Wrap-Up Video

The most important thing to remember about giving, is that for it to be of any value to the giver, it must be done out of a heart of love. 1 Corinthians 13:3 tells us,

“If I give all my possessions to the poor but, do not have love it profits me nothing”

Can you imagine anything more commendable than giving all you have to the poor, but the Lord tells us it’s of no benefit to the giver if it’s not done with love.

For several years I struggled with how to give consistently out of heart of love. It finally dawned on me that the only way is to give each gift to the person of Jesus. And when I do that, my giving becomes an act of worship expressing my love for the Lord. And it’s changed everything in my giving - I no longer had to give, I wanted to.

And here’s the biggest benefit of all. Luke 12:34 says,

“Where your treasure is, there is your heart also.”

So, when I give my gift to Christ- my heart follows- and I grow closer to Him. So, please, get in the habit of consciously giving each of your gifts to the Lord.

Now, let’s take look at the next lesson.

Last lesson you began Building Your Spending Plan. For many people, they realized there is too much MONTH at the end of the MONEY. They now recognize they’re spending more than they earn.

That’s why this lesson is so important- Track & Tweak your spending plan.

If you are using Mint, log onto your Mint account to continue tracking and tweaking your spending plan. You’ll want to do this regularly to make sure your expenses are going into the appropriate categories and to confirm you’re staying within your budgeted amounts.

If you’re using the electronic applications provided in the study, download the Track & Tweak Worksheet.

Now, there are three easy steps for Using the Track & Tweak Worksheet. First, from your Estimated Spending Plan, fill in the monthly “estimated amount” for each category.

Second, record your income and spending during the month. It’ll take only a couple of minutes if it’s part of your daily routine. The worksheet will automatically calculate your subtotals and totals, so you’ll know whether you have a surplus or deficit.

The last step is to find out how you’re doing “year to date” by filling out the two boxes at the bottom of the worksheet.

And remember WHY you’re using a Spending Plan: it’s the best tool to help you stay on top of your finances so you can make real progress in getting out of debt and saving and giving more.

If you need additional help with the tracking and tweaking, please ask your facilitator.