1 00:00:00,238 --> 00:00:03,838 Ralph: Okay, you're making progress on that emergency fund, and that's 2 00:00:03,868 --> 00:00:08,998 awesome, but what about everything else that cozy home, you've always 3 00:00:08,998 --> 00:00:11,518 envisioned that much needed? 4 00:00:11,518 --> 00:00:17,553 Family vacation that could heal weary souls or simply the peace of mind in 5 00:00:17,673 --> 00:00:20,233 a secure Christ-centered retirement. 6 00:00:21,343 --> 00:00:24,043 Saving for the future feels like an impossible mountain. 7 00:00:24,073 --> 00:00:26,893 Stealing your sleep and weighing on your spirit. 8 00:00:27,043 --> 00:00:30,973 Stick with me 'cause today we're breaking down how to make it happen. 9 00:00:45,407 --> 00:00:45,797 Hey there. 10 00:00:45,797 --> 00:00:48,527 Welcome back to your Daily, financially Confident Christian. 11 00:00:48,737 --> 00:00:51,767 I'm Ralph and it's truly great to be with you again today. 12 00:00:52,067 --> 00:00:55,787 This is the show that helps you answer that question, how do I become 13 00:00:55,787 --> 00:00:58,607 a financially confident Christian? 14 00:00:58,697 --> 00:01:02,357 And we're continuing our series dealing with the stress of money Worries. 15 00:01:02,987 --> 00:01:03,167 Now. 16 00:01:03,167 --> 00:01:06,977 Yesterday we talked about starting that crucial first layer of financial 17 00:01:06,977 --> 00:01:09,677 resilience, that small emergency fund. 18 00:01:10,037 --> 00:01:14,444 We discussed building your own what I called arc of assurance, such 19 00:01:14,444 --> 00:01:18,944 a vital step in reducing immediate stress from unexpected events. 20 00:01:19,874 --> 00:01:23,744 Today we're gonna look beyond just emergencies and start talking about saving 21 00:01:23,744 --> 00:01:28,484 for the future, for your future goals, for the things that are important to you. 22 00:01:29,564 --> 00:01:32,564 Now maybe the idea of saving for anything else feels completely 23 00:01:32,564 --> 00:01:33,944 out of reach right now. 24 00:01:33,944 --> 00:01:37,934 Or maybe you're just wondering, where do I even start, Ralph? 25 00:01:39,344 --> 00:01:42,764 So let's, let's ask today, beyond emergencies, what 26 00:01:42,764 --> 00:01:44,324 else should I be saving for? 27 00:01:44,414 --> 00:01:48,584 And more importantly, how do I actually do it? 28 00:01:49,604 --> 00:01:53,234 Perhaps you feel like your financial life is this endless sprint, just 29 00:01:53,354 --> 00:01:55,574 barely keeping your head above water. 30 00:01:56,654 --> 00:01:58,664 You're just trying to survive today, right? 31 00:01:59,654 --> 00:02:05,444 The idea of saving for a down payment on a house or a new car, or taking 32 00:02:05,444 --> 00:02:10,154 a meaningful family vacation or a retirement that feels like a fantasy 33 00:02:10,814 --> 00:02:12,824 something only other people do. 34 00:02:13,784 --> 00:02:16,334 And I hear you and I hear you loud and clear. 35 00:02:16,877 --> 00:02:20,357 Maybe you're even saying right now, Ralph, I'm just trying to figure out how to 36 00:02:20,357 --> 00:02:24,227 pay my bills this week and believe me. 37 00:02:24,917 --> 00:02:26,087 I truly understand. 38 00:02:26,087 --> 00:02:27,407 I understand that deeply. 39 00:02:27,527 --> 00:02:29,297 But here's the powerful truth. 40 00:02:29,660 --> 00:02:35,000 We can, and we must begin planning for your financial success even 41 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,250 right from where you are now. 42 00:02:38,300 --> 00:02:42,590 That gnawing feeling that bigger future goals are forever out of reach, 43 00:02:42,710 --> 00:02:44,455 It's a suffocating weight, isn't it? 44 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:50,930 It can lead to a quiet despair, a sense of resignation that slowly steals your 45 00:02:50,930 --> 00:02:56,150 peace and leaves you constantly anxious about what's gonna happen tomorrow. 46 00:02:56,654 --> 00:03:00,944 Or maybe you are saving a little, but it's all in one big pot, and you keep using it 47 00:03:00,944 --> 00:03:03,104 for things that aren't truly emergencies. 48 00:03:03,254 --> 00:03:05,774 And then you're feeling frustrated that you're not making real 49 00:03:05,774 --> 00:03:08,324 progress towards specific goals. 50 00:03:09,794 --> 00:03:10,484 Here's the thing. 51 00:03:11,834 --> 00:03:15,974 Planning and saving for the future isn't just good financial sense. 52 00:03:16,094 --> 00:03:21,524 It is certainly that, but it's also a practice rooted in biblical wisdom. 53 00:03:21,674 --> 00:03:25,754 God's word encourages us to think ahead and be prepared. 54 00:03:25,874 --> 00:03:28,424 Look at Proverbs chapter 21, verse 20. 55 00:03:28,424 --> 00:03:34,394 It says, in the house of the wise, our stores of choice, food and oil, but 56 00:03:34,394 --> 00:03:38,654 a foolish person devours all he gets. 57 00:03:39,989 --> 00:03:41,189 Think about that for a second. 58 00:03:42,179 --> 00:03:46,709 This first highlights the wisdom of storing up resources instead of 59 00:03:46,709 --> 00:03:48,929 immediately consuming everything. 60 00:03:50,219 --> 00:03:56,189 Saving for specific future goals is an act of wise, intentional stewardship. 61 00:03:56,249 --> 00:04:01,589 aligning your resources today with the priorities and seasons that God may 62 00:04:01,589 --> 00:04:03,719 very well have for your life tomorrow. 63 00:04:04,844 --> 00:04:06,554 It's about stepping out in faith. 64 00:04:06,644 --> 00:04:08,384 It's about being proactive. 65 00:04:08,474 --> 00:04:11,894 and it's about trusting God with your future, even as 66 00:04:11,894 --> 00:04:14,504 you plan and you work today. 67 00:04:15,674 --> 00:04:17,174 This isn't just about money. 68 00:04:17,864 --> 00:04:20,024 It's about giving purpose to your resources. 69 00:04:20,174 --> 00:04:25,064 It builds a tangible hope in your heart because you're not just drifting, you're 70 00:04:25,124 --> 00:04:30,314 actively building towards the beautiful God guided future that he has for you. 71 00:04:30,938 --> 00:04:32,018 So what can we do? 72 00:04:33,173 --> 00:04:36,623 How do we move from feeling like future goals are out of reach to 73 00:04:36,683 --> 00:04:40,043 actively saving for them with purpose? 74 00:04:41,379 --> 00:04:44,919 Well, the single essential solution is to identify one or two of those 75 00:04:44,979 --> 00:04:50,529 specific non-emergency savings goals, ones that are important to you, and 76 00:04:50,529 --> 00:04:54,249 begin allocating consistently small amounts towards them within your 77 00:04:54,264 --> 00:04:56,104 budget, keeping those funds separate. 78 00:04:57,639 --> 00:05:01,509 This means giving a name and a purpose to the money you save beyond 79 00:05:01,509 --> 00:05:06,639 your emergency fund, it makes saving concrete and it makes saving motivating. 80 00:05:07,599 --> 00:05:12,309 So, okay, here's your one vital action step for today, specifically focused on 81 00:05:12,309 --> 00:05:14,349 starting to save for your future goals. 82 00:05:14,439 --> 00:05:17,229 The first step, I want you to identify your goals. 83 00:05:17,439 --> 00:05:20,559 Take a moment and just think about one or or two financial 84 00:05:20,559 --> 00:05:22,449 goals that are important to you. 85 00:05:22,809 --> 00:05:25,359 These are outside of your emergency fund. 86 00:05:26,304 --> 00:05:31,194 What's something you genuinely want to save for maybe in the next six months 87 00:05:31,194 --> 00:05:35,454 or maybe the next one to five years or, or even longer term, like retirement. 88 00:05:36,144 --> 00:05:38,034 And I just wanna encourage you to write these down. 89 00:05:38,034 --> 00:05:39,684 Maybe one or two specific goals. 90 00:05:39,804 --> 00:05:42,024 For example, maybe for you it's Ralph. 91 00:05:42,024 --> 00:05:44,694 I wanna, I wanna save money for a card down payment. 92 00:05:44,694 --> 00:05:45,894 Or Ralph. 93 00:05:45,894 --> 00:05:47,994 I'd really like to have that family vacation. 94 00:05:47,994 --> 00:05:49,734 We haven't had one in years. 95 00:05:50,664 --> 00:05:54,444 Maybe for you it's that retirement nest egg, but just write one 96 00:05:54,444 --> 00:05:55,434 or two of those things down. 97 00:05:55,554 --> 00:05:58,734 The second step, I want you to look at your budget and find 98 00:05:58,734 --> 00:06:00,114 a small amount in your budget. 99 00:06:00,234 --> 00:06:03,924 Go back to that budget you, that you created, and now that you're 100 00:06:03,924 --> 00:06:06,294 working on or you're, you're starting to work on your emergency fund. 101 00:06:06,444 --> 00:06:08,964 Find just one small amount for you. 102 00:06:08,964 --> 00:06:14,394 It could be $5 or $10 or, or maybe even $25 that you can realistically 103 00:06:14,424 --> 00:06:19,194 allocate to one or both of these goals combined for the next pay period. 104 00:06:19,794 --> 00:06:24,144 And I want you to remember this, consistency is more important than the 105 00:06:24,144 --> 00:06:27,714 amount when you start the third step. 106 00:06:28,164 --> 00:06:31,044 I want you to create separate saving spots. 107 00:06:31,224 --> 00:06:34,344 Just like with that emergency fund, it's incredibly helpful to keep 108 00:06:34,344 --> 00:06:36,684 savings for different goals separate. 109 00:06:36,864 --> 00:06:41,284 You could do this by opening separate, savings accounts for those major goals. 110 00:06:41,374 --> 00:06:45,274 Many banks let you open multiple online accounts and it's simple, or 111 00:06:45,274 --> 00:06:48,874 you can use that, what we call sinking funds feature in a budgeting app, or 112 00:06:48,994 --> 00:06:51,184 maybe use a simple spreadsheet to. 113 00:06:51,229 --> 00:06:56,029 Earmark those amounts so that you know exactly what each dollar is saved for. 114 00:06:56,029 --> 00:06:57,949 You gotta earmark that money. 115 00:06:59,479 --> 00:07:02,869 And then the next step, I want you to allocate that first amount, transfer that 116 00:07:02,869 --> 00:07:06,529 small amount that you allocated in that second step for those couple things that 117 00:07:06,529 --> 00:07:10,819 you decided on into separate accounts or maybe just mentally or digitally 118 00:07:10,999 --> 00:07:12,889 earmark it for your chosen goals. 119 00:07:12,889 --> 00:07:15,679 And I encourage you to automate this if possible. 120 00:07:17,629 --> 00:07:18,949 So now you're asking Ralph. 121 00:07:19,939 --> 00:07:20,929 Why does this even help? 122 00:07:20,929 --> 00:07:22,729 Why am I bothering doing this? 123 00:07:23,479 --> 00:07:24,259 Well, here's what I believe. 124 00:07:24,259 --> 00:07:28,609 I believe this single action directly fights that struggle of feeling 125 00:07:28,609 --> 00:07:30,679 like future goals are impossible. 126 00:07:31,219 --> 00:07:37,669 It breaks them down into small, manageable steps, and it gives your savings purpose. 127 00:07:38,059 --> 00:07:41,719 It builds momentum, and it builds hope because you see progress 128 00:07:41,719 --> 00:07:43,254 towards something meaningful. 129 00:07:44,659 --> 00:07:48,889 Keeping those funds separate, it reduces that stress of accidentally spending money 130 00:07:49,039 --> 00:07:52,159 meant for one goal on something else. 131 00:07:54,019 --> 00:07:55,279 How about we pray together now? 132 00:07:55,919 --> 00:07:59,579 Father God, we just thank you for giving us dreams and giving 133 00:07:59,579 --> 00:08:01,139 us desires for the future. 134 00:08:02,159 --> 00:08:06,689 And Lord, we confess that saving for those dreams often feels overwhelming. 135 00:08:06,689 --> 00:08:09,419 It often feels like it's just out of reach. 136 00:08:10,799 --> 00:08:14,729 So please grant us wisdom to identify the goals that you want us to pursue, 137 00:08:15,689 --> 00:08:20,609 and Lord, the discipline to save consistently towards those goals. 138 00:08:20,699 --> 00:08:25,439 Help us to be wise stewards, Lord, planning for the future seasons of life. 139 00:08:26,459 --> 00:08:30,839 And may this act of saving bring us hope and bring us peace. 140 00:08:31,809 --> 00:08:36,299 Trusting you will guide our steps and provide us as we 141 00:08:36,299 --> 00:08:38,039 plan according to your will. 142 00:08:39,389 --> 00:08:40,919 We ask this with confidence. 143 00:08:40,919 --> 00:08:43,589 In Jesus' name, Amen. 144 00:08:44,195 --> 00:08:47,255 Listen, don't let saving for the future goals feel like a burden. 145 00:08:48,275 --> 00:08:51,665 It's time to see it as an opportunity to align your finances with your 146 00:08:51,665 --> 00:08:56,315 God given priorities and build a foundation for peace and build a 147 00:08:56,315 --> 00:08:58,565 foundation for joy down the road. 148 00:08:59,135 --> 00:09:01,745 I wanna just encourage you, take that first step today to 149 00:09:01,745 --> 00:09:05,315 identify a goal and just set aside a small amount because listen. 150 00:09:05,705 --> 00:09:07,685 You're building a brighter future. 151 00:09:09,020 --> 00:09:11,600 If this episode resonated with you, I wanna encourage you to 152 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:12,500 share it with somebody else. 153 00:09:12,590 --> 00:09:16,640 Other people can find value in this, and you can find resources and connect 154 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:21,650 with the show at our new website that's financially confident christian.com. 155 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:25,250 And the best part is I've got a special gift for you on your journey today. 156 00:09:25,645 --> 00:09:29,575 For the first 100 listeners who go to financially confident 157 00:09:29,605 --> 00:09:33,835 christian.com/master, I'm gonna give you a free copy of my book. 158 00:09:33,835 --> 00:09:35,395 It's called Mastering Your Finances. 159 00:09:35,395 --> 00:09:37,675 Now listen, it's just 47 pages. 160 00:09:37,855 --> 00:09:39,265 It's not overwhelming. 161 00:09:39,385 --> 00:09:43,375 It's a quick, powerful read, designed as a starting point, just 162 00:09:43,375 --> 00:09:46,855 a starting point to help you break that cycle of financial shame. 163 00:09:47,315 --> 00:09:48,845 And step into confidence. 164 00:09:49,175 --> 00:09:53,765 So again, go to financially confident christian.com/master 165 00:09:53,915 --> 00:09:55,415 to get you a free copy today. 166 00:09:55,955 --> 00:09:57,755 Now, tomorrow we're gonna be talking about debt. 167 00:09:58,115 --> 00:10:02,315 We're gonna talk about how to face it and how to strategize your way to freedom. 168 00:10:02,645 --> 00:10:04,265 That's an episode you don't want to miss. 169 00:10:04,265 --> 00:10:07,775 So make sure you join me tomorrow and let's all go out there today 170 00:10:07,775 --> 00:10:10,595 and be financially confident. 171 00:10:10,745 --> 00:10:13,145 Christians, you can do this. 172 00:10:13,805 --> 00:10:15,185 I have confidence in you. 173 00:10:15,830 --> 00:10:17,180 Have confidence in yourself. 174 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:18,590 Stay financially savvy. 175 00:10:18,740 --> 00:10:20,960 God bless you, and you have a great day today.