GUEST BLOGGER: CASEY GRAHAM

Hey everyone you are about to experience something new on my blog...a guest blogger. Casey Graham, President of ReThink Money, is a new friend that I met several weeks ago. I was in the middle of a finance series when I get this message from a guy that I have never met. He saw a comment that I left on a blog and wanted to get to know me and hear what God was doing in Dahlonega. So I called him back and introduce myself and we started talking about what God was doing in our lives. Somewhere in our conversation I told him I was in the middle of a finance series and then he started to share with me what he does through ReThink Money.

I don't believe in accidents or luck I believe in divine appointments. Casey didn't know this but I had been praying about how I can help our church with their personal finances. Sure I was teaching about money but I wanted to give them more...I wanted to help them take what they heard on Sunday and apply it to their lives the rest of the week. Honestly, I didn't know how to do this but that's were Casey came into the picture.

The Lord sent Casey and ReThink Money at the right time. Casey is the real deal. He wants to help your people become more like Jesus Christ by taking control of their financial futures and having hope for the future. That's exactly what happen at Dahlonega Assembly of God last Saturday. I personally recommend Casey and the team at ReThink Money. The ReThink Money LIVE seminar was fun, simple, and most of all it gave a new sense of HOPE for the future.

Please...please...please...ya'll got me begging and I never beg but this is too important. Don't let your pride, fears, or insecurities as a leader stop you from inviting Casey and ReThink Money to your church. I promise you it will be one of the best decisions you make as a leader.

Okay bloggers it's my honor to introduce to you my new friend Casey Graham. I hope you enjoy his post.

At ReThink Money, we pride ourselves in helping the AVERAGE person with finances. I think we make finances way to complicated sometimes. At ReThink Money we actually frustrate really financially savvy people because they want to teach everybody everything about finances! I have learned that in teaching finances their are four major subjects we have to tackle. In this post I would love to share with you the three subjects and their benefits.

1. Spending

I can't believe I go around the country teaching people to spend less than they make. It seems so simple but it really is so hard. Spending is a spiritual decision. Each time we make a purchase we have made a choice to take God's money and use it for something that will benefit our kingdom or His. At ReThink Money we teach people how to spend less than they make and to leverage their spending for Kingdom impact.

My in-laws went to buy a lake house. As they were in the middle of signing the contract at the real estate agents office they wanted to stop and pray and use this time to ask God to bless the lake house for Kingdom good. As I sat their I was thinking, "This prayer is just to justify this purchase!" I really thought it was a weird and shallow prayer.

A few weeks later one of my best friends and pastor's that I served with was diagnosed with cancer. He lived ten weeks after his diagnosis. Guess where his family stayed during their last few weeks with my friend? THE LAKE HOUSE! They leveraged their kingdom for God's Kingdom. That is very important to teach your people. It isn't bad to own a lot of stuff. It is only bad when we don't see what we own in light of eternity.

Question 1: How are you teaching your church to leverage their purchasing power for God's Kingdom?

Application: You could definitely teach a message series around this idea.

2. Debt

I believe getting out of debt is a great place to start and terrible place to stop! I am starting to see a debt free mentality in some of the churches I work with. HOWEVER, I think this is only the first step in the equation. The reason we become debt free is so we can free up more money to give! Being debt free just to build our kingdom is very empty.

Question 2: How are you helping your church decrease debt in their lives so they can increase generosity? What is your plan for that?

Application: Let ReThink Money teach your people how to become debt free! Email me at cgraham@rethinkmoney.org

3. Generosity

I am not hearing a lot of preachers teach on this subject unless they need money for a specific project. I am NOT AGAINST asking for money for your church for a specific project at all! I am only against it if that is the only time you talk on generosity. I believe that generosity is a lifestyle more than a one time act or commitment. I would like to place a challenge out to all pastors reading this blog. I dare you to challenge your church to be more generous this fall. It is absolutely essential we do this. Why? PEOPLE'S SPIRITUAL LIVES DEPEND ON IT! If you want to know what will stretch people to believe in Jesus, ask them to give their possessions away.

Generosity HAS TO BE TAUGHT on at a higher level.

Question 3: How are you specifically helping people become more generous in God's Kingdom? How is your church becoming more generous in giving more to the poor and needy?

I think you could do a message series on these three subjects and it would be a home run. Remember finances need to stay simple. Let us help you navigate this process! Email me at cgraham@rethinkmoney.org