Full Transcript for When Money Gets Tight - Wisdom for Christian Dads

way on a man's shoulders. 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:38.240 Do you you feel it? 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:39.120 Yeah, we feel it. 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:39.439 You feel it? 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:41.840 We understand that this is a real thing. 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:45.759 So, you know, I want to say for the outset, I'm gonna say this for the outside some big picture stuff. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:52.319 First of all, the more you prepare as a young man from 16 to 26 years of age, the better it goes. 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:55.280 So, you know, that's why how the world runs and your part in it. 00:03:55.439 --> 00:03:56.960 I wrote that for 14-year-olds. 00:03:57.280 --> 00:04:06.560 To, you know, if if it's just a little vision, a little preparation, a little, you know, financial preparation for, you know, developing your own microeconomy, very, very important. 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:13.280 So this I think is probably practically the most important thing I've contributed to the generation's ministry in the practical sense. 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:16.560 So so I said I say that, but uh Bill, big picture. 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:18.720 I want you to speak to the dad just starting out. 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:24.800 You know, he's married, he's got a child, a second on the way, and he's worried about finances. 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:26.160 What can you say to him? 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:28.720 Trust in the Lord, number one, right? 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:33.439 Seek God's kingdom, as you said, and all these things will be added unto you. 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:41.120 But I mean, from a practical standpoint, my mother pretty much gave me one line spend less than you make. 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:41.680 Yeah. 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:43.199 Spend less than you make. 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:48.639 It doesn't matter how much you make, it matters that you spend less than you make. 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:55.439 Now that that doesn't mean that she didn't want me to go out and find a better job to try to make more money, but uh none of it would work. 00:04:55.680 --> 00:05:03.680 If you make a half a million dollars a year and you spend six hundred thousand dollars a year, you're gonna get on Dave Ramsey's show and he's gonna call you stupid. 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:05.439 That's pretty much what he does. 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:06.000 Right? 00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:15.600 Yeah, don't of us want to be on Dave Ramsey's show, but I do that every once in a while just to get a dose of reality, right? 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:17.040 You gotta eat rice and beans. 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:17.600 You're stupid. 00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:21.519 You know, everyone it's good to every once in a while it's good to get a Dave Ramsey shot in the eye. 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:23.519 How do you train your kids? 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:25.680 Uh how did you train your son for this? 00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:31.759 Yeah, I I and again, it uh try teaching them first and foremost that you gotta trust in the

Lord. 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:33.680 So let's go and see what God says about money. 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:36.000 We go to the Word of God, what do we do with it? 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:38.319 Um you know, there's blessing in labor. 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:42.000 There we had we had one specific thing uh that we did. 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:44.959 We were teaching them how to handle money. 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:46.800 This is something we had to teach, right? 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:49.360 Because it doesn't come naturally. 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:55.279 So you gotta teach them how to earn it, you gotta teach them hard work, then you gotta teach them how to save it. 00:05:55.519 --> 00:06:03.600 Remember the Dear Abbey uh article said that the sign of maturity in a young man is he can have money in his pocket and not spend it. 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:04.959 That was a sign of maturity. 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:11.199 So you gotta learn how to earn it, you gotta learn how to save it, you gotta learn how to spend it, how to wisely spend it. 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:13.040 And then you gotta learn how to give it. 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:14.639 And that includes tithing and giving. 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:16.399 Whole chapters, by the way, on that. 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:16.800 Oh, yeah. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:20.000 On each of those areas and uh how the world runs and your part in it. 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:22.480 Um my dad would say something simple and funny. 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:24.639 You get these things from your parents, you know. 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:27.279 Watch your pennies and your dollars will look after themselves. 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:30.079 That was a little thing he would put down for us. 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:33.199 And there were times when we were very tight on the mission field. 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:49.519 My dad lost half of his support when he, you know, became a little more biblical and God-centered in some areas, and some of the churches were not as God-centered as my father was like to be during the 1970s, and we lost half of our support at that time. 00:06:49.759 --> 00:07:00.000 And uh we we got to the point where my dad was going to the bakeries and getting the the crusts of bread, because Japanese would would not eat the crusts of bread. 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:03.759 So we lived on bread crust for about three to four years during that period of time. 00:07:03.839 --> 00:07:07.439 There would have been between 76 and 79, somewhere somewhere in there. 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:08.399 You made it too. 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:11.600 But uh I did really well and actually got to the point where I like the bread crust. 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:16.319 Whenever the uh the banana bread comes out of the oven, guess what I go for? 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:17.040 That's right. 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:18.720 The rare jewel of the thing. 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:21.199 I cut both sides off first. 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:21.759 That's right. 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:23.040 For me, you learn to be. 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:25.360 So, Danny, give us some highlights. 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:26.319 Give us some high points. 00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:27.040 What do you do? 00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:29.680 We're talking about, you know, things are getting tighter. 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:32.639 How do these uh dads function? 00:07:33.519 --> 00:07:36.720 Yeah, Kevin, uh I was thinking a little bit about my upbringing too. 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:40.480 And um, my parents also were very frugal. 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:41.759 I'm very thankful for that. 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:45.279 And I think that's something that I want to give to my kids. 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:47.680 I I married a wife who's also very frugal. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:52.160 Um, but it it's it's a it's a little bit of a different way of looking at the world. 00:07:52.319 --> 00:08:00.399 Um there's you you you you you know you see a 2003 Toyota Corolla, and you're like, that car could work for me for you know a long time. 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:03.759 I could squeeze another 127,000 miles out of that thing. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:04.879 Yeah, exactly. 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:07.360 Um, you know, and and that's a great example. 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:17.439 You know, I I grew up around these, you know, another culture because we were missionaries in Russia for a while, and they would have nicer cars than they would have houses. 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:22.720 And that that that never made any sense to me because that's just not how our my parents raised us. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:28.319 You know, invest more in your dwelling for your family, and and then some of these ancillary things don't need to be nice. 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:31.040 So just that that frugal mindset, I'm really thankful for. 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:32.960 Can you explain what frugal means? 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:39.600 Because I I've heard that word, and I don't know that everybody understands because sometimes people get the idea that frugality is this miserly person. 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:41.200 What do you say when you say frugal? 00:10:52.939 --> 00:10:54.220 Um I'll give you an example. 00:10:54.460 --> 00:10:59.659 My grandfather, and this is where it comes from, uh, was a Harvard MBA graduate. 00:11:00.299 --> 00:11:15.980 And uh about in in in early in his life, he decided that he was just going to work a very basic job at the local newspaper, buy an acreage for his family, and raise all of his kids on this acreage and teach his kids how to work. 00:11:16.139 --> 00:11:18.379 He was very careful with his money, but very generous. 00:11:18.539 --> 00:11:21.819 They had missionaries in their homes uh in their home all the time. 00:11:22.059 --> 00:11:37.659 When he died, he uh he still had uh a coal furnace that they heated their house with, and every morning he would put on his uh tattered jacket and close it with baling twine because the zipper was broken.

00:11:37.899 --> 00:11:40.539 But he died with over a million dollars in the bank. 00:11:41.100 --> 00:11:41.819 That's Bruggel. 00:11:42.139 --> 00:11:43.659 That sounds a lot like my dad. 00:11:43.819 --> 00:11:47.659 Um my dad is probably the most generous person I know. 00:11:48.620 --> 00:11:54.939 I mean, he handed off his inheritance to us ten years ago, and and he's living on very little today. 00:11:55.819 --> 00:11:58.059 Um and extremely generous. 00:11:58.620 --> 00:12:01.100 My father hardly made anything in his life. 00:12:02.220 --> 00:12:03.100 Hardly made anything. 00:12:03.259 --> 00:12:08.779 I don't think he had a year, you know, today's dollars where he was earning any more than 30,000 a year. 00:12:10.299 --> 00:12:14.139 So but he handed off a significant inheritance to six children. 00:12:14.379 --> 00:12:14.620 Yeah. 00:12:15.259 --> 00:12:18.059 And and yet Yeah, bread crusts. 00:12:18.299 --> 00:12:23.179 And yeah, you know, he he had used very little on himself. 00:12:23.819 --> 00:12:25.500 I interrupted you on your what you were saying. 00:12:25.740 --> 00:12:26.379 But carry on, yes. 00:12:26.620 --> 00:12:30.539 Yeah, but my point was just it's there's another way of looking at the world, thrift stores. 00:12:30.860 --> 00:12:36.139 Um you don't need so much of what the world tells you you need on a regular basis. 00:12:36.299 --> 00:12:43.580 Um, another thing that I'm thankful for is um I had a mentor before I got married, and he drilled this into me pretty well. 00:12:43.740 --> 00:12:47.500 He says, Danny, it's not about what you earn, it's about what you learn. 00:12:47.740 --> 00:12:52.539 And I found that to be very helpful because the point there is don't chase the paycheck. 00:12:52.700 --> 00:12:54.860 Obviously, first of all, we work for the Lord. 00:12:54.939 --> 00:12:55.980 So that's number one. 00:12:56.139 --> 00:13:04.539 But secondly, uh what he was encouraging was a mindset of skill development in your work and developing proficiency and competency. 00:13:04.620 --> 00:13:17.980 And I think that um there's a real trap in chasing making as much as you can for your family if you're not actually more focused on developing skill and competency that will actually allow you to advance in the marketplace. 00:13:18.139 --> 00:13:30.860 And so um I would say, yes, be frugal, but on the flip side of that, uh, do seek to improve your the gifts and abilities that God has given you uh for the purpose of making more so you can provide and then give more. 00:13:31.179 --> 00:13:33.659 And the key principle that you brought out earlier is stewardship. 00:13:33.980 --> 00:13:35.100 Ultimately, it's stewardship. 00:13:35.259 --> 00:13:37.019 We're given certain talents, right? 00:13:37.179 --> 00:13:38.460 Let's double those talents. 00:13:38.779 --> 00:13:38.860 Right. 00:13:39.100 --> 00:13:50.220 And uh that includes all of the gifts and all of the abilities and all of the the resources, preparations and resources and the and the heritage that God has given to us. 00:13:50.620 --> 00:13:58.939 I mean God gave me an amazing heritage back to my grandfather, right, who was uh business manager at Wheaton College in the 1970s, has managed in U.S. 00:13:59.019 --> 00:14:10.860 Steel for a number of years, uh but a godly man with you know a tremendous amount of um contributions to the local churches and and then you know two of his children become missionaries and on and on it goes. 00:14:11.019 --> 00:14:11.179 Right. 00:14:11.500 --> 00:14:17.980 So you know I have great heritage and I f I I feel an obligation to that heritage because I'm grateful. 00:14:18.220 --> 00:14:18.299 Right. 00:14:18.460 --> 00:14:20.139 And because I work for a good master, by the way. 00:14:20.220 --> 00:14:21.100 Let's remember that too. 00:14:21.419 --> 00:14:23.019 If you're a steward, who do you work for? 00:14:23.179 --> 00:14:24.620 Well, a great master, right? 00:14:24.779 --> 00:14:28.220 And that is Jesus, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave his life for me. 00:14:28.620 --> 00:14:31.740 Um but let's answer this question because this is where we're headed today. 00:14:31.819 --> 00:14:33.340 When money is tight, what do we do? 00:14:33.659 --> 00:14:35.500 When money is tight, what do we do? 00:14:35.659 --> 00:14:37.580 So this is the theme of today's program. 00:14:37.980 --> 00:14:41.259 Is it ever a good idea for mom to help with generating some income? 00:14:41.419 --> 00:14:54.779 Well, I I want to address this, and I know there might be a bit of controversies surrounding this, but in the modern world, uh, there tends to be this idea that you've you're supposed to place all of the curse on mom. 00:14:55.580 --> 00:14:56.860 Oh of it. 00:14:57.419 --> 00:14:59.259 You just dump all the curse on mom. 00:14:59.819 --> 00:15:03.340 She gets to bear the children, she gets to toil by the sweat of her brow. 00:15:03.659 --> 00:15:04.539 She gets all of it. 00:15:05.019 --> 00:15:06.460 I just don't think that's fair. 00:15:07.100 --> 00:15:10.860 I just don't think it's fair to take a big old dump truck and dump it all on mom. 00:15:11.500 --> 00:15:14.059 So I think dad is primarily responsible. 00:15:14.220 --> 00:15:26.059 You mentioned 1 Timothy 2 8, which is that, you know, the dad is primarily responsible to take care of mom, and by the way, grandma as well, and the other widows uh connected to the church or to the family. 00:15:26.299 --> 00:15:28.860 But dad, I think, does need to sweat a lot. 00:15:29.419 --> 00:15:30.299 I just want to say that. 00:15:30.460 --> 00:15:30.860 Well, why? 00:15:31.019 --> 00:15:32.539 Because that's Genesis 3. 00:15:33.019 --> 00:15:34.220 Dad should sweat a lot. 00:15:34.379 --> 00:15:37.659 Not say that mom doesn't consider a field and buys it, and she does. 00:15:37.740 --> 00:15:38.460 And that's okay. 00:15:38.620 --> 00:15:38.700 Right. 00:15:39.100 --> 00:15:44.299 She considers that and she does it, and she's she's out

there as an economic provider, and I'm okay with that. 00:15:44.460 --> 00:15:44.860 Right. 00:15:45.100 --> 00:15:48.460 But let's not put the bulk of the curse or the burden on mom. 00:15:48.700 --> 00:15:50.139 That's all I'm saying here. 00:15:50.379 --> 00:15:56.220 So there's a point at which I think dads need to say, okay, how do I do this, Genesis 3? 00:15:56.379 --> 00:15:58.620 How do I do this 1 Timothy 2.8 thing? 00:15:58.700 --> 00:15:58.779 Right. 00:15:59.100 --> 00:16:00.220 Am I really sweating? 00:16:00.860 --> 00:16:02.059 Maybe that's a good question to ask. 00:16:02.220 --> 00:16:03.819 Am I really sweating all that much? 00:16:04.059 --> 00:16:04.779 That's a great point. 00:16:04.860 --> 00:16:08.620 Um, and and sometimes dads probably need to take a second job, something like that. 00:16:08.860 --> 00:16:26.460 You know, and and let's let's not forget fundamentally that when I was gone for eight hours a day trying to set up my insurance agency, my wife was generating income for the family by taking care of everything at home while I was something you can't be doing because she was a generator of income in a different way. 00:16:26.860 --> 00:16:29.340 Because you weren't paying public you weren't paying Christian school bills. 00:16:29.580 --> 00:16:29.740 Right. 00:16:29.819 --> 00:16:30.620 I wasn't right. 00:16:30.779 --> 00:16:32.700 I wasn't I wasn't paying Christian school bills. 00:16:33.019 --> 00:16:34.299 And she was running the household. 00:16:34.379 --> 00:16:37.019 I came home and and the household was run. 00:16:37.419 --> 00:16:46.299 And and consider it's not just daycare, it's also who is going to really spend all that time to nurture the faith and character of those children. 00:16:46.539 --> 00:16:52.220 We talked about that in another program, but you've you know somebody's got to be putting the 724s into this. 00:16:52.779 --> 00:16:55.740 Mom's doing it, and then dad comes home and he contributes as well. 00:16:56.620 --> 00:17:01.500 The other thing that comes to mind, Kevin, is speaking to that dad is seeking wise counsel. 00:17:01.659 --> 00:17:09.019 Um uh by God's grace, I've been able to walk alongside a uh uh couple of dads in this area. 00:17:09.259 --> 00:17:25.019 And um, I think that there's uh uh things we miss as dads about our finances and hey, maybe ways we could uh trim or maze maybe ways that we could improve our value contribution to the marketplace, maybe ways we could progress in our careers. 00:17:25.179 --> 00:17:29.340 So I think just surrounding ourselves with three or four godly counselors. 00:17:29.500 --> 00:17:34.220 Uh I remember when we built our house a few years ago, uh, you may remember this, Kevin. 00:17:34.380 --> 00:17:41.259 I I put together a budget and a plan, and here's what this is gonna look like for our family if we do this project. 00:17:41.340 --> 00:17:43.420 And I sat down with you, and I think I sat down with you. 00:17:43.579 --> 00:17:43.740 Trevor Burrus, Jr. 00:17:43.819 --> 00:17:45.259 I think we did have a conversation on that. 00:17:45.900 --> 00:17:47.659 And I appreciated that very much. 00:17:47.819 --> 00:17:56.139 Um so just uh this could be really helpful to get a broader perspective on things you may be missing and and ways to creatively address that situation. 00:17:56.220 --> 00:17:56.380 Trevor Burrus, Jr. 00:17:56.619 --> 00:18:00.940 Let me throw out some Bible verses, uh seeing if you know there's some wisdom in scripture on this. 00:18:01.019 --> 00:18:08.460 And and by the way, I try to address the hundreds upon hundreds of Bible verses in relation to these real life questions and how the world runs. 00:18:08.700 --> 00:18:08.779 Right. 00:18:09.179 --> 00:18:13.900 But uh 1 Timothy 6, verse 6 speaks of having food and raiment. 00:18:14.380 --> 00:18:16.619 Let us be there with content. 00:18:17.259 --> 00:18:19.980 So also we brought nothing into the world. 00:18:20.139 --> 00:18:22.299 Certainly we can carry nothing out. 00:18:24.299 --> 00:18:26.539 Godliness with contentment is great gain. 00:18:26.779 --> 00:18:28.539 Hebrews 13, verse 5 as well. 00:18:28.779 --> 00:18:34.539 Let your conversations be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have. 00:18:35.019 --> 00:18:38.220 For he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. 00:18:38.860 --> 00:18:41.819 Um a sense that you know what, it's all coming from God. 00:18:41.980 --> 00:18:43.420 He's paying attention to these things. 00:18:43.900 --> 00:18:44.779 Where's kids? 00:18:45.420 --> 00:18:53.099 You know, if if your children you know were, I don't know, stashing cornflakes in in their bed. 00:18:53.500 --> 00:19:01.500 Let's say, you know, just in case dad's not going to feed us, I think you'd be kind of bothered by that, wouldn't you? 00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:03.179 Like, now wait a minute. 00:19:03.579 --> 00:19:04.700 I have fed you. 00:19:04.940 --> 00:19:09.900 You've had breakfast for the last 2,476 breakfasts. 00:19:10.700 --> 00:19:14.299 What are the odds of you not getting breakfast tomorrow? 00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:25.180 So I think we need to remember God's goodness, that God is there, God is taking care of us, and uh and we don't need to be worried about these things. 00:19:25.980 --> 00:19:29.900 Um, in in terms of expenses, can we talk about expenses for a little bit? 00:19:30.299 --> 00:19:31.180 We talk about income. 00:19:31.339 --> 00:19:33.819 We need more income, we need a second job, what have you. 00:19:34.220 --> 00:19:42.220 But uh in terms of of expenses, there are three classes of people in America today. 00:19:42.619 --> 00:19:45.180 There's the rich class, they're doing pretty good. 00:19:45.660 --> 00:19:50.460 The welfare class buys stakes on food stamps, and then there's the homeschool family of ten. 00:19:50.700 --> 00:19:51.819 That's the third class. 00:19:52.140 --> 00:19:53.099 They're in the back of the store. 00:19:53.420 --> 00:19:54.700 Those are

the only three. 00:19:56.220 --> 00:20:01.180 They're in the back of the store picking up all the three-day old food to distribute at their local co-op or church. 00:20:01.259 --> 00:20:03.740 So there's these three classes. 00:20:03.980 --> 00:20:04.140 Okay. 00:20:04.940 --> 00:20:09.900 You have the rich, you have the welfare class, and then you have the homeschool family of ten. 00:20:10.859 --> 00:20:13.660 Also, there's a tiered element in our society today. 00:20:13.819 --> 00:20:18.460 If you can't shop at Neiman Marcus anymore, you may have to shop at Target. 00:20:18.619 --> 00:20:21.339 If you can't shop at Target, you may have to shop at Walmart. 00:20:21.500 --> 00:20:25.579 If you can't shop at Walmart, you might have to shop at the Salvation Army store. 00:20:25.980 --> 00:20:38.299 If you can't stop shop at the Salvation Army store, you're probably gonna have to go to the Reformation Church clothing drive where we hand out 25,000 pieces of clothing um twice a year. 00:20:38.859 --> 00:20:39.500 You follow me here. 00:20:39.660 --> 00:20:44.299 In other words, America has quite a number of tiers. 00:20:44.700 --> 00:20:47.579 And uh and I would talk about this with my wife. 00:20:47.660 --> 00:20:48.700 I'd say, you know what? 00:20:48.779 --> 00:20:53.579 I mean, we we there's some there is some safety netting in place here. 00:20:53.900 --> 00:20:54.940 Let's keep that in mind. 00:20:55.740 --> 00:21:00.539 Yeah, I think and you know, you you you look at your budget and you say there's just not enough money here. 00:21:00.859 --> 00:21:03.180 So there's two two things you you have to do. 00:21:03.579 --> 00:21:08.460 Number one, you look at how can we earn some more, but you also look at how can we save some more. 00:21:08.619 --> 00:21:10.859 And you're mentioning those kind of things like food. 00:21:10.940 --> 00:21:13.660 I I remember my mother had a tight, tight budget. 00:21:13.900 --> 00:21:16.140 You know, she's a single mom living by herself. 00:21:16.379 --> 00:21:21.980 She told me she would go to the store on Sunday night when she knew that the whole rotisserie chicken was gonna be half priced. 00:21:22.059 --> 00:21:24.859 She knew exactly the time that they were going to reduce it. 00:21:25.019 --> 00:21:28.940 She bought buys this chicken, and then that's her meat for the week. 00:21:29.180 --> 00:21:30.940 She would spread out all of it. 00:21:31.180 --> 00:21:33.099 So you can make cuts. 00:21:33.819 --> 00:21:41.500 But if you think, well, I got to have my coffee and I've got to have this and I've got to have that, and we don't have enough money, well, you maybe need to think about being tighter. 00:21:41.900 --> 00:21:49.259 And the other thing I would say on expenses too is expanding your family skill set can actually reduce your expenses by quite a mile as well. 00:21:49.420 --> 00:22:16.539 Uh having a significant uh experience with a variety of household type of uh you know skills, whether it's painting or

repairing an appliance or uh fixing your own roof or doing your own landscaping, mowing your own lawn, um, making your own, you know, kombucha and kefir and and and and um that's that's uh a way that my wife has contributed significantly uh to our family. 00:22:16.619 --> 00:22:19.099 Now she's not the one fixing the appliances, so that's where I step in. 00:22:19.500 --> 00:22:33.819 YouTube how-to's YouTube how-tos can really help in fixing I mean I remember early on, I think I replaced the ignition on our oven four times, something like that. 00:22:34.059 --> 00:22:44.460 I mean, this thing kept going out over and over again, but I just learned how to replace it with the two screws, not a big deal for 1995, versus calling the guy in for$175. 00:22:45.180 --> 00:22:45.500 Right. 00:22:45.740 --> 00:22:52.779 And I it honestly I think the average young man should be able to replace an alternator in the car. 00:22:53.099 --> 00:22:55.579 You know, now there's certain things that are hard to replace. 00:22:56.220 --> 00:22:56.940 I I get that. 00:22:57.099 --> 00:23:01.500 The the gas pump that's you know inside of the gas tank, that's hard. 00:23:01.980 --> 00:23:10.460 My dad bored a hole through the through the floor of the car to get into the gas tank in order to replace that thing. 00:23:11.019 --> 00:23:13.500 You could do that, that's a possibility, you know. 00:23:14.859 --> 00:23:17.420 Replace your gas pump in the gas tank. 00:23:17.819 --> 00:23:27.180 But uh certain things you cannot do, but but it seems to me there's a fair number of car repairs that you can do fairly simply. 00:23:28.140 --> 00:23:31.819 And uh and I encourage uh young men especially to to do that. 00:23:31.900 --> 00:23:35.420 We've got a section on some of that and how the world runs and your part in it. 00:23:35.980 --> 00:23:54.460 Um obvious things, uh areas to cut in terms of reducing spending, restaurants, you can eat at home, pack lunches, reduce your coffee shop visits, um vacations, travel, you can stay closer to home, entertainment, cut the concerts, the movies, uh streaming subscriptions, things like that. 00:23:54.940 --> 00:23:59.500 Um home improvements, you can delay the remodeling, you can fix some of your own stuff, etc. 00:24:00.379 --> 00:24:05.180 So you think about this um there's a fair amount still to be done. 00:24:05.339 --> 00:24:05.500 Right. 00:24:05.980 --> 00:24:09.740 Now you know, increase now housing, let's talk about housing for a second, right? 00:24:09.900 --> 00:24:10.700 Because housing is a biggie. 00:24:11.339 --> 00:24:13.019 Mentioned what 44% of the budget. 00:24:13.339 --> 00:24:14.140 How do we do this? 00:24:14.299 --> 00:24:17.740 Now we can stack up family members in a home. 00:24:17.900 --> 00:24:18.779 We we see this. 00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:25.099 We see, you know, young people, not just sons but daughters as well, staying at home. 00:24:25.900 --> 00:24:29.420 And sometimes they can contribute something to the income of the household. 00:24:29.500 --> 00:24:29.579 Right. 00:24:30.059 --> 00:24:30.460 Think about that. 00:24:30.619 --> 00:24:30.859 Right, right. 00:24:31.099 --> 00:24:31.980 The household economy. 00:24:32.059 --> 00:24:34.220 We've we talk about household economy quite a bit. 00:24:34.379 --> 00:24:36.700 It's a whole chapter on that and how the world runs. 00:24:36.859 --> 00:24:48.539 Um, but you know, even at 14 to 16 years of age, it's possible that we can be doing some things to add an additional three, four hundred dollars per month to the household income. 00:24:48.700 --> 00:24:50.220 So all of this is possible. 00:24:50.460 --> 00:24:53.420 Thoughts on housing, thoughts on income, thoughts on some of these things, Bill. 00:24:53.900 --> 00:24:57.099 Can I tell you one story of one area where you should not cut? 00:24:57.579 --> 00:24:58.619 Personal experience. 00:24:58.940 --> 00:25:04.940 A Christian school teacher in the mid-1980s, late 80s, I was making$13,000 a year. 00:25:05.420 --> 00:25:08.140 To say money was tight was an understatement. 00:25:08.379 --> 00:25:21.819 Um, and I I got to the place where somehow my mind got messed up, my heart got messed up, where I thought, you know what, one area I can save on is this tithe area because I am giving my life to Christian service. 00:25:22.059 --> 00:25:23.980 It is my tithe to God. 00:25:24.140 --> 00:25:29.099 I I messed it up in my mind, and I stopped tithing for a period of about six months. 00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:33.579 I mean, I was so poor, Kevin, that I got the car from the missionary when they were done with it. 00:25:33.740 --> 00:25:34.940 That's how poor we were. 00:25:35.259 --> 00:25:43.980 And but what happened was that six months that the tithe, I didn't tithe, I all more bills came in, the car broke down more, everything. 00:25:44.140 --> 00:25:45.579 And I actually did the numbers. 00:25:45.660 --> 00:25:51.019 I actually lost twice as much money as if if I had tithed the money when I really looked at it. 00:25:51.180 --> 00:25:52.299 And God just got a hold of my heart. 00:25:52.379 --> 00:25:58.460 And I'm not saying doing it from a financial only thing, but don't don't cut the tithe. 00:25:58.619 --> 00:26:01.740 That needs to be the first fruit that comes off of the income. 00:26:02.220 --> 00:26:03.819 And let me piggyback off of that, Papa. 00:26:04.220 --> 00:26:11.819 Uh, one of the things to the point of housing and helping a young family get off the ground, we we have been blessed in so many ways. 00:26:11.980 --> 00:26:19.420 We have been given bags of clothes by families in the church who, you know, they were done having kids and and we got those. 00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:21.259 And that's been a tremendous blessing. 00:26:21.420 --> 00:26:23.660 I've I've been given two cars. 00:26:23.819 --> 00:26:28.700 They were older cars, but they were a huge blessing early on in our family. 00:26:28.859 --> 00:26:33.259 Um, and and now by God's grace,

um, we've been able to do some of that for others. 00:26:33.420 --> 00:26:40.059 And that's been one of the the joys of our life is to experience that blessing from others. 00:26:40.299 --> 00:26:51.500 And and now uh we've tried to apply something of the poor tithe principle uh from the Old Testament and take a portion of our income and set that aside to help others that are trying to get on their feet financially. 00:26:51.660 --> 00:26:58.460 But one thing I can say is we've been blessed far more than we have blessed others by by God's grace. 00:26:58.859 --> 00:27:07.420 I've seen certain circumstances that were hard on some families, and yet, you know, they really connected with the deacons in the church. 00:27:07.500 --> 00:27:07.740 Yeah. 00:27:07.980 --> 00:27:18.220 And uh and there was some real reception of wisdom, you know, and and and a a humble walking together with through these tough circumstances. 00:27:18.619 --> 00:27:21.980 And as I look back, I see these families doing well today. 00:27:22.220 --> 00:27:22.379 Amen. 00:27:22.700 --> 00:27:35.980 And I've come back and commended some of these guys, some of these dads, that were just willing to take some wisdom in and uh and trust God and walk through the hard times and you know, and be consistent. 00:27:36.220 --> 00:27:44.460 And sometimes some of them have had to, you know, take up jobs that you know involved less income than they used to get. 00:27:44.779 --> 00:27:44.940 Right. 00:27:45.019 --> 00:27:45.420 That's tough. 00:27:45.819 --> 00:27:51.660 And yet they're continuing to follow through, they're faithful, they're making a decent living. 00:27:51.980 --> 00:27:52.619 They're humble. 00:27:52.779 --> 00:27:56.140 And they're humble, they're making a decent living, and God's providing for their family. 00:27:56.460 --> 00:27:59.099 So so I we can get through these hard times. 00:27:59.180 --> 00:28:02.299 And let's let's just say the hard times are there for a reason. 00:28:02.539 --> 00:28:02.700 Right. 00:28:03.019 --> 00:28:08.379 And more than likely, God is training us in trusting Him through the hard times. 00:28:08.779 --> 00:28:10.299 What about when money isn't tight? 00:28:10.539 --> 00:28:11.819 That's a good that's a good question here. 00:28:12.140 --> 00:28:12.619 That's a great question. 00:28:12.700 --> 00:28:13.500 What do you do when money isn't tight? 00:28:13.819 --> 00:28:16.859 I mean, sometimes contentment is tougher on people that have more than they need. 00:28:17.259 --> 00:28:19.099 Well, there's two things you can do save and give. 00:28:19.339 --> 00:28:19.900 That's right. 00:28:20.700 --> 00:28:25.259 And those are habits that need to be cultivated in all of us. 00:28:25.660 --> 00:28:25.819 Right. 00:28:26.059 --> 00:28:26.220 Yeah. 00:28:26.379 --> 00:28:30.299 We can eat watching out for those that aren't doing as well at the moment. 00:28:30.460 --> 00:28:37.660 And I think at any on any given year or any given month, we should be watching out for those that are in need. 00:28:37.980 --> 00:28:38.220 Amen. 00:28:39.099 --> 00:28:45.259 Um and and Jesus did say that if somebody asks of something of you to give something to them. 00:28:45.740 --> 00:28:46.619 Why would you withhold it? 00:28:46.859 --> 00:28:55.819 Uh I had um I had uh somebody this morning uh send me uh WhatsApp asking for something, asking for provisions. 00:28:56.619 --> 00:29:00.220 And I I believe that I have an obligation to give. 00:29:00.539 --> 00:29:00.619 Right. 00:29:01.019 --> 00:29:02.940 That there's no ifs, ands, or buts. 00:29:03.019 --> 00:29:06.940 I'm not sure how much, right, but certainly I must give to this person. 00:29:07.019 --> 00:29:08.140 They've asked me for something. 00:29:08.700 --> 00:29:10.460 Jesus said, You must give him something. 00:29:10.700 --> 00:29:11.019 Amen. 00:29:11.420 --> 00:29:16.059 So um so get used to giving because the habit of the Christian life. 00:29:16.379 --> 00:29:16.619 Right. 00:29:16.859 --> 00:29:21.180 Yeah, and I and I I Kevin, I need to grow in that opportunistic giving as well. 00:29:21.339 --> 00:29:22.539 Thank you for mentioning that. 00:29:22.859 --> 00:29:27.980 One thing that's been helpful for us is to bake that extra giving into our our budget as well. 00:29:28.140 --> 00:29:41.420 So that we just know there's uh beyond the tie, there's x percent that we uh are adding as an additional margin and buffer in our budget to be able to uh address some of those opportunistic needs. 00:29:42.059 --> 00:29:49.180 One thing I thought my children, which includes your wife, is that the there's two reasons why God gives you more than you need. 00:29:49.420 --> 00:29:55.980 One is he wants you to enjoy some of the things of life, that he wants you to be blessed by the by the fruit of your labor. 00:29:56.059 --> 00:29:58.140 But secondly, it is to give to others. 00:29:58.460 --> 00:30:04.619 And you need to have that eye to look for where does God want me to give this extra money he gave to me. 00:30:04.779 --> 00:30:07.500 I need to find out where he wants me to give it. 00:30:07.980 --> 00:30:15.019 Well, uh, one of the questions that comes to us here on this list is should Christians expect God to bless them financially for him to fill their barns? 00:30:15.500 --> 00:30:22.859 My answer is God always blesses just in his time and in his way, and we cannot predestine how or when he will do this. 00:30:23.099 --> 00:30:23.420 Right, right. 00:30:23.500 --> 00:30:24.619 We can't demand it of him. 00:30:25.099 --> 00:30:26.059 It doesn't always mean money. 00:30:26.140 --> 00:30:36.220 Um but one thing for sure, Psalm 37 says, I've been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread. 00:30:37.019 --> 00:30:43.900 And uh that's something I've thought about for a long time is that I haven't seen this either. 00:30:44.539 --> 00:30:46.220 I have been young and now I am old. 00:30:46.539 -->

00:30:50.619 And I have not seen the righteous and his seed begging bread. 00:30:50.700 --> 00:30:51.980 I just haven't to this point. 00:30:52.619 --> 00:30:55.819 And um and so we're thankful, we're certainly thankful for that. 00:30:56.299 --> 00:31:02.619 Should should the Christian toil to acquire wealth, and this is a bigger question, we don't need to spend a great deal of time on this. 00:31:02.700 --> 00:31:08.220 I think we've s we talked about this before, but um, it certainly should not be the primary value in the home. 00:31:08.379 --> 00:31:27.019 I just studied, I think it was yesterday, a um proverb in which it said that uh it's better to be impoverished and have uh peace in your relationships in the home than to have wealth and be dealing with strife all day long, which means that wealth is not your primary value at all. 00:31:27.819 --> 00:31:32.779 It is uh the kingdom of j God, which is righteousness, uh peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 00:31:33.339 --> 00:31:37.339 Our homes we want our homes characterized, not by wealth. 00:31:37.900 --> 00:31:45.660 We want our homes characterized by righteousness, peace in our relationships, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 00:31:46.299 --> 00:31:47.019 That's what matters most. 00:31:47.420 --> 00:31:54.220 You hear more stories of men on their deathbed that what they wouldn't say that they wish they had worked harder to make more money. 00:31:54.779 --> 00:31:59.019 They often sometimes would say, I wish I had worked harder on the relationships in my family. 00:31:59.420 --> 00:32:02.140 And money is a commodity in which we may bless others. 00:32:02.379 --> 00:32:02.619 Amen. 00:32:02.859 --> 00:32:04.779 I think that's maybe the best way to put it. 00:32:04.859 --> 00:32:04.940 Right. 00:32:05.259 --> 00:32:13.420 Not to bless me, but money is a commodity by which I might invest and hire others, give them jobs. 00:32:13.500 --> 00:32:16.700 It's a wonderful blessing for many families if you can give them jobs. 00:32:16.940 --> 00:32:18.539 And it is a way in which I can bless others. 00:32:19.180 --> 00:32:20.859 And God's great economy, Kevin. 00:32:21.019 --> 00:32:23.819 He says it's more blessed to give than to receive. 00:32:24.059 --> 00:32:28.700 God actually does bless you more when you give it away in tremendous ways. 00:32:29.019 --> 00:32:29.819 I've experienced it. 00:32:30.140 --> 00:32:31.259 Final thoughts, Danny. 00:32:31.660 --> 00:32:41.900 You know, uh I I I I think of root motivation here uh for myself, uh, love for God, enjoyment of God and his blessings, love for others, care for others. 00:32:42.299 --> 00:32:51.420 And those are the things that I need to keep my heart in check at all times because uh in plenty and in want, those are the principles that remain constant. 00:32:51.819 --> 00:32:54.220 And to inculcate those values in our children. 00:32:54.379 --> 00:32:54.539 Right. 00:32:54.779 --> 00:32:57.500 And to exemplify them for our children. 00:32:57.740 --> 00:33:00.859 Well, friends, that wraps up this edition of the Generations broadcast. 00:33:00.940 --> 00:33:06.619 If you have a specific question on this financial thing, please send it in to host at generations.org. 00:33:06.700 --> 00:33:07.259 There's so much more. 00:33:07.339 --> 00:33:08.220 This is a broad topic. 00:33:08.379 --> 00:33:10.539 We wanted to hit it as best as we could today. 00:33:10.700 --> 00:33:18.140 But uh also uh how the world runs and your part in available at generations.org for your children or for the whole family for that matter. 00:33:18.299 --> 00:33:21.339 This is Kevin Swanson, Danny Craig, and Bill Roach. 00:33:21.740 --> 00:33:27.339 Inviting you back again next time as we continue to lay down a vision for the next generation. 00:33:38.460 --> 00:33:41.500 This has been a production of the Generations Media Network. 00:33:41.660 --> 00:33:44.779 For more information, go to generations.org/slash media.