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Teaching a class on Finances at church

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by evangelist6589, Jan 9, 2014.

  1. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    Our church is teaching a class on finances and my wife & me have signed up. We are not using Dave Ramsey but another a program by Crown Financial ministries. The teacher gave his reasons, and that Ramsey does not dive in to Scripture very well and I agree. He is a expert on teaching Biblical principles on finances, but he often takes things too far, and is shallow on his biblical views.
    I know that we have had problems in this area, and a big problem has been my irregular income, however I have had a steady job for almost 4-months know which has greatly helped. Not sure if I can ever pay back my debts but with God all things are possible. One of several books we are using is one called Your Money Counts. Have you read it? Has your church done such a class and did it work out well? I think a strong advantage of a class vs. a book is the discussion and people learn more from discussion. What I plan to get out of the class is awareness of spending, and an ability to save more. If I don't have the income to be debt free that is one thing, but I can pay what I can.
     
    #1 evangelist6589, Jan 9, 2014
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  2. thisnumbersdisconnected

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    Crown Financial Ministries is an excellent Christian financial study. One of the things you will hear regarding excessive debt is to target your biggest debt and pay it down with as much as you can afford while meeting the minimum payments of your other debts. Once that biggest debt is zeroed out, tackle the next biggest one in the same way, and keep doing this until you are debt free. Believe me, it works.
     
  3. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    We've used Crown's materials and they were fantastic. Definitely work hard at paying those debts (they were a promise that you made - you need to be a man of your word to assist your testimony).

    I have to say, your title of the thread made me get nervous because I thought YOU were teaching the class. I'm the first to admit that I'm the last person who would be good to teach the class on finances and I know your struggles with finances and I was wondering how you would teach it. LOL Sorry. :)
     
  4. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    My wife and I have gone through the full program with Crown believe twice, and their small one once, so can vouch for it as being biblically grounded!

    2 maqin differences between them and Dave Ramsey seems to be that they hold to "practical deby", that its ok to have some debt, as long as can pay it off each month in budget and has a definite purpose like car/house, and they don't seem to teach God goal is to get his folks wealthy...
     
  5. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    I am not qualified to teach such a class. Ann its not that I do not desire to pay my debts, its that I lack the RESOURCES to do so. I have all the desire in the world to pay the debts, but at only $14/hr at 40 hrs a week with over 60K in student loans not counting my CC's its not possible to pay off my debts. However my CC debts are less than 10K and can be paid and they are my goal. If my wife passes her CPA exam her salary should go up drastically and this will be major blessing for us.
     
  6. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    Yeah Ramsey is totally anti credit cards and any type of loans. He also promotes Jon Acuff very heavily and if you have read him you know what I mean...
     
  7. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    You mean the smallest debts because I lack the resources to pay my largest debts and am on a income based payment plan which does not even cover the minimum payment. I wish the courts could excuse those debts, but they will not. I lack the income to pay them. If I had the income I would pay them.
     
  8. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    nothing wrong with being fully debt free, just use cash/debit cards, but does seem to attimes become heavy handedand a stickler for all debt as evil, and God wants to finacially prosper all to get wealthy!
     
  9. exscentric

    exscentric Well-Known Member
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    "I wish the courts could excuse those debts, but they will not."

    You decide to go to school.
    You decide to take out loans.
    You enjoy the education.
    You decide you can't pay the loans.
    You decide it is better that we the taxpayer pay the loans.

    Got it. Don't want to be mean but you are making near a third more than I ever made in my life. Raised three kids, bought and paid for a home. You can pay the debt if you will commit to do it. Trust the Lord will help you work out your finances :) Seriously! Been there and it is no fun at all and digging out takes a long time.
     
  10. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    If you cant even make the minium payments - then the intrest (& intrest on intrest) keeps adding up.

    There is always bankrupcy - not a great thing - but an option .....
     
  11. thisnumbersdisconnected

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    As Salty said, if your circumstances are that serious -- and I don't make a judgment as to why they are that serious -- then bankruptcy is probably your only option. Being able to make the minimum payments is the key to gaining debt freedom. If you can't do that, you don't have much choice.
     
  12. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    Yes I made some major mistakes in the past taking on the loans this I agree.... However making $14/hr is not the same as making $14/hr in Greenville, SC, or some other area like that with low living costs as I am in the Denver Metro area, CO.

    Besides living costs I am on a income based payment plan which means I just pay what I can afford. As a result no creditor is on me and I have good credit. However I will not be able to be debt free in my lifetime paying only the min payments.
     
    #12 evangelist6589, Jan 11, 2014
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  13. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    I wish I could bankrupt the loans but I cannot, and I do not have enough CC debt to do so. My CC debt can be tackled with my income. The students are another matter.
     
  14. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    I have and always have been able to make the min payments on all my debts, Unfortunately that is about all I can do which will calculate that I will not be able to pay back the student loans in my lifetime as I am in a income based payment plan.

    Creditors are not on me and I get no calls and that is only because I am able to make the min payments. But I will never be debt free with my income.
     
    #14 evangelist6589, Jan 11, 2014
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