Do You Need Financial Advice?

FamilySunday

Every second Sunday of the month at Victory Church is  Family Sunday, in which my wife Debbie and I share the stage and speak on marriage, parenting, and finances.

This month we spoke of the subject of Financial Oneness in marriage. This blog posts shares some of the items we covered. We hope this is a blessing to you and your family.

“Wise people live in wealth and luxury, but stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it.”  Proverbs 21:20 (GNT)

Continue reading “Do You Need Financial Advice?”

How To Have REAL Freedom

Tommy_Tate_BaptismToday this picture popped up on my Facebook memory timeline. This picture was taken right after I baptized Tommy Tate. What a joyful occasion! It’s moments like these that I will remember for the rest of my life.

This picture made me stop and ask the questions, “How do we have real freedom? What is the #1 most important thing in life?”

Allow me to answer these questions in this post. I’m reminded of the mission statement of Victory Church –

Loving God, Loving Others, and Passing Our Faith to the Next Generation! Continue reading “How To Have REAL Freedom”

Road to Financial Freedom

Financial-freedom

At Victory Church I’m currently in a teaching series titled “Stewardship, the Missing Piece to Successful Living!” Over the next several weeks in my teaching series, I will be speaking about money!

Continue reading “Road to Financial Freedom”

I Choose To Forgive

forgive

In Matthew 6:9-13 you will find very familiar scripture commonly know as the Lord’s Prayer. I just completed teaching a 10 week study on this prayer at Victory Church. A portion of that prayer deals with forgiveness, and it goes like this, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” 

When you pray, “…forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…” you recognize your short-comings, your failures, your sins, and your need for forgiveness!

Have you ever felt as if you are being held captive or incarcerated because of an un-confessed sin? Are there others who are constantly reminding you of your failures, your short-comings, and your sin? If so, this portion of the Lord’s Prayer is your key to freedom!

Watch my YouTube video on forgiveness.

When you pray, “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” you recognize five factors of the Christian life:

  1. GOD’S CHILDREN SIN (1 John 1:8-10; 2:1-2)
  2. GOD’S CHILDREN ARE CONCERNED AFTER THEY SIN (Psalm 32:3; 51:3; 73:21; Isaiah 6:5; Mark 14:72; Luke 18:13)
  3. WE MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT OUR SIN (2 Corinthians 7:10; 1 John 1:9) 
  4. GOD WILL FORGIVE US (1 John 1:9; Micah 7:18-19)
  5. WE MUST FORGIVE OTHERS (Matthew 18:21-22)

Okay, let’s get real here! We do not have a problem with the numbers 1-4 of our list. Correct? As a matter of fact, we are very grateful and appreciative of the fact that we have a forgiving Heavenly Father! But, when it comes to us forgiving those who have wronged us, now that’s another story. Right?

I will be the first one to admit that forgiving those who have wronged us, whether intentionally or unintentionally, is not easy! I will even say that there is NO WAY you can do this BY YOURSELF! You will only be able to forgive with the help of the Lord. Therefore, allow me to share with you four steps to forgiving othersforgiveness0001

Let us begin with this passage of scripture: “All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice.  And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ” Ephesians 4:31-32 (HCSB).

Step 1: Recognize that no one is perfect. (Eccl. 7:20; Romans 3:23)

Step 2: Relinquish your right to get even. (Romans 12:19)

Step 3: Respond to evil with good. (God’s love doesn’t keep track of wrong – 1 Cor. 13)

Step 4: Refocus on God’s plan for your life and move on.

So don’t sit another day in your resentment. If you’ve been holding onto pain caused by someone else, go through these four steps and move on to the rest of the life you were created to live!

Watch my YouTube video on forgiveness.