Roxanne Indermuehle shares biblical wisdom on money on Encouragement Live
>> Don Hawkins: When it comes to money, it's easy to get things out of alignment. We spend more than we make, we save less than we need. Roxanne Intermuel of his faithful stewards shares biblical wisdom for us on this topic on Encouragement Live. Welcome to Encouragement Live, providing biblically based encouragement and insight on a wide range of practical life issues. Now, here's your host, Don Hawkins, author of Master Discipleship Today. Thank you, Steve, and thank you friend, for joining us. And as live from studios located in First Christian Church of Wy, Texas, Encouragement Communications presents Encouragement Live. Our mission is to provide biblically based encouragement and insight on a wide range of topics. One of the topics that the Bible addresses a, great deal is the subject of money. In fact, it's been said that Jesus had more to say about hell than he did about heaven, and he had more to say about money than either one of those two topics. And it's good to have Roxanne Intermuel of his faithful stewards back with us tonight to unpack this topic. Roxanne, always great to have you on the show.
>> Jane: Well, thanks, Don. It's always great to be here and.
>> Don Hawkins: A, joy to talk about the subject of money. There's a lot in the Bible on that subject, is there not?
>> Jane: Yeah, I think so. Quite a bit now.
>> Don Hawkins: And we're going to unpack some of that tonight. By the way, at the beginning of our show, I, I always like to remind you that you can schedule a free time to Talk with Roxanne one on one at her website, his faithful stewards.com all you need to do is follow the links on the site, set up a good time to talk, or you can call her office to set a time. The link to schedule and the phone number are on the website his faithful stewards.com there's also word there about a free webinar the Roxanne's hosting about will, awareness and living trusts. And that will be Thursday, August 21st at 6pm Central Time. You can sign up on the webinar tab at his faithful stewards.com Now, Roxanne, when we approach issues of money in our lives, I think we often fail to see the connection between the purpose of money, our values and our beliefs about money. But we're going to talk about those tonight. And I think a lot of us have probably never stopped to ask ourselves what is the purpose for money that God has given us in our lives? But if we want to get money right from a spiritual perspective, don't we have to start with purpose?
>> Jane: yeah, I think so. When I look at the Bible, I see three purposes for money. I'm sure some other people might find more or other nuances to those purposes. But the three of them, you know, that seem really. There's three that seem really clear to me. I mean, first, God provides money for our daily living. And we can see that a number of places in the Bible. But Matthew 6:33 comes to mind where he says, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. I mean, the context of the verse shows us that these things are food and clothes. God provides these, and usually it's through providing money. God promises to provide these for us if we seek him.
>> Don Hawkins: Yeah, that's a very important. And that's the one in which, in the context, Jesus said, no man can serve two masters. He'll love the one, hate the other, or cleave to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Throughout the Bible, we see giving as an important aspect of a believer's life
Now, you mentioned three purposes, Roxanne. What is the second one? Obviously, the first one is to live.
>> Jane: Sure. Well, throughout the Bible, we see giving to be an important aspect of a believer's life. As early as Genesis, we see Abraham sacrificing the best of his flock to the Lord. in Exodus, the Israelites are commanded to give to support the construction of the tabernacle. and later, Israel's lack of following the law on giving topics was what brought out through numerous prophets in the Old Testament. And they were showing Israel's failure. And the prophets exposed the lack of giving as evidence that the people's hearts had departed from God.
>> Don Hawkins: I think about Malachi when you mention that. And that's, of course, the familiar verse that says, well, bring all the tithes into the storehouse. And, it's interesting that in Malachi chapter three, God said, prove me that I'll open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on you. And that's in the context of giving. Now, we've talked about money's purposes, living and giving. There's the third one. We'll find out about that one from Roxanne Intermule, and we'll be right back on encouragement live.
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Don Hawkins: Roxanne Indermuehle helps people with money issues
>> Don Hawkins: So good to have you with us, friend on encouragement live and a very timely topic tonight, getting our lives in alignment with money. 855-586-5433 is our toll free number. That's 855-586-Life. I'm Don Hawkins with Roxanne Intermuel of His Faithful Stewards.com and again, keep in mind you can schedule a free time to talk with Roxanne at her website, his Faithful Stewards.com. follow the links to set up a good time on the scheduler. Or you can actually use the phone number that's linked there and call to set up a time and talk with her. And there's no charge for that. It's just an part of the ministry that Roxanne makes available. And Roxanne, we do appreciate the fact that you make that ministry available, take time out of your busy schedule, to minister to people. And I know you take joy in doing so, right?
>> Jane: Yes, I do.
>> Don Hawkins: Now, I put you on the spot there.
You talked about God's purposes for money, including living and giving
All right, We've talked about God's purposes for money. One of those is obviously living. We have to live, we have to have money. In fact, I think about the New Testament statement, if we don't work, we shouldn't, eat. That's in second Thessalonians, Thessalonians 3. And then you talked about giving and you cited a couple of passages in the Old Testament, talked about the prophets, and I mentioned Malachi. then there's a third, thing. but before we get to that, what does the New Testament tell us on the subject of giving?
>> Jane: Well, in the New Testament it's got a number of occasions calling for sacrificial giving. I mean, and Jesus stated Clearly in Matthew 6. 21 that where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. So part of living a life of faith is being willing to give back from what God has given to us. If our treasure is in the Lord and in heaven, we'll hold money with a looser hand. If our treasure is money, we're likely to hold it in a tight fist. So money is really a test of our hearts.
>> Don Hawkins: Very important to remember. So living, making a living, giving, testing our hearts and generosity toward God.
The third purpose for money in scripture has to do with growing resources
So Roxanne, what is the third purpose for money that you see in scripture?
>> Jane: Well, the third has to do with growing resources. I mean we see God expanding the wealth of Abraham and the wealth of Israel as a nation. we see a virtuous Woman in Proverbs 31 Being wise in business and expanding her money. Jesus, also told a number of parables about money in which those who acted wisely and expanded the resources which God had entrusted them were commended. So the most obvious those would be the parable of the steward in Matthew 25.
>> Don Hawkins: Yeah, one of my favorite passages of scripture. Sometimes I like to preach on this passage. Churches need to hear about this. And, you had three, three, servants as I recall. And one of them was given five talents and he turned those talents into ten talents by wise investing, growing his resources. And talents were not what we think of as talents. They were money. Is that correct, Roxanne? They were money.
>> Jane: Yeah. Yes.
>> Don Hawkins: And the second guy had, two talents and he grew those and doubled. And then the third one decided he'd play it saf safe and put it in a mason. Well, maybe not a mason jar, but he did bury it in the backyard. And Jesus commended the first two, but he had only stern rebuke for the third one. We're going to continue to unpack that with Roxanne intermule of his faithful stewards and talk about what we can learn from that parable. If you have a question about living, giving or growing money, we want to talk with you about it. Our number is 855-586-5433 will be back. Crossflix, a complete multimedia platform at your fingertips featuring faith based shows for the entire family. Plus an amazing library of interactive online Bible courses such as Revealing the secrets of the Hebrew Bible. You'll have access to a community and.
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You need to know some things about wills and living trusts
>> Don Hawkins: You can order the Maze of medicare@tonysays.com that's T O N I tonysays.com we're back on Encouragement Live. I'm Don Hawkins with Roxanne Dinner Mule of his faithful stewards.com by the way, you need to know some things about wills and living trusts, and you can do that at a free webinar that Roxanne Intermul is hosting. and that's coming up on Thursday, August 21st at 6pm Central Time. You can sign up for the Will Awareness and Living Trusts webinar hosted by Roxanne at the web webinar tab at his faithful stewards.com that's his faithful stewards.com Roxanne, before I leave that little statement, how many Christians do you think maybe have not gotten around to making a will?
>> Jane: Well, I think it's not exclusive to Christians and I just think that there's lots of people out there that we put that off and we put that off and we always think we've got, you know, that, that we don't need to worry about it, we can do it tomorrow.
>> Don Hawkins: And you know. Yeah, and, and as you mention that, I think about these three purposes of money that we've talked about and you, you summarize those. And once you do, I'm going to make an editorial comment about wills and living trusts.
>> Jane: Those three purposes, the three purposes are to live, to give, and to grow.
>> Don Hawkins: And if you don't have a will and you don't have a living trust, either one of those, then your purpose is to shrink your money because the government's going to get a big share of it. Is that correct?
>> Jane: That is correct.
>> Don Hawkins: Yeah. Probate, unfortunately, is not one of those things that is friendly for people.
Value of money is all what people assign to it, Roxanne says
Now, let's, move on into the value of money for most people. what would you say it probably is, Roxanne?
>> Jane: Well, you know, that's a funny question, because it's actually whatever people assign to it. like, think about it. Back at the time when the Civil War ended, there was Confederate currency around that was no longer accepted. It had once been valuable. Now it wasn't worth anything. So it didn't matter how many Confederate bills someone had accumulated. They were not worth anything because they were no longer had any value assigned to them. So the dollars and bills that we use today only have value because of what we can trade them. they have no intrinsic value of their own. They're just paper and ink. you know, and if you couldn't trade them for something else, they would, you know, then there wouldn't be any value to them at all. Because value is all what's assigned to it.
>> Don Hawkins: You know, growing up in Alabama, I can remember when I was young hearing people say, save your Confederate money, boys. The south will rise again. And we all know where that went. So, the reality is that money is not worth, the paper it's printed on, I guess you could say.
The value of money in the Bible is tied to our hearts
But, Roxanne, that brings us to the question of the Bible's position on the value of money. Tell us about that.
>> Jane: Sure. the value of money in the Bible is tied to our hearts. We see occasions of the Lord rewarding those with material blessings who are faithful. I mean, a clear example of that would be Job. I mean, he started off wealthy. He lost everything. His wealth, his family, and his health. And none of it happened because of anything that Job did. Yet despite calls from his wife to curse God, Job remained faithful to the Lord. Even though Job's friends tried to blame Job for the loss of his wealth, Job stood strong. And Job was confused about why all those bad things were happening to him, like any of us are when things go wrong. But he remained faithful to the Lord. And when that time of testing was done and Job had not turned his back on the Lord, God restored his wealth, his family, and his health. The losses proved Job's faithfulness and valuing God over money, and possessions, God rewarded him.
>> Don Hawkins: You know, Roxanne, one of my favorite verses in all the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, is job 2310. Job there makes a statement, and he's been talking about, it's like I'm living in a fog. And I go forward and God's not there. And I go back and I look to the right, I look to the left. But he says in Job 23:10, but he knows the way that I take. When he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. It's interesting. One of his friends said, if you weren't such a wicked guy, God would reward you with gold. But Job says, I'll come forth as gold after God tested me. And as you pointed out, God did bless him. Now, Job's a great example in the Old Testament. Can you think of a New Testament example that demonstrates the value of money?
>> Jane: Yeah, I can. we see a woman with assorted background anoint Jesus feet with costly perfume. that was a truly extravagant gift, as the Gospel says that the perfume would have cost a year's wages. And this woman likely didn't have much. Yet she demonstrated her great value and love of Jesus with her generosity, and she was commended for it.
>> Don Hawkins: Very m. Very important thing to think about. Here is a woman who was generous, who was extravagantly generous toward the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, we go back to those three purposes of money, living, giving, and she was emphasizing that one and laying aside for the future. Now, maybe some of you have questions about your own financial position and situation. If you'd like to talk with Roxanne in a confidential setting without a cost or obligation, you can schedule a free time to talk with her at the website his faithful stewards.com it's easy to follow the links on the website to set up a good time to talk, one that works for you and Roxanne. Or you can call the office to set a time. The phone number and the link to schedule are both found at His Faithful Stewards.com again, that web website, His Faithful Stewards.com. and if you have a question that fits, our topic tonight, getting our lives in alignment with money. The number is 855-586-5433.
Roxanne: Christians believe a lot of different things about money
So, Roxanne, I think we could summarize the value of money as being tied to having a heart that doesn't hold money tightly. So how do you think we can tell if we're keeping money in the right place?
>> Jane: Well, in the Bible, the value of money is portrayed when a person's faithfulness and love for the Lord hold strong and they seek to bless him with what they have, no matter how much or little they might have.
>> Don Hawkins: Yeah, that Reminds me of the widow who Jesus, said was casting two mites, the lowest amount you could, into the treasury at the temple. And he said she was giving more than the high rollers who were giving large sums of money. Very important thing to keep in mind. Now, you've also talked about needing to have our beliefs about money lined up with purposes and values. What direction does scripture give us regarding our beliefs about money?
>> Jane: well, I actually think a lot can be said about this, but Christians believe a lot of different things about money. Some embrace the belief that financial blessings are God's reward, while others are very uncomfortable with the idea of Christians having a lot of money. If, for example, we hold the belief that God always rewards faithfulness with riches, but riches come our way, it leaves us feeling confused and second guessing if we're doing something wrong. But the problem may not be our faithfulness, but our beliefs.
Roxanne: We see such a variety in scripture regarding wealth
>> Don Hawkins: In fact, that brings up a topic, Roxanne, I think it's important for us to at least touch on that is the name it and claim it approach that says, if you're, really walking with God, God is going to pour out blessings on you. I think Job is a classic example of the fact that that view doesn't really hold water. Would you agree?
>> Jane: I would agree. I mean, we see such a variety in scripture. We can't say it's all one way or another because we see it a lot of different ways.
>> Don Hawkins: Yeah, David was wealthy, Solomon was most wealthy person probably who ever lived. I mean, just think about all of that and then, you see impoverished people who were very godly and had an incredible deal.
First Timothy 6:10 is often misquoted as saying money is evil
Now let's talk about a passage that deals with beliefs about money. I think the Apostle Paul, had one of those in at least one of his, letters that he wrote in the New Testament.
>> Jane: Well, yeah, and I think one of the most misquoted verses in The Bible is first Timothy 6:10. Paul M. Tells Timothy that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And I've so often heard people quote that as money is the root of all kinds of evil. And Paul is not calling money evil. He's only calling out a heart that loves money and compromises their relationship with the Lord because of it. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us that money is bad or that having it is wrong. Many of us believe that. Many think that they, you know, they're only going to have God's favor if they're struggling to make ends meet and feeling poor. But the Bible doesn't teach that very.
>> Don Hawkins: Important to keep that in mind. Neither having wealth of money, is a proof of God's blessing, nor is being extremely impoverished, shall we say a proof that we're walking with God. Now I know some of you are interested in this webinar about will, awareness and living trust. I want to remind you that it's coming up on Thursday, August 21st at 6pm Central Time. You can sign up at the website under the webinar tab. That's at his faithful stewards dot com. That's his faithful stewards dot com. Our toll free number is 855-586-5433. Mary is calling us tonight from Tennessee. Mary, good to hear from you. Go right ahead.
Mary: Roxanne Intermule is hosting a seminar on financial stewards
>> Jane: Yes, I had a couple questions and a comment. one was finding out more about the webinar and things of that nature and more about like budgeting and that sort of thing. And stewards was about Zacchaeus. He came to mind as a possibility on the financial end of things too when he was in the tree and he came down and he you know, settled his debts with people that he had, yes, he had taken more than he should take and make things right like that. So I thought that was kind of applicable too.
>> Don Hawkins: I think you're making a good point. Roxanne, your thoughts about Zacchaeus?
>> Jane: Well, yes, I think you know, he is an example of the fact that even though Jesus reached for the marginal, you know, those who are marginalized in society and sometimes it was poor, but sometimes it wasn't. Matthew and Zacchaeus, neither one were poor and yet Jesus still reached to them.
>> Don Hawkins: Yeah. Ah. And and the, the bottom line is Zacchaeus did something that not everybody does. He sold a lot of his goods, and, and ultimately said I'm going to give a high percentage of money to you know, and, and I'm going to give that money away. I'm going to come follow Jesus. God doesn't call everybody to give all their money away way. But I also think and, and Mary, you may think about these as well. Think about Barnabas in the New Testament, what a great example of generosity he was. In fact, Roxanne, I like to say that Barnabas liquidated his ira and it was a piece of land and gave every bit of it to the church. And then Ananas and Sapphira had the right to give only a portion of theirs, but they claimed to give it all. And God held them accountable through the Apostle Peter for doing that Mary, you brought up some good points. Did you get information about the website where you can find out about signing up for the seminar?
>> Jane: I don't have Internet access, but I'm gonna be able to do that by phone.
>> Don Hawkins: So yeah, yeah, I suspect that you can do that by phone. you can, I bet through your phone you can. And by the way, I've told people this many times, if you don't have Internet access, talk to one of your grandchildren. There's a good chance that 98% of your grandchildren have Internet access. And get them to go, you might jot this down down. His faithful stewards.com and that all runs together. His faithful stewards.com you can get on that website, get a phone number and you can actually schedule a time to talk one on one with Roxanne, get some ideas about budgeting and investing in those kinds of things and she number.
>> Jane: Over the phone because I don't have any of that access at all.
>> Don Hawkins: I tell you what we'll do. If you will stay on the line, I will get that number for you. You and we'll make sure that you get it in your hands. Okay. What we try to do. Yeah, we, we do it that way because we don't want Roxanne's phone line to be so inundated with calls that she doesn't get any work done. Right, Roxanne?
>> Jane: Yeah.
>> Don Hawkins: So we're trying to, trying to do that, but we're going to give that information to Mary. And if you'd like to call us tonight, the toll free number is 855-586-5433. Much more to go on unpacking the subject of getting our lives in alignment with my money back with Roxanne Intermule.
Find out what you need to know to protect your heirs at a free webinar
After this time out, there are only two ways that your affairs will be settled or you pass away your way or the government's way. For anyone without a will or trust in place, the government will settle it through probate. So we must all ask ourselves, do I want the government to decide how my minor children get their inheritance and where my assets go and then charge my heirs probate and court fees to make that happen happen? Or do I want to protect my family from probate and steward the resources that God has entrusted to me by determining how the assets that I leave behind will be used? Find out what you need to know and do to protect your heirs at a free webinar with his faithful stewards. This free webinar will discuss wills and trusts and help you understand it all go to hisfaithfulstewards.com and find the link for webinars. There's a place there under webinars where you can sign up app that's his faithful stewards.com and the link to webinars his faithful stewards.com when you need to.
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Don Hawkins: Mike is interested in investing in cryptocurrency
>> Don Hawkins: Welcome back to Encouragement Live. Our Toll free number is 855-586-LIFE. Here again is your host Don Hawkins, author of Master Discipleship Today. And let's go right to the phones and Mike is listening in North Carolina tonight over American Family Radio. Mike, you're on the air with Roxanne Intermuel. Go right ahead.
>> Jane: Yes. Hi Roxanne. hi Mike. What can you tell me about cryptocurrency? I see a lot of of folks investing in cryptocurrency, but I know the banks aren't supporting it because it's hard to track. I know the federal government's not supporting it because it's hard to track, but there are still a lot of people making money off of the cryptocurrency. So we're familiar with a site that we can invest in cryptocurrency. I wanted to get your thoughts of it before we started doing that. Well, you know, I'm not An authority on cryptocurrency. I'm going to tell you that right up front. I don't work with it directly myself. I have seen a lot of scams and things going on with cryptocurrency, and I've also seen people that have done really well with it. So, because of the fact that it's not an area of authority, I really don't give a lot of my opinions about that, just because I've seen things go both ways. And, you know, I'm more likely to give people cautions for being sure that they're working with something legitimate.
>> Don Hawkins: You know, I've heard the same thing, Roxanne, and I think that that's a wise approach. Mike, I would Recommend the James 1:5 says, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men freely, and let him ask in faith. And, I believe that there are people who are reputable and and probably some godly people out there who specialize in that. That's not Roxanne's area of specialty. And I, I agree with Roxanne. I'm certainly not a specialist in that area. But let us pray with you, and let's ask God to give you wisdom, in, seeking out the Lord's direction in this. Lord, I. You would give Mike wisdom about this. You've promised in James 1:5, if we lack wisdom, we can ask of you, and you will give it to us. I pray that you would lead him to some wise and godly people who can advise him on who to invest in, with and to whom he should avoid. And Lord, I know that that's an important issue, when we talk about the resources, because we are stewards of the money, the wealth that you've given us. So Lord, guide Mike, I pray in that situation and I thank you in Jesus name. Am. Amen. Mike, thank you for your call tonight. Great to hear from you as well.
>> Jane: Thank you.
>> Don Hawkins: God bless.
Roxanne: Cryptocurrency is yet another form of money
>> Jane: Trump, is doing a lot as far as been talking a lot about the cryptocurrency as well. So that's why we were taking more of an interest into it.
>> Don Hawkins: Yeah. And there, obviously it is an area that a lot of people are interested in these days. Roxanne, I'm not surprised that we talking about the subject of getting in alignment with money. Cryptocurrency is yet another form of money. And you talked about money is the value people place on it, correct?
>> Jane: Yes, absolutely.
>> Don Hawkins: And a lot of people are placing A lot of value there.
There are many places in Scripture where Jesus talked about taking care of the poor
Now I want to go back to the question about Jesus, and the poor. It seems to me that there are many places in Scripture where Jesus talked about taking care of the poor. The Apostle Paul talked about that as well. Do you think Scripture is telling us that being poor is somehow more godly than having money or being, what, wealthy?
>> Jane: no, I don't actually think so. I mean, often Jesus elevated the poor and called attention to them. And you know, though society marginalized the poor and looked down on them, Jesus lifted them up. many have interpreted this to mean that you have more of God's favor and blessing if you're poor. But Jesus elevated all people who were marginalized and affirmed, God's equal love and concern for them. I mean, like we mentioned a little bit ago, we all see Jesus reach for. We had also seen Jesus reaching for tax collectors like Matthew and Zacchaeus. And they weren't poor, but they were looked down on by Jewish society. So Jesus wasn't elevating poverty as a preferred living style. He was showing that a person's value was not tied to their wealth.
>> Don Hawkins: And what an important principle for us to keep in mind that the Lord doesn't tie our value to our wealth either. But do you see any time in scripture where money is tied to God's blood?
>> Jane: you know, sometimes, yes. I mean there's times when God's blessing includes money and wealth. I mean in 1st Kings 3 when God promised to give Solomon one thing, Solomon asked for wisdom. And because God was pleased with Solomon's request for wisdom, instead of other selfish things, the Lord also gave him riches. I mean, that doesn't mean that it will be that way for everyone though. We just have to be sure that we keep, you know, keep money in its proper place in our life.
>> Don Hawkins: Very important principle to keep in mind. And some of you thinking about keeping, keeping money in its proper, proper place, including making a living and giving money and laying aside money for the future, growing your money. Maybe you'd like to schedule a time to talk with Roxanne, in a confidential one on one setting on the telephone. You can schedule that at her website. His Faithful Stewards.com. it's easy to follow the links on the website to set up a good time that works for you and for Roxanne to talk. Or you can call her office as we mentioned earlier to Mary and set a. The link to schedule and the phone number are at his faithful stewards.com that all runs together. His faithful stewards.com.
Roxanne: The Bible only comments on the use of money
now, Roxanne, let's talk about some Bible passages that you might be referring to that talk about the place of money.
>> Jane: Oh, sure. you know, I think we can go back to when the Israelites were wandering around the desert and the construction of the Tabernacle began. what's important to notice is that God wants the Israelites to bring some of their best possessions for use in the tabernacle. They're to bring precious metals, precious stones, and to give them for the construction. God isn't practicing any frugality in the construction of his dwelling. He is calling for the best because he's worth it. Giving generously bestowed honor and love back to God. It demonstrated the priority of their hearts.
>> Don Hawkins: You know, something else occurred to me since you brought up the Israelites. We usually think of them as a poor nomadic tribe wandering in the wilderness. But if they were to have these kinds of things to bring to the tabernacle, they had to have some wealth. They weren't destitute or broke nomads wandering in the desert. they had some riches they brought from Egypt.
>> Jane: Yeah. And God hadn't subjected them to poverty. They were nomads, not paupers.
>> Don Hawkins: Now, can you think of some other people in the Bible who had riches, besides those, wealthy nomads?
>> Jane: Well, you know, there were various kings and there's. When we talked about Job, there was also Joanna and Susanna, who did a lot of support of Jesus ministry. There was Lydia, who dealt in purple. There was Philemon, who we know owned Onesimus the Slave. And there was believers that were specifically addressed in the beginning of James 5. I mean, the only condemnation for having wealth and riches comes from using it selfishly and not giving to others what they have coming to them. So money isn't good or bad. It's okay to have it, and it's okay not to have it. But the Bible only comments on the use of money and its place in our hearts. After all, we didn't bring it with us into this world. And we're not going to take it with us when we go either. We're, just managers of God's resources while we're here.
>> Don Hawkins: You know, I remember Chuck Swindoll years ago. I heard him make the statement, you never see a hearse pulling a U Haul trailer, so you can't take it with you. And. And yet, many times we think either we can take it with us or we can lay aside a huge amount of money. But the bottom line is God has called on us to be stewards. We're not owners of the money we have. We may have our name on the, on the deed of our house or maybe on the title to our car. In fact, I got, title to my car in the mail just a, couple of weeks ago and was glad to get that as I'd registered it some time ago. But that's God's car and God made that car possible for me.
Roxanne Knives talks about the role that stewardship plays in money
so Roxanne, let's talk a little bit about the role that stewardship plays in our beliefs about money.
>> Jane: Well, I actually think that's foundational. I mean, when we really wrap our heads and our hearts around the fact that everything really belongs to the Lord and not to us, it changes how we view it. I mean, are we going to enter the race to see how much we can accumulate or will be looking at the eternal impact that we can make with the money entrusted to us? I mean, if we're managing God's money and we keep that belief first in our hearts, it will impact our spending and our view of our belongings.
>> Don Hawkins: Now Roxanne, in your work with people, what do you see as, some of the obstacles that people face in their financial life? Maybe some that they don't even recognize. Knives.
>> Jane: When there's things in our life that cause us to feel disconnected from our goals, it can often become self defeating. For example, if we haven't settled the purpose of money in our lives, it's tough to navigate through financial decisions. So we need our values, our beliefs and our purposes to line up with the Bible.
>> Don Hawkins: And one of the areas in which money is very important has to do with how we are going to pass that money on to the next generation. We've about talked, talked about accumulating or growing. It is one of the purposes. And there's a free webinar coming up that could be helpful about this. Roxanne is putting this on it, discussing the subject of will awareness and living trust. maybe this is something that would be of interest to you. You can schedule it. It's happening on Thursday, August 21st at 6:00pm Central Time. you can go to the website to Sign up the webinar tab at his faithful stewards.com Again, that's his faithful stewards.com Click on the webinar tab. And the upcoming webinar again is Thursday, August 21, not that far away.
An internal belief about money can pull us away from making wise financial decisions
So Roxanne, how do you see a person's belief about money actually impacting their everyday lives?
>> Jane: Well, let me give you this example. I mean, if we Hold a belief, even if it's subconscious, that we aren't worthy of having money or that money is bad. We're going to find subtle ways to sabotage money coming into our life. Or if we have some belief that we will be more valued by God if we're poor, that internal belief will pull us away from making wise financial decisions, even if we aren't aware of it. And also, if we hold a selfish view of money and think that our money is our own, we'll do a lot of things with the money without checking in with the Lord first.
>> Don Hawkins: Yeah, and I think that's such a critical thing, checking in with the Lord about our money. we talked about James 1:5 earlier. We lack wisdom. We can ask of God. I know something Kathi and I have done for years is pray about money. Pray about, the money that we need, pray about the money that we spend, pray about the money that we save, and pray about the money that we give. I suspect that you recommend this to couples and families as well.
>> Jane: Yes, I do.
>> Don Hawkins: Yeah. Very important thing.
Government gives employers great incentives to offer employees retirement accounts that put money in stock market
now, you help people with stewardship of their money. And we've talked about stewardship, meaning that God owns it, we're responsible for it. And you do that in several different ways. could you explain that a little bit more?
>> Jane: Sure. our culture has led us to believe that the best place to grow money is in the stock market. And the government wants us to put money in the stock market as a strong stock market benefits the rich investors. So the government gives employers great incentives to offer employees retirement accounts that put money into the stock market. We call those 401ks, 403s. I mean, people have been conditioned to accept the risk and the potential loss of their money in the stock market as necessary, along with all the fees that come with that. And what they don't realize is that there's places to grow money that, you know, have a hundred percent guarantee against the loss of their principal while still earning well.
>> Don Hawkins: And we'll be back to talk more about that right after this.
Encouragement Live helps people bridge the gap between faith and everyday life
>> Jane: Do you have an extra car taking up valuable space in your driveway? Let encouragement live. Take it off your hands. It's easy, free, and best of all, tax deductible. Get your driveway back and keep Encouragement Live rolling so more people can bridge the gap between their faith and everyday life. Mention Encouragement Live when you call 855-500-RIDE.
>> Don Hawkins: That's 855-500-RIDE. Or encouragementlive.org what did Chuck Swindoll, David Jeremiah, and Erwin Lutzer have in common. they all train to preach God's Word at Dallas Seminary and you can train at DTS too. If you've been called to preach or teach God's word, find a degree or course that's right for you on one of our campuses or online at dts. Edu Dallas Theological Seminary where they teach truth and love well, visit dts Edu.
The older people grow, the more important it is that they have savings
>> Jane: The older people grow, the more important it is that they have savings that are not at risk in the stock market.
>> Don Hawkins: Here's an important warning from Roxanne Endermule of his faithful stewards.com seen many people.
>> Jane: In their 50s that have all their savings still in a 401k or some other market based account that is fully at risk of loss.
>> Don Hawkins: Roxanne and her team offer practical financial counsel to people from all age groups.
>> Jane: It could be that they need to start saving for the future in retirement. Or maybe they've already done those things and they just need to be good managers of what God's given them and get their money to where it can grow well but won't be at risk of loss in the stock market. Or maybe they need to get a will or a trust in place to protect their family from the cost and stresses of programs.
>> Don Hawkins: You can schedule a free and confidential time to talk with Roxanne at her website, his faithful stewards.com just follow the links on the website to set a good time to talk or you may call the office to set a time.
Rock Roxanne Intermuel: Money at risk in the stock market
That's his faithful stewards.com and we are talking with Rock Roxanne Intermuel of his faithful stewards.com Very important topic, getting our lives in alignment with money. Roxanne, you were telling us as we went to the break about the fact that people have money at risk in the stock market. I think about what happened back in 2008 and even some ups and downs since that time. But you mentioned the possibility is that there are places to grow money that literally have a 100% guarantee guarantee against the loss of their principal while still earning. Well what kinds of earnings have you seen in these non stock market accounts?
>> Jane: Well over the last 10 years the ones that I work with have averaged 8 to 13% growth per year. that growth isn't guaranteed and when the markets drop, these accounts don't grow but they also don't lose money or go backwards since the money isn't actually in the market. Lost, money takes, takes twice the gain to get it back to where it started. So we help people put their retirement Savings into a safe place where it never risks loss and it still grows, well, then, you know, then it can be protected for living, giving and growing.
>> Don Hawkins: You know, you talked about the fact it takes twice as long to regain after losses. I want to just pause on that for just a moment. We've talked about this before, but I think it very important that people understand that. you've used the illustration. If you have $100 in the stock and you lose 25% of that, you have 75, dollars left. and if you have a, 25% gain on $75, you don't actually go back to $100, do you?
>> Jane: No, you don't. It takes twice the gains to get back to make up for any loss. For example, if you've lost 10%, you're going to have to gain 20% just to get back to where you started.
>> Don Hawkins: Yeah. So important for people to keep that in mind. And they think, well, you know, I'm in the market and, or I'm in a mutual fund and it's a really great investment. But the, reality is you're talking about, where money is protected for living and for giving and for growing. Those three purposes that we've talked about that help us to get in alignment with, what God's word says about money.
We've talked about the webinar on wills and living trust coming August 21
Now, I've heard you talk about some of the criteria that you require for companies you work with with these investments. let's, recap those three criter if we could.
>> Jane: Okay, sure. I mean, the first thing is that when I look at these companies, I really research them. And as far as I can tell, and as deep as I'm able to dig, the companies are biblically responsible in how they are making and using their money. Second, in the past 10 years, their average earnings have to be 8% or above. And third, they must be a strong, well established company that has greater assets than obligations.
>> Don Hawkins: And you have ways to dig deeply to find out if those assets are bigger than obligations. Obligations. We've talked about that before. I know some of you listening may be thinking, well, I'm not sure, that I'm going to, have my money in something that could be guaranteed to have, around 8% or more, at least guaranteed not to lose money. And maybe you're in a situation you're not sure that your investments are biblically responsible. Maybe you'd like to talk with Roxanne about it one on one. she doesn't charge for those initial, conversations. You can Schedule a free time to talk with us, Roxanne@hisfaithful stewards.com It's easy to follow the links on the website, set up a good time to talk or you can call the office using the phone number on the website. Hisfaithful stewards.com Again that's his faithful stewards.com Now Roxanne, we've talked about these resources that fit into this category of gaining up from 8 to 10, up to 13% and never guaranteed to lose money. But you have some other things you make available as well, correct?
>> Jane: Yeah, we do several other things. I mean we work with a specialty trust that can really help investors and self employed people who are paying a lot in taxes to reduce their income taxes by over 90%. It's a 75 year old trust that has been copyrighted for over 25 years and though there are thousands of them in use, the copyright on them keeps them exclusive and unknown by most other attorneys and accountants. So most people haven't heard of them. It's a fabulous tool for people who are paying high self employment or investment.
>> Don Hawkins: Taxes taxes and I know some of you listening are in that situation. God has blessed you. you're paying self employment taxes and you could reduce those by as much as 90%. That would be worth talking to Roxanne about. again that website to set up a time to talk with her, his faithful stewards.com Now Roxanne, we've also talked about the webinar on wills and living trust. I've mentioned that a couple of times. Tell us what a little bit about what you're going to talk about relative to these tools. And they are tools, right?
>> Jane: Sure, yes. first we give a free webinar so that people can learn more about them and learn what they need. The truth is that the government will determine how their assets are distributed if they don't create their own plan. And many people who only have wills do not realize that their loved ones will still be subjected to the stresses and costs of probate. Wills don't avoid that. And then second, we also help people to use an economical source for creating the estate planning documents that they need.
>> Don Hawkins: Boy, a lot of people haven't thought through that and maybe even compared the difference in having a will and in having a living trust and how that might save you something from probate worth exploring. And the best way to do that is to go to the website, his Faithful Stewards.com and sign up for that free webinar. Again, there's no cost, no obligation, no strong arming about anything. That's, at will awareness and living trust. That's the topic. It's coming up on Thursday, August 21st at 6pm Central Time. That's 5pm Mountain Time or 7pm Eastern Time. And again, the date is Thursday, August 21st. You can sign up on the website under the webinar tab at his faithful stewards.com Again, that's his faithful stewards dot com.
You carry a line of gold and silver coins to help offset market risk
Roxanne, we haven't mentioned this tonight, but you also carry a reliable line of gold and silver coins, right?
>> Jane: yes, we do. And because some people are not able to get their savings out of the market, we also carry a line of gold and silver to help offset the market risk. Typically, when the market goes down, precious metals go up in value and vice versa. So it helps to provide a small hedge against market losses for those who cannot get their money to safety. We actually endorse buying pre1933 gold and silver coins because it's an actual physical resource that is old enough that it doesn't have to be reported to the government. So there's no tracking on the purchases and there's no 1099s ever issued for taxes.
>> Don Hawkins: Well, that's an important thing to keep in mind because 1099s are issued for almost everything, these days, right?
>> Jane: Oh, yeah, yeah.
>> Don Hawkins: I mean, that's just a reason reality.
We've talked tonight about beliefs about money from a biblical perspective
Now, we've talked about the purposes of money. I think this would be a good place to do a little recapping. you talked about money being to live. Obviously we have to make a living. And you mentioned Matthew 6, verses 25 through 34. Great passage there, talking about, serving God with our resources and God providing for our, our needs of, food and clothing. and then you talked about giving. And we talked about the fact that, the APostle Paul in Second Corinthians, chapters eight and nine, says, Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly nor of necessity. And I always like to ask my church family this question before we take up an offering. What kind of a giver does God love? A cheerful giver. And I, now have them schooled so that we always get that answer. And I'm hoping that as the plates are passed that they are remembering that and are giving. So we talked about living and giving and growing it. And you've talked about the dangers of the stock market, that if you lose 25%, you have to gain literally 50% to be able to regain back to, the level where you previously were. Now, we've talked about the value of money being tied to our hearts and how we view stewardship and ownership. God being owner, we're the steward. we've also talked tonight about beliefs about money from a biblical perspective. But if somebody could remember just one thing that you've told us about tonight, what would you consider to be the most important thing?
>> Jane: Well, I think as Christians, we have to live our lives with an eternal perspective, knowing that we're just in training here for eternity. So I would go to the passage in Matthew 6, starting with verse 19, where it says, do not store up treasure on earth, where moth and dust and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. This, is talking about our treasure and what we value most. Above all, we need to value Jesus and his kingdom. He needs to be our treasure. If we do that, and we are wise stewards of what he entrusted trust to us, we're on the road to getting money. Right?
>> Don Hawkins: And I want to make a comment about that as well. No matter how well you handle your money, it's important that you have come to a place in your life where you have personally trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. The Bible makes it clear that no matter how much money you have, you cannot buy your way into heaven. And, the reality is the Bible says that all of us have sinned and falls, fallen short of the glory of God. That's in Romans 3:23. And it says in Romans 6:23 that the penalty for sin is death. But then Romans 5:8 gives us the good news side of that. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. God commended his love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. And that leaves us at a place where all, we have to do, no matter what our economic situation, situation, rich or poor, we come to the Lord Jesus and say, lord Jesus, I'm placing my trust in you. John 3:16 says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And Roxanne, I know you join with me in saying that anybody tonight who hasn't made that most important decision at all needs, needs to make that decision to trust Christ tonight.
>> Jane: Yes, Absolutely. That's the most important thing.
>> Don Hawkins: Above all, we want to encourage you to do that. Now, once again, a reminder. You can schedule a free time to talk with Roxanne on the website his faithful stewards.com it's easy to follow the links on the website to set up a good time to talk. Or if you're not good at following links as many people are not, there's a phone number the website. You can call the office to set a time. And as I mentioned earlier, if you are not one of those people who's on the Internet, get one of your grandchildren to get you on the website. The link to schedule and the phone number are on the website. Write this down his faithful stewards.com that's his faithful stewards.com that's also the place to find out about the upcoming webinar on the subject of will, awareness and Living Trust. Thursday, August 21st at 6pm Roxanne, always a joy to have you on the program. Thank you so much for giving your time and energy to the ministry.
>> Jane: Well, thanks a bunch. It was great to be here.
>> Don Hawkins: Always a joy. Remember that website his faithful stewards.com make sure you're in church tomorrow. Good night from Encouragement Live.
