Most people think of January 1st as a time of new beginnings and fresh starts filled with resolutions and possibilities. For me, fall (or more realistically late summer when school is starting and ministries are kicking off) is my prime time to take an inventory of my life and my commitments and see renewed vision and passion for the year ahead. The beginnings of things are so exciting, aren't they? It is very easy for "yes" to roll off my lips before I give an opportunity the thought and prayer I should.

A need for a teacher in the youth area? Hmmm, maybe I could do that. The choir is short on altos this year? Well, I really love to sing and praise the Lord. A Bible study for women? What could be better than to study God's Word and fellowship? WAM could use some extra help this year? I have the skills for that. More hands are needed in the nursery? My babies are not babies anymore and I sure would enjoy taking care of little ones again. EVERYTHING sounds like a great fit for me.

Knowing that I need to seek God’s will for my life and that He calls ALL of His followers to serve Him, I have often lamented that if only God would send me a supernatural email with instructions it would be so much easier to be right where He wants me. I am missing the point with my desire for a divine "to do" list.

Ephesians 2:10 says:For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago(NLT). Jesus tells us in John 10:27: My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (NLT)

As a follower of Jesus, there are works planned for me. For ME! As I follow Jesus and my relationship with Him deepens, I will know His voice and hear Him more and more clearly. As I seek Him, the Holy Spirit leads me and guides me and will make my paths clear. It is when I rush off ahead of Him and do not wait for His leadership that I go astray. God doesn't want to send me a to-do list. He actually wants to walk with me and talk with me and lead me personally. I am so amazed and humbled at that. That is also His desire for you. Can you even believe it?!?

What does it look like to seek God's will regarding my commitments? How do I know when NO is the right answer? When is a resounding YES the best thing? I have found if I pause for the "P's" I almost never get way off track.

The first P is prayer. When an opportunity arises that I think may be a yes, I have learned to pray over it. I ask God to make clear the direction I should go. This seems so simple and obvious that it almost seems silly to point it out, but surprisingly it is the step I am most often prone not to take. This is especially true when it comes to ministry opportunities because I tend to assume it is an automatic yes. That simply is not the case, however. When I don't seek the Lord's specific will for me, I run the risk of running off and away from His best for my life.

The second P is partner. As one who is married, for me this means I need to talk about it with my husband. As we are joined together as one, what each of us does affects the other as well as our family. It isn't an issue of seeking his permission, although as the head of our family his role is to provide leadership. He sometimes sees things I do not—and vice versa. It is important to our unity that we both be on board as we choose where to invest our lives both as individuals and as a couple. If you are of a young age and still under your parent's authority, then they would be your partner at this step. If you are neither married nor a child or very young adult, I would strongly suggest you speak with a trusted friend/mentor/advisor.

The third P is priority. I take a look at the commitments I already have and the priorities specific to my own life and responsibilities and calling. A dear friend of mine and her husband have developed a mission statement for their family and they revise it each year. This is so wise! It gives my friend and her family the vision for the year ahead and makes it easier to spot those GOOD things that aren't the BEST things on which to spend their limited time resources. God has already given each of us responsibilities in our families, with our jobs, and also callings within His Kingdom. We can't do everything. If the Lord has given me a calling to minister to women, it may not be the best use of my ministry time to teach a preschool Sunday school class. There might be a ministry opportunity that is more in line with my calling. (However, God can and does certainly give us assignments that can seem outside our gifts, abilities, talents, and leanings. Please don't hear me say to automatically dismiss anything outside your "calling." The Lord may very well be calling you to a brand new thing!)

The fourth P is peace. I have discovered that while I may be nervous or feel unqualified for a thing, if God is bringing me to it, I will have peace. I will KNOW it. It is the same when I have an opportunity before me that He is not leading me to accept. I may be hesitant or apprehensive about saying no (not wanting to disappoint anyone), but if I focus on pleasing the Lord and not men, I will have peace. I will KNOW it is the answer.

For me, those "P's" have made a difference in how I make decisions about long term commitments whether they are to ministry or to any other thing that will take up time in my life on a regular basis. I have sometimes had to say no when it was very difficult for me to do so. There are occasions when I really want to do something, but if the "P's" are all coming back with NO then giving the answer and moving on has been the very best thing I could do. There are times when I haven't wanted to do something, and the "P's" result in a YES that I also know is the best answer. In fact, very recently I had both a no and a yes that I really would rather have had reversed; however, the peace and joy that come from seeking out and walking in God's plan for me far surpass any temporary emotional gratification I would have had following my own paths.

By Denise Woodliff

Ever notice how quiet it gets when people say anything about how much money they earn or how much they save or owe? Or, how quiet it gets when the pastor of your church speaks about member giving or about money needed for a building program? People get frustrated when it comes to their finances; therefore, they keep it all hush, hush. Almost everyone agrees that the Bible contains great advice about life—from improving your marriage to getting along with your boss at work. But, does the Bible really say much about money? Does it really give us advice we can apply to our own life in today's world? The Good News is YES! Absolutely!

Money in the Bible

The Bible is as relevant and helpful today as when it was written, and God has a lot to say about money.

1. Proverbs 13:22 -- "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s' children." This indicates God wants us to make a difference, financially, in our family tree.

2. Proverbs 21:20 -- "In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has." This gives us an idea of how God wants us to save for a rainy day—to set something back for safekeeping.

3. Proverbs 22:7 -- "The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender." Really? The Bible discourages debt? Does God really want me to pay my debts off and avoid debt?

4. Luke 14:28 -- "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it." Does Jesus really want me to save up and pay for the things I buy?

5. Matt. 6:24 -- "You cannot serve both God and money.” Why do we want to let money, or the lack of it, control us instead of giving our time and talents to serving God?

There are more than 800 scriptures on money. It is one of the most discussed subjects in scripture, so God must be pretty serious about the subject. In fact, Jesus says in Luke 16:11, "So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" It appears from this verse that God uses money as a test of our management and stewardship skills before entrusting us with spiritual things.

Financial Statistics

And, it’s not just the Bible that considers personal finances to be a serious subject. A survey by National Payroll Week says 70% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. In another survey, 80% of American congregations reported that their finances had been impacted by the recent recession. A study at Utah State University found that couples who disagreed about money once a week were twice as likely to divorce as those who disagreed less than once a month. Thirty-seven percent (the highest rate) of marital problems derive from financial situations. The Employee Benefit Research Institute found that 70% of workers say they are not where they need to be with retirement savings. Nearly half of all Americans (46%) have less than $10,000 saved for their retirement. According to studies performed by Empty Tomb, church giving has not exceeded 3% as a portion of income in 40 years. Even people with surplus often don’t have a plan for managing their money. The average family would have to use a credit card to pay a $1,500 unexpected expense (ex: home or car repair) because they don’t have enough in savings. All of these frustrations and problems are because people haven’t learned and applied those 800 scriptures.

If money is this important to God, why are there so few Sunday school classes on this topic? Why don't we see lots of small group studies on "Managing Your Finances" or "Getting Out of Debt"? Why aren't there more sermons in this area? There are many reasons, but the top reason is that most people don't realize how much of a problem managing money is for the average family.

It is a problem that affects everyone, inside and outside the church. In fact, George Barna says that the fastest growing churches are teaching about marriage, child rearing, finances, and careers. Money is a serious subject, and God is serious about money, which is why we should study closely what he has to tell us.

First Baptist Church Wentzville has something to guide us—a study to take God's wisdom about money and help us apply it to our own lives. It is called Financial Peace University. Imagine what it would be like if people could live out their God-given dreams without money being their limiting factor? How different would our community be if everyone learned how to handle their finances according to the scriptures via the church? For our church members, what if our families were able to fund God’s work and the church had more to invest in missions and service ministries locally and abroad? What if we were able to grow the church completely debt free without building campaigns?

Financial Peace University will help MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Millions of people have gone through Financial Peace University and learned God’s ways of handling money. They’ve worked a plan, rewritten their stories, and changed their futures, all because of this course. On average, FPU graduates pay off $5,300 in debt and save $2,700 in only the first 90 days! As a result, their giving increases by 30%! This is not just a “get out of debt” course either. It also teaches about how save for retirement or college expenses, how to protect your assets, and what to look for in buying and selling homes. FPU consists of a nine-week video curriculum taught by financial expert Dave Ramsey, and it incorporates group discussions that help encourage accountability and discipleship. Groups meet once a week for 90-120 minutes, and the course is just as fun as it is practical!

If you think this is what you have been looking for, contact me at 636-327-8696 M-W, by email at , or go to https://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/classes/1016315/atid/l_ln and sign-up for the classes. The first class is free and childcare is available.

Gary Mills (with excerpts from Dave Ramsey)