The Rule of 72

The story of the Tortoise and the Hare relates directly to stewardship.  The steady pace Tortoise wins the race because he patiently and methodically plugged away at his task of getting from point A to point B.  He didn’t have a lot of resources, but what he did have he managed very well.  The Hare on the other hand had lots of resources, but he exploited them.  He wasted them and ran out of resources before he could finish the race so he ended up falling asleep and losing.  The Hare was a prodigal.  The Tortoise was a Steward. 

Proverbs 13:11 says, “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.

Little by Little the Tortoise did what he needed to do to win!  There's an important financial principle in there!  Saving little by little enables you to win!  If we start saving and investing our gifts, our talents, our time, and our money now, then we'll reap a greater reward. One financial principle that helps us understand this is the Rule of 72.  It's a simple equation that helps you determine how long it will take your money to double if you save it at a specific interest rate.  For example, let's say that you invest some amount of money in a conservative investment that earns 8%.  To determine how long it will take your money to double you can just take the number 72 and divide it by 8.  a quick calculation shows that it will take approximately 9 years for any amount of money to double at an interest rate of 8%.  

This also helps you see how important it is to start saving and investing in your gifts and talents while you are young.  If we start developing them now little by little, imagine how much better at it we will be later.  As an example, I learned to play the guitar in middle school.  I was usually either 1^st or 2^nd chair in my class.  However, after middle school I put my guitar down and never played it.  I didn’t continue my lessons, I never practiced, nor did I even play for fun.  In college I wanted to play guitar, but I hadn't played for 4 years.  It took me quite some time to relearn what I had already learned.  Most other students at that time were much better at it than I was because they had invested more of their time when they were young.  The more time I had devoted to it when I was younger, the better I would be now.  

Same thing goes for saving money.  If you were to save $2,000 a year from the age 20 to 30 you would have invested a total of $20,000.  At a conservative rate of 8%, by the time you turn 65 it will be worth almost $500,000.  But what if you wait until you are 31 to start saving and then you invest $2,000 per year until you retire at the age of 65.  You've put in a total of $70,000 in this example ($50,000 more than our prior example).  Guess how much it's worth at 65?  It's actually worth less than if you had starting investing $20,000 10 years earlier. Those early years make all the difference!  "But whoever gathers little by little will increase it!"  

Saving and investing are principles that we can all learn from.  They are habits that we should form when we are young, so that we don't find ourselves in debt when we are older.  Like the Tortoise, it helps us win!  

Reconciliation

The Body of Christ often suffers from broken bones and sickness when there is no reconciliation after conflict.  When someone breaks a bone they need a doctor to set it back to normal so that it will continue to grow and function properly.  If you don't reset the bone, it will typically still heal over a longer period of time.  However, an unset bone will not function like it should and it will heal in a very weakened state.  We as members of the body of Christ need healing in our broken relationships.  These often cause pain and suffering and when there is no reconciliation in those relationships the immediate pains may subside over time, but the long term effects will remain.

Reconciliation often requires confrontation.  Not in a combative manner, but in a way that brings about healing through grace and truth.  Truth needs to be shared in a grace-filled manner so that we can get passed our hurts and hangups and move forward through a normal healing process.  It is true the old adage, "Time heals all wounds."  So we could just let the break heal on it's own.  However, the bible says, The Lord "heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3) and "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8).  Time may partially heal, but love is what sets the broken bone back to it's proper position and causes it to heal even stronger than it was before the break.

Imagine if Christ was too afraid of confrontation to have gone to the cross for our reconciliation!  We would still be permanently broken!  We are to be mini-"reconcilers!"  Christ was The One Who Reconciled.  Therefore, we are to follow in His footsteps of reconciliation.  Matthew 5:23-24 says, "So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 


Notice that it is our duty to go to our brother or sister not just when we are at fault, but when someone has done something against us.  Don't wait for an apology, just go and be reconciled.  It is our duty to as believers to be agents of healing.  Where have you noticed the need for healing in a broken relationship?  What are you currently doing to bring about reconciliation in that relationship?  No matter how hard it may be, we are all called to be reconciled.

Managing Your Money

Did you know that average teenager spends $3000 a year!  That's an average taken from students who were 13 to 19 years of age so you can imaging the older students bring that average up and younger ones typically bring it down (unless you end up with a diva 13 year old!).  Parents and students spend a lot of money on school supplies, personal care products, gas and insurance, food, etc.  It all adds up!

I wonder, do students even realize how much money is spend on them in a year, a month, a week, or a day.  As a teenager, do you keep track of what you spend?  You may say, "Well I don't have a job...so I really don't spend a lot of money."  However, that doesn't take into account all the money your parents spend to buy you the things you want and need.  Believe it or not, you are a steward of your parents money!  And if all things are owned by God, the way you manage your parents money determines whether you are a steward or a prodigal.

In "Mastery of Materialism" John MacArthur pointed out that "16 out of 38 of Christ's parables deal with money; more is said in the New Testament about money than heaven and hell combined; five times more is said about money than prayer; and while there are 500 plus verses on both prayer and faith, there are over 2,000 verses dealing with money and possessions."  Money was obviously an important topic for Christ!  Why?  Like he said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt 6:21).  Jesus showed that money impacted the heart and the He was and is very much concerned for our hearts.  Mismanaging the resources that God provides is a symptom of a heart disease.

God gave us many examples of people in the bible who managed their resources well.  Joseph, for example was one of those people.  You remember the story.  How he was sold into slavery by his brothers but in every situation he found himself in he managed the resources he was given so well that his masters placed him in charge of everything until eventually he was second in command over all of Egypt just under Pharaoh!  In that position he was so successful that he saved the lives of all the surrounding countries during a severe famine because he had "filled up the storehouses."  Joseph saved and managed his resources so well that when famine came, he still had plenty to go around.  How are you doing at managing your money?  Do you keep track of your spending?  Next time we'll talk about the principles of budgeting and how they impact our stewardship.

Be Alert and Save!

Luke 12: 37 says, "Blessed are the servants whom the master shall find on the alert when he comes home."  In verse 44 he says, "he will put him in charge of all his possessions."  However, the servant that says, '"My master will be a long time coming and he begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk," he is a wicked servant.

Servant-hood requires stewardship.  It implies that you are put in charge of a task in which you have to manage your time, your gifts, and usually someone else's possessions.  That's stewardship!  In the passage above Jesus is speaking of the difference between a steward and a prodigal.  Remember a prodigal is one that squanders away his inheritance.  They shirk their responsibilities and focus completely on themselves rather than the task at hand.  All of us are given time, gifts, and possessions to manage properly.  When we take care of these things and use them properly we are like the servant whom the master finds "on the alert."

What does it look like to be "on the alert" when it comes to the way we handle our finances?  It means we are in control of them, not the other way around.  One aspect of controlling your money rather than letting it control you is saving.  If you make money and the first thing you do is put it all directly into your pocket, your purse or your checking account it will soon be gone!  That's why we use the phrase, "I've got some money burning a whole in my pocket."  When it is available and we see something we think we just "got to have," then we buy it and the money quickly disappears.  However, if you take a little of that money and put it in a savings account then when you stop at the convenient store you won't spend all $10 on junk food.  You still have $5 in the bank!


Saving is important for many reasons, but one is that it keeps you "on the alert" for emergencies.  Saving gives you an emergency fund that allows you to pay for things if something unexpected happens.  Like when you drop your phone and it breaks!  Some of you just expect your parents to get you a knew one.  But a steward saves and buys the new on his on.  Actually, the steward wouldn't drop their phone in the first place because they are not careless with their stuff.  However, we all know accidents happen.  So an emergency fund helps you in those situations.

Saving also allows you to purchase things that you've been waiting to buy.  Like a car when you turn 16!  Take a minute to listen to Rachel Cruz Ramsey's story of saving for a car.  (It's only 3 minutes!  Click on the link!) Watch video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dTNWe-9Kag

A Steward or a Prodigal?

What is a Steward?  Often times we put the adjectives "good" or "bad" in front of the word steward.  There's nothing terribly wrong with that.  Jesus shares a story about an "unrighteous" steward in Luke 16.  However, to be a steward of something implies that you are good at it.  It's kind of oxymoronic to say "bad steward."

Jesus also tells the story of the "prodigal" son.  Many of us mistake that word to mean "the son that ran away and came back home."  However, prodigal refers to the fact that the son squandered his inheritance away.  Remember the story?  His father gave him his inheritance and then he ran off and spent it and came back with nothing to show for it.  The wonderful part of the story is that the father forgave him and took him back in and threw a party for his homecoming.  That's a great story for us because many of us have squandered what God has given us yet He still loves us when we return to Him and run away from those practices.  However, we often forget to draw attention to the 'prodigal's' shortcomings.  He was a "bad" steward.  We can learn from his example.  Yes it's wonderful that God loves us enough to forgive us for our shortcomings, but we can avoid them in the first place with the a little help from the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2  says, "Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.  In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy."  Have you ever thought about the fact that you are a steward of the "mysteries of God?"  He has given each of us a deposit, the Holy Spirit.  Our bodies are "temples of the Holy Spirit" (1 cor 16:19).  Through His Spirit He has revealed to us the "mysteries of God" found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  When God looks at your life would He say here is one of my "stewards?"  Or would He say, "here is one of my prodigal sons or daughters, I sure hope he/she comes home so I can remind him/her how to be a steward!"  

In my final years of college the front door to the townhouse I owned looked out on a sheep farm.  I often sat

and watched those sheep and despite being fenced in, they seemed to just wander about for no apparent reason.  The herd would follow one sheep that wandered off ahead and then start following some other sheep.  They looked almost like a bunch of pin balls bouncing from one side of the fence to another.  Of course, out in open country without fences that could lead to all sorts of big problems for the sheep.  Falling off cliffs, getting eaten by bears or  lions, or just getting lost.  That’s why the shepherd was so important.  He led the sheep to food and safety. 

The way we often manage our time, talents, and treasure (possessions and money), is much the same as those silly sheep.  Our hearts lead us astray as we are attracted to the latest marketing scheme.  How many advertisements do you think you see in a single day?  100?  200?  Well, depending on where you live (city or country) you could see up to 5,000 ads in a single day!  Seriously?  We don't even realize how inundated we really are!  

I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for sale!  That's why I love Groupon!  When you see that 4 letter word in a store front window, they've already got your attention.  If we see something on sale, all of the sudden we think we need it!  Where they really get you is when they offer you a sale and then give you an extra 15% today if you sign up for their credit card.  That way you can’t use the excuse, “well I don’t have enough money.”  Not only do you now "have" enough money, but you are also saving money!  What a deal! Or so you think.  

How do credit cards really work?  Are they really that bad?  I see my parents use them all the time.  Well,

first of let's make an important point.  There's a difference between "using" a credit card to purchase something and purchasing something "on credit."  It all comes down to when and how you pay the bill.
Most debt situations are bad.  However, many people have to take on debt to do things like go to school and buy a house.  These low interest debts might be necessary for you to make a living and/or provide the basic necessities for your family.  However, debt in our country is an epidemic.  

Proverbs 22:7 says, “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.”  

It's true, debt makes you a slave.  But slavery in the OT time period was not like the 20th century slavery that we often think of.  Whether slavery is a good thing or not depends a lot upon one thing:  the master.  So,

there are some like Dave Ramsey that say all debt is bad.  However, if have to choose debt over not being able to provide for my family, I'm likely going to choose debt every time.  So, some debt, under the right circumstances might now be so bad.  A good rule of thumb is if you can pay cash for something, do it.  If you really NEED to have something, like a house or an education, then a loan might be an OK solution if you can manage the payments.

Bottom line is we need a shepherd and some guidelines to help us manage it all properly.  Luckily Jesus talked a lot about money.  In fact, he talked more about money more than any one thing, even more than love.  Why, because it was a real issue in Jesus' day, and it’s a real issue now.  

What You are Someday Going to be You are Now Becoming!

It's a simple principle, yet it's not an easy one.  It's simple in the fact that it makes perfect sense.  It's not easy
because it's difficult to carry it out.  What am I talking about?  Forming good habits now that will have a profound effect on who you will be someday.  What you are someday going to be, you are right now in the process of becoming.  In that light, even though you may be young or old, the things you chose to down make a difference.  This is an important principle of good stewardship.

We are often waiting...waiting to see what's next.  Middle school students are waiting until they get to high school; that's when life really starts.  High school students are waiting until they graduate; that's when they can begin their future.  Graduates are waiting until

they get that career job; that's when they can start living life to the fullest.  Those with good jobs are waiting until they get married; that's when they can finally share life with someone else.  And the waiting game goes on and on all through life.  Even for those who have "done it all," are seemingly waiting for something more.  What are you waiting for?  It's time to start now.

"Think of giving not as a duty...but a privilege"

Whether you are a millionaire or have very little, good stewardship is important.  Jesus says in Luke 16:10, “If you are faithful in the little things, you will be faithful with the larger things.”  What’s the opposite of that?  If you’re NOT now faithful with the small things, then you will NOT be faithful with the larger ones later.  That's why forming habits now, even with just a little, is so important!  J.D. Rockefeller had to form habits of saving and giving when he had very little in order to become the philanthropic billionaire that he was.  

Are you saving now?  What makes you think that you will ever save money if you are not right now doing it?  Are you giving money away?  What makes you think that you will ever be a cheerful giver if you are not now forming the habits of giving a portion of what you get.  

Of course good stewardship is more than just managing your money.  It's about managing all that God has giving you:  your possessions, your talents and gifts, even your physical body.  Are you managing these things well?  If you are not now, what makes you think you ever will?  Start now!  This very minute.  Don't wait another second.  Ask for help.  Bring people into your lives that can love and support you in your new goals.  And above all, pray through Jesus Christ that God would give you the strength to be faithful in the little things.  For when we abide in him, we shall bear much fruit (John 15:5).  

Contentment and Stewardship

Everyone loves to have a little bit of money in their pocket don't they!  In fact, if I offered you a crisp new 20 dollar bill right now with no strings attached, I'm sure you'd all take it.  But what if I crumpled it up?  Would you still want it?  What if I threw it in the dirt and stomped on it?  Would you still want the 20 dollar bill even then?  Most of us would say yes because the paper bill is still worth $20.  It didn't lose its value when it got crumpled up and stomped on in the dirt.  

  The same is true of all of us.  No matter how many times we go digging in the dirt, or someone else stomp

s on us, or we get crumpled up and thrown by the wayside we are still worth the same amount to God as before!  In fact Matthew 10:28 says,

Matthew 10:28-31  ²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.  ³⁰ And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  ³¹ So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

You are worth more than many sparrows yet not one of them falls to the earth apart from God.  God is in control of all things and he made you and formed you for a purpose.  In Jeremiah 1:5 God tells a young Jeremiah that he is valuable and that his life has purpose:   "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart"

Our value, who we are just the way God made us, is immeasurable!  Our Value comes from what God says about us, not from what everyone else says about us!

Over the next few weeks we are going to be talking about money; how to handle it, manage it, and have control over it rather than it having control over us.  To understand how to handle our money, we have to first understand our value in Christ and be good stewards of what God has given us already.  That includes our time, our bodies, our minds, and our possessions.  

Here are some of the questions we asked the students in discussion groups:

1.  How content are you?  (most said they were either somewhere in the middle or lower)  

2. How content are you with you are? (not just with what you have)

3. What are some of the things culture says about teenagers?  (Lazy, entitled, too plugged in, can't communicate, unmotivated, self-absorbed...)  

4.  What is your perspective on teenagers?  Are they really like this?  (sometimes, but not everyone)  

5.  What are the qualities you want to see in your generation that could lead to good stewardship and financial peace? (Motivation, follow their dreams, boldness, courage, faith, contentment)

6. What does Jesus mean when he says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Luke 12:34)?  (Your heart is prone to follow after worldly desires which do not bring peace or contentment)

7.  What does Dave Ramsey say is the most powerful financial principle?  (Contentment) 

8.  How does contentment bring about Financial Power and Financial Peace?  (You won’t spend more than you have because you are content with what you have, therefore you won’t be in debt.  When you’re not in debt you have financial power.  When your not in debt you don’t worry.  When you’re content with what you have you don’t waste time and money keeping up with the Jones.  When you’re content you don’t spend money on worthless things that are obsolete in a year or that you forget about in a month therefore you are able to save.  When you save you have money in the bank and don’t have to live paycheck to paycheck and that brings peace)  

Take away principle:  Dave pointed out, the world is always trying to tell us what we should value.  The problem is that the world’s opinions about what is valuable is always changing.  It’s impossible to keep up.  Chasing the world’s values just leaves us wanting more and feeling empty, unsatisfied, and discontent.  The only way to be content is to treasure what God says is valuable.  Then our hearts will be satisfied and we will be fulfilled.