Discuss: 1) What debt do you have? What is it doing to the condition of your heart? 2) Why is it important to reduce/eliminate debt completely? 3) What step are you going to take to begin getting out of debt? 4) Write a prayer expressing your desire for debt-free living. If you need to confess discontentment, do that now, and ask God to fill you with contentment and gratefulness.
Introduction Peter leads a large group of disciples to an isolated (perhaps secretive) meeting where Jesus will once again give them their marching orders. Then they make their way back to Jerusalem to await the coming Holy Spirit as the movement switches into its...
Introduction After rising from the dead, Jesus appears to His disciples on several occasions. Paul lists the appearances in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. He appeared to many people individually — to His leaders on several occasions and even to a group of disciples numbering...
(from Charlie)
I have my mortgage which seems impossible to not carry at some point in your life if you want to own a home in the CA unless you are very rich or won the lottery. Other than that I’m debt free.
Without debt Teri and I could work less; have more time for other things like family and service to the community.
I’m paying down the mortgage and some day if God will it, it will be paid off.
One thing about today reading that said that happy people don’t need more. That’s very true for me. When I was in Texas, I might not be rich, but I had alot more than I needed but I was not happy so no matter how much I spent (even then I never carry a cc debt) – I never was happy. It was like an addiction. I had to aquire more and more and each new acquisition gave diminishing satisfaction. I think that if I was happy I would not have tried to buy happiness!
Father it would be awesome if it is your will for me to be able to pay off my mortgage as soon as possible so that I can stop being a slave to it. With out that debt life can be so much simpler. Teri can be free to pursue her other interest. I would love to teach. We would be so grateful if with Your help we can be debt free and have time for greater service to others.
1. I have never experienced debt, but I know that my family was 8,000 dollars in debt at one point when it came to the house mortgage, and I think it has helped value what it means to save money. It isn’t really affecting my heart, because I know that God will provide.
2. I think it is important to eliminate debt completely because God wants us to live freely and living in debt eliminates the freedom that God has given us.
3. I will start saving more money by going with the cheaper option. I’m gonna start applying for jobs soon.
4. Dear God, when it comes to debt free, I don’t know where to draw the line. I know we are supposed to work hard, but the Bible also says that money is the root of all evil. Please continue to reveal to me what it means to desire a life being debt free without living for the pleasure of money. I pray in Jesus name, Amen.
I am very blessed actually and I do not have debt as of right now. Anything that I buy in my credit card I also pay on my own. I believe my parents enstilled it in me to only spend what you have and always be on time with payments. I think it’s good to eliminate debt and not have debt because I feel it’s this sense of pressure you will always feel and think of until you pay it off. I owed my friend a few years ago some money and I know he didn’t care when I paid him back but it was constantly in the back of my mind of I need to pay this guy back soon. I think.steps I can to be debt free is just being more money smart.
From Cyndi
The only debt I have is our mortgage. We are debt free from student loans and car payments. We do not have credit cards. Eric is the main breadwinner and I work part time. It has been our plan before we had kids that I would work part time. Now that the girls are older, I am thinking about adding another day or working extra hours to help pay off our mortgage a little bit more.
God thank you for allowing me and Eric paying off some debts. I confess that I want more and spend on things I don’t need. please help me to be content and not overspend my money, but to use my money wisely and give more generously.
Niki
1. We mainly have house debt and car debts. Thankful that we sold our HB house about 10 years ago. It was stressful during that time with buying a house at peak and such high interest rates. Although we lost some money from selling, but we are with less financial stress with buying our current house at a more manageable price with a lot lower interest. So we are good where we are at right now.
2. It is important to reduce or eliminate debt completely because frees our mind from stress and frees our lifestyles to be more generous. “We can learn to live with a more content attitude, believing God truly will provide for all we need. The bottom line is God wants us to live freely. Without being a slave to debt, we are free to be of service to Him and to others. We can live generously, cheerfully, and contentedly.”
3. Spend less on material things, plan meals around grocery sales items, and eat more at home.
4. Dear God. You want us to live freely and contently. Thank you for your reminder that “Money does not create contentment. People who live in a state of wanting more can be people of any income level. Sometimes, people who earn more money or have more financial means are the least content, and, therefore, often have a high ratio of debt to income. “ Help me to trust in your provision and to save money when I can and be content with what I have which is still in abundance. I want to live more generously, to give more freely to meet others needs. May be life be a blessing to others so they can experience your goodness in their lives through me.
1) I can say that I owe a debt to my family for my tuition and living costs. Every time my parents pay my tuition, I feel so bad because it’s ridiculously expensive compared to tuition in Japan. But at the same time, it encourages me to maximize my school life in the states.
2) It’s because I, personally, always feel bad and distracted by that feeling.
3) I think I cannot take a big step to pay all of my tuition, but what I can do is save money as much as possible, do well in school, and receive scholarships.
4) Dear Heavenly Father, I am grateful for the blessings in my life. I appreciate the opportunity to study without any significant obstacles. I am thankful to my parents for their unwavering support in terms of finance. I feel privileged to have the chance to receive an education and to have my family by my side every step of the way. I humbly ask you to fill me with contentment and gratitude. Amen.
I have debt with my parents. They’ve done a lot for me and I feel that I owe it to them to try and do something with my life since they helped me so much. I’m working right now so I can be in a position to help them in the future if need be, but it’s been hard. Like, since I feel like I owe so much it’s deflating whenever I fail or don’t meet their expectation and I end up self-loathing and wondering why I deserve any of the things I have. Maybe if I didn’t have this debt or I actually was able to meet their expectations then I wouldn’t feel so self-defeated whenever they compared me to family member or friends. I think if I actually manage to eliminate this mental “debt” then I wouldn’t feel tied down or held back by the fear of failure. I’m discontented by my lack of ability and how my brain isn’t wired to be the person they wished I would be. So, I’m humbly praying to move away from this mindset. The debt I owe my parents should not define my future as I’m not living to meet their expectations, but God’s. And what God has in store for me should be my only concern, not what is defined as failure in my parent’s eyes. Of course, easier said than done, but I’m praying for it.
The debt I have are our home mortgage and car loan. There is some sense of being enslaved to the lenders and at times this does cause worries. I think by eliminating debt there would be more means to use that money towards others, towards God’s work, and it would result in less anxieties. I think being more strict with my budget will allow me to put more towards the smaller car loan and pay it off quicker. Lord God help me to be a good steward of your money and be able to stick with a stricter budget. Help me to have a desire to be debt free so that I could use the financial resources you give me more generously.