Book Review: "Faith and Finance"

Focus Press has put out a lot of good material in her magazine, THINK, dealing with how we should look at money from the Biblical point of view. Jim Palmer writes a monthly article in that magazine under the heading "Faith and Finance."

Now some of those thoughts have found their way into book form, with the volume having the same title. Subtitled Understanding the Inseparable Link, Palmer's book is one that everyone should read. If you even remotely believe in God, this book will remind you of His perspective of money, and help you make sure your view is the same as His.

In this review, I want to give a brief overview of each section of the book.

Preface

In this brief section, Palmer has the reader imagine that he, the reader, owned a business that was having some problems. What would you do? Would you continue to do the same things, or would you seek to solve the problem?

Sadly, for many, when it comes to money, we do the same things and expect different results. With that mindset in place, Palmer moves to chapter one.

Chapter One: Is Money Your Servant or Your Master?

This chapter really forms the basis for the rest of the book, and the title question is the overarching theme of the entire volume. Money is neither good nor bad, but it is necessary and important. How we view money is not just important, it is eternally important! Jesus taught that "no one can serve two masters" (Matthew 6:24), and the rest of that passage shows that the main thing Jesus had in mind was money (or possessions).

Palmer points out that we can be a servant to money if we are rich or if we are poor. Both of these lifestyles can lead us to covet more and more, so we must keep our minds properly focused.

In this chapter, Palmer also briefly mentions the problem of using debt to gain the lifestyle we want. This is a way of making money (or the possessions money can gain us) our master.

Chapter Two: Prosperity Theory

This chapter deals with the "health and wealth" gospel that is so often seen on television. This is the belief that God wants me to have whatever I want and, in fact, He wants me to be rich.

While there might be some truth to the fact that God wants us to prosper, He is not going to "zap" a huge amount of money into our bank accounts, and He certainly does not want us to get rich by unscrupulous means.

Palmer writes

The problems with the Prosperity gospel are many. The danger in adopting this "other gospel" (Galatians 1:8) is that we no longer focus on eternal blessings and instead favor blessings which will not last. (page 23)

The rest of the chapter deals with the mindset that this view gives: that God is nothing but a cosmic ATM! We begin to get whatever we want and the ultimate "god" then becomes money, or ourselves. This obviously is not the Biblical view of wealth and money.

Chapter Three: Poverty Theology

This teaching is the exact opposite of the Prosperity gospel outlined in chapter two. We won't spend much time here, because the "opposites" are obvious.

Those who subscribe to this teaching say that we should not have anything. We should give everything away and basically be a hermit. "God will provide" is their motto.

The basis for this teaching is a misinterpretation of Scripture. God will provide, but sometimes He provides money and things! Also, the Bible does not teach that money is evil; rather, it teaches that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (First Timothy 6:9-10). It's not the money, it's the love of it.

In closing the chapter, Palmer writes,

In order for us to walk in all the ways the Lord God has commanded we must train our hearts and minds with thorough application of all of God's Word. We must prepare our hearts to willingly accept God's provision and use it to His glory. That way we will not be enamored with and deluded by extremes that would endanger our souls and the souls of others. (page 44)

Chapter Four: Stewardship Theology

In this chapter, Palmer gets to the Biblical view of money and possessions. As we attempt to point out on this blog quite often, we are just stewards (caretakers) of the blessings--money and possessions included--that God has given us.

That implies, according to Palmer, that God wants my best effort in giving, in care taking and in all other areas related to money. On pages 56-58, Palmer writes a section entitled "Find--and Keep--Your Balance." This section is worthy of your reading, as it really (in my estimation) gives a great summation of the Bible's teaching on money. (In fact, I am using this material in a sermon on Sunday night!...thanks, Jim!!!). Included is a list of passages and points on page 58 that is worth preaching or teaching; especially to young people.

Chapter Five: You Can't Take it With You

This very brief final chapter is one of those "put it all in perspective" chapters. Why do we spend and horde and spend and horde? We all understand that when we die, or the Lord returns, we won't have any of our "stuff" anyway?

We should enjoy the things we have, but we should not be a miser. We need to plan for our children's future. We need to give more liberally to the church and other important works. In short, we need to have the Bible's view of money.

Recommendation

While this book is not long, it is filled with information that will help you. Each chapter has questions for thought and discussion (and a little soul searching). There are a total of 21 quotes (called "links") interspersed throughout the chapters that keep the reader's mind going in the right direction.

I recommend this little book for individuals, and I think it would also be a fun book for a group to read and study together (a small group or Bible class for 1-2 months).

To order Faith and Finance from the Focus Press website, click here and scroll down a bit.

"The Automatic Millionaire" (Conclusion)

The last section of David Bach's book is brief, but, in my mind, it is a solid conclusion. Entitled "Your Journey Begins Today!" this section simply gives a "pep talk" to those who might have read the book and thought, "That works for some folks, but not for me."

Bach takes a moment to remind the reader of the most important step to any financial plan: "You just need to start" (226). How true that is! For the rest of this short section (it is only four pages), Bach reminds the reader of the different chapters and asks you to re-read whichever will get you going (or going again).

For me, the best part of this book is the opening story, about the McIntyres. It's one of those "if they can do it, I can, too" type of stories.

Buy or Don't Buy: My Recommendation

I have read Automatic Millionaire cover-to-cover on more than one occasion. I am glad I own the book and it is helpful.

My personal feeling is that someone just starting out needs to read Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover first. For my money, that book is more practical and helpful.

That being said, if you have read Ramsey's book and still need a little encouragement, The Automatic Millionaire can deliver. You will obviously find some differences in the books, but you will also find help in both.

So, my recommendation is to buy Dave's book first, but make sure you add Bach's book to your library eventually.

WYTI Links: 11/21/2007

Here's a mid-week set of links to go around...have a great holiday week!

10 Easy Ways to Save Money Without Much Effort (via Consumerism Commentary) Thanks to Adam for submitting this link last week...

What If You Make Maximum Retirement Contributions For 20, 30, 40 Years? (Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, 401k, 403b) (via No Credit Needed)

Organization 101: A Visual Guide to How I Manage the Information in My Life (via The Simple Dollar) Trent uses a system very closely akin to David Allen's "Getting Things Done" philosophy. Here he spells it out...and includes pictures.

Would Jesus Have an Emergency Fund? (via ChristianPF) This addresses an interesting thought we probably have all considered about the balance of saving for the future and using our blessings for God's good.

MP3 Players for Nine Year Olds? Whatever Happened to Simple, Inexpensive Fun? (via Money, Matter, and More Musings) In the holiday shopping spirit...

"The Automatic Millionaire" (Chapter Four)

"Now make it automatic."

That's the overriding theme of this chapter, and the idea from which the book gets its name. David Bach is a firm believer in putting as many things on "autopilot" as possible. In fact, for the rest of the book, nearly every step includes the idea of making it automatic.

If you work for a company that will move money from your paycheck before you ever see it, get in touch with them and enroll in a 401(k) plan, but make it automatic! As we mentioned in the last chapter review, Bach also says that, whatever percentage you think you can put away, add one or two percent to it. After just a couple of weeks, you won't miss the money, anyway!

The chapter also contains a very easy-to-understand comparison of the traditional IRA (Individual Retirement Account) and the Roth IRA. As with most financial gurus, Bach teaches that, if at all possible, one should work in a Roth, but only after taking a company match in a 401(k) plan.

This quite lengthy chapter (it's 54 pages in length) also takes the time to show you the names and contact information for some companies that can help you get started with an IRA.

There is one major "plus" to this chapter. Bach takes quite a bit of time to share with the reader the importance of compound interest and of getting started as soon as possible. As you, no doubt, know, compound interest, over time can make thousands of dollars worth of difference if the same amount is invested. A chart on page 97 shows what investing just $100 per month will grow into. If you invested $100 at 10% for 20 years, you would have 76,570. However, if you invested that same $100 and only got 9%, but started 10 years earlier, you would have $184,447! That's almost twice as much, despite making less in interest!

I feel there is one major "minus" to the chapter, too. Bach is a firm believer in the "pyramid" way of investing. He says that, over time, one should move money from investment to investment, getting a little more "safe" (or conservative) as time goes by. For my money, I agree more with Dave Ramsey on this one. If you will take you time and do your research, you can keep your money in good stock mutual funds for your entire life and still be quite safe.

This chapter is long, but it is informative. While I feel that Bach gets off the subject just a bit (or, maybe, he just tries to explain too much about investing in one chapter) the overarching theme is still to pay for your retirement automatically. If you decide that you can write out checks every month, if you are like me, you will fail. "Something" (whatever that is) will "come up," and keep you from putting money away regularly. Save yourself from yourself and make it automatic.

Quotables: Your Money or Your Life -- Chapter 1, Part 2

Here are some final quotes from the first chapter:

• We haven't just borrowed from "the bank." We've borrowed from future generations... (p11)

• And many of us are out there "making a dying" because we've bought the pervasive American myth that more is better. (p 12)

• Americans used to be "citizens." Now we are "consumers"--which means people who "use up, waste, destroy and squander." (p 15)

• Whoever dies with the most toys wins. Life, liberty and the pursuit of material possessions. (p 17)

"The Automatic Millionaire" (Chapter One)

What a fascinating way to start the book! We all like stories, and this one is interesting and told quite well. David Bach's first chapter, "Meeting the Automatic Millionaire," may not contain a lot of practical advice, but it is the best chapter in the book. While I have read the book 3 times, I have read chapter one probably 4 or 5 more.

The chapter is simply a story. It is the story about how David Bach got the ideas for his plan; and those ideas came from a couple that he never would have expected them from.

Mr. Bach was teaching financial classes, but was still living paycheck-to-paycheck. He was what Dave Ramsey calls, "A broke finance teacher." One afternoon, though, that all changed. Jim and Sue McIntyre came into his office--not for advice as he had thought--but, rather, to show David that if he would just apply what he taught, he'd be rich.

These two people, nearing retirement, didn't make a ton of money (combined around $50,000 average), but owned two six-figure homes free and clear and didn't owe a dime on anything. In fact, as David looked over their stuff, it came to his mind that these two normal Americans had a net worth of just under $2million!

The rest of the chapter simply tells what they did to achieve such amazing levels of financial success. I won't go into detail because it really principles became the ideas for each chapter of the book.

Suffice it to say, if these two normal folks can be wealthy on a regular salary, anyone can! As I said before, this chapter is my favorite, and it is so motivational. If you don't have the book, this chapter is worth the price of the book. It will help us "normal folks" want to do what the McIntyres did.

Quotables: Your Money or Your Life -- Chapter 1 (part 1)

I've not fallen down on my reading of Your Money or Your Life...I've just neglected the opportunity to post interesting and helpful quotes from the chapters.

Today, let's begin looking at Chapter 1: The Money Trap the Old Road Map for Money.

• "Your money or your life." If someone thrust a gun in your ribs and said that sentence, what would you do? Most of us would turn over our wallets. The threat works because we value our lives more than we value our money. Or do we?

• Even the best of jobs have trade-offs. Midlife comes and we discover we've been living our parents' agenda. Or worse, we've been filling teeth for twenty years because some seventeen-year-old (was that really me?) decided that being a dentist would be the best of all possible worlds.

• And they call [the modern career path] making a living? Think about it. How many people have you seen who are more alive at the end of the work day that they were at the beginning? Do we come home from our "making a living" activity with more life? Do we bound through the door, refreshed and energized, ready for a great evening with the family? Where's all the life we supposedly made at work? For many of us, isn't the truth of it closer to "making a dying"? Aren't we killing ourselves--our health, our relationships, our sense of joy and wonder for our jobs? We are sacrificing our lives for money--but it's happening so slowly that we barely notice.

• Even if we aren't any happier, you'd think that we'd at least have the traditional symbol of success: money in the bank. Not so...The savings rate was 4.5 percent in 1990 [I have an older edition ;)]...The Japanese, by the way, save over 15 percent of their disposable income.

The book does an excellent job of living up to its subtitle, "Transforming Your Relationship with Money..." How we view money will determine how we treat money.

I'll post more quotables from chapter 1 later...

Check out the Prologue if you missed it last month...

"The Automatic Millionarie" (Introduction)

For our third book review on this blog, we turn to another best-seller. David Bach's The Automatic Millionaire is an intriguing book that I have read more than once.

At the outset, I will tell you my biases, both for and against this book. You will probably notice that they will come up several times in this brief series.

First, the negative. I don't fully agree with Bach's strategy. While some of what he has to say is wonderful, and I will praise a couple of his principles several times, I don't like his lack of focus. I follow Dave Ramsey on this one: do one thing with total focus until it's done. Bach likes to divide our focus into more than one thing at times, and I don't like that.

The positive--besides the principles I like--is that the book is extremely readable and brief. I have read it three times, and actually read over half of the book in one day (without even reading all day) last year. It is one of the few financial books I enjoy reading.

Introduction

The book begins by promising to help in a practical way, and promises to do so in a short amount of time. Like many books, this volume does not give you "hot stock tips" or other such financial information. It, rather, changes our attitude about money.

After laying out some practical points ("You don't have to make a lot of money to be rich," for example--page 7), Bach gives is overriding theme, and the one for which the book is named:

If your financial plan is not automatic, you will fail! (7)

If you can remember that point, you will do well with this book. It comes up in every single chapter, and makes the book simple to understand.

The introduction is short, but it does grab the reader's attention. If you don't have a copy of The Automatic Millionaire, you may purchase it from the link below. While you may or may not agree with everything Bach says, the book is definitely worth the price of a used copy.

An Interesting Look

Before reading this brief article, please take a moment to read "A Guideline Budget: How Do You Compare?" on Gathering Little by Little.

If you do much reading on financial planning, or any reading on budgeting, you will probably find a similar breakdown of how to allocate your funds. I find the comparison in the article to be quite interesting.

I also find it eye-opening. Did you notice that nowhere in the "guideline" was there a line item for "Church" or even "charitable giving"? Even if you looked at the miscellaneous category as that kind of spending, it would only be 8% of the budget (at most).

Recently, Wes wrote an article on this blog that I hope you will go back and read. Sometimes faithful Christians really have a struggle with their attitude towards money. The reason is quite simple: we either give like we should and stay deeply in debt (or just waaaay behind the "Joneses"), or we live like everyone else without giving anything but a token to the Lord.

Christians need to remember that, in our "budget meetings," the Lord doesn't just come first. What? Isn't that what we always say? Write down what you make and put "Church" or "Giving" as the first item on the list? Yes, we should do that. God shouldn't get the leftovers, He should get our first "fruits."

However, that's not the only place God should be in our budget meetings. The Lord shouldn't just come first on the piece of paper or on the spreadsheet. He should be in charge of the meeting! Every decision, from the debt reduction to eating out, should have our spiritual lives in focus.

When we do that, we will adjust our "percentages" accordingly.

WYTI Links: 10.19.2007 (Almost) The "Third Saturday in October" Edition

The "Third Saturday in October" is always a big day in the south...'Bama vs. Tennessee. Too bad it's been relegated to the 11:30 am slot on LFS. Here's Friday's links...

• Why Money Doesn't Buy Happiness (via Newsweek)

• How to Best Handle Old Credit Card Accounts (via Consumerism Commentary) Having "old" credit card accounts can be a good problem to have...here's some advice on what to do with them.

• 10 Ways to Build the Habit of Saving Money (via Get Rich Slowly) It's subtle, but I love how the title says "Build the Habit of Saving Money." Becoming a responsible steward is a process. Hopefully, children are reared in this direction from an early age. If not, adults need to have the patience to change bad habits into healthy ones over time.

• Thirteen Ways to Reduce the Effect of "Bad Luck" in Your Financial Life (via The Simple Dollar)

• Two for one: 5 Ways Paperless Personal Finance Saves You Money & Risks of Paperless Finance (both via Blueprint for Financial Prosperity)

Have a great weekend...

5 Days Until Dave on TV

Dave Ramsey, whose "Baby Steps" have helped thousands get out of debt (and are helping many more--me included!)--will soon be on television.

For a long time, a local Nashville station has aired some of the Dave Ramsey radio show on its local market, but that failed to reach many people. So, in just five days, Dave will be on a new network, Fox Business Network, in a primetime slot.

It is worth checking with your local cable network to see if the network will be on in you area. GREAT NEWS: If you have DirecTV, you will be getting the network (channel 359). I enjoy hearing Ramsey's radio program, but don't get to hear it much (since I'm usually at work when he is on). A prime-time TV slot would let me see him (or record via DVR) the program and get a little "help" each day.

Click here for the link from Dave's website, which also features a short video about the move.

Here is the new network's website.

Quotables: Your Money or Your Life -- Prologue

I am currently reading Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin's Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence and reading Trent's (The Simple Dollar) extensive reviews.

As I finish each chapter, I will post some of the quotes I find interesting and helpful. Think of it as letting the authors reviewing the book themselves.

Today, we flip through the Prologue:

• What [most money] books have in common is that they assume that your financial life functions separately from the rest of your life. This book is about putting it all back together. It is about integration, a "whole systems" approach to life (xviii).

• Even though we "won" the Industrial Revolution, the spoils of war are looking more and more spoiled...the old road map for money has us trapped in the very vehicle that was supposed to liberate us from toil (xx).

• FI (financially independent) thinking is about cartography--making your own map, one that accurately depicts the terrain of your life as it actually is today (xxv).

• FI (financially independent) thinking will lead naturally to Financial Intelligence, Financial Integrity and Financial Independence (xxv).

The authors make the point that much of our financial shortcomings today have resulted from using the "old road map"--born from the Industrial Revolution--in a time where a much different map is needed. I think it's a strong and plausible argument.

I also appreciate how their approach is designed for individuality. Too many people (especially the most famous ones) in personal finance try to give virtually the same advice no matter the situation.

Dealing with the Heat

After a sweltering Summer, we are now dealing with continued heat on into October. It is again 90+ degrees today in Alabama, as it was all weekend. While many negative things happen because of the heat, there were some lessons I learned this Summer. Some deal with finances and others with just general living.

1. The electric bill will be high; budget accordingly. We don't keep our house particularly cool, but when the temperature is constantly at 90 or more (or over 100 often as it was this Summer), the electric bill is going to spiral upward. Don't let that kill your budget. In many places, you can pay the electric bill in equal installments each month (usually called something like "budget billing"), then pay the difference in December. If you really struggle with budgeting, this may be of some help.

2. Find way to shave pennies off that high electric bill. If you don't have ceiling fans in your house, you are missing out. They can really save quite a bit of money off the bill by continually circulating air. If you have an electric water heater, don't use as much hot water when the temperature is sweltering. Leave comments on some other ways to save on the electric bill in the heat.

3. Drink tap water. While this is always a big savings over bottled water, it is especially true when you are drinking gallons of water. I try to drink at least 3 large glasses of water each day (about 16 ounces each). However, I found myself drinking 4-6 each day this Summer, and I have been drinking quite a bit over the last few days as well. If you are truly worried that tap water is unhealthy, invest in a small filter. It will still be much, much cheaper than bottled water.

4. Drink other liquids. Water is good, but if you get dehydrated (or are "on the verge"), you need something more. Gatorade (or similar drinks) really has helped me in the past, including when I did get dehydrated in the Summer of 2006. Lemonade is also a good help.

5. Learn to work outside in short bursts. While efficiency and frugality always seem to go hand-in-hand, it is never more evident than when the quicksilver is shooting up. When the temperature was over 100, and I had to weed-eat, it was amazing how efficient I got! This can carry over into saving time in the yard while still doing a good job year round.

6. As if I needed to remind you, don't forget to take care of the kids. If they are stuck in a car seat (like mine are), don't just leave them in the car, even with the engine running. Get them out of the car and into a building with air-conditioning. It is better for them to be out in the sun and heat with some air moving than in a car with "still" air.

I hope these help you. It's supposed to start cooling off later this week, and I hope it does. But, when the heat begins to rise again, we can all use these tips to help save some money...and maybe our own lives!

Giving Our Way to Prosperity (Lesson Thirteen)

This final lesson deals with giving throughout the Bible. As its purpose the chapter has, "to impress upon our minds that God through the ages has taught man to give of his means" (75). There is no way, in a brief review post, that every aspect of this chapter could be discussed. This final chapter deals with one subject, but goes deeply into that subject, making the student understand that giving is not some thing God "made up" to torment Christians.

Giving is good for us. Giving to God is even better. By sacrificing, we put our trust in God and we show our appreciation to Him. This chapter simply deals with how that has been done over the centuries.

Section one deals with 3 tithes that Old Testament Jews were required to make. The first is called The Priestly Tithe by Brother Black because the purpose was to aid the priests in their work (75-76). The other two tithes are not given specific names, but are listed to impress upon us that Jews were required to give a significant amount of their wealth often (76-77).

With that reminder in place, brother Black turns the student's attention to the New Testament law. What are we to give? As we have noted, there is no "set" amount listed in the New Testament, but Christians are still commanded to give. We are to be good stewards of our blessings and we are to give liberally to the cause of the Lord. How do we do that? Section two deals with the mental side of giving. It takes a mental recognition of the need for stewardship (77-78).

Finally, to close the book (79), Black helps us see the fallacy in giving only what is left over. David, in Second Samuel 24:24 understood that he needed to sacrifice in order to please God, not just give Him "something." David said that he would not give to God something that did not cost him anything. I need that same attitude! I need to learn the meaning of sacrifice, and I need to trust God to protect me.

After having read through this book again, and having written these posts, it is cemented in my mind that Christians (me included!) need more teaching on money, stewardship and sacrificial giving. This book may be somewhat hard to find, but it will be worth finding. Adult classes (and even youth classes) would benefit greatly from a study of this book. It is not long (just 80 pages), but it covers so much. If you are looking for material for a Bible class, find this book and teach it. Then, live it!

"Giving Our Way to Prosperity" (Lesson Twelve)

This next-to-last lesson in V.P. Black's book gives an interesting perspective to giving. It walks us through the story of the Magi (or wise men) to see their attitude and the gifts they brought to the child Jesus. This lesson is unlike others in the book in that it basically is a sermon. One could read this chapter straight through and it would read like a sermon or lecture on giving. There are no lists or long parentheticals as in other lessons.

To emphasize the giving of the wise men, brother Black mentions these four points about their giving:

1. "They made ready for the offering" (page 69). To emphasize the modern-day lesson, brother Black reminds us of Matthew 6:33 and also the Old Testament story of the widow of Zarephath.

2. "They guarded their offering" (70). While not stated in the text, it is obvious that these men had to guard the gifts they brought, simply because of the distance they traveled and the value of each gift. We often "lose" our gifts by robbers. Brother Black enumerates some of these "robbers" as "need," "carelessness" and "automobile!" (70-71)

3. "They presented their offerings to Christ" (71). They went directly to Jesus to offer these gifts. This shows the desire of their heart as much as the gift itself.

4. "They provided for Christ's needs in their offering" (72). Do we give with needs in mind, or do we just give because we "have to"? That's a question that only I can answer for myself, but that will teach me much about my heart.

"Giving Our Way to Prosperity" (Lesson Eleven)

A survey of the New Testament letters is a valuable study in nearly any Bible subject. That is true in thinking of giving, as well. Just a simple survey of the epistles teaches us so much about money and stewardship. In the 11th lesson of his book, V.P. Black gives us a few lessons to think about that come from these books.

First, from the example of the Macedonians, brother Black lists 9 paradoxes from their example in giving:

1. They gave under affliction and persecution.
2. They gave with abounding joy.
3. They gave with abundant liberality.
4. They gave as much as they were able to give.
5. They gave more than they were able to give.
6. They gave willingly.
7. They begged Paul to accept it.
8. They gave more than Paul expected, they surprised him.
9. The reason for their liberality: they gave themselves. (page 64)

As you can see, each of these 9 could easily be a great class discussion starter. Such is the nature of a survey.

Next, brother Black takes the time to speak of the concept of the "promise" to give (Second Corinthians 9:5). This leads to a discussion of setting a budget. He lists 8 things that a budget "is."

1. It is a goal looking to the future, believing certain things can be done.
2. It is a plan which may be called the blue print of the church's program of work.
3. It is a way which points out the best road to follow in the use of your liberalities.
4. It is a picture which points up the financial program of the church, and is drawn so all may see.
5. It is a ladder which challenges Christians to climb still higher, and thereby walk the mountain tops in righteous stewardship.
6. It is satisfaction in which every member can have a part in carrying on congregational activities. It is not really just the "church budget," it is "our budget"--the personal obligation of every member of the congregation.
7. It is an operation which "cuts out" all unscriptural means for financing God's work.
8. It is an opportunity for all--from the youngest to the oldest; from the richest to the poorest; from the largest to the smallest. It is a thrill, it is a joy. Here everybody knows where his money is going and what it is accomplishing. (pages 65-66)

This list would make a great series when thinking about budgeting. We often think of a budget as a stagnant "thing," but these points remind us it is far more.

Other sections in this chapter make further points ("Completion of plans," "The Lord's money can be embezzled," and "God's promises to the liberal giver"). There is so much in this chapter and it is one that can be covered for many weeks. Students will enjoy a teacher who gives ample time to the points in this survey.

"Giving Our Way to Prosperity" (Lesson Ten)

Oddly enough, this chapter carries the same title as does the entire book. While I think this lesson is vitally important to the overall study, I wish it were either first or last. It is one of the very best lessons, and it carries the same title as the book, so the placement just seems to be "off."

The purpose of this lesson is "to impress upon the mind that we are blessed in this life for liberal giving" (57, emphasis added). Many think that God's people will only be truly blessed for their sacrifice and work in Heaven, but this lesson reminds us that there are promises for this life for those who give sacrificially to the Lord.

The lesson begins with one of the longest introductory sections of any chapter (57-58). In this section, brother Black recounts stories from him many years of preaching. He tells stories of those who have told him of great blessings due to giving sacrificially. He also tells the other side of the story: stories of those who simply do not give as they should and have even cut down their giving to the bare "minimum" for spite! For those with this attitude--which, I'm afraid, is far too many--a lesson on the blessings to be gained in this life from giving is so helpful.

The first reminder in this lesson is the promise of Jesus to those who had left "all" to serve and follow Him. He told His followers that they would "receive an hundredfold and shall inherit eternal life." What a promise! Wouldn't you like to gain 10,000%? That's what Jesus promised! That doesn't mean that, if I put $1 in the bank today that tomorrow I'll have $100. Jesus was using poetic license to tell His followers that the blessings they gain in this life will be incalculable. These words, brother Black reminds us, should greatly motivate us all to give, give, give!

The next verse discussed in this lesson is Luke 6:38. There Jesus said, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." This verse undergirds the principle found in Second Corinthians 9:5-6: "He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." God is able to take whatever we can give and turn it into great things; sometimes even using other men as the agent through which that is accomplished.

In Malachi 3:10, God promised His people that He would open the "windows of heaven" to bless them if they would, in a word, challenge Him with their offerings. If I really trust God, why would I not see if He didn't mean what He said?

Solomon wrote, "Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine" (Proverbs 3:9-10). Also, First Kings 17:9-16 teaches much the same. This lesson is designed to use these several verses to remind us of the promises God has made. Friends, God always keeps His promises. Why not give to Him and let Him take care of the rest.

This lesson may seem like "health and wealth" Gospel, but it is not. This is not the teaching that says, "Give all your money to this ministry and your mortgage will be paid off." The Bible, instead, teaches us to give to God and let Him take care of the blessings. We may never be wealthy, but we will be well-taken-care-of.

"Giving Our Way to Prosperity" (Lesson Nine)

Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth: "Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful" (First Corinthians 4:2). That verses serves as the basis for lesson nine of V.P. Black's book. The lesson is simply titled, "Faithful Stewardship," and the stated purpose is "to get a better understanding of what it means to be a faithful steward" (51).

I find one of the introductory paragraphs in this lesson to be extremely interesting. While this study, obviously, is about giving, brother Black reminds us of the fact that stewardship is just part of our Christian walk, but it can serve as a sign of how the rest of our efforts for God are:

Stewardship of money is only a fraction of our full Christian stewardship. Giving is just a part of our stewardship of money. We must use wisely that which we do not give to the church. Faithful stewardship includes the whole of a thing, a part is never equal to the whole. Self and substance makes up true stewardship. The person who is very faithful in certain things and unfaithful in others is not a good steward. (51)

The point of this chapter is to remind us that we must use all God's blessings wisely. Wasting what God gives is not wise, nor is it Christ-like.

As I have done in most of the posts in this series, allow me to just list the sections that comprise this study:

• The steward and his life (52)
• Stewardship of time (53)
• Stewardship of influence (53-54). What an overlooked area of study!!!
• Stewardship of the Gospel (54-55)
• Stewards of money (55)

We often have lessons on being good stewards of money, then, near the end of the lesson, throw in a statement like, "Of course, we need to be good stewards of our time and efforts, too." Look at that list of sections again. What a great series to preach or teach in a Bible class! We have lessons about influence from time-to-time, but do we ever talk about being a steward of our influence?

This lesson is simple, but, in my mind, is a good "break" from only talking about money. Students will enjoy this lesson about other areas where God has blessed us all, and will want to do better about serving Him in all these areas.

"Giving Our Way to Prosperity" (Lesson Seven)

When most Bible class students get to the seventh lesson, they are probably tired of hearing about giving. Then, they read the title of this lesson: "Give Till It Hurts." While the study of stewardship takes a great level of maturity, thinking of giving in these terms will truly test a person's commitment to the act of giving.

However, when the student begins to study the lesson, he or she is met with this seemingly paradoxical purpose: "To impress upon the mind that there is a joy in giving, and that there is no pain connected with true giving" (39). Why does that seem to be a paradox? Because the lesson title leads us to think that giving "hurts," but the purpose statement tells us that it does not hurt. How can that be?

The four sections of the lesson lead us to a greater understanding of the attitude of our giving. The lesson is divided into these four sections:

• Our Giving Should be Consistent (40-41)
• Giving Must come from Sincere Heart (41-42)
• One Should Give with a Happy Heart (42-43)
• Our Giving Is To Be Generous (43)

If one follows the logical progression of these four sections, he/she comes to the conclusion that giving from the right heart (or, with the right attitude) does not really "hurt." While our giving may be a large portion of our budget, when we have the correct attitude, we don't have pain when writing that check. We know our money is going to the right place and for the correct purpose.

This lesson may seem quite simplistic, but it helps students better understand how giving more money doesn't really "hurt" when we have the right attitude. Many Christians need to be reminded of that teaching.

"Giving Our Way to Prosperity" (Lesson Six)

This post will be brief, because this lesson is one of the most basic in brother Black's book. The purpose of this lesson is, in many ways, the purpose of the entire book: "To impress upon the mind that God blesses a liberal giver" (33).

On page 34, brother Black points out that liberal giving has been a trait of God's people since ancient times. Back to the days even of Noah people gave of themselves to serve their Creator. That example should resonate with us today.

As the lesson continues, we are reminded of the generosity of those under the Old Testament. Specifically, we are led to Exodus 36, where materials were brought for the building of the temple. The people brought so much that they had to be restrained from giving any more. Wouldn't it be wonderful if such were the case in our congregations today?!?

The basic idea of this lesson to set forth some basic truths about liberality. On page 35, this truth is set forth: "Liberality increases spirituality." When one truly studies passages such as Matthew 6:19-21, this comes forth. As brother Black says, "Liberal, joyful, believing and sacrificial giving will make you a stronger spiritual man. It is impossible for a man to have his heart in the Lord's work while all of his material interest is in the world" (36).

The final "truth" laid out in this chapter is that "Liberality leads to plenty" (36). This is not the "health and wealth" gospel that so many preach. Rather, it is taking God up on a promise (Luke 6:38). Jesus promised spiritual gifts here. In the Old Law (Malachi 3:10) God promised to open the windows of heaven to bless those who "challenge" God in their giving. While we may not get a million-dollar bank account, God still richly blesses those who give liberally and then trust Him to protect.

Brother Black finishes the chapter with these good words:

It is not wrong to tell the farmer that if he makes an investment by sowing seed, that he, in due season, shall reap what he sowed. It is also right to tell the Christian what the Bible so often says: "giving" is sowing and the Lord of harvest guarantees the reaping. (37)