Fireproof

If you did not go see Fireproof in its opening weekend, then you should definitely try to go see it soon while it is still in theatres. Me and Kasey probably only go see like 2 movies a year, but we wanted to go see Fireproof in the theatre to support it since it is a Christian movie that made the theatre. And it was awesome! It has a wonderful message and I want to tell everyone I know that they should see it, especially people who are married. It is about a Fireman and his struggling marriage and faith. If you cry in movies, you should bring some tissues.

Portrait of a President

Though I enjoyed watching the Presidential Debate because I like watching debates, what I enjoyed even more was watching the hour-long special before the debate called Portrait of a President. Both of the candidates have incredible stories and come from two totally different backgrounds. The special highlighted such things as the impact a father has when they are absent or an alcoholic. It talked about personal struggles and personal convictions. It talked of their families and how they got where they are. It showed the impact that a professor can have on a person when they tell them they are not reaching their potential. It showed how important it is for men to make their fathers' proud and carry on family legacy. It talked of turning points in their lives. Truly fascinating. I think no matter who is president, they are there because they love this country and they want to make a difference. Hopefully, I will get to see the next segment of Portrait of a President next week. I love hearing people's stories. Everyone has such a unique and fascinating story.

I remember on one Spring Break campaign I went on, every night a couple of different people would share their life story. I dont think I will ever forget how amazing that was. Especially when people are honest. When you truly hear someone's story, you see them in a totally different light. You know where they come from and how they got to be who they are. Suddenly your perspective of someone can change when you hear their story. I think as Christians we should always want to hear people's stories because when you know their story, you better know the person and it is easier to love them and reach out to them. Knowing someone's story brings you closer together as well.

So I will make it a goal over the next couple of weeks or the next month to find out someone's story.

Debt

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was going to have my brother, Dustin, write a post about debt. He and his wife have gone through the Dave Ramsey course on debt and are now currently teaching the class to others. It has been very beneficial to them in their lives, especially their spiritual lives. Here is a post that my brother wrote about debt:

Debt
Many people are surprised to discover that the Bible has a lot to more to say about money than we are used to hearing about. Usually we only hear about 2 passages: the rich young ruler of Luke 18, and Matthew 6:24 (A man cannot serve two masters). What I think is really interesting is that if you look at only these two verses, you miss the majority of what God teaches about money and his people. There are roughly 800 money references in the Bible. I have not been able to study all of them, but they do not all point to a life of poverty as we seem to be taught.

Darin did a great job of outlining some of the verses that indicate the importance of using money for God’s glory and not our own. My goal here is to show you the Bible’s stance on another money issue: debt.

The Bible never goes as far as calling debt a sin. (Although, I wish it had) The Mosaic Law even gives clear instructions on how debt is to be handled amongst God’s people( Deut 15: 1-3, Deut 15: 3&9, Deut 24:6, and several others). However, the Bible does go as far as saying that debt is a really, really bad idea. Consider these two verses:
Proverbs 22: 7 - The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.
Matthew 6:24 - No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

No, debt is not a sin, but it does make you a servant to whoever you owe money to. In other words, your lender is your master. Now, Jesus says that you cannot serve two different masters. If you are a servant of VISA or MasterCard, then you cannot be a servant of God.

The idea that you are a slave to the bank is a foreign idea to most Americans. Debt is just a way of life, right? Well, look at it this way: What does money represent? What do you have to do to get the money that you have. Here is what we do in corporate America: We put a monetary value on the work that you do, and then give it to you in a paycheck. So, then the true cost of an item is not really the dollars and cents, but the amount of work that you had to do in order to buy it. We have essentially converted 40 hours of work each week into green bills.

Now, how much of your paycheck goes to debts? This includes credit cards, student loans, car payments, mortgages, and anything else that you have in your possession that you did not pay cash for. I’ll give you a few minutes to calculate it up.

… … … … …

Now, compare that number to the amount that you give to the Lord’s work. That can include church contributions, missionary funds, K-Love, anything that benefits God’s earthly kingdom. WHICH ONE IS BIGGER???? For the vast majority of Americans, we give 10% or less to God, and about 50-60% to our true masters: our lenders.

Why weren’t we taught this stuff? Well, the truth is that we were supposed to be taught it at a young age. Go back and read Prov 22:7 again. (It is up a little bit on the page.) Do you know what is in verse 6?
Proverbs 22: 6-7
6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. 7 The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

What are we supposed to be teaching our children? I have heard the verse used many times when a parent wants to teach their child not to pick their nose, or to pray every night, or many other things. But, in context, what did Solomon mean for us to be teaching them?

Well, the fact is that many of us are already in debt. So, when you are convicted that you need to dump all of that debt that you have, how do you do it? Well, the bible tells us the answer to this one too. (Surety is an old English word for debt)
Proverbs 6:1-5
1 My son, if you become surety for your friend, If you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, 2 You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. 3 So do this, my son, and deliver yourself; For you have come into the hand of your friend: Go and humble yourself; Plead with your friend. 4 Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids. 5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

In short, do absolutely everything that you can in order to get out of debt. There are many different resources to help out with that. I strongly recommend programs such as Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University or Crown Financial Ministries. They both have excellent programs to help get people on God’s plan for their finances.

Other verses on debt:
Proverbs 22:26-27 - Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts 27 if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.