Investing

The Salvation Army you're listening to wonderful words of life. Welcome back to wonderful words of life.

I'm Bernie Dake and Cheryl Gail and Cheryl were really glad that you're here and we hope that you are. Listeners are enjoying this series as we continue this series on finance today. Bernie you and Mike Harris talked about investing. And some people, especially if you're younger and in your Bible study journey may find it surprising that investing is actually a biblical principle, absolutely. The thing is, it's a very simple idea. The Bible is clear about what you put in is what you get out at the same time as a young person. If you can start saving right now just a little bit over the course of several years, and perhaps your working life you will be able to retire with a very comfortable some that will get you through course we know that when it comes to saving for retirement. The earlier the better right exactly well there was a study on CNBC that said only about 39% of those surveyed started saving in their 20s. The rest started in their 30s and 40s, and some interesting math. In this article that highlights the importance of starting early to reach 1,700,000 x 65. Assuming you had an 8% return. You would need to save $486 per month starting at age 25. But if you just waited five more years, you'd have to save an additional $300 a month to achieve the same goal.

So that's the idea of starting earlier. I know that sounds like a lot of money but if you come into employment with someone who's willing to perhaps offer some incentives to save or match than you can probably find a way to get to that amount pretty quickly as a lot of companies out there that will help you. I want to be clear when you're making an investment. That's not a gamble per se, but you know your money is at risk.

So you have to very careful talk to a financial advisor that has experience in this field and some of that you can trust and get expert advice and of course you you all now or not we are not financial experts but we hope this series has been an encouragement to you. We love to hear your thoughts on this and send us an email at radio@uss.salvationarmy.org or call 1-800-229-9965. Welcome back, everybody. I'm really grateful that I have Mike Harris here with this major Mike Harris. My friend hopefully your friend to over these last few weeks been sharing with us ideas about financial freedom and stewardship in the ideas particular related to biblical principles.

Mike, what would you have for us this week well again looking at biblical principles and as a previous weeks. Please import we always go back to Scripture.

I will be the best known parables of the we see in Scripture is what we call the parable of the talents with the monster goes away and leave supplements with resources with with three servants. As you recall, in the story we observe as the first two servants double the amount of talent so they were given because the investor that they willfully worked. It was the third guy buries his telling hole in the ground so that when the monster comes back and sees what the first two of done. He praises them for increasing but it should be lost almost was a significant consequence for the one who did nothing. In fact, he was expelled he was cost out and and his talent was given to the woman who had the most know that could be spiritualized on a number of levels, I could probably preach that someone 10�10 different weight shift in truth, but I think it pertains to stewardship, but it does also use of make you think and wonder and consider how we can most wisely invest the resources that we haven't perhaps militarily how we can wisely invest the resources because nothing will that Scripture is telling us is that we go to do something with it a great thing to take what God is given to us and to increase it and so over the last few weeks you've talked about the opposite. Where can we we can get back to a starting point. We could eliminate debt, but the flipside to this is how can we increase what we have in the number of investing opportunities out there banana you've taken some of those and some of them, perhaps right there in your face and you don't even realize it. Yeah I want to be careful for listeners to make sure you understand that neither one of us are financial experts as it relates to investing gifts and particularly financially when you're investing money there. There are risks involved.

The stock market could crash a week. We don't want this point you in one direction or another, but Mike mentioned the idea of of some opportunities that may exist that you may not be aware of and there sitting right in front of you and I would say to you that what I have discovered.

As a longtime employee of a singular organization that there are lots of retirement fund opportunities that exist for instance, the company that I work for happens to be the Salvation Army and they pay into a pension for me based on my years of service and then they have set up a retirement plan. In addition to that for their employees to consider investing and they encourage it this way if I invest a percentage of my income, they will match a percentage up to a certain amount. I mean at the end of the day. I've been involved for more than 25 years with the Salvation Army as an employee and at for that length of service. The Salvation Army is willing to invest or match up to let me say 6%.

That number could be wrong but that's free money now meeting if I decide to take a percentage of my salary and invested in this retirement option.

The Salvation Army will match that on my behalf because of the my faithfulness is a longtime employee those retirement funds. Those those opportunities that exist with employment are important for you to understand, particularly if you are young because the sooner you can get into the idea of living without a small percentage of your income and putting it away.

Forgetting about it the more you will realize the the opportunities that exist with compound interest.

Now if you're indebted to someone compound interest is a terrible fashion is important, but if you're able to put money away into savings or in an retirement type fund what you're getting is in the United States, a pretax opportunity to put money away that over time will begin to compound because of the interest and for me at 30 years I'm I'm not a wealthy man. But as I look to retirement, perhaps at around the age of 65 which is still 15 years away.

I know that there's money there that we could try to budget a lifestyle that would be meaningful and uncomfortable for my wife and I it certainly doesn't mean riches or track eggs, exhort another outline the face of what we should be ready when we lose the faith piece right you been faithful with your resources.

Yeah, we that money comes out immediately 10% comes out immediately for the Lord that we we don't even consider living with that and we have experienced rub up the comfort of peace about our finances because I believe because of our faithfulness to the Lord. It's a biblical principle and we've seen it demonstrated in the lives of mentors and peers around us. We you cannot out give God. We've been able to as a couple. Invest in in ministry opportunities or in young people in a way that would be an encouragement to them and and we want them to understand the same ideas that that we have learned over time so that they have may be even foot up her head start on a better life in a comfortable idea that it there's a piece in the financial freedom we don't want to be indebted to man.

Yes, of course with God. There's just a real peace about that and I did. I just use that as a single example for listeners to consider investing in something that exists it's in the background. It's right there in front of you it's it's almost free money from your employer should do your best to educate yourself. We talked about last week. The idea of technology there so many resources out there that you can learn about financial freedom and be leery about schemes.

There are so many opportunists out there that would want to steal your money and take your money and it looks attractive. Do your best to work with people that you can trust, and I find it.

People who are kindred spirits. Christian people should have your best interest at hand, knowing full well that the kingdom will be even larger, more populated because of your faithfulness Mike. I'm grateful to you.

I'm sorry if I took a lot of your time know is I think you will post express that was very frail. We've got a few more weeks with Mike. So come on back and join us next week is the Salvation Army's mission doing the most good means helping people with material and spiritual needs. You become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army visit Salvation Army USA.org to offer your support and we would love to hear from you. Email us at radio@uss.salvationarmy.org or call 1-800-229-9965 or write us at PO Box 29972, Atlanta, GA 30359 20 contact us will send you our gift for this series is totally free for listeners like you, one per household, while supplies last. You can also subscribe to our show on iTunes or your favorite podcast store and be sure to give us a rating. Just search for wonderful words of life follow some social media for the latest episode extended interviews and more. And if you don't have a church home. We invite you to visit your local Salvation Army worship center will be glad to see this is Bernie date inviting you to join us next time.

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