May 15, 2012 By bnjewell I once heard someone say that fear is the opposite of faith. If that’s true, it means that fear can hold us back from being faithful stewards of God’s money. Everything that we have comes from God, and He wants us to be good and fruitful stewards of the resources […]
Mastering your Money
February 5, 2013 By bnjewell If you’ve ever had a fender-bender, then you probably know: Even a small amount of auto damage can amount to huge sums of money in repair costs. Modern automobiles are among the most amazing machines ever built, and the value that they add to our lives is absolutely incredible. In […]
Emergency Savings Tips
April 12, 2012 By bnjewell By now, we hope you’ve realized that emergency savings is a crucial part of your personal financial plan. Emergency funds can keep you out of debt, cover unforeseen life circumstances and give you a lot of financial peace. Unfortunately, it’s a lot easier to talk about emergency savings than it […]
Budgeting and the Bible
December 30, 2011 By bnjewell Via Flickr, by user brad montgomery. Used under Creative Commons License. So you want to be the master of your money… that’s great. You’re committed to getting out of debt, spending wisely and giving to support good causes. But how do you take these good ideas and turn them into […]
Are You a Slave?
August 19, 2012 By bnjewell One of the best ways to determine the place that money has in your heart is to look at what you have sacrificed to acquire it, and what you might be sacrificing to keep it. Sometimes, an honest answer to that question can be quite scary. Money is a tricky […]
Financial slavery is a problem that starts in your heart, not your pocketbook
November 22, 2012 By bnjewell If you want real financial freedom, this one action may help you get there faster than any other: Give thanks. This is not self-help hogwash that I’m peddling, and I haven’t scraped together some cheap pablum to publish on Thanksgiving Day. Rather, the significance of this occasion helps to highlight […]
Despicable Debt: Tote-the-Note Car Lots
It sounds like a wonderful plan: You get a great new car with low payments, and you rebuild your bad credit along the way. But like anything that sounds too good to be true, tote-the-note car lots are almost always a bad deal wrapped in a pretty package. Owning and operating a car is one […]
Money Slaves: Ananias & Sapphira
You can lie to other people about your money, and you can even lie to yourself. But whatever you do, don’t try lying to God. You’re not going to get away with it. It can be difficult to navigate through the intersection of personal finance and Kingdom ministry. In the book of Acts, we meet […]
Poverty Comes from Sin. Does That Make Me a Sinner?
Poverty Was Not God’s Plan Poverty is a type of spiritual and financial slavery, a condition that God never intended us to live in. He tells us this over and over in the Bible. Here’s a straightforward passage from Deuteronomy 15:4-6 that expresses this idea clearly: 4 However, there need be no poor people among you, […]
A Simple Way to Reduce Financial Stress
If trying to manage your money leaves you confused, frustrated and anxious, you need a way to reduce financial stress. That’s why I created Stress-Free Finance. Money problems can stress you out and make life miserable. Budgeting is a chore, and getting out of debt feels impossible. You know you need to be making better […]
Where Your Treasure Is: How Money Directs Your Heart
It pays to be careful what you do with your money. After all, the way you spend your money will set the direction of your heart. Where your treasure is today, your heart will follow tomorrow. We often think the things we do with our money demonstrate what’s going on in our hearts, and this […]
Getting Real about the Debt Addiction
Via Flickr, by user Images_of_Money. Used under Creative Commons License. You hear recovering addicts say it all the time — the first step to getting help is admitting that you have a problem. So it goes with debt. That’s right, addiction isn’t just the realm of smokers, alcoholics, druggies and perverts. An addiction is anything […]
The Outliers of Giving
What does it take to become one of the world’s most prolific givers? I recently read “Outliers,” an excellent book by Malcolm Gladwell that studies the extraordinary practices and circumstances that vault superstars to prominence. The book deals with people who have been abundantly successful in technology, business, athletics, music and other commercial endeavors. And […]
Financial Advice for Dating Couples
So you think that maybe, just maybe, you’ve found “the one.” If this relationship is going to be the one you ride into the sunset, making good money decisions now can be the first step in setting you up for financial success in the long run. You’re certain to have some fun while you’re dating, […]