There are other times in life, of course, where confusion needs to be replaced with clarity. Take your family, for example. If Mom and Dad pass away without a simple Estate Plan, they miss the opportunity to pass along their values and valuables to the next generation with clarity, opening the door for confusion to strain family relationships.

The good news is that our “God is not a God of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33), and we can live in that truth by taking steps to show love to our families and the ministries we love such as Grace Bible College.

Christian financial author and radio host Dave Ramsey recommends that you set up a “Love Drawer” so that all of the documents your family will need are in one place when the time comes.
Your “Love Drawer” could include:
- Financial statements
- Funeral instructions
- Insurance information
- List of your monthly bills
- Passwords
- Tax returns
- Will or Trust
- Other important documents (i.e. your birth certificate and Social Security card)

In addition to helping your family keep the peace by communicating your wishes for your valuables, you can also help the next generation carry on your values by including a Legacy Love Letter in your Love Drawer. Though not a legal document, a Legacy Love Letter is a written blessing to your family where you can express:
- Beliefs and Values about God, children, marriage, and money
- Life Lessons passed down from previous generations
- Message of Hope and encouragement for the future
- Favorite Bible Verses that have been meaningful to you

Eliminate confusion by giving your family a gift that will perpetuate peace and remind them of your love, long after you’re gone. Begin building your Love Drawer today.

This is general information and is not intended to be tax or legal advice. Please consult your own advisors.

PLEASE CONSIDER INCLUDING GRACE BIBLE COLLEGE IN YOUR WILL
Go to www.christianwill.org/gbc or email us at plannedgiving@gbcol.edu to bless your family with a God-honoring Will.

When the lady comes to the door, he explains that he survived five years on a deserted island, and during that whole time he kept this package in order to deliver it to her. She anti-climactically says “thank you” and begins to walk away. But the driver is curious about what is in the package that he has been protecting for years, and says, “If I may ask, what was in that package after all?”

She opens it and shows him the contents, saying, “Oh, nothing really. Just our family survival kit for camping – a satellite phone, a water purifier, a box of matches, and some canned food.” (Source: Bill White in Preaching Today).

This humorous “survival kit” story reminds us that our God-given resources can protect our families – and possibly others too. Amazingly though, nearly 70% of us do not have the most basic “survival kit” of all to protect our families and the ministries we love such as Grace Bible College – an up-to-date Will.

The Psalmist wrote, “May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you” (Psalm 25:21). A Will is a simple but powerful way to display that integrity and uprightness in our lives.

For a FREE copy of our special bulletin “A Family Survival Kit” simply check the box on the enclosed reply card or contact Steve Hilbrands from Grace Bible College at 616-538-2330 or Shilbrands@gbcol.edu – or bless your family today with a God-honoring Will at www.christianwill.org/gbc

That happened to a man named Pete, who had fallen on hard times. His well-intentioned friends met to discuss how they could help their good buddy. But knowing him to be an extremely proud person who would not accept money, they decided to arrange a bogus raffle.

They told Pete that they would all draw numbered slips of paper from a hat, and the person who drew the number “four” would win $500. What they didn’t tell their unsuspecting friend was that the number “four” was on every slip.

After the drawing, each of the conspirators glanced at their slips and crumpled them up, pretending to look disappointed that they had not won the prize money.

Hiding their feelings of great anticipation, they slowly looked over at Pete – but he didn’t say anything.

Finally, one member of the group asked him, “Well, Pete, what number did you draw?”

Holding up the hat-size tag, Pete sighed and reported: “Six and seven-eighths.” (Source: Pastor Richard Jones on Sermon Central)

We all want to “win” in life; yet ironically, the Bible is full of stories highlighting people who “lost” everything in their faith journey with God. Today, followers of Christ are still “losing” everything they have – some giving their time to a person in need, others using their talents at work or in their church, and some devoting a portion of their hard-earned,  lifetime of savings in their Wills to ministry organizations such as Grace Bible College.

For a FREE copy of our special bulletin “Five Biggest Losers of the Bible” simply check the box on the enclosed reply card or contact Steve Hilbrands from Grace Bible College at 616-538-2330 or Shilbrands@gbcol.edu – or bless your family today with a God-honoring Will at www.christianwill.org/gbc

This is general information and is not intended to be tax or legal advice. Please consult your own advisors.

So she went to ask Grandma in the other room. Grandma replied, “Well, I don’t know about your mom and Aunt Barb, but I did it because the turkey was too big for our oven.” (Adapted from: “The Benefits of an Intentional Life”)

There are many things we do out of habit, not realizing that there might be a better way. Take charitable giving, for example. While many people faithfully give cash to Grace Bible College, some may find they would be better off if they put their checkbooks aside and gave appreciated stock or mutual funds instead. That’s because the potential tax savings from giving appreciated assets can free up more of your money to save, invest, or give to the Lord’s work.

In the familiar Bible story of Martha and Mary both doing something good (cleaning the house and listening to Jesus), Jesus commended Mary because she “had chosen what was better” (Luke 10:42). When it comes to the financial resources God has entrusted to us, and investing them in the cause of Christ with organizations such as Grace Bible College, may we also honor the Lord and “choose what is better” – whether that be giving cash or appreciated stock.

For a FREE copy of our special bulletin “Making Better Choices God’s Way” simply check the box on the enclosed reply card or contact Steve Hilbrands from Grace Bible College at 616-538-2330 or Shilbrands@gbcol.edu – or bless your family today with a God-honoring Will at www.christianwill.org/gbc

This is general information and is not intended to be tax or legal advice. Please consult your own advisors.

1. Replace Arguments with Agreements
It’s no secret that money is a major area of conflict in many families. But that’s not what God intended. In Isaiah 32:18 God says, “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” What a beautiful picture of what our financial lives can look like when they are built on agreement and unity in prayer.

2. Prosper Slowly
The lottery is really just a voluntary tax for people who can’t do math. The “get rich quick” impulse is a temptation for many of us, but the Bible warns us against chasing fantasies (Proverbs 28:19) and gambling on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (Proverbs 22:26). Instead, God tells us in Proverbs 21:5 that prosperity comes from good planning and hard work.

3. Commit to Total Honesty
A letter to the IRS read: “When I filed my income tax return, I misrepresented my income. Now I cannot sleep. Enclosed is a check for $150. If I still cannot sleep, I’ll send you the rest.” The Bible cautions us that “Wealth created by lying is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap.” (Proverbs 21:6), but that “truthful lips endure forever.” (Proverbs 12:19)

4. Excel Now and Later
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) founder Colonel Sanders remarked, “There’s no good reason to be the richest man in the cemetery.” He’s right, but we can be rich towards God by “excelling in the grace of giving.” (2 Corinthians 8:7). We can give generously now, and we can give later by including ministries such as Grace Bible College in our Wills.

Source: www.kluth.org

For a FREE copy of our special bulletin “Build Your Financial House on the Rock” simply check the box on the enclosed reply card or contact Steve Hilbrands from Grace Bible College at 616-538-2330 or Shilbrands@gbcol.edu – or bless your family today with a God-honoring Will at www.christianwill.org/gbc

This is general information and is not intended to be tax or legal advice. Please consult your own advisors.