Save $1,000 in a Few Months

1 Timothy 5:8 says, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” There are very obvious spiritual and moral implications to this verse, but I believe  you can directly apply this to your personal finances as well. If you do not provide well for yourself and your family you are not living up the call of God to be responsible and a good steward of what He has blessed you with.

A very  beneficial and needed aspect of your personal finances is an “emergency" fund. Sometime or another an financial emergency is bound to happen in your life, it's up to you whether you are prepared for it or not. Some people allow these financial hardships to shape or detour their foreseeable fiscal future, and others are able to overcome and move past them due to wise planning and solid execution of a simple plan.

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Fostering, Adopting, Loving, Caring

A young boy waiting on Hope to show up...

I came across two different personal accounts today dealing specifically with the subject of children without parents. The first story comes from a friend of ours who has her own orphanage and ministry in Ecuador and the second story comes from our Youth Pastor's wife (they've done foster care for some time now and recently adopted a sweet little girl).

I'm sharing these stories for a couple of reasons; 1 - they touched my heart, deep in my heart, you'll know when you read and 2 - they perfectly illustrate the Word of God, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." - James 1:27.

If you personally don't have the calling or ability to be active in helping children, you can contribute to either one of the outreaches listed in this post, I give links to their web sites.

Please take the time to read their personal stories...
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#TBT Why Young Adults are Leaving Church...

Ryan and Tiffany #TBT  (Graduation from Ozarks)

In honor of #TBT or for those who don't know #ThrowBackThursday, here is a post from last year, one of my most popular posts actually, its slightly modified, but pretty much the same, and the message is still true today! 

Our message, is that there is a void in church around the country. When young adults, late teens and early 20's get out of high school and into college, move out from under mom and dad's roof, their are things they just aren't ready for yet. This is where I hope our ministry can come in and lift them up, encourage them, share wisdom, knowledge, and past mistakes to help them in the journey of life!

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Should You Volunteer In Your Church?

We are busy with work, family, life, hobbies, side jobs, and needing an occasional rest in between...so why in the world would we or should we even consider devoting more of our time to anything? ...like volunteering in our local church...

Faith without works is dead...the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few...go into all the world...what you've done to the least of these...

These are just a few phrases from some powerful Bible verses concerning service. I ask the question, 

"Should You Volunteer in Your Church?"

It's an easy thing to move into the back seat, sit in the back row, and slip into the shadows in your church. There is enough going on and people volunteering we can convince ourselves of a few lies-

1. There are enough volunteers already, they don't need my help

2. They probably wouldn't want my help, I've never done this sort of stuff before

3. I haven't been going to church long enough to volunteer 

4. I come to church, believe in God and pay my tithes, I don't "need" to do anything else

5. If God wanted me to help with that stuff He would send someone to ask me to help

I'm going to address these 5 misconceptions about service, volunteerism and lay ministry within the church. After we address these issues, I'm going to leave you with some awesome scriptures to help you get over that "Should I Really Volunteer?" hump.

1. There are never enough volunteers (PERIOD) They do need your help, sometimes things look like smooth sailing and a well oiled machine, but I can authoritatively promise you, there is always room for more help. New volunteers give relief to current volunteers and leadership, and hey, guess what, you might be the best volunteer ever, which is a HUGE blessing to your church and to God.

2. As mentioned in #1, they do want your help, and it doesn't matter if you've never done this kind of work before. A lot of ministries and volunteer opportunities in churches come with training or give you time to learn from someone already doing what you will be doing. For example, my wife and I oversee the Multi-Media Ministry at our church, we require 10-12 volunteers to fulfill all the duties needed for a service (running cameras, computer/presentation, lighting technician, video switching, recording, live sound mixing, and much more) 

- sounds kind of intimidating, and at times looks even more intimidating. Guess what, pretty much none of our volunteers had any experience doing any of these things before they came into our ministry. We aren't super leaders or excellent trainers either, it boils down to desire, passion, and God. If you want to serve and you put your "All" into it, God will bless it, and will most likely help empower you to serve him to an even greater level.

3. I don't know what the perfect length of time is before you can help out in a church regularly, but again, if you are a believer, God is ready to use you. Maybe its just picking up chairs and tables after events, helping take trash out after small groups or Sunday School, door greeting, or something else, but if you show a desire to help and do it with passion and love, your church and God will notice. You will be blessed and more opportunities to serve will come your way.

4. All those things, coming to church, believing in God and tithing are great! However, we are called to service by God, so yes you "need" to help if you are able because the Body of Christ needs you! 
Mark 10:44-45 
"...and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 'For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.'" -
yeah I went there, I pulled out the Bible to prove my point, if service was required of our savior, and we as Christians are to be Christ-Like, we too should be active in our service to Him.

5. Yup, God has sent a number of people to tell you that your help is needed, dozens of authors in the Old and New Testaments, most likely your pastor at sometime or another has asked for assistance from the pulpit, and if you are reading this now, God sent me to you...and I'm telling you, Your Church Needs Your Help.

Here are a few more verses to help inspire you to lend a helping hand in your church:

Do it to Glorify God
Matthew 5:14-16 
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. "Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Jesus as an Example
Matthew 23:11 
"But the greatest among you shall be your servant.

Serving One Another
Ephesians 6:5-7 
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eye service, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,

Showing Love to one Another
Philippians 2:1-4 
If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 

Blessed are the Givers
Acts 20:35 
"In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Love Your Neighbor
Galatians 5:13-14 
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Jesus came to Serve
Mark 10:44-45 
and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

To the Least of Them
Matthew 25:40
"And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

Mark 9:35
And sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all."

By the Strength of God
1 Peter 4:10-11 
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

I pray that this post and these scriptures not only lift you up but help you realize the call God has placed on you to serve Him and the local church you attend. Volunteers are crucial to the mission of the local church, and without you, we can't do what we do.

Be Blessed!
-Ryan

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