.  In fact, Greed is one of the Seven Deadly Sins (They use a more antiquated term, Avarice.)  It can rob us of gratitude and hence joy, but greed can also undermine the kind of generosity of spirit that is so important to God.

    John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, put it so well when it comes to money.  He said: “Earn all you can, give all you can, save all you can.”  The principles we should draw from this brief quote are these:

   1)   Earn what you can without compromising your faith or family, (i.e. it’s okay to make money)

   2)   Spend less so that you might save more. 

   3)   And Use the money you save in accordance with the plan and purpose God has for your life.  (Follow the scriptural priorities of God first, family and neighbor second, yourself third.)

I’d asked one of our congregation’s financial leaders what kind of guardrails he would recommend.  (I did this before he heard my take on it.)  And this is what he came up with.  I thought his counsel wise, practical and right on target with the things I lifted up in Sunday’s sermon.  They are well worth your consideration and might even spark an action plan in one or more areas of your life.

    You know all this, but I have heard that Jesus talked more about money than almost anything else. There are several good proverbs that are good guardrails as well. Money can have quite the pull to become one's idol and hope for the future. For new couples it can also become a stressful topic. 
Here are a few guardrails that we use.

   Do not go into debt unless it's a mortgage for a home and possibly a car but would prefer to not go into debt for a car.

       * That means paying off your credit card bill every month.

   Create an annual budget every year and get an agreement from your spouse.  The budget is a mid-term plan for the household and creates the need to anticipate upcoming expenses and plan for them.  The budget includes:

       * Tithing or moving toward tithing at your church and/or Christian giving.  It creates discipline and priority and puts God first.

       * Have a plan for long-term savings.

       * Include fun money that each spouse has for their own use.  It creates a feeling of a little independence.

       * Leave room for unexpected expenses.

   Have an emergency fund of 3 -6 months.  Who knows when one might lose their job.

   All purchases over a certain amount (to be agreed to by the spouses) should be done with awareness and input from the other spouse. 

   Beware of impulse buying and keep it to a minimum. Although you may lose a great buy, I have found that almost always one regrets an impulse buy without sleeping on it.  If it looks to good to be true, its likely not. Also, seek council from a trusted friend or family member on large purchases. Do your homework.

   These may not be guardrails, but more ideas to live by.

      - Be content with what you have been given, otherwise you will always be financially unhappy.

      - Don't judge yourself by what others have (who has the most toys) because there will always be someone with more.  Looks can be very deceiving. Those who look to have riches may be miserable with the pressure of debt.

      - Living a humble live without the pressure of debt is very freeing.

   Attend a workshop like Financial Peace or by Dave Ramsey with your spouse and if not, by yourself.

You’ve heard the talk, now, with the grace of God, go out and walk the walk!