Locations & Times

Dare To Live Generously

February 3, 2024

In our series called Branded, Jim Burgen encouraged us to be identified by living differently by embracing this idea of stewardship. Learn more about how we have been uniquely invited to join Jesus in His mission to impact the world through generosity. 

Declare War.

In order to live the blessed life that God wants you to have, it will take more than wishful thinking. It will include prayer, but it can’t stop there. You must build and implement a strategy. So, first question, what are you willing to do to get to financial freedom. If 0 is nothing and 10 is “go to war, whatever it takes”, where are you?

Reality Check.

You have to start where you are right now, taking a realistic look at your current position. Write out your monthly income on one side of a piece of paper. On the other side, write out your monthly expenses. Go back and look at your bank statement to see where it really went. Group them together in categories like entertainment, food, utilities, housing/rent/mortgage, etc. This is your first pass at a “budget.” If there is more going out than coming in, we have to start there.

Now, assign (or rank them) which of these expenses to categories such as “non-negotiable” (ex, mortgage, rent, car payment, credit card payment, etc.)

Identify areas where your spending is more than it should be and could be decreased or suspended until you reach your tithe/giving goal. This is the sacrificial and hardest part, at first, because it is the most intrusive. For most folks, this is eating out, vacations and/or kids activities. Cut or eliminate spending in these areas. Why?

0-10, nothing changes or go to war.

Write out a monthly budget.

Also called a (spending plan) including tithe, saving for emergencies, debt reduction, and ALL spending. Any “extra,” unforeseen income is committed to debt reduction. 

Download Budget Worksheet  

IMPORTANT:  While you may not be able to begin tithing at 10%, giving at some percentage of income is very important and placing it first on the list as “most important/doesn’t belong to me/belongs to God). First Things First!

Commit to a Spending freeze.

Commit to freezing spending on all non-essentials (vacations, eating out, clothing, home furnishings, multiple streaming services and subscriptions, etc.) until you are out of debt and have reached the tithe. As debt and spending decrease, this margin allows you to grow your giving (maybe 1% at a time). Once you have reached your goal, adding some sacrificed non-essentials may be brought back if you’ve missed them. But you might be surprised at how much you don’t miss them.

Make An Agreement.

Once your budget is agreed upon by all parties (everyone in the household), write up an agreement that everyone signs, and if something comes up and the budget has to be adjusted, everyone will agree to change BEFORE the agreement is violated. This makes the agreement the bad guy instead of one of you.

Other Financial Tips.

Before you purchase anything, put a 3-5 day waiting period in place before making the purchase. This is a safeguard against impulse purchases.  Again, make the “agreement” the bad guy.

If you’re really serious, consider taking a second job (Uber, DoorDash, etc.) and selling stuff you don’t use or need. While you’re at it, simplify your life by going through the built-up clutter of things that you’ve purchased but didn’t need or use and now gather dust.  The pile of “donations” will hopefully be convicting regarding future purchases.

Read Total Money Makeover and register and attend Financial Peace University through Flatirons Community Church. Keep scrolling to help you take more steps!

“There is no greater adventure on Earth than simply living the life of generosity and abundance that is available to all of God's people--but so few ever dare to live, It is a journey of reward. It is the blessed life."
- The Blessed Life

Read Total Money Makeover

By now, you've probably heard all the nutty get-rich-quick schemes, the fiscal diet fads that leave you with a lot of kooky ideas but not a penny in your pocket. Hey, if you're tired of the lies and sick of the false promises, take a look at this--it's the simplest, most straightforward game plan for completely making over your money habits. And it's based on results, not pie-in-the-sky fantasies.

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Attend Financial Peace University

Register for Financial Peace University and join us for the fastest way to beat debt and build wealth. Register for an upcoming Financial Peace University!

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Set Up Recurring Giving

Take a step toward making stewardship and generosity part of your financial routine by setting up recurring giving through our website.

SET UP

Commit To Tithing

A tithe is a portion (10%) of your income given to your local church. (The word tithe literally means tenth in Hebrew.) Tithing in the Bible refers to giving 10 percent of your annual earnings, productions, or possessions. In the Old Testament, we observe Abraham and Jacob offering a tithe to God in Genesis 14 and 28. The Israelites were also commanded to tithe from what they earned (Lev. 27:30; Num. 18:25–28; Deut. 14:22–24; 2 Chron. 31:5–6).

EXPLORE TITHING

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Attend A Wills And Estate Seminar

No matter your income or situation, you deserve a plan!

We are offering estate planning seminars in partnership with the Financial Planning Ministry (FPM), a non-profit organization serving the Christian community for over 35 years. You will learn more about Wills and Living Trusts and how to protect your assets for the people and ministries you care about - all from a Biblical perspective.

Attend a seminar at the campus of your choice to learn how to create a legacy for your family, church, and organizations that are meaningful to you. Get practical guidance for stewardship and avoid costly probate. Plan ahead and gain peace of mind.

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