The Thursday Update

JANUARY 19, 2023

Lakeshore Friends—

If you fail to plan, you know what happens: you plan to fail.

You may be able to make things work for a while when you fly by the seat of your pants.  But in time, it always catches up with you. And you usually see failure occur in times of crisis when there is little margin for error.  Then the chaos begins.

This truth applies to our finances as well.  There is nothing that predicts financial stability quite like the presence of a solid financial plan in our lives. 

Over the next two weeks in our current series, The Economy Is Bad, But God Is Good, we’ll look at the practice that helps us plan well, and the threat that keeps us from planning well.

My hope for these next two weeks (and through the series as a whole) is to help you be prepared for as many financial challenges as possible.  These are difficult times and the financial headwinds we are facing may last longer than we think and be more significant than we realize.  But the more prepared we are with a plan, the less likely it is that we’ll fail.

Warmly,
Vince

JANUARY 12, 2023

Lakeshore Friends—

Recent financial numbers don’t lie.  We’ve just come off a year with cost of living increases surging, and annualized inflation at around 8%, levels we haven’t seen in over 40 years.  It’s impacting the cost of virtually everything we buy.  We’ve also seen interest rates climb to over double what they were just a year ago, impacting the cost of purchases that require financing.  

We’ve seen stock market investments end the year with double-digit losses (the benchmark S&P 500 fell by a whopping -19.4% in 2022!), impacting the money we have available for our present and future retirement needs. 

And on top of all this, the outlook isn’t expected to improve any time soon.  Taken all together, these are difficult times for our financial security.

Despite all of this, I am 100 percent confident in this truth: even when the economy is bad, God is always good!  And His goodness extends to giving us amazing financial principles that can help us navigate virtually any and every bad economy we face.  After all, God does own it all (see Exodus 19:5, Psalm 24:1), so that means He can distribute it any way He wishes to.  And He tells us how to use money in ways that please Him and lead to optimal financial success.

On Sunday, we’re beginning a new series to help provide four important biblical strategies that can help you in these financially tough times.  No matter how bad or how good your financial situation is, I think you will find plenty of help over these next four weeks.

That’s because even when the economy is bad, God is always good!

Warmly,
Vince

JANUARY 5, 2023

Lakeshore Friends—

You all know of the tragic cardiac event that Buffalo Bills Safety Damar Hamlin suffered on Monday night during the first quarter of their game against the Cincinnati Bengals.  And I’m sure you all know what happened immediately afterward as players from both teams showed deep concern and offered support and prayer right there on the field.  So did many fans that night and again in the morning at various prayer vigils held at the hospital and in Buffalo. 

You may have seen that Damar’s charitable organization has raised around $6 million since this took place.  It’s been amazing and brought me to moments of shedding tears.  It’s beautiful to see.

What struck me on a big-picture level were these three things:

1. We’ve seen unconditional love in action. People are showing love regardless of any differences they may have.  How refreshing to see as opposed to all the division and hatred that we’ve seen so often, especially these past three years.  This is what the church is called to look like, and we strive to show that kind of love every day.  It’s not easy, but it is our aim.

2. We see people talking about prayer and actually praying. It’s interesting to see since so many people want to keep prayer out of every venue of life, except inside the walls of the church.  But to no surprise, when a crisis hits, people suddenly believe in prayer.  And did you see this from Dan Orlovsky on ESPN, of all places? Incredible! 

3. We hear the players talking about fellow players as brothers and family. I know the feeling that comes from spending tons of time with teammates on a sports team, and it is a band of brothers (and sisters for the ladies).  And the family that is healthy is called to be close, healthy, and strong for each other.

Let’s all try to be these same three things in mind for everyone we encounter. Let's also keep praying for Damar.  I’m praying that God would heal him and use this tragedy to do some healing in the way we treat each other in America, and the world.

Warmly,
Vince