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Walking in God’s Favor: Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” Luke 6:37-38 Msg

Why does it feel so good deep down inside when we give? The Word of God says it is better to give than to receive. Giving is optional. You choose to give or not to give. When you choose to give, it touches the very essence of your soul and pleases God.

Level 4 stewards give wisely of their time, talents or spiritual gifts, and their financial resources so that their choices will honor God.  They are so connected to the Source, that they have learned to set boundaries that helps them grow spiritually.

Is it possible to give too much time and energy pursuing material riches? Jesus, the CEO of the universe, tells the story of a business man who was prospering financially.

All his time and energies were preoccupied with how to manage his overflow. Can you imagine having so much wealth that you, your children,  your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren and your great-great-grandchildren could not spend it all in a lifetime?

Jesus called this business man a fool because he did not recognize his soul was bankrupt, and his spiritual life was in debt. This obviously successful entrepreneur was blinded by his addiction for more and more wealth.

We believe Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and Warren Buffet all recognize that stewardship is a matter of the soul. Where you spend your time, share your talents or spiritual gifts,  and give your financial support tells the world what is important to you.

We personally believe that God blesses you so that you can be a blessing to others. During this holiday season we want to encourage you to make giving a part of your spiritual DNA. Share your time, wisdom, and resources with the next generation. You will be amazed at what God will grow in your life when you sow into the lives of meaningful  others. It’s a matter of the soul.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord, open our heart to give generously.

Michael Vance is a senior account executive  with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance is  a gifted educator and  a Master Guide in the Pathfinders  Club, a global organization empowered to teach life and leadership skills to young people.  The Vance’s have been married well over 25 years and share their lives with four adult children and six grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor: And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. Deuteronomy 28:14

North America  is one of the richest countries on the planet. Mel Gipson, movie actor/producer,  grossed over 350 million dollars from the movie The Passion of  Christ. Oprah Winfrey is one of the richest African American women on Earth.

Such enormously powerful income can support lavish lifestyles, magnificent mansions, awesome automobiles, exotic vacations, and unlimited shopping for designer clothes or luxury personal items. The media is more than willing to make known to you, the lifestyle of the rich and famous.

Unfortunately, many of you believe that anything less than excessive luxury is equivalent to poverty. If your goal is the Hollywood style of prosperity, more than likely, that is something you will probably never reach. The bling bling life style of professional athletes and the Preachers from LA, influence people young and old, to get rich or die trying.

We believe there is a difference between riches and wealth. You can become rich without God in your life.  You can easily find unethical Wall Street bankers, greedy CEO’s, drug dealers, and pornography pimps who are rich. That’s because riches are material possessions.

On the other hand wealth is obtained through spiritual wisdom, character development, and the observance of God’s laws. We encourage young families not to worry or focus all your time on getting rich. But instead, began your life together, loving God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your soul. It is He who gives you the power to obtain wealth.

God will take care of your needs according to His riches in glory. God’s plan for your life is greater than anything you could ever dream or imagine. God loves you more that anyone and has a plan for your life.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord we love You and we thank You for the blessings You give.

Michael Vance is a senior account executive  with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance is  a gifted educator and  a Master Guide in the Pathfinders  Club, a global organization empowered to teach life and leadership skills to young people.  The Vance’s have been married well over 25 years and share their lives with four adult children and six grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor: But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and then checking to see if he has enough money to pay the bills?  Otherwise he might complete only the foundation before running out of funds. And then how everyone would laugh! Luke 14:28-29

You must begin with the end in mind. If you plan to become faithful stewards of your wealth in this life you must be willing to pay the price. You are going to have to develop the habit of planning and setting goals.

Years ago, Ardella and I began planning to save a certain amount of money from our income so that we could have the flexibility to follow our dreams,  passions and opportunities in life during our golden years.

One of our passions is sharing our life experiences with newly married and engaged couples. We share practical tips we have learned in our own marriage and from other married couples like Les and Leslie Parrott www.lesandleslie.com who also enjoy their marriage and have a passion for mentoring married couples.

Let’s face it, as you gracefully age, you generally have less energy and your health slowly begins to decline. As a result, you need to manage the amount of physical activity and maximize the results, so you don’t injure or prematurely kill yourself.  In other words, you have to work smarter not harder.

While you are young and healthy you must develop the practice of planning for your golden years. Otherwise, your golden years will not be so golden.   Many employers are no longer contributing or providing retirement plans for their employees. Therefore you must become  personally proactive  in saving and investing money for your golden years.

With that in mind, what is your plan? Do you have an emergency fund for the storms of life that are sure to come if you live long enough? Have you begun setting aside money for your golden years?

The Joseph principle is the ability to look around the corner and anticipate life’s challenges you may or may not face one day.  In the Bible, Joseph wisely counseled Pharaoh in the book of Genesis to plan and prepare for the future.

” And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of  Pharaoh  and let them keep food in the cities. Then the food shall be as a reserve for the land for seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt that the land may not perish during the famine.” Genesis 41:35,36  (NKJV)

Joseph was divinely given the principle of saving for the storms of life, and saved the entire Egyptian nation and his family.   There are many lessons you can learn and practice in your life from the Joseph principle. Most importantly; begin with the end in mind.

We invite you to visit  our Financial Peace University Class, Monday 6pm, November 11th www.firstsdachurch.www as we share the blueprint for developing smart money habits.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord help us to plan wisely for our future.

Michael Vance is a senior account executive  with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance is  a gifted educator and  a Master Guide in the Pathfinders  Club, a global organization empowered to teach life and leadership skills to young people.  The Vance’s have been married well over 25 years and share their lives with four adult children and six grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor:  How well God must like you— you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon, you don’t slink along Dead-End Road, you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College.

 Instead you thrill to God’s Word,  you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month; Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.  Psalms 1:1-3 MSG

We encourage young families to get your instructions and directions in  life from the BIBLE. (Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth). Biblical principles can teach you the following:  How to communicate with God; How to overcome your struggles;  How to love and forgive yourself as well as others; and How to relate to wealth.

Its unfortunate that when it comes to making financial decisions, you often seek solutions to your financial struggles from the secular financial world. Regardless of your skin color, the level of your education, or the amount of income you earn, following the popular advice of  American Greed or other secular resources, can often lead you away from God’s best for your life. Think about it; How much faith does it really take to get into debt?

You don’t sit down and consciously decide to borrow yourself into financial bondage. Usually you are influenced by listening to others who are in financial bondage themselves and appear to be enjoying it. You know what I mean?

Your friend or family member buys a new car with the leather package, GPS , satellite radio, heated seats and sun roof. They give you a ride…and of course you ask how much they paid for it. They explain how easily the dealership leased the vehicle to them so they could afford the payments. You think to yourself, “I can afford that”  and you run down to the dealership to join the ranks of our consumer driven society that is fueled by consumer debt.

Bottom line is, you are a generation that has forgotten or never learned how to financially discipline yourself to save for purchases and avoid debt. We challenge you to raise your financial IQ. Read the word of God and Christian authors who share God’s plan for relating to money. One of my favorite books that I recommend on finances, is by Lee Jenkins entitled, “Taking Care of Business”.

Surround yourself with faithful stewards who are givers and savers. As you learn how to become more fiscally wise, share what you learn with family members and meaningful others in your sphere of influence. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results.  Remember, keep praying, keep believing,  with God all things are possible.

You are invited to join us for Financial Peace University www.firstsdachurch.com Monday 6PM November 4th. This 9 week class teaches you biblical principles for handling money.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord help us to seek wise counsel.

Michael Vance is a senior account executive  with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance is  a gifted educator and  a Master Guide in the Pathfinders  Club, a global organization empowered to teach life and leadership skills to young people.  The Vance’s have been married well over 25 years and share their lives with four adult children and six grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor: I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. Genesis 12:2

One of our financial goals was to take a cruise to the Bahamas when we eliminated all our debts. We were able to pay off over $70,000 in debt in 48 months practicing biblical financial principles in our everyday lives.

Living a  life of surplus is a great place to be. Ardella and I have journeyed through the process of learning how to put our faith in God and not the blessings He provides..ie (Wealth, Education, Social Capital and Good Health)

We have learned how to walk in faith when experiencing life’s struggles and the storms of life. Faith is the ability to walk past your current reality, while anticipating a fabulous future.

To walk in God’s favor you must develop the inner discipline it takes to delay immediate gratification by surrendering lordship of your life to God. The faithful stewards can say “no” to the person in the mirror and “yes” to the will of God. Faithful stewards first seek and desire God’s blessings to shower down over their lives.

Ardella and I have learned how to wisely look around the corner and plan for the storms of life or 5D’s (Disaster, Disability, Downsizing, Deployment and Death). We openly share how to prepare for the storms of life  or the 5D’s with our family, friends and meaningful others in our community.

Women, you are invited to join Ardella for Life University’s Housewives of Madison County  www.firstsdachurch.com as Ardella shares the financial blueprint for living a life of favor.

Ardella and I know and acknowledge that it has been God who has brought us financially to this point in our lives, and we remember where we were in the years past.  Our daily prayer is ” O Mighty God, teach us to be Your faithful servants”.  We encourage your faithfulness to God and to walk in His favor. Your life can become a great example to the world of what a Mighty God can do in the lives of His people.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord, teach us to be faithful stewards.

Michael Vance is a senior account executive  with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance is  a gifted educator and  a Master Guide in the Pathfinders  Club, a global organization empowered to teach life and leadership skills to young people.  The Vance’s have been married well over 25 years and share their lives with four adult children and six grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor: For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey Him, and then helping you do what He wants. Philippians 2:13 TLB

Living by biblical principles has changed our family tree. Our son Michael Jr. was able to graduate from college debt-free using the biblical principles we taught in our home and practice in our everyday lives.

The journey into financial health has been a long, tedious one for Ardella and me, and God gets all the glory. There have been times when we felt like we were treading water, making no progress at all. Then there were times in which we would take one step forward and two steps backwards.

What is it, that motivates you to keep going, even when you cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel? We have two answers for that question; prayer and Bible promises.

Prayer gives you strength, power, and wisdom to make tough decisions and change your lifestyle. God’s Spirit gives you hope when you feel weak or discouraged. You can stand faithful even when it seems impossible to remain faithful.

Wherever you are in your spiritual journey, find a biblical promise that you can use for whatever situation you find yourself in. The Bible contains over 3,000 promises  and one has been tailor-made for you at this moment in your life.  Find it and claim it.  Then do your best and watch God work out the rest.

How serious are you about becoming the person God designed you to be? Do you speak words with your lips that are inconsistent with your actions? The answer to these questions is not the same for everyone.

For some,  it’s just lip service, but for so many others it has sincerely been a struggle to do the things you know to do. We can relate to Paul when he says in the Bible “For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.” Romans 7:19  (KJV) There is so often a disconnect between what you say and what you do?

You serve a God who is bigger than your problems. He knows the beginning and the end. He is personally concerned about your needs. How can you not succeed? There is no limit to what God can do in the lives of faithful stewards.

When you begin to experience success and victory,  remember to give  God the glory.  Resist the tendency to feel like you did it by yourself. Remember the words of  Wernher von Braun ” I have learned to used the word impossible with the greatest caution.”

Prayer of Blessings: Lord we believe in Your power to transform our lives.

Michael Vance is a senior account executive  with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance is  a gifted educator and  a Master Guide in the Pathfinders  Club, a global organization empowered to teach life and leadership skills to young people.  The Vance’s have been married well over 25 years and share their lives with four adult children and six grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking with God’s Favor:  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 NLT

Recently Ardella and I had the wonderful experience of celebrating the birth of our 1st grandson in Houston, Texas.  We adjusted our schedules, planned for time away from growing my business, our ministries, our community connections and we took  time  to focus our attention on our family.

Many Christians in America have become so materialistic in  their thinking. You have probably heard someone say, ” The one who dies with the most toys wins” or “The one with the gold makes the rules.”

The things in this world are temporal, but the things of God are eternal. We believe Jesus Christ is returning for a people – not possessions. So, what are you doing to build intimate relationships with those you love? How are you investing your financial resources to better your relationship with God and meaningful others?

When you develop intimate relationships, you do it one-to-one. Your attention is focused on one person. Their needs become your priority. Dr David and Teresa Ferguson, co-authors of Intimate Encounters says, “Intimate relationships takes time and communications.”

This includes sharing our feelings, putting others first, sympathetic listening, and caring for one another. Sharing your heart with family and having meaningful relationships with others is what life is truly about. Life is meant to be shared. Sharing the love of  God with those we care about is priority for the Level 4 Steward.

There is nothing like the power of your own life story. Everyone has a story to tell.  How are you being blessed today? Sharing your life experiences with others encourages them and gives them hope.  Tell others how you have overcome life’s struggles; how your faith brings stability in your life; how living by biblical principles gives you the wisdom to look around the corner to prepare for the storms of life. And finally tell others of your spiritual discovery for your life’s work.

Prayer of Blessings: Lord, help us to value meaningful relationships.

Michael Vance is a senior account executive  with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance is  a gifted educator and  a Master Guide in the Pathfinders  Club, a global organization empowered to teach life and leadership skills to young people.  The Vance’s have been married well over 25 years and share their lives with four adult children and six grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor:  And, of course, it is very good if a man has received wealth from the Lord and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and to accept your lot in life—that is indeed a gift from God. Ecclesiastes 5:19 TLB

Our definition of wealth is holistic and different than most people. We define wealth as certain things money cannot buy such as good health, loving relationships, peace of mind, creative abilities, wisdom, freedom and a spirit-led life.

Having a fat bank account,  strong investment portfolio, or family trust fund, doesn’t necessary mean you are truly wealthy. If you have a million dollars net worth and you are always worrying about losing it or someone trying to scam your money, you aren’t truly wealthy.  You have a scarcity mentality.

The first truly wealthy person I was able to observe over the years was my father-in-law the late Howard T. Williams. This barrel chest, quick to laugh man was always willing to share a smile and words of wisdom with anyone who crossed his path.

Mr. Williams was a productive employee for  Chrysler Corporation for 32 years and had one of those long-term relationships. He was married to the same woman for 42 years. He gave back to his community by serving as a member of the Detroit School Board for 13 years.

Mr. Williams saved money in a college fund for all (5) of his children.  Paid off his home mortgage early, avoided debt & credit cards, and had an emergency fund for the unexpected. On the day of his death Mr. Williams had a will and his burial arrangements in place. He was a man ahead of his times.

In the world’s economy it says wealth is measured primary by material possessions and the things money can buy. In God’s economy true wealth begins with certain things you cannot necessarily see and is measured by certain things you cannot necessarily buy.

Prayer of Blessings: Thank you Lord for giving us the health to obtain wealth.

Michael Vance is a senior account executive  with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance is  a gifted educator and  a Master Guide in the Pathfinders  Club, a global organization empowered to teach life and leadership skills to young people.  The Vance’s have been married well over 25 years and share their lives with four adult children and five grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor: The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets. Proverbs 21:30 TLB

If you want to keep your finances from falling off a fiscal cliff, you must begin the process of saving a portion of your money and avoiding debt. Moving to a higher level of stewardship requires dedication, discipline and diligence. Living the life of surplus and overflow takes wisdom.

Many of you only dream of saving money.  Here’s a quick  snapshot of America’s finances.  The Wall Street Journal indicates that 70%  of all Americans  live from paycheck to paycheck. The  Oprah Winfrey Show indicated on an online survey that 70% of responders had no savings anywhere.  You almost have to pull a gun on Americans to get them to save.

We have learned in Financial Peace University www.fpu.com (3) key reasons to save money; for emergencies, for purchases and to build wealth. Working in the risk management and academic arena for over 20+ years, we label emergencies in 5 categories we call the 5 storms of life or the 5D’s.

D1 – Disasters – Car accidents, weather related perils, any unexpected incidents.

D2 – Disability – Any physical condition that prevents your daily living activities.

D3 – Downsized – Loss of employment, bankruptcy or divorce.

D4 – Death – The loss of a  person who contributes to your financial well being.

D5- Deployment- Active & reserve military called to serve 6 or more months away.

Many of you have struggled so long in your financial lives you get comfortable being able to pay your bills on time.  Now is not the time to rest, keep moving. There is so much God have for you to learn, experience and become. You must choose to make saving a  top priority.  The choice is up to you.

Prayer of Blessing: Dear Lord, help us to save for our future.

Michael Vance is a senior account executive  with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance is  a gifted educator and  a Master Guide in the Pathfinders  Club, a global organization empowered to teach life and leadership skills to young people.  The Vance’s have been married well over 25 years and share their lives with four adult children and five grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.

Walking in God’s Favor: Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition definite requests, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. Philippians 4:6 AMP

We were first introduced to stewardship principles by Elder Harold Lee.   A young family with four children, Ardella  was a stay-at-home mom while I was serving at the United States Naval Base Rough & Ready Island in Stockton, California. Our life’s spiritual journey has never been the same.

God has placed in each of you more potential than you will ever develop and you must choose to develop or not to develop your God-given gifts.  After learning and living stewardship principles for over 25 yeas we have discovered certain levels of stewardship in which you are living  consciously or unconsciously each day of your life.

Level 1 Stewardship – In the Life of Struggle  you learn God is your provider

Level 2 Stewardship – In the Life of Stability you learn God is your deliverer

Level 3 Stewardship – In the Life of  Surplus you learn God is your protector

Level 4 Stewardship – The Life of Sustainability you learn God is your sustainer

Level 1 Stewardship is the life  of struggle. The Level 1 Seward is trying to survive. To keep the lights on, food on the table and gas in the car. I remember as a young father, being so concerned about paying bills and meeting our family financial obligations, I could not think about my higher purpose. Something was missing.

If you are a Level 1 Steward you can become so overwhelmed trying to survive, you cannot hear God’s voice calling you. The Holy Spirit speaking to your heart is drowned out by your immediate basic needs in front of you.

The first lesson you must  learn  in Level 1 Stewardship is, God is the Creator Owner and you are only the manager, apprentice or steward. This spiritual truth must become the foundation of your life. You can easily become a millionaire and be a million miles away from God if you do not internalize this truth.

The second lesson you must learn in Level 1 Stewardship is to put your faith and trust in God. God will supply all you need according to His riches in glory. The wiser steward you become, the more God can trust you with, because He knows you can handle it.  The Level 1 Steward walks by faith and not by sight.

Why is it when God blesses you with a good education, you worship the education. God blesses you with a successful business and you worship the business. God blesses you with  talents and you worship the talent.  Instead of worshiping the Gift Giver you worship the gifts. The Level  1  Stewards learn to worship God as Creator Owner and giver of all gifts.

Prayer of Blessing: Lord we  worship You the Giver of all good gifts.

Michael Vance is a senior account executive  with Hundley Batts & Associates and the co-founder of stewardshipofwealth.com. Ardella Vance is  a gifted educator and  a Master Guide in the Pathfinders  Club, a global organization empowered to teach life and leadership skills to young people.  The Vance’s have been married well over 25 years and share their lives with four adult children and five grandchildren. They currently reside in Huntsville, Alabama and blog weekly from their financial workbook ” The Stewardship of Wealth“.