Peace and Design

Want to make sure you know about 2 opportunities that are starting/happening THIS week:





1) Financial Peace - This is a 13-week course, that if you lean into it will change your financial future!

Begins this Wednesday Night!

If you have any financial questions or issues in your life and have never been through FP, then you need to get there!

To sign up or fmi call Colleen Harris at 808-341-8464.



2) Divine Design - This Saturday at 9am I'm going to teach about our Spiritual Gifts, Talents, Personalities and Passion!

On Sunday I talked about how God has wired us each differently to impact the world for the Kingdom! If you're not sure what He has wired you for, then get there on Sat morning!

Call the office - 993-4463 - to get signed up!

What Will We Do?

What a crazy time and economy we are living in! Gas prices (even though down a little these last couple of weeks) are skyrocketing, food prices, milk prices, toilet paper prices - you name it are battering us.
At the same a record number of mortgages are failing, utility costs are rising, taxes are rising . . .

Wow, it can be discouraging! Overwhelming!

But that's only when we live our lives based on limitations and fail to see opportunities!
For many of us it really is an opportunity to reorder our lives and put our resources into what truly matters. I must confess that I am stealing the heart of this blog from a post written a month or so ago by Mark Beeson (you can check it out here if you like.) But it's just been pounding on my mind in that month and I had to talk to you about it.

So, what is truly important? Where do we make our most impactful investments? Just like you, our family has a choice with our limited resources - and here is how we choose to invest:

1) Our tithe to Oso Creek - The Church is the greatest hope in the world. I say this - not just because I'm a pastor - but because I believe it! God commands us to give to Him first and says that He will pour out the blessings of heaven. For 20+ years Cindy and I have taken Him at His Word.
I don't say this to point to us but to God's willingness - we've had several years where we have given over 20% of what we've earned back to Oso Creek. And God has provided for every meal!

2) Our Family - God tells me that I am to provide for my families needs. (Notice I said needs, not frills :). And I will do that. Whatever it takes. (And bless them as well with some of those 'frills' as God gives opportunity!)

3) Saving - It's important for us to look to our families future and to be like the ant who stores up for lean times . . . Proverbs 6:6-8

4) For the Kingdom - As God provides we will look for ways to give above and beyond to bless others in need . . .


So what do you think? Where are you?

If you are struggling - or just know that you need to ratchet up your financial skills - I want to encourage you to check out the opportunity to go to Financial Peace. We had this class for the first time last spring and it transformed some folks financial lives!
And one of the cool things is that we are partnering with other churches to do it - and this Fall it will be at Yorktown Baptist.
Just click here - and send an email to Linda to get more info.

Congratulations FPU'ers!

Congratulations to all our Creekers (and Yorktowners) who graduated last week from our First Financial Peace University Class!

Way to go! Way to press on!

We had over 10 families who retired at least $1,000 of debt just in the 13 weeks . . . and at least 2 families who already retired over $5,000 of debt . . . and they're just getting started!

It's incredible how God is blessing these folks -- and this Fall when we offer FPU again, you can get in on the blessing!

On the last week Dave Ramsey talked about Giving. Here are some highlights of what he said:

- You and I are asset managers for God, so if we view it properly, we aren't giving our own money.

- Giving moves you to become less selfish, and less selfish people have more of a tendency to prosper in relationships and wealth!

- Because we are made in God's image, we are happiest and most fulfilled when we are serving and giving.

- A 'tithe' of your first fruits is a 10th off the top of what God has given you!

- "'Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, try Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'See if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be enough room to receive it.'" (Malachi 3:10)

FPU Highlights - Week 11

We only have 2 more Wednesday's of Financial Peace University and I'm really proud of all the folks who have stuck it out . . . it's been incredible!

And the view from the top will be awesome!

Last week Dave Ramsey talked about Working in Your Strengths. Here are some highlights:

- The average job is now only 2.1 years in length . . . and the average worker will have over 20 jobs in their lifetime

- Myth: You will learn and grow the most in areas where you are the weakest.
Truth: You grow in your strengths. You will grow the most in the areas that you already know and love the most.

-"Until you make peace with who you are, you will never be content with what you have." (Doris Mortman)

- "Think beyond your lifetime if you want to accomplish something truly worthwhile." (Walt Disney)

- Do not allow your work to be the source of all your satisfaction and self-worth!

FPU Highlights - Week 10

Alright, I've missed a couple of weeks of FPU updates but let me just say that this is AWESOME stuff and you just need to GO the next chance you get!

Here are some highlights from last weeks lesson on Planning for Retirement & College:

- Children do what feels good. Adults devise a plan and follow it!

- "Most people have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win." (Bobby Knight)

- Baby Step 4 in Ramsey's plan: Invest 15% of your household income into Roth IRA's and pre-tax retirement plans.

- Borrowing against your retirement plan is a bad idea!

- If a 30-year old couple funds a Roth IRA at $500 per month and earns 12% a year - at 70 years old they will have . . . . $5,882,386! Tax Free!

- This was a great lesson and you need to hear the details about saving now to meet later needs! So I strongly encourage you to sign up for Financial Peace the next time you can!

FPU Highlights - Week 4 & 5

Because of a week off (Spring Break) and a missed week, it's been a while since I've done an FPU update . . . but it's still incredible stuff and worth every moment . . .

And let me remind you again to check out What If We've Got It All Wrong - the Gregory's (Creekers) all out their on the table chronicle of their financial journey. Good stuff.

OK, here's the highlights:

- Myth: You need to take out a credit card or car loan to "build up your credit score."
Truth: The FICO score is an "I love debt" score and not a measure of winning financially.

- In 1970 average person had 560 ads flashed in front of them every day . . . today it's 3000-4000!

- Those 90-day 'Same as Cash!' contracts? 88% of them convert to payments - usually at 24% APR! In the same vein only 1/3 of car buyers qualify for that "0% Financing!" . . . the others . . . well they buy the car and fund the other 1/3!

- "He who is impulsive exalts folly." Proverbs 14:29

- No amount of stuff equals contentment or fulfillment. Don't medicate dysfunction with spending.

- You'll never catch happiness with money.

- How to develop power over purchasing:
1) Wait overnight before making a purchase.
2) Carefully consider your buying motives.
3) Never buy anything you do not understand.
4) Seek the counsel of your spouse (or someone you trust)

FPU Highlights - Week 4

Last week was incredible and in many ways disheartening as Dave Ramsey talked about Dumping Debt and how debt has a stranglehold on our culture. You'll be able to tell by the length and sound of this blog that I'm fired up! Here's some of the highlights:

- Debt has been marketed to us in so many forms so aggressively since the 60's that now to live without it requires a complete paradigm change. (The 1910 Sears & Roebuck catalog said: "Buying on credit is folly." That was before the Discover Card became one of Sears most profitable segments of business.)

- 6 Billion credit cards went out last year

- Debt is not a privilege, it is a Product -- and banks have sold us on it!

- Myth: By cosigning a loan I am helping out a friend or relative.
Truth: The bank requires a cosigner because the person isn't likely to repay! So be ready to pay the loan and have your credit damaged.

- Myth: Playing the lottery and other forms of gambling will make me rich.
Truth: The lottery is a tax on the poor and on people who can't do math!
[Here's the lottery stats from one study: The people who do not have a HS diploma and frequent the lottery spend an average of $173 a month. College grads spend an average of $49 a month.
Now, here's the amazing part . . . If you put $50 a month in savings for 30 years you have $1,900,000! And it's not one in a billion -- you have it EVERY time!!]

- Myth: You can get a good deal on a new car.
Truth: A new car loses 70% of it's value in the first four years. 1/3 of people are upside down on their cars.

- Teens are a HUGE target of credit cards. More young adults filed bankruptcy than graduated from college last year!

- Myth: Debt is a tool that should be used to create prosperity.
Truth: "The borrower is the slave to the lender." (Proverbs 22:7)

FPU Highlights - Week 3

Another highlight reel from Financial Peace University last week . . . man this stuff is awesome! I hope that those of you who aren't going will be encouraged through this blog to go next time!

This week was all about financial planning:

- "A budget is people telling their money what to do instead of wondering where it went!"

- Americans spent $10.3 billion in interest on automatic overdraft loans last year! Stupid!

- Most people hate the word 'budget' because they've never had a budget that worked.

- "Sometimes you say 'NO!' so that later you can say 'YES!'

- A written plan removes the 'management by crisis' from your finances.

- Every dollar should have a name before the month begins.


Also, there was a great blog by Craig Groeschel recently talking about about having 'financial margin' in our lives. Click here to check it out.

FPU Highlights - Week 2

Wow, I got a week behind, but I still want to give you a taste of what we're experiencing in Financial Peace University. Week 2 was all about Money and our Families:

- Dave Ramsey says that a families (or individuals) flow of money represents the value system under which they live

- "Having an Emergency Fund [$1,000 saved ONLY for emergencies] is an investment in a pretty wife." Ramsey says this is because women have an extra organ - a 'security gland' - that's directly wired to their face muscles.

- Money issues are the #1 that break up marriages in America . . .and so inversely it represents the #1 opportunity to bring blessing to marriages

- "Teaching your kids about money is not the school's responsibility. It's YOUR responsibility!

- Kid's need to learn early that if you work you get paid . . . if you don't work you don't get paid. There are 58 year olds who still haven't made the emotional connection between work and money.

FPU Highlights - Week 1

I thought about this kind of late in Week 1 . . . but I want to send ALL of you some quick highlights of each weeks Financial Peace University class. I mean this is AWESOME stuff! And I hope that all of you will get a small injection of financial wisdom to use -- and even be encouraged to go next time it's offered.

Dave Ramsey is a GREAT speaker and Ididn't get some of his pithy stuff written down last week that I will this week. . . here goes . . .

Week 1 Highlights:

- Baby Step #1 to Financial Security is saving a $1,000 emergency fund

- The only difference between saving and hoarding is attitude.

- Unexpected events do occur - expect them!

- Baby Step #3 is 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings.

- You must start [saving] NOW!

- Building wealth is a marathon, not a sprint.

- "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:11)


Also, remember Chris Gregory's blog: whatifwevegotitallwrong.blogspot.com

FPU Power!

Last Wednesday night we started Financial Peace University with nearly 60 adults! These are folks who are going to be blessed beyond their dreams as they put their resources and decisions back in the wise hands of the Owner.

And cooler still is that one of our Creekers - Chris Gregory - has begun a blog to chronicle his families 13-week FPU journey. The blog is called What If We've Got It All Wrong and you've got to go read his first entry! Whether you are going to FPU or not, click here and read it because it is awesome!

Super Cool!

We have over 60 folks coming to Financial Peace University tonight to continue learning how to be great stewards of their resources! (And 8 of those folks are from Yorktown Baptist . . . I praise God for their willingness to join together to learn how to go deeper in this Jesus life!)

And then we have 24 Creekers signed up for Discovering Your Divine Design on Saturday (w/only 2 spots open! Click here to email that you want a spot)!

This is so on my heart right now. Opening up these are the kinds of very practical opportunities to help us navigate into the deeper waters of what it means to follow Jesus.

Another Word on Financial Peace

One big mention I forgot to make on here about Financial Peace, is that it's open to EVERYONE!

Two truths about Financial Peace: 1) Folks ALL around us have money problems.
2) Dave Ramsey is known by people everywhere.

So, don't hesitate to ask folks around you who need help with their finances . . . it may be the way that God has been waiting for them to be connected to Him!!!

And remember, signups end this Tuesday (12th)!

Financial Peace Deadline!

I can't encourage you enough to take advantage of going to Financial Peace University beginning February 20th. (Check out my last post on it for more info)

But I do need to tell you that the deadline to sign up is next Tuesday February 12th. And it is a very dead deadline because materials have to be ordered. So this Sunday is the last Sunday to sign up or you can come by the office.

Listen to this comment that was left on the previous post:

"my husband and i are doing financial peace and it is awesome...it has lit a fire under us to honor God with every aspect of our finances. not to mention how much you can further the kingdom of God if you don't have debt payments to make! 2 thumbs up for financial peace!!!" (Margo)

Financial Peace University!

“The wise look ahead to see what is coming, but fools deceive themselves.” (Prov 14:8)

Wednesday February 20th is when Financial Peace begins at Oso Creek!

You can check out Dave Ramsey's website here.

The Cost is $93 for materials and we will have child care at Oso Creek! This is an incredible opportunity for all of us to gain/renew God's vision for our resources!

Sign up on Sunday or by coming by the Oso Creek Office during the week.