Balanced: Developing a Plan

The final key to staying balanced with our finances is to develop a plan and work the plan. And the plan is all about our priorities. What percentage of your finances will you honor God with 2%, 10%, or all?

[image by Steve Wampler]

Balanced: Back in the Black

There are areas in our finances in which we have to be making constant corrections. Two of those areas are: Spending and Getting out of debt.

We'll take a look at how spending is really an extension of discontentment and what it means for the borrower to be slave to the lender.

[image by Adam Crowe]

Balanced: Reading the Fine Print

In order for our finances or anything in life to be balanced, we have to have a clear objective. Your objective regarding your finances may not be defined by you in so many words, but is defined by your actions with and attitudes toward your money. Perhaps your objective is to be able to provide well for your family. Or possibly to save as much as possible. Spend as much as possible. Regardless, you do have an objective. This Sunday we're going to suggest that the only objective that will provide true balance is the objective of honoring God with our finances.

[image by starryeyez024]

Balanced: Opening the Books

The first week of Balanced will roll out some very practical thoughts on our finances. Regardless of who we are and what be believe, there are two things we have to know about finances, we always have to keep an eye on where our money is going and we have to make constant corrections.

[image by Locator]

Results of our Planning Day

Thanks to Anonomous (I know who you are! :)) and to the planning team for your input and thoughts as we worked to layout a general plan for 2010 weekend services.

I'm excited to say that we have some topics on the table for the year with the clear understanding that we will leave room for change if we feel God is calling us to do so.

I will roll out some of the topics here so you all can start your creative wheels spinning with ideas for the series.

Finances - Balanced is the packaging for this and it will be heavily based on the Northpoint series of the same name
Evangelism - Everybody
Reaching personal potential
Characters of the Bible - similar to a series by Granger called UNrated

OK, that should give you plenty to start your wheels spinning. I'll post weekly titles etc. later.

Thank you again for all your input and creativity!

Back to our regularly scheduled program...

I apologize that with the busy-ness of the Christmas season I have not kept Muse as up-to-date as I would like. As we are now settled firmly in 2010 I'd like to update you and ask for your suggestions.

We are currently in our first-of-the-year series, Creating 2010. We have two more Sundays to go in that series and the remainder of the year is, for now, a fresh, clean sheet of flip chart paper! Within the next several days the planning team will be meeting for an extended planning retreat where we will discuss ideas for the entire year.

If you have an idea for a series of weekend services, please post a comment here between now and next Wednesday (January 20) and I will add your ideas to the mix of our conversation.

[image by emma.kate]

Concrete: What following Jesus Looks Like

To follow someone is to watch closely where they are going and what they are doing and go and do the same.

So, what does it look like to follow Jesus? Where have you seen it in the lives of those around you? What has it looked like in your own life?

What songs, readings, stories, dramas do you think of that illustrate what following Jesus looks like?