This Week In Christian Personal Finances

Introduction

My job as a Stewardship Pastor requires me to stay current with the latest and greatest in the world of Church Stewardship and Christian Personal Finance. I have read numerous books and blogs on these subjects. I have been through Crown Financial small group Bible studies, and I have been the lead coordinator for Financial Peace University at my church for the last three years. As the United States continues in a time of great financial difficulty, more and more Christians are looking for resources to assist them in their journey toward Biblically-based financial wisdom.

This is my first post of "This Week in Christian Personal Finance." Each week, I plan to bring you the top news of the week in the Christian Personal Finance (CPF) world. I will be tracking CPF news from the following sources:

1. Dave Ramsey
2. Crown Financial Ministries
3. Christian Personal Finance Blogs. The blogs I will typically track are Christianpf, Money Help for Christians, Bible Money Matters, One Money Design, Crosswalk/Finances, Jay Peroni - Faith Based Investing, and a few others.
4. New Books or Resources of Interest

Christian Personal Finance News for the Week of September 19, 2010

Dave Ramsey

• Dave Ramsey Welcomes Jon Acuff to the Team. This news is a couple of weeks old on Dave Ramsey's website, but this month, Dave added a new team member to his staff at the Lampo Group. Jon Acuff is a popular blogger, author, and speaker. Jon's journey began when he started his blog Stuff Christians Like as a hobby back in 2008.

Crown Financial Ministries

• The Root of Riches. In the MoneyLife radio program on Wednesday, September 22, host Chuck Bentley discusses an interesting take on the word "root" that is found in the most famous and often misquoted money verse in the Bible, 1 Timothy 6:10. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Chuck does an excellent job of explaining the core problem of the love of money. The roots are our belief systems regarding money. If we have a belief system that is wrapped up in the world's money philosophy, then we will produce money behaviors that are not in line with God's Word. As Christians, we need to change our belief system from man's economy to God's economy.

Blog Posts

• Should Christians Have PreNups. Matt Bell wrote a guest post on Christianpf.com on the topic of whether or not Christian couples should sign a prenuptial agreement before marriage. He cites the divorce rate statistics and lists why many secular personal finance planners recommend prenuptial agreements, especially for second marriages, when estate issues for children from a previous marriage are involved. Matt does not say either way if he believes that Christian couples should sign a prenup, but cautions that the issue should be prayed over and agreed upon by both partners. Personal note: the one item that Matt fails to address is the no-fault divorce issue in many states. In today's world, it's way too easy for one partner to walk away and call it quits, catching the other spouse completely off-guard. My personal opinion is that if the divorce laws were stricter (awarding the faithful spouse a greater percentage of assets and child custody), there would probably be fewer divorces, canceling the need for most prenups in the first place.
• The Spiritual Impact of Earning More Money. Craig Ford at Money Help For Christians writes about 4 lessons he has learned by earning more money. In his post, Craig writes from his heart about what he is currently experiencing as he is earning more money from his blog and ebook The Secret to a Successful Budget.
• Have You Counted The Cost? Paul Williams, a financial planner in Pennsylvania, wrote a hard-hitting guest post at Bible Money Matters on the cost of being a disciple of Christ when it comes to our money. If you don't enjoy being convicted, then don't read Paul's post!
• Lessons from Luke: the Beatitudes.  Here's another hard-hitting Bible-based post by Stew at Gather Little by Little regarding spiritual wealth and earthly wealth. This is another great reminder of the spiritual importance of a right relationship with money in the life of a Christian.
• What Type of Debt is "ok"? This post regarding Christians and debt is guest post by Rob Kuban at One Money Design. Rob gives us a great reminder of the bondage of debt in the life of a believer. He also discusses the various types of debt that may be considered "permissible," but Rob cautions that debt-free living is still the wisest choice.
• 12 Financial Mistakes You Will Live To Regret. This post over at eChristianFinances lists the top 12 financial mistakes that we will regret. The number one regret: Tithing! This is another great reminder that you really can't afford not to give back to God what He has asked us to give.
• Redefining Riches Sunday School Series: The Basics of the Bible and Money. Rob Kuban at Dollars and Doctrine introduces a new 4-week Bible Study he has written about money and God's Word.