MERRY STRESSMAS 2018 - MONEY & BUDGETS

MERRY STRESSMAS  

  • What stresses you out during the Christmas season?

  • What turns the celebration of Christ into an emotional meltdown?

  • Maybe it is schedules, budgets and/or toxic interpersonal situations?

The good news is that there tools, principles and wisdom to rise above these situations. When we approach stress with a “victim’s mentality” we are vulnerable to biological, mental and relational viruses. However, when we approach stress as a challenge to overcome, we enter with the health of a Jesus-disciple.

Join us for our annual holiday preaching series at LifePointe called, MERRY STRESSMAS, DON’T LET THE GRINCH STEAL CHRISTMAS. Discover with us how to reach the other side of the holidays being healthy, happy and holy!

TODAY’S MESSAGE

QUESTION #1

At the end of the holidays,

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HAVE EXPERIENCED,

or how do you want to have benefited?

 

FACT

During the holidays

Americans are notorious

TO SPEND INORDINATE AMOUNTS OF MONEY

on things that later

INDUCE INORDINATE AMOUNTS OF STRESS!

_______________

QUESTION #2

What is a HEALTHY PERSPECTIVE

for relating with money

that will support long-term emotional peace?

PRINCIPLE

Money will either be YOUR servant,

or YOU will become money’s slave!

 

PRINCIPLE

Money will either be YOUR servant,

or YOU will become money’s slave!

---------

YOU get to decide!

 

Matthew 6:21, 24 KJV (Jesus said) For where your TREASURE is, there your HEART will be also … 24 No one can SERVE TWO MASTERS; for either he will HATE the one and LOVE the other, or else he will be LOYAL (DEVOTED) to the one and DESPISE the other. You cannot serve GOD and MAMMON.

SYNONYMS

SERVE God, LOVE God, DEVOTE to God

OR

SERVE money, HATE (not love) God, DESPISE God 

REFLECTION

Which of these statements

create more anxiety in you?

---------

“There is no God?”

“There is no money?”

 

PRINCIPLE

MONEY decisions

are

SPIRITUAL decisions!

 

PRINCIPLE

Expenditures should

HONOR the joy in relationships,

not BE the joy in relationships.

_______________

QUESTION #3

To stay healthy

do I have to commit

to a SPENDING PLAN?

 

WHAT IS A BUDGET?

A budget is a SPENDING PLAN,

rather than a SPENDING REACTION.

A budget is FORWARD THINKING,

NOT paying off PAST STUFF.

 

WHAT A BUDGET IS NOT…

  • Having money left over at the end of the month.

  • Having the ability to pay my bills on time.

  • Having the ability to pay my credit card off every month.

  • Using the money I have today to spend on discretionary things when I know other large essential expenditures are coming due in the months ahead.

_______________ 

QUESTION #4

To be healthy emotionally

HOW MUCH SHOULD I SPEND

for the holidays?

 

AVERAGE CHRISTMAS SPENDING

1.6% OF HOUSEHOLD INCOME

(REASONABLE – DÉCOR, MEALS, GIFTS, ETC.)

$25,000 = $400

$50,000 = $800

$100,000 = $1,600

 

_______________

QUESTION #5

How do I manage

the financial stress

I FEEL RIGHT NOW?

 

PRINCIPLES

  • Emotional self-care

  • Differentiation

  • Relational connections

  • Love/serve the less fortunate

_______________ 

CALL TO ACTION

What is your ONE NEXT STEP that you need to take?

 

  • Aggressively begin soothing/self-care exercises

  • Invite family/friends into your stress

  • Serve the less fortunate

  • Create a budget (before 2019)

  • Go to a Financial Peace Seminar

  • Begin tithing (10%), or start percentage giving towards 10%

  • Reduce debt by selling something

  • Get a second job (income stream)

Patrick NorrisComment