Daily Scripture

You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Exodus 20:17

Daily Scripture

Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.

Proverbs 20:18

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

Proverbs 21:5

Shop Around

Home insurance is something you can't live without but you do have a choice in which company provides the coverage. Recently I did some comparison shopping among insurance companies and was able to save over $300 on our annual premium. By using the internet to do some quick searches, you can easily see rates from several insurance companies to better make a decision on your coverage.

Comparison shopping on the internet is easy and can be used for all types of purchases. Don't take for granted that the price you are quoted is the only choice you have. With a little effort and a small amount of time, you can save hundreds of dollars while sitting in the comfort of your own home.

Daily Scripture

By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

Proverbs 24:3,4

Daily Scripture

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.

1 Corinthians 14:33

Daily Scripture

But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

1 Corinthians 14:40

Build on the Rock Update

Lots of changes continue to take place as we move forward with the construction and renovation projects around the campus. This week crews have been relocating the fountain and prayer garden to make room for the additional parking spaces. In addition to relocating the fountain, the steeple from the old church is incorporated into this garden area.

Thanks to Jim Arnemann and Smoak irrigation for taking on this project.

Daily Scripture

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him...

Luke 14:28,29

Are You Ready For A Change?

The way most people handle money is in sharp contrast to God’s financial principles. In Isaiah 55:8, God says it this way, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.”

Since God has chosen to be invisible to us, many people fail to realize how closely He is involved with our finances. Although invisible He is real, and how we view Him determines how we live.

The Bible refers to god by more than 250 names. The name that best describes His involvement in our finances is “Lord” (think Final authority).

Reprinted from Crown Financial Ministries’ Strike Your Balance 31 Day Devotional

Daily Scripture

Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in, the lambs will provide you with clothing and the goats with the price of a field. You will have plenty of goat's milk to feed you and your family and to nourish your servant girls.

Proverbs 27:23-27

Daily Scripture

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:25-26

Daily Scripture

 

The earth is the Lord's and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it.

Psalm 24:1

What's Inside?

This entry comes from the SC Baptist Convention's Church Staff Digest and is written by Benjamin Littlejohn, Pastor of Eastlan Baptist Church in Greenville, SC.

It is a fact of life we do what we want to do and give to that which we want to give. "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make that horse drink." The parallel is true when it comes to giving. No one can be "made" to give. Giving is something that must come from inside; it must come from our heart. Giving is like a love barometer. Granted, you can give without loving but you cannot love without giving. The Bible says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." What's in your heart when it comes to giving?

Daily Scripture

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have because God has said, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

Hebrews 13:5-6

Build on the Rock - Work Has Begun!

The renovations to the Student Building began this morning. Electricians are on-site working to move light fixtures and add the necessary wiring for the new floor plan. The estimated completion time for the project is 3 to 4 weeks. This project will provide much needed classroom space and reconfigure the large group meeting space to better accommodate the students.

Thank you for your generosity in giving to the Build on the Rock campaign. Through your giving lives will be changed for eternity.

Check back here often for updates and pictures of the construction.

Daily Devotion

From Crown.org.

God has asked for our first fruits, which is the first and best of all that we receive. That means we should tithe from our total income before taxes (gross).

"Now this shall be the priests' due from the people, . . .the firstfruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first shearing of your sheep."

(Deuteronomy 18:3-4 NASB).

You Are A God Robber

I am away on vacation this week. While away, I am taking the liberty of using some posts from other blogs I enjoy reading and learn a lot from. This post is from Tim Stevens' Leading Smart blog.

"You Are A God Robber"

We just finished up our annual series on tithing. I hear some common "push back" statements every time we do this. These statements typically come from people who have been Christians for a long time (I'm purposely calling them "Christians" rather than "followers of Christ"...cause I think the distinction is important). Here are some of their statements, and my unfiltered response...
· "I'm in college and can't tithe right now" or "I'm on a fixed income and can't tithe" or "I'm a single parent and can't tithe right now." This is typically followed by, "When I'm making more money I'll begin tithing." No, you won't. It's a heart issue, not a money issue. You aren't tithing now because you don't trust God. You don't think God can meet your needs if you begin to honor him with your money. You want to maintain control.
· "It is so hard to tithe on my limited income." Anyone who has lived a portion of their life with very little money, and another portion of their life with ample amounts of money--will tell you that it is much harder to tithe when you have lots of money rather than just a little. Money has a way of getting entangled in your values as it increases and materialism is the fastest growing cell in your heart. Start when you have nothing and see what God does in your heart and through your life.
· "I'm really tired of this church talking about tithing." In 22 years of ministry, I've never once heard a tithing person complain that we are talking about tithing. Those who tithe have experienced the blessing of God and the freedom that comes with obeying God, and they want others to have that same experience. Whenever someone tells me they are tired of the church talking about money, it's like they have a flashing LED sign on their head that says, "I rob God!" Really, you should just lay low and go stealth. Quit advertising your hard heart.
· "If I won the lottery and got $10 million dollars, I would give $1 million to my church." No you wouldn't. If you aren't giving God 10% of your income now, there's not a chance in the world you would give 10% if you struck it rich. You are a God-robber, and God-robbers don't suddenly get generous when they get rich.
· "I've made some bad financial choices and can't tithe until I get back on track." I love your honesty. So get back on track. Sell your house. Downsize. Get in a financial education class. Drive an old beater. Live on beans and weenies. And do everything you can to get back on track and tithing so you can get in the flow of God's blessing!
· "I don't tithe to my church cause I'm not sure I trust all the decisions they make with the money." Then find a church where you trust the leaders. Not a church where you agree with every decision they make, but a church where you can believe God to work through the leadership that is in place. Quit sucking off the things you like about the church while withholding your tithe or sending it somewhere else.

I'm praying that the families of Granger will get serious this week about honoring God with their finances. When they do, I can't wait to see what God does in our community through their faith.



I too pray that the families of Alice Drive Batist Church get serious about honoring God with their finances.

Money Saving Tips

A friend of mine recently pointed me towards a shopping site called ebates.com. This is a shopping site with hundreds of online stores through which you can do your shopping. The benefit of joining this site is that almost every purchase you make is subject to a money back discount. When you shop at the various stores, a percentage of your purchase is credited to your account and rebated to you once a quarter. Membership on the site is free.

This is a great way to get money back on items that you purchase regularly and for one-time purchases. If you are comfortable shopping online, go for it. There are many commodity items which can be purchased and shipped directly to your home. Some of the benefits I can see by shopping through ebates are:

• money back on every purchase
• a selection of hundreds of stores to compare prices from
• the ability to set up favorites at the stores to speed up future purchases
• by shopping online, you resist the temptation of seeing must have items on the shelves and being tempted by sales clerks
• shopping online is usually much quicker than driving to the store and making the purchase in person

When making these purchases, look for free shipping offers. Many online retailers offer free shipping for first time shoppers or free shipping for purchases over a minimum amount (usually $25). Also, if you use your credit card, be sure you pay off the balance each month.

With a little planning you can save time, reduce temptation and save a little money by doing your shopping online. Give ebates a try and let me know what you think.

Book Review

Our staff has been reading Richard Foster's book , Celebration of Discipline, The Path to Spiritual Growth. This is a refreshing book which takes a different approach to the practice of the spiritual Disciplines. The very term discipline, brings up thoughts of things we have to do instead of things we desire to do. My favorite quote after having read 2/3 of the book is, "God has ordained the Disciplines of the spiritual life as the means by which we place ourselves where he can bless us." (p. 7) When we practice the Disciplines in the proper manner and truly desire to practice them, we do open up ourselves to receive the blessings God has intended for us.

The Disciplines as identified by Foster fall into three categories:
I.The Inward Disciplines
Meditation
Prayer
Fasting
Study
II. The Outward Disciplines
Simplicity
Solitude
Submission
Service
III. The Corporate Disciplines
Confession
Worship
Guidance
Celebration

If you are looking for a good book to read and challenge you, I encourage you to get a copy of Celebrations.

If you have read this book or if you read it in the future, please send me your comments.