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Investing Back to Articles Overview The following steps should enable you to learn and implement God’s investment principles. 1. Pray and depend on God for his wisdom (James 1:5) and his direction (Psalm 32:8) when investing, because no human can consistently predict the direction of the markets (James 4:13–15). Read More First, Pray and Depend on God for His Wisdom & Direction Prayer and dependence upon God are required in order to develop a personalized and biblically-based investment strategy. It is well known that the past performance of investment provides no guarantee for its future performance. Read More Develop & Implement a Biblically Based Investment Strategy A biblically-based investment strategy should meet the following two criteria: 1. be consistent with God’s principles 2. reflect God’s specific will for your life Read More Diversification (1 of 2) In my experience, I’ve seen too many cases where an individual has invested the majority of retirement funds in one company or in one sector. Read More Diversification (2 of 2) As explained in my previous Financial Moment, God’s Word recommends the diversification of one’s portfolio into different types of investments that will likely react differently to any particular market condition. Read More Use Minimal Debt - Or Better, No Debt Over the past 28 years, I have met many investment advisers who have instructed their clients to use debt in order to increase their investment returns. Read More Ensure that you Understand the Investment Over the past 28 years, I have had the privilege of working with 300 to 400 business people. In my experience, generally when they invest in something that they understand, and within biblical principles, they earn a profit. However, when they invest in something that they don’t understand, frequently they lose money. Read More Assess your Tolerance for Risk and Invest Accordingly In Ecclesiastes 11:1–6, God recommends the assumption of a reasonable amount of risk within your investment portfolio. Read More Avoid "Get-Rich-Quick Investments" and Hasty Decisions In my experience, the following are the common elements of a “get-rich-quick investment.” 1. There is a promise of an abnormally high rate of return. If the expected rate of return is unusually high, then the risk associated with that investment is also unusually high. Read More Obtain Biblical Counsel God admonishes us to obtain counsel. Proverbs 12:15 states, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel” (NASB), and Proverbs 15:22 states, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed.” Read More Ensure that your Motives are Godly and not Worldly It is possible for a Christian to be involved in investing with godly motives or worldly motives. Your motives for investing are important to God. “All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.” (Proverbs 16:2) Read More Following God's Directives Not Human Tendencies Human tendency is to respond to what is happening in the financial markets or news from the media. Good news frequently provides confidence or triggers greed, which tempts us to buy; bad news makes us feel uncomfortable or fearful, which results in a desire to sell. Read More Giving to God's Work Produces Eternal Benefits Giving to God’s work is an investment with eternal rewards for both the giver and the beneficiaries of the gift. In regard to the giver, Jesus said: “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done” (Matthew 16:27). Read More Keep a Balanced Perspective We are bombarded with information on investments. Every day hundreds of individuals give their opinion as to where you should invest your money. It is easy to spend excessive amounts of time and energy on investing. This is not God’s will: “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Read More

Financial Deceptions Back to Articles You Should Try to Obtain Financial Freedom (ASAP) Many people believe it is good to try to get rich quickly. Some of the common methods utilized to obtain “Financial Freedom” are as follows: Read More Debt Restructuring Will Solve Your Financial Problems Several years ago, I counselled an individual who had accumulated significant debt on his credit cards. To lower his interest costs and to be able to make appropriate repayments, it made sense to restructure his debt. Read More If I Had More Money, I Would Be Happy Many people believe the deception that money will bring happiness. Although additional income can relieve some financial pressures (if the individual or couple manage their money well), money in and of itself does not bring happiness. Money will definitely not provide joy and peace, which only comes from God. Read More It Makes Sense to Buy Now and Pay Later Today almost anything can be purchased with little or no down payment—automobiles, furniture, boats, snowmobiles, etc. Advertisements enticing you with “no payments and no interest” for one to two years are very common. Read More Smart People Use Other People's Money Many people believe it is good financial thinking to use borrowed money to make a lot of money. In other words, “smart people use other people’s money,” not their own. This is a lie from the world and Satan. The only way that is true is if you can predict the future—that is, know with certainty the direction of markets and the economy. Read More Bankruptcy Will Solve My Financial Problems When people get into financial difficulty, many believe that declaring bankruptcy will solve their financial problems. Unfortunately, bankruptcy just treats the symptom. Read More Living Paycheck to Paycheck is Okay For example, statistics reveal that 80 percent to 90 percent of the people in North America live “paycheck to paycheck”—that is, they spend all their regular income and have no savings. Many people believe this is okay. Read More Financial Freedom is Attained by Having Lots of Money Many people believe that financial freedom will be obtained only when they have lots of money and material things. This is a deception from the world. God warns us: “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Read More

Priorities Back to Articles Are you Pursuing God's True Riches? Jesus said, “If you have not been trustworthy in the handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (Luke 16:11). I believe that many Christians assume that there is no connection between their spirituality and how they handle money. Read More Treasures in Heaven Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store PRIORITIES-TREASURES IN HEAVEN I believe that “treasures on earth” include money and material things. Read More Effective Ministry An individual’s ministry effectiveness will generally be significantly influenced by the biblical or non-biblical use of money. Jesus indicated that, if you are not trustworthy with money, then God will not entrust you with something of greater importance, which Christ called the “true riches. “If you have not been trustworthy in the handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” (Luke 16:11). Read More A Spiritual Barometer It is a common saying that you can determine an individual’s true priorities by reviewing how she or he spends time and money. Although people may say that their relationships with God and their families are of greatest importance to them, sometimes their Day-Timer or checkbook indicates otherwise. Read More

Freedom from Financial Anxiety Back to Articles Are You Overwhelmed by Financial Problems? Do you feel burdened and worried about your finances? Do you feel overwhelmed by financial problems? Read More Our Responsibilities and God's Promises One key to obtaining God’s peace in respect of finances is to understand and fulfill your responsibilities as a steward. Stewardship requires that we acknowledge that God owns everything and that we act accordingly. Read More God Gives Peace in Regard to Finances Financial problems frequently cause significant stress and anxiety, but God can provide his peace, no matter how difficult your financial problems. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Read More Yes, There is Hope for your Financial Mess! “By his very nature, God is the God of hope: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with joy by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13). Do you have God’s peace and joy in regard to your finances? If not, then you’re probably not in God’s will. Read More Why Does God Allow Financial Problems? It is clear from Scripture that God is indeed in control. If God is in control, then why does he allow Christians to have significant financial problems? Over the past 23 years, I’ve had the privilege of counselling hundreds of Christian couples and individuals. Read More God is in Control Regardless of how difficult your financial problems are, it’s important to remember that God is in control. He is the all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere present God. Read More

Debt Principles Back to Articles God's Warning - Debt is Dangerous! In this world, we are bombarded with all kinds of advertisements and advice that entice us to borrow money. As a result, many people believe the lie that it’s okay to “buy now and pay later” or that “smart people use other people’s money”. Read More

Co-Signing/ Surety Back to Articles Co-Signing for Loans Several years ago I received a phone call from a woman who indicated that the bank had just taken a significant portion of her and her husband’s retirement fund to pay off a loan for which they had cosigned with their son. Read More What if you Have Already Co-Signed a Loan? Statistics demonstrate that in more than 50 percent of instances when someone has co-signed, it is the cosigner, not the borrower, who ends up paying the loan. If you have already cosigned for a loan, I strongly recommend that you take the advice given by God to do everything possible to free yourself from the financial obligation related to cosigning. Read More Avoiding Surety for Company God’s Word warns of the dangers of signing surety, which includes a situation in which a company owner gives a personal guarantee for the company’s debt. Read More Personal Guarantees for a Business Loan The issue of surety (guaranteeing payment of a debt for another) arises when one takes on a financial obligation without a certain way to pay. When the owner of a company gives a personal guarantee in regard to the company’s debt, that person assumes that the company will be profitable enough and have sufficient cash flow to service the debt—without the debt falling back onto the personal guarantor. Read More

The Joseph Principle Back to Articles The Joseph Principle In Genesis 41, God enabled Joseph to interpret Pharaoh’s dream where God warned that there would be 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine. Read More

Stewardship Principle Back to Articles God Owns Everything 1. God owns all the money. “‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty” (Haggai 2:8). Read More God Requires Faithful Stewards In Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus Christ gives us the Parable of the Talents. In this parable, the master represents God, and the servants represent you and me—that is, the people. The master entrusted different amounts of material wealth to three servants. Read More God Requires Faithfulness All of us are responsible to God, regardless of the amount of material wealth that he has entrusted to us. 1 Corinthians 4:2 states, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful”. Romans 14:12 states, “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” Read More

Counsel & Wisdom Back to Articles From God When dealing with an important financial decision, it is critical to obtain counsel from God. Why? “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.” (Job 12:13) Read More From God's Word Howard Dayton, CEO of Crown Financial Ministries completed an in-depth study of the Bible and found that God’s Word contains 2,350 references to money and material things. In addition, 16 of the 24 parables that Jesus Christ gave us deal with money and material things. Read More From Godly Financial Advisers God admonishes us to obtain counsel. Proverbs 12:15 states, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel” (NASB), and Proverbs 15:22 states, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed.” Read More

Counsel & Wisdom Back to Articles From God When dealing with an important financial decision, it is critical to obtain counsel from God. Why? “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.” (Job 12:13) Read More From God's Word Howard Dayton, CEO of Crown Financial Ministries completed an in-depth study of the Bible and found that God’s Word contains 2,350 references to money and material things. In addition, 16 of the 24 parables that Jesus Christ gave us deal with money and material things. Read More From Godly Financial Advisers God admonishes us to obtain counsel. Proverbs 12:15 states, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel” (NASB), and Proverbs 15:22 states, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed.” Read More

Priorities Back to Articles Are you Pursuing God's True Riches? Jesus said, “If you have not been trustworthy in the handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? (Luke 16:11). I believe that many Christians assume that there is no connection between their spirituality and how they handle money. Read More Treasures in Heaven Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store PRIORITIES-TREASURES IN HEAVEN I believe that “treasures on earth” include money and material things. Read More Effective Ministry An individual’s ministry effectiveness will generally be significantly influenced by the biblical or non-biblical use of money. Jesus indicated that, if you are not trustworthy with money, then God will not entrust you with something of greater importance, which Christ called the “true riches. “If you have not been trustworthy in the handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” (Luke 16:11). Read More A Spiritual Barometer It is a common saying that you can determine an individual’s true priorities by reviewing how she or he spends time and money. Although people may say that their relationships with God and their families are of greatest importance to them, sometimes their Day-Timer or checkbook indicates otherwise. Read More

Debt Principles Back to Articles God's Warning - Debt is Dangerous! In this world, we are bombarded with all kinds of advertisements and advice that entice us to borrow money. As a result, many people believe the lie that it’s okay to “buy now and pay later” or that “smart people use other people’s money”. Read More