Treasured Truth

As Christians we need to learn to trust God with our finances.  We may have the desire to get out of debt, but unless we put God first in everything related to our money, then Pastor Ford explains that we won’t be successful.   He says believers won’t get out of debt without putting God first.

As we consider our need for a money makeover, Pastor Ford reminds us that as Christians, our identity is confirmed by Christ’s deity, not by our possessions. He prompts us to consider that we are somebody—not based on our cars, our cribs, our cash, or our clothes—but based on the fact that we are complete in Christ!

We live in an instant age. We no longer know how to deal with delayed gratification. Today Pastor Ford will continue to encourage us to avoid being enticed into debt by the ease of getting credit and to consider the consequences of having an eagerness to acquire things that we don’t really need. 

As we begin a new study on finances, Pastor Ford will describe the pitfalls associated with spending money that we do not yet have when we make purchases using credit. He explores why we are so easily enticed into debt and shares some biblical principles to help us avoid the credit trap.

As we begin to look at the passage in John 5, where Jesus healed the man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years, we’ll see how everyone waiting to be healed at the pool of Bethesda, was placing their hope in the power of the water in the pool.  Instead, they should have been placing their faith in the Power at the Pool—Jesus.

According to scripture, God has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness, and that includes marriage. And when God gives us instructions, what we need to do is just follow them. Pastor Ford urges married folks to heed the instructions in God’s word in order to have healthier marriages.

In order to have a healthy marriage, Pastor Ford asserts that we have to start letting go of stuff and practicing complete forgiveness. We have to make sure that we’re not repeatedly dealing with stuff that we didn’t fully deal with in the past.

Women believe their marriage is working as long as the communication continues, and Pastor Ford agrees that’s true. He explains that the silence of the woman is the death knell of a marriage. As long as she can talk about the issues, she thinks she thinks they can be resolved. But when she stops talking, that’s a sign the marriage is in deep trouble.

As we conclude this study about how to look deeply at a potential spouse before you leap into marriage with them, Pastor Ford looks at some more examples from the book of Ruth and encourages men to carefully consider a woman’s character before she becomes his wife.

When considering someone as a potential spouse, one way to determine if they have a Christ-like attitude is to observe their willingness to be self-sacrificial for the good of the relationship. Jesus sacrificed Himself for all of us and is the supreme example for us all to follow as we serve each other, especially in marriage.