Planning Your Generosity for 2022

32 reads, but he who is noble plans noble things and all noble things he stands Rob West being generous to those in need is certainly a noble thing.

Perhaps second only to sharing the gospel but are giving is more effective when we plan for talk about that was sharing apps today. It's on your calls at 800-525-7000: 24, seven, 800-525-7000. This is moneywise live biblical wisdom for your financial decisions will share an absent operator. Kingdom advisors the parent organization of moneywise media.

In a nutshell, that means she knows how to get things done around here and keep our team working in the right direction. Sharon, it's a delight to have you back. Thank you Jerry last month. As you know, you shared with us some great information about the huge role women play in generosity and today you're here to talk about how planning for generosity can make it more effective for all of us, so why don't we begin there. Why is it important to plan our giving. We know if we don't have a plan. Sometimes it's difficult to carry through with our good intentions and one of the things I think that gives us motivation to plan is the word of God and Proverbs 1125 tells us a generous person will prosper. Who ever refreshes others will be refreshed and I found that to be a great motivation to not only plan for being generous but to do it as well because I love the thought of being refreshed due to the idea of refreshment is something we all can use Welsh share were still in the first month of the year, so it's not too late to be thinking about this for 2022 is it's really not. I know many of us have made eating plans. I certainly have exercise plan you have to count me in on that one too and even spending plans. How many of us have actually created giving plant that's a great question because we know that whatever we do with intentionality.

Whatever we plan for well were to be far more effective at accomplishing it. But let's talk about a giving plan because it may be a new idea for some of our listeners, Sharon, how is it giving plan different from a spending plan when you typically include your giving and your spending plan, we definitely would include giving amount in your spending plan, but there's so much more in a giving plant than just a number that makes a lot of sense. Will I know you have an acronym that can actually help us plan for our giving, and whatever that might entail.

So what are you sure with this than unpacking a bit. While certainly won't take credit for originating it. I've heard that campus Crusade. Our crew I'm started and I've heard it shared by the Chapmans at generous giving but it's an acronym that's easy to remember its life LIFE stands for the different types of giving that we do. I think when we think of giving. We most often think of financial giving or monetary giving and there's really more ways to get than we think about so life stands for labor influence, finances and expertise. Okay, so to say those one more time. The acronym LIF E again. They stand for labor influence, finances and expertise. Okay, so that's perhaps a different way to think about are giving as we expand the definition a bit broader than just finances, but the bottom line is the Lord has given us a lot more to give away to people that said train and you know, I think, especially if you're in a season where the financial part is tight you feel like I don't have anything to be generous with and that's not true. Anyone can be a generous person was exactly right. And I'm looking forward to really diving into these unpacking them a bit if you will just be on the break as we begin to explain what this might look like for you and each of these areas and share in this big idea of planning I know is we think about and her friend Ron blue has taught for a long time.

If there's a barrier to generosity. One of the key ones is the lack of a plan to give that surgery so word I continued on practice just around the corner. Generosity is one of the hallmarks of the life of a faithful steward because when we recognize that God owns it all and that where a steward which then makes money a tool, the natural byproduct of that is that we hold loosely and we see it as a means to an end, not an end in and of itself a means to accomplish God's purposes, which certainly part of that is to meet the needs of those around us. So look at what it means to use your labor in your influence your finances and your expertise. Joining me today. Sharon Epps, chief operating officer Kingdom advisors, financial teacher and author much more to come. Just around the corner. This is moneywise live biblical wisdom for your financial decisions to moneywise live today were talking about planning for your generosity so you can be far more effective in your giving Rob West euros joining me today. Sharon Epps, chief operating officer advisors, financial teacher and author and Sharon.

I know this is one of your favorite topics to teach on his left ear.

Yet you just shared an acronym with us before the break, the perhaps can expand our vision for our giving you use the word life as an acronym and remind us again what that stands for life is your labor, your influence, your finances and your expertise. Love that denied love to begin to dig down into each of these is folks perhaps develop a vision for their giving a bit differently may be broader than they have previously. So let's start with this first area of your labor like to do is give you a question to consider as you think about what how would I give labor away. I'm in the question is what skills do I have that others might benefit from what skills do I have that I can share with others and let me just give you a very personal example. My father was in construction all of his career and he can build things.

He is just a master craftsman and four years at church. He felt like he really didn't have a place to serve because his scale was being a master craftsman and they were asking for greeters and for the parking lot attendants in children's ministry and he just didn't fit in that little square peg.

However, one day the building manager realized that my dad had skills to offer that the church actually needed and what ended up devolving was 20 years of serving helping out keeping the building up-to-date so that's a great example of he had a unique skill that didn't fit just in a program that was very needed at the church love that because perhaps he felt like as you said he didn't have much to offer and now he's got a completely different vision for how he can give them be in service to the Lord through the local church in my life sure and that's my father in law he can build a house from scratch.

Not so him.

Maybe you need him to volunteer his labor for you frequently are and I love the question so what you carry those through to the other aspects of you.

Okay so for influence.

I think one of the best questions is what relationships do I have that might fit others and I think this might be one of the most overlooked generosity opportunities. I know, for example, someone he's been highly effective in creating a family retreat for his grandchildren to pass along the family values also have friends you keep talking about wow I wish I could do something with my grandchildren. I don't know what to do, so I'm being generous when I introduce my friends to the family retreat expert yes absolutely you're able to be a connector and in your influence. Sure those strategic relationships. That's great all right labor influence.

Next would be finances okay so we we hear about this a lot but I maybe want to twisted a little bit from what we typically hear. So I think instead of asking this question. How much can I give this year. What if we asked the question, how much should I keep well and I think the big idea here is, if I'm a steward, and God has given me these funds. I need to ask him what, therefore, and many of the funds are for our provision and for our family and those needs but I'm wondering sometimes if he entrusts us with funds that are for others and we maybe aren't asking the right question and here I would just encourage you that you might find it useful this year in your plan to just set a progressive target for your giving to asked the Lord to give you the ability to potentially increase your giving 1% and if you are giving 5%. Now it might mean that you would made to 6% next year. Or you may be giving 15% now, and you might make it a goal to give 16% next year. That's excellent.

And again this goes back to the planning and the intentionality and are giving are the final area is expertise which the question to us. There, it's what knowledge are subject matter expertise has God given me that I can share with others, and I love this story have gotten to be a part of watching it unfold.

But I have a friend who is a pastor but also he is a chef. He is a wonderful shot flat because of some training he had in his background and he has a real concern for the people in his neighborhood and so rather than going to invite them just to church and they know he's the pastor. He actually has created what he calls around the table and he invites two or three neighbors to come over and he cooks a four course meal for them and he uses that chef expertise in order to draw people to the Lord in the conversations then and see you are wonderful and believe it or not friendship start forming in the neighborhood and minutes.

Just a natural, charitable, and I could just really see I'm arty thinking about in my own life things. Perhaps I can be generous with them. I haven't thought about in that way previously. This is fabulous hard.

So we've asked these questions around the acronym life in our giving plan is starting to unfold, but it seems like we might need to memorialize this. So how would we begin to create a written giving plan if that needs to be a part of this think there's a couple of things that you need to think about. One is just what are the answers to the questions that we just discussed, but I think they need to be guided by your values and beliefs. What's important to us as a family.

So that's another piece have been as well.

I also want to have you think about not just this year but what about my lifetime.

What would I like to do in my lifetime. Is there lifetime financial amount that I would love to give. Is there a lifetime of hours I'm volunteering. So if we set that long term coming back to this year helps us think in terms of what we like to accomplish this year. So one of those as you said might be a volunteering goal and if I think about using my labor in that way it might be serving food to the homeless or teaching a children's class at church both very needed in the central but what you do if you excel at other things. I think the conversation about my father's one part of it, but I think part of it is being sure that you know what you have to offer. And so I know for myself that one of the things that I want to do is work with organizations and help them come up with their strategic planner.

Their annual plan and so finding a place to do that sometimes takes a little bit of work because it's not just the norm are necessarily what people advertise for and so we want your giving plan to be the place to start and then as you identify those areas of labor and influence in expertise that you have to offer. Ask God how he might connect what you have with what people need, because the Lord and equips us in order to be able to serve. He's got a spot for us to serve you. I know I've been the beneficiary along with our team here at kingdom advisors of your gift of strategic planning. So thank you for using so well, sure, and wrap this up for us would go just about 45 seconds. All right, so I think the thing is, let me give you three things that you might do quickly in order to get connected with those needs would recommend. Check with your pastor or your church leaders to find out if they have some needs are, if they've heard of needs that haven't been made public.

Secondly, contact the executive director of some nonprofits that you financially support talk to them about your skills and see if there's a match with some needs that they have and then finally, and this actually is. First, you need to pray asked the Lord to do what we just talked about connect the needs with what he's given you, and it's amazing how he'll open doors, this incredible information. Sharon, thanks for stopping by. Thank you that Sharon's chief operating officer at kingdom advisors and you can tell, God has placed a burden for generosity on her heart. Your calls or text 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. This is moneywise live biblical wisdom for your financial journey stay with what it was with us today was open just to calls and questions already built 800-525-7000 800-525-7000.

Whatever's on your mind today would love to hear from you and see we can apply God's wisdom to your financial decisions and choices and help you move forward with confidence again 800-525-7000 before we begin today with her first color.

Let me just give you a quick update earlier this week we heard from a young lady named nova called into the program and she was 25 grow up in foster care didn't have a family support system and was finding herself in a really difficult spot financially. She uses a gig up to find work cleaning hospitals when she's able, but problem is she's got severe back pain and as a result of that in some upcoming surgery. She's not able to work very much and during her recovery, which be several months from the surgery that will be paid for by the government shall be completely out of work, and as you might imagine just really in a difficult spot. So many of you responded and said we want to help Novo so we have a way to do that through our friends at helping hands. A caseworker that works directly with our team here at moneywise verifies each need, which has already been done this week and nova has been approved to accept financial assistance through moneywise media and so all of you who've been giving were able to pass that on. In an appropriate way to help her deal with the financial challenges she's having right now, especially if she gets through the surgery over the next couple of months, but if you heard nova story and you'd like to give as well just shoot us an email info@moneywise.org that's info that moneywise.org will be sure to send you the appropriate link to make a tax-deductible gift to our moneywise helping hands fund and that will make sure that our team gets the assistance again in an appropriate way to help offset Novus expenses and were delighted at the generosity and the outpouring of the moneywise community to that story and whatever we can do this. We love to do it. So again info@moneywise.org if you'd like to be a part of helping Noah Novo during this difficult time.

Charlotte said back to the phones today.

It's a Friday afternoon will get through as many calls as we can. 800-525-7000 will begin today in Tampa, Florida hi Emma, how can I help you how that might warrant that all my might get good now all I get minor very good about whether or not to so hold it first and then will do with the refinancing question so you write the housing market has increased dramatically would see the increase that is beyond her typical rates of increase, primarily driven by a lack of inventory it's a combination of the global pandemic on top of that, we've got folks that are moving out of the downtown areas and small apartments that are now working remotely is that trend continues to accelerate other moving to single-family homes. We got millennial's that are buying homes because they're having kids now getting a little bit more space. All of that has led to an inventory shortage of Holmes sin has caused the housing prices to be elevated and unfortunately rental prices have gone with it so you know folks who are renting or experiencing it and those who own or benefiting from the rise in the other home price, but when you sell you're going to pay top dollar for that next told that you buy now you might be able to downsize if perhaps you have more home than you need, and that would be one way to perhaps lower your overall cost but you're going to be getting top dollar when you sell it if you buy something you're to be paying top dollar or the same premium.

All things being equal, so talk to me about your plan. If you were to sell Emma. What would you do would you be looking to buy something smaller but would you be looking to rent. What are your thoughts okay.

Have you done any of the leg work on that if you going out to look at the area you'd like to live if you looked at some of the homes you'd like to bowl by that are smaller and really looked at what they're selling for today okay alright and that's a good start. There's a lot of information is readily available today that will give you a good beginning point, I would just want to make sure that before you decided to sell that you understand what it's actually going to take for you to buy what you believe you'd like to have, even though it smaller so that there is not a discrepancy between what you think you're going to come out with and what it's going to take to get into that next home, so I would be looking at that very closely. In fact, I'd probably go beyond just Internet research and before you make a decision I would find a competent real estate professional in your area. Perhaps one that is a believer who specializes in the area of town you're looking at there in Tampa who could take you around and actually help you find some properties that would be, if not the ones you would buy similar to what you would buy to make sure you understood exactly what it would take for you to purchase these and make sure that it accomplishes what you're trying to accomplish.

Are you looking to just reduce your overall costs are you looking reduce the upkeep of the home. What is it you're trying to accomplish my goal in my bed alone now on how I will grant that will pray because Bittner #4 by the other challenges rents very high right now because what's happening in the housing market. So let's do this. You do a little bit more research. Find out what it would take for you to buy the home that you're looking for the smaller find out what the rents would be if you were to rent a place to make sure that fits into your budget.

Let's look at all then will evaluate that alongside a refund option which is long as you stay in the home and you can say the least percentage increase the term that could be another way so so research is that it was not joining us today but it was like the wisdom for your decisions about Westborough stick your calls and questions today. That's why it's open to hear from you call right now. Whatever's on your mind financially speaking it over 800-525-7000 800-525-7000 but said back to the phone, Chicago, Illinois hi Tina, okay, I hope you all for you, about 90 grand and loan at her a lot on that accrued already. I'm going to school and on and cultivate and beforehand I have created about 11/5000 for Internet and now my question is that I have it straight from the federal loan program for about 6.0 interest rate and I was wondering and what you think. After panic I need not very familiar and hunted together very much with money back to get a lower interest rate would be a better option for me as far as if I can find a third-party service that can offer lower interest on my lot and for further payback, because currently I'm on it explain our rate and alone company and now add profits over to me, not third-party service. Because the federal loans are not having relocated, a federal loan department now kinda going to third-party services that you payback for the loan.

So I'm just looking for a little bit of guidance and finance probably is vague or broad question. Yeah, I think the challenge is even if you could get a lower interest rate by refinancing with a private company you're giving up a lot. Yes, you might save a bit in interest by going with a private lender, assuming you can qualify get the credit score.

The income for them to do it.

The challenges you're giving up a lot of the safeguards that the federal loans offer the ability to reduce your payment with income driven repayment of the ability to postpone payments with the mandatory forbearance the ability to receive subsidized interest during deferments and the ability to qualify for loan forgiveness through the public service loan forgiveness program and others as well. All of that goes away when you refinance with the private lender, which is why I'm really hesitant to ever recommend that because if you got yourself into a really difficult financial spot of the income driven and flexible repayment plans and the other benefits offered by the federal loan program are really important and could be really helpful to you in a time like that. Does that make sense okay so the thing to do that and I agree that I don't love you paying 6% interest.

That's more than I'd like. But I think with those benefits. It's probably worth sticking with what you got. I think the key would just be try to keep your lifestyle as lean as possible really focus on your spending plan look to cut or eliminate any unnecessary spending so you can free up margin and send as much as you can toward getting those loans paid down even quicker than the scheduled repayment so that you can get out from under them, but I think if you ever got real tight spot.

You'd be glad you have the federal loans because that's going to ensure that you have some of these flexibilities okay and care. I asked Shannon sure in the finance department. I care, public primary radio stations.

I can really appreciate you taking my call today. Well, happy to do tonight… A lot of money and it's probably kind of lingering there and you feel the pressure of getting out from under as quick as you can and I can certainly appreciate that. I think the key for you right now is just to maximize that education. See if you can continue to get your income to increase. Don't let your lifestyle creep with your income increases the come over time and you get this so going to the right direction for too long. So all the best in the days ahead. Thank you for calling and listening. We appreciated 800 525 7000s of recall we got slides open. Let's head South Florida. Carlos, thank you for holding Sir I hope you all year old money and I will know right now you all how you die right. We need that money will I yes I you are you putting anything into investments. Do you have the retirement plan at work or anything like that. Now in every dollar you buy your employment letter you W-2 employee will and will and do you have access to retirement plan work. Are you actively putting anything in percent of your income is going in the retirement plan. Do you think me not. As you look at your situation. I'm glad that you did free but you're paying probably a lot of rent right now because rental prices are elevated.

I realize you got everything in the bank. But if you leave it there you go to be losing purchasing power specially with inflation where it is today being elevated every month are still less purchasing power with that hundred thousand dollars so I think you what would be best, rather than in this really high housing market right now you taking on a big mortgage trying to become a landlord and renting it out and having to service the debt, especially with the you where the housing market is right now I would be more inclined unless you have some real experience you've done that before you been a landlord, I'd be more inclined to say let's take up this hundred thousand six months expenses and keep it in savings and then let's start to move the rest of it into the market.

The stock market with a properly diversified stock and bond portfolio that can be growing for the future and then let's systematically continue investing through work and I realize you're approaching 70 years old and so you're going to be at some point looking for income and if perhaps a few years down the road you wanted to look at buying another euro a piece of real estate and using that to generate income that would be fine. I just am wondering though with you continuing to have to pay renting prices, rental prices and without any experience as a landlord. I'd hate to see you take on a big mortgage then what happens if you don't have a winter we go through recession of some kind of you to service the debt you don't own a home and you know you're looking for somebody to come in to pay your rent and you have trouble finding someone just put you in a really difficult spot. Eventually, given where you so I think I'd take this other approach you stock investments to build your well just keep your lifestyle as possible as this is what he was right back yesterday but it was not biblical wisdom for your financial decisions. Lines open between the program would love to hear from us. If we can help you wrestling with financially 800-5257. Thousands of them to call Jim is in North Royalton, Ohio Kim, thank you for going recently passed away and I'm applying for. That got benefit life insurance as the sole beneficiary and when I want to know. Well I hey hey on the life insurance no, generally not life insurance proceeds are not taxable with respect to income tax. So long as the proceeds are paid out entirely as a lump sum one time which would be generally the case. So, as a beneficiary do that due to the death of an insured person that they are not included in your gross income.

You don't have to report them. I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's passing. You feel like you have a good handle on where everything is that from an asset standpoint, the income that you have, where you need to go from here okay good well that's something you will not have to worry about from a tax standpoint. If that's the case, but I think just make sure you as you move forward. You have good folks that you can rely on to help you make decisions along the way. Hopefully this is is good news for you as you think about the implications of receiving this money can we appreciate your call today. All the best to you 70, Florida hi Jessica, ask for holding. How can I help you all a good idea for a down payment on how okay so make sure you understand. So your house that you live in today's free and clear, is that right okay so you own a rental property free and clear where you live, you own a home as well. Are you renting with my mother mortgage.

We were thinking of selling her house together to pool a down payment on a bigger house, I see you are planning to continue to live together, and then you would buy with the proceeds of the sale of the rental and your mom so you pool your money together to buy a new home that you would live in or that you would rent out okay all right yeah I don't think that's a bad idea at all. And obviously you've done some things right here Jessica in the sense that you you have a home currently are not occupying your renting and that's great.

You own it, free and clear, which means you discipline yourself to save put that money toward debt repayment, and you're obviously living within your means in order to do that and living with mom and that's that's great and if you all plan to continue to do that and you need some more space being able to pool your funds together to do that I think makes sense.

Just need to talk through how you're going to approach that who's going to own the home and you know what assets are coming in. Who's gonna put what into the home and then how it fits you end up moving out someday and she wants to stay there. How does that work so they just have its real open and honest communication about how all that's can be put together so you can anticipate either one of you, you moving on to something else. At some point if you wanted to do that. But in terms of just the financial side of it taking and selling the property and using that equity to buy something else.

I think makes a lot of sense as long as you have really talk through both how you can approach the purchase of this new property and then how you would handle the home.

If either one of you were to decide to move out at some point in the future. To some extent about what good okay listen a all the best to you and no real states been the wild there in Florida, among other places around the country so all the best to you as you navigate the home sale of the purchase of this next place but sounds like you're doing a lot of things right, Jessica.

We appreciate you listening going today. Thanks very much. Let's head to Tennessee. Sadie, thank you for calling. How can I help you right right here a lot. My screen was for one second. Sadie heard the first part you're breaking up just a little bit. So if you have the ability to move maybe to a place where you have a little bit stronger signal that would be great because I don't want to miss anything you've said, but again I've heard everything you said so far, so let's just keep going from there. I apologize now works full time income about $400 a week. Okay, we did live in Florida but we had a fire house and everything and quick story. My so called Frank that come to fix mine not have to pay for anything.

Well, they're not that good friends.

They took us for every penny that we had to conduct literally thank you for my birthday last night we found a 22 foot camper that were ranking which I'm grateful for, but it makes like it when it rains it has holes in the floor. No bathroom but anyway the question and and with what my hands and makes good on the table. I have very severe health issues. I have no apology can't therein a whole lot of things that so I named it appeals process for my so security but my claim question 462 that he brings home a week with what we pay for our ranch car and stuff like that. How how can I start trying to save up because eventually were going to have to find something better to live in some how can we do that because like today for 62 $200 car payment that we have to make plus food we don't qualify for food stamps, for whatever reason, the how can we start saving up trying to you know get out of this 22 foot camper into something that no human humanly livable. Yes, yes, no, I completely understand. It's obviously Sadie, this is going to be just a week at a time just trying to manage through all this.

What I like to do is have one of our coaches contact you. So when were done here today — just in the Weinberg to get your information to have one of our trained money was coaches call you and at a time that works for you over the phone work through your budget and just help you capture what it takes in most of this you probably know, there may be something some things that they can just help you think through that maybe you don't get a bill for every month or that happened perhaps not every month but we want to capture all of your expenses. We want to develop a plan to say how do we take that $462.

We can literally allocate that by week to the various expenses that you have to keep food on the table to keep the rent paid to keep the car paid. Keep gas in the car and the, the, you know electricity on on your euro rental plot there and then you will be able to have a little bit of margin so you can first start to build up of an emergency savings of a few hundred dollars, with the goal of let's say thousand 1500 so that when you have an unexpected expense and they will come. You don't have to rely on a credit card or anything like that but then once that emergency fund is funded.

The next goal is just to save every penny you can and I realize will be someone she can't to be able to save up for a down payment or to upgrade your living situation.

I realize you're in a tough spot in terms of your own health. Is there any way your husband could perhaps look for another job.

Along the way to increase his income or add a second job.

I think those would be things you need to be looking at because joy so much we can do on the expense side at some point we need to try to increase the income along the way and Lord willing, if you can get the thing situated with the Social Security Administration.

Hopefully that will provide some additional assistance for you.

That could be combined obviously with your husband's income to give you just a bit more margin. Perhaps that hundred percent of that could go toward savings you know if that is hired out for a new home. You know when you're ready to make that move so I think with the coach helps you. And if we get the SSA resolved then hopefully things will start to look a little bit better and I think you'll feel better when you have a bit in savings that you know you can fall back on and you're working toward a goal of being able to improve your living situation. I know it's difficult time. Sadie appreciate your calling and I think if we can walk with you and encourage you to pray for you to enter coach can navigate this with you.

I think perhaps you'll feel a lot better so I want you to hold the line to get your information. They were to have somebody reach out to you and I want to finish today by just praying for you. Father, we just want to live. Sadie and her husband up to you, Lord, that they been through some difficult times, losing their home in the fire with friends that perhaps took advantage of the Lord. In spite of all that your promises are true. You said you'll never leave us or forsake us. Thank you for your son Jesus that saves us from our sins. We know that in and of that is nothing more we have an abundance Lord, but with their financial provision.

We ask that you would just intervene and provide even miraculously that you provide additional income for them that you help Sadie navigate this conversation with Social Security and the Lord you just give them wisdom as they try to be found faithful with what passes through their hands to be able to spend it in a way that allows them to meet their needs and ultimately moved to a situation where they have a bit more and can have a more secure home situation. Lord, we know you love them and as their creator. Lord and provider your there.

Think you can trust you with all this Jesus Sadie thank you for calling. God bless you all the while, get your information for us today moneywise.

Love is a partnership money was helping with research. Thank you for being here as well. We can