July 2024

It’s the one kind of debt that nobody plans for, but that many of us will face at one point or another in life: You walk into the hospital with a sudden medical issue, and walk out with a pile of bills. We live in an era of unprecedented medical knowledge and technology, and today’s […]

How many dollar bills can you stuff down the neck of a beer bottle? If you’re a frequent drinker, your habit is likely costing you a lot of money. If you’re a habitual drinker or a binge drinker, alcohol takes a toll on your body and your wallet. Though it is socially acceptable (and often […]

Why do low-ranked teams sometimes topple top-seeded teams in college basketball tournaments? Why are the smartest people in a high school class not always the valedictorians? Why do “C” students often go on to out-achieve their peers in business or politics? Perhaps it’s because in each of these cases, the less-talented player was pressured to […]

Plan together. Once you have a plan in place, you also need to make sure you’re on the same page about how to execute it. One or the other of you may be better with math or more enthusiastic budgeting. That’s fine. But both spouses need to be involved in making decisions about the budget. […]

Sometimes the most compelling reason to be generous is not that somebody else needs to receive, but that you need to give. You’ve heard it said before that it’s more blessed to give than to receive (a radical idea when Jesus introduced it to the world). Today, we’re going to look at one of the […]

A Thrill of Hope No matter what you’re hoping for this Christmas, don’t give up. Because Hope has already come. Hope is out there, and it’s coming for you. There’s an amazing moment in the Christmas story that is easy to overlook. When Jesus was about a month old — after the shepherds and angels […]

It’s a heartbreaking story to watch: After spending a lifetime working hard and acquiring a little bit of wealth, someone is forced to spend their entire nest egg, little by little, to pay for nursing home or other extended care in the final phase of their life. We’d like to think that the money that […]

Do you need to keep the receipt every time you make a purchase? Do you need a paper trail that shows how you spend your money? There’s a lot of confusion out there when it comes to money management. One of the misconceptions that we encounter over and over again in counseling individuals and couples […]

Want to learn more about 30 Days to Financial Freedom, my new online program that helps you change your financial life in just 10 minutes a day? Here’s a look at a devotional lesson from Day 1 of the program. It’s called “Freedom Starts in Your Heart.” Freedom Starts in Your Heart: 30 Days to Financial […]

Sometimes people do the right things for the wrong reasons. Take giving, for example. If you’ve followed this site for very long, you know that we’re big fans of giving. It’s one of the best and most noble things that you can do with your money. But if you give your money conspicuously so that […]

Money is a sinister thing: If you don’t control it tightly, it can come to control you. If you’re not careful, it can even kill your faith. As Christians, we all have a sensitive relationship with money. God wants us to be prosperous  workers, diligent stewards and generous givers, all of which involve money. And […]

Borrowing money is never a good way to get a ministry going. Read More » If you want God to bless you, start by excelling at the things He gives you to do. Read More » Will taking out a mortgage help or hurt this growing congregation? Read More » How to make the tithe […]

If you need a good reason to buy insurance coverage, consider this: Having insurance can mean the difference between passing an inheritance on to the next generation or leaving them nothing at all. There are all kinds of great reasons to buying health, life, home, auto and other insurance. Having good insurance insulates you against […]

What thought comes to mind when you see someone who obviously has more money than you? If it’s something along the lines of “I hate rich people,” there’s trouble brewing in your heart. Money can make slaves of all of us. And the dangers extend beyond debt and poverty . When money affects the way that […]