March 11, 2009
Another question answered
By Brent Hutchinson
Starting March 16th I am taking an online program at Phoenix University. Am I foolish to get $19,000 in debt to get my masters degree in Psychology in 18 months as a Christian?
There are definitely worse debts than education debts. $19K is a lot of money, and I think you’d need to consider what kind of work you want to do when you finish school, how lucrative that job would be, and how much money you’d be able to apply to knock out your school loan debt as quickly as possible. A nominal payment toward a loan of that size would take several years to pay off.
Another thought…if you’re wanting to go into some sort of clinical career, you’ll also have to consider the costs of supervision, licensing, etc., which, unless your employer covers them, are pretty sizeable as well.
That being said, you may want to also consider looking into other similar school options that might be cheaper. There are all kinds of masters programs in psychology out there, and they may be cheaper than $19K. But of that is your best option because of time and commitment and this is your dream, go for it. It is not irresponsible, just a weighty decision, I think.
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March 10, 2009
More text questions…
By Brent Hutchinson
Church–Thanks so much for asking your questions! So many times, we wonder, but we do not ask. Surely if you have a question, someone else is asking the same thing. Let’s be prayerful that we all come out of this series with a much greater understanding and trust of what God intends for us when it comes to money.
1. If the first 10% of our income is to invest in the Kingdom (tithe), should we tithe from the gross or the net income?
This is a very thoughtful question. Tithing is an ancient Christian practice, and has really always been to give back to the LORD 10% of ALL that He has given, which indicates that the tithe is to be on the gross rather than the net. This is a significant challenge for a lot of people, especially those who have gotten into the discipline of tithing on the net. God only asks us to tithe 10%, not 50% (which he certainly could have done!). The issue of tithing is so much less about money than it is about trust, which is more an issue of the heart. Try not to get into hairsplitting on this one. God blesses our obedience in giving.
2. Legends is running a great promo–it is not in the budget and the wife doesn’t approve–but it is the best deal. What do I do?
If it is not in the budget and the wife doesn’t approve…are you seriously asking?! You DON’T do it! 
But there are also two important issues to discuss here–communication and budgeting.
First, the budget. The reason you have a budget is to make wise decisions about the income you have. While you may be able to find some wiggle room to afford a little treat from time to time, a promo at a golf club is likely outside the realm of “wiggle room” and is, frankly, probably not all that necessary. It is a luxury item that may best be saved for a sunny day. And with most people facing pretty rainy economic days right now, spending money on luxuries is probably not the most wise use of fixed income.
Second, communication with your spouse. Arguing about money and financial issues rate at the top of the most lingering and potentially destructive forces within a marriage. Recent research indicates that even though couples may not fight about money as much as, say, child-rearing, arguments about financial issues tend to dig a little deeper, linger longer over time, and chisel away at marital stability more than practically any other issue. If you and your spouse strongly disagree about spending in a particular area (like a golf club membership), you should stop and ask yourself what you value more–recreation at a great rate or a happy marriage. Your spouse is likely not trying to be obstinate and prevent you from having fun. Maybe it is just not a good time; maybe they see it as wasteful. Regardless, remember that you did not marry them so they would always agree with you. You married them, at least in part, to share your life with them, and that includes money and the decision-making about it. Talk it out, but if they don’t change their mind, I would recommend you settle on not buying the membership. There is always another great promo, and maybe it will come at a better time anyway.
3. Giving to God is one of the two things that He promises something back. How do we give in an unselfish manner but still hope that God does bless us financially?
Wow, another really great question. I have found that most people, at least initially, give with at least a little bit of resentment. We give with at least a little bit of an expectation of receiving something in return. And yes, God does promise a return on our giving. Look at what God says in Malachi 3:
8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!
“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 12 “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
First of all, trust that giving to God and to His church is worth it–it is worth your sacrifice and your discipline. Second, know that God does bless in abundance as a result of our obedience to Him. But God also knows our hearts. If the reason we give is to receive, we have approached God all wrong. We give out of obedience; we give because we love God. We don’t give simply to test and see what God will do. We always reap what we sow, but sometimes we don’t reap immediately, and often we don’t reap what we expect to reap. God is pretty amazing, and we could never guess how He would bless anyway. In my experience, He always blesses far more than I would expect Him to, and in ways I would never dream.
I also know that sometimes God blesses in ways that are far ”other” than financial. Will God bless you financially when you tithe with the right motivation? Yes. But does it mean we’ll get rich or have more than enough. No. At least not necessarily. God is in the business of taking care of His children, so we know that we will never lack what God sees we need. And if God does bless in abundance financially, remember that it is likely so we can give more, not keep more.
This passage from Malachi is often mis-used. Please do not interpret it to say that you, today, will become rich if only you will tithe. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were scrupulous tithers, but Jesus called them out because they lacked in mercy and justice for the poor and oppressed. There is more to giving than simply our 10%. God requires much of us. In God’s sovereignty, He may bless us financially. But we should not tithe so that we will be blessed financially. We should tithe to glorify God.
Tithing is a discipline. I suspect that as you get more and more disciplined about it, you’ll find that any selfishness you perceive at the moment will disappear. That’s how disciplines usually work. This is a great journey to be on with God, for sure!
4. How do you know when real estate makes good sense as an investment?
For the last several years, investing in real estate has seemed to be one of the safest and most lucrative methods of investing. Unfortunately, today’s economic storm has, at minimum, significantly slowed ROI in the real estate world. Bottom line, real estate investments are probably still a good idea, but there are a few keys to keep in mind:
1) You should not put yourself in debt to make a real estate investment. If you want to invest this way, make sure you have adequate cash to cover your investment and the associated risks involved (like maintenance, extended vacancy, insurances, etc.).
2) Know your area well. Some deals are too good to be true. Make sure you do all your homework before jumping into a “great deal.”
3) Most real estate deals are not get-rich-quick options for anyone. Lay out reasonable expectations for yourself and your investment, get good counsel from people who know the business well, and pray for discernment. If you can legitimately afford to lose some cash right now, chances are you have enough investment capital to make a stab at the real estate market. A lot of people get involved in this market when they come into a sizeable amount of discretionary income. If this is not you, I would wait.
5. What counts toward tithing? Only amounts given toward the church’s operating budget? Do church-sponsored events count (like missions)?
It is best to give to the church first. The church is Christ’s bride, for whom he gave his life (Ephesians 5:25), and it is our spiritual family. The first of our giving typically should go to the church, though God requires more than 10 percent from most of us. The Bible calls believers to prioritize giving to the local church, a unique institution which God specifically ordained. We give to the Lord primarily by way of his church, which is his appointed institution on earth (Matthew 16:17-19).The biblical pattern is to bring gifts to the church to be distributed as there is need (Acts 4:34-35). Being God’s appointed institution, the church is the first and worthiest recipient of Christian giving. For those who choose to tithe as a means to disciplined giving, our tithes should go to the church, not anywhere else. It is important to remember the point of this Old Testament practice: to give the first and best of one’s income to the Lord (Proverbs 3:9), especially for the benefit of his gospel workers and the poor. It is the Lord who owns all things (1 Chronicles 29:11) and who has accomplished our salvation (Deuteronomy 26:8-10). Not that there is any problem with giving to needy individuals or families. Our private acts of generosity are pleasing to the Lord. Indeed, it is as if we are helping Christ himself (Matthew 25:45). By all means, we should give directly to the needy, but only in addition to—not in place of—our regular giving to the church. (www.generousgiving.org)
This being said, giving to other very good things should be a part of our Christian privilege–to give to what God is doing–but to consider a gift to anything other than the church itself (and Rolling Hills gives 10% of all Sunday morning gifts to missions and the poor and needy around the world) is likely different than Christian tradition and how we would define a tithe. A gift to missions or some other Christian non-profit (or even a well-selected secular institution that is doing good among the poor and needy) is just that, a gift, and not a tithe. Keep doing it by all means! But don’t consider it a tithe, your first and best.
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March 4, 2009
Answering Text Questions from Sunday, March 1
By Jeff Simmons
Rolling Hills Church family – Thank you all so much for the great feedback on this series “God on Money: Surviving Today’s Economic Storm.” God has truly been teaching us and challenging us so much through His Word as we deal with this issue of money. Also, God’s timing is so good, because this is such a relevant series for what is happening in our world right now. Let’s continue to pray for one another and let’s continue to draw close to Christ as we walk through this storm together.
Below are the answers to text questions from Sunday (if you missed the message Sunday morning, i do encourage you go and listen to the podcast on i-tunes or on the website). This week we were talking about “God on Debt.”
Question 1 – “Is there such a thing as good debt? What about a mortgage?”
I believe I addressed this on Sunday (but the questions were a little different in both services), anyway, yes, I do believe there is good debt and a mortgage is a great example. Almost all of us would never own a house if we could not have a mortgage. Buying a house is a great way to move from paying rent to building equity. However, we must be very careful here not to buy more house than we can afford (that is a part of the reason for today’s economic mess). A good rule of measure is to take a 15-year mortgage and to make sure the payments do not exceed 30% of your monthly income. This will help you know you can afford the home. Also, be sure and save up 20% to put down on your home (this will also help you avoid paying the PMI). Once you are in your home, I do believe we need to attack this debt and try to pay off our home as quickly as possible. Another “good debt” can be student loans. Again, you have to be careful, but this is a great investment in the future (better opportunites, better paying job, etc.).
Question 2 – “I own a house and a condo that I’m renting as an investment. I am $50000 in debt. If I sold the condo I could pay it all off. Should I sell?”
It is difficult to answer that question without knowing a little more of your specific financial situation. On the surface level, it does seem if you could sell the condo and get out of debt then that would be great. However, if you have your financial life in order where you are giving to God first, you have a three to six month emergency fund set-up, you are able to provide for your family, and you have peace of mind at night in your financial life, then this could be a good investment. One thing you may want to do is to meet with a Financial Advisor. They could refer your entire portfolio and help you evaluate if this is a good investment place for you. If you need a referral, please let us know at the church office.
Question 3 -”Girls cost 300000 dollars??? Sorry about that Jeff”
Yes, the drama on Sunday, did make my heart skip a beat. The doctors are inducing Lisa on Tuesday (unless the baby decides to come before). Three girls – Wow! It really is exciting! I love our girls! And, i am thankful that God is our Great Provider!
Question 4 – “How do you talk to your spouse about spending less?”
This is a great question and a difficult one as well. it seems in every marriage there is a “spender” and a “saver.” It is a challenge to both get onto the same page. I would recommend involving your spouse in the budgeting process. It really helps for your spouse to know how much money is coming in and going out. Also, you may want to sign-up for the Financial Peace University class that we are beginning at the end of this series. When Lisa and I went through the Crown Financial class early in our marriage it really seemed to help us. Finally, you may want to meet with a personal Financial Advisor. Again, we have some references if you need them, but this helps to have someone walking with you both through the process. Overall, let me encouarage you – do something about this soon – it only grows more difficult to deal with as the financial pressures increase through the different stages of life. Be proactive because this is an area where satan can really gain a foothold in your marriage. Finally, please know i am praying for you!
Question 5 – “I’m a freshman in college and I was wondering is this economy going to effect me after I graduate ? Finding a job and etc.?”
This is another great question. Hopefully, we are just in a downturn, and with the stimulus packages and other policies, we will see the economy bounce back in a few months to a few years (I am not saying it will, but it could). However, the biggest issue is that you learn to build your life on Christ (Matthew 7) and you learn to manage your finances by Biblical standards, and you will succeed regardless of the fluctuating state of the economy. Don’t worry, but pray and trust. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know God is Sovereign – “Your Heavenly Father knows what you need.” He loves you, and He will provide for you.
Question 6 -”Is it Biblical to have savings? Shouldn’t we only have what we need and trust God to provide for us in the future?”
Yes, I do think it is Biblical to have savings; however, that our faith and trust is in our savings is where the problem lies for many. So many people see their savings account as their “safety net.” They trust in money. God is our only Source. The Bible teaches planning and taking care to count the cost. But, the Bible emphasizes storing up our treasures in heaven. It is good to have a 3 to 6 month emergency fund, but the question becomes “how much is enough?” Solomon, the wealthiest man who ever lived, said it is all “meaningless” – we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out. Rather, we should store up treasures in heaven. Anyway, come to church this Sunday. That is what we are talking about this week – “God on Investing!”
Blessings on you all today as we re-order our lives around God’s heart for money!
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February 23, 2009
Welcome to the God on Money Blog
By Nic Allen
Welcome to our exclusive “God on Money” Q and A Blog. As a part of our current message series, church attenders are encouraged to text financial questions using the key word “rhcc” to 95495 on Sunday mornings. Each week we will answer several of those questions as part of our Sunday worship experience. The remainder of the questions will be addressed in depth via this blog. Thanks for checking it out. We look forward to dialoguing as a church body about what a godly perspective on money looks like in the life of committed Christ-followers today. Be sure to visit all of our RHCC Blogs at Rolling Hills Community Church Blogs.
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