#41 1/13-14/2024

Seminar: Helmet of Salvation
Dave Ramsey: Income Boost
Interview: Daniel Ledford/McConnell’s Men’s Conference
Minute with Maxwell: “Coachable”

(UNEDITED TRANSCRIPT)

Welcome to Financial Freedom God’s Way, where you are continuing to learn, apply, and pass on, Bible-based financial principles and applications so that you and your family will not only just survive, but thrive during these very uncertain times.

Hi and welcome everyone, this is Bob Louder from Christian Financial Ministries, and it is an absolute honor to have you with us again—it really is. What is on the schedule for our 30-minute time together today?

• Today,
  • First, during our radio seminar time together, we will take a good close look at the fifth piece of God’s spiritual financial armor that would be the helmet of salvation. Is there a link between picking up and putting of God’s helmet of salvation and rightly handling your personal finances—you bet there is, just you wait and see.
  • Then, during our Q&A time together today we have a special treat for you—Dave Ramsey will share with all of us some great thoughts on how to increase our income—would you like to see an income increase in 2023—then you are not going to want to miss what Dave has for you today.
  • Then, well then, all you husband and wives listen up, you are going to learn all about a fantastic men’s conference headed to Hiawassee this weekend that will prayerfully help all of the men in our community become much more godly and successful husbands and fathers—you are not going to want to miss that.
  • And finally, John Maxwell will share his thoughts about being teachable, about being coachable—we are in for yet another great Minute with Maxwell.

So stay tuned, won’t you. It is going to be a great time together with the Lord, so join me as we open—as we always open and that is with a word of prayer.. Father, thank You for meeting with us again today. Please give us ears to hear all that it is you have planned for us, to Your glory, in Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

BODY

Radio Seminar

Now, recall that during our radio seminar segment times together we’ve been digging deep into what the Apostle Paul has to teach us about God’s Spiritual armor which can be directly applied to our personal financial situation.

• As we started out we saw that according to the Bible every financial problem you have ever had was actually symptom of a spiritual problem. When we deal with the problem the symptoms fly away. What’s one of the best ways to deal with spiritual problems that lead to financial issues in our lives? We need to learn to pick and put on God’s spiritual armor.
• Starting with the belt of truth which is the Bible. You see, when you put on God’s belt of truth, when you prayerfully determine to make the Bible a priority in your life, you are starting to get dressed for spiritual, for financial warfare.
• But Paul tells us there is more to God’s armor than just the Bible, it’s a great starting place but there is more. There is also God’s breastplate of righteousness. God helps prepare you for battle with the absolute assurance that you are “right” with Him because of who you are in Jesus Christ.
• Then we discovered you had better put on and keep on His shoes of peace. That’s the peace OF God–the peace that surpasses all understanding that gives you great footing to both stand your ground AND to advance and take background previously lost.
• Then during our last time together, we talked about the shield of faith. And we saw that just as the Roman soldier’s battle shield was attached to his loin belt, God’s shield of faith needs to be firmly attached to His belt of truth—His written word. We not only need to soak ourselves in His Word, we need to constantly ask the Holy Spirit anoint His Word to become alive and active in and through our lives.
• So, we have HIS belt of truth, HIS breastplate of righteousness, His shoes of peace, and His shield of faith.
• And we need to recall two important facts about God’s spiritual armor:
  • First, it is His armor, and secondly,
  • each piece of His armor is a highly effective offensive and defensive weapon.

So, what is the next piece of God’s armor that Paul describes in the Book of Ephesians? It’s the helmet of salvation.

• So, let’s continue to dress our Roman soldier. Let’s first take a look at the helmet from the Roman Soldier’s point of view.
  • First of all we know that the Greek word for helmet describes a piece of armor that would fit tightly around the head. That makes sense…no surprises there.
  • However, we need to also realize that the soldier’s helmet was
    • Very noticeable, fascinating and beautiful.
    • Flamboyant, ornate and intricate.
    • Appeared as a piece or artwork rather than a piece of armor. Huge plum of brightly colored feathers or horsehair stood straight up out of the top.
  • That was how it looked but it was also designed to save his life: It was made of heavy bronze with special armor to protect the cheeks and jaws, yet softly lined–could not be pierced.
• Now, Paul links the soldier’s protective helmet to our salvation…and I find this pretty interesting.
  • First, our salvation is very noticeable.
    • Your salvation is the most gorgeous, most intricate, most elaborate, and most ornate gift God ever gave you.
    • It’s very noticeable as you walk in confidence of your salvation and in the powerful reality of all that salvation means for you.
  • Plus, God’s helmet of salvation protects you from attacks to your mind—it’s designed to save your spiritual life!
    • To do the work of God and to face the work of the devil without your helmet of salvation is the equivalent of spiritual suicide! Therefore make it a personal goal to walk in the full knowledge of your salvation by spending time studying what the Bible has to say about your
      • Healing—physical, mental, relational, and of course financial.
      • Deliverance from evil powers
      • Redemption and its beneficial consequences in your life.
    • Your mind is extremely important.
      • God gave you a brain to use.
      • I 1 Peter 1:13, we are told to …gird up the loins of your mind. “Gather up the loose ends of your mind, and get you mind into good shape!”
      • Spend more time talking to yourself than listening to yourself. Tell yourself something like, “I can remember. I have a fantastic memory! I thank You God for my mind.” Expect it. Act like it!
      • Pray something like, “Lord, today I bind the devil from my mind, I declare it “set free” in Jesus’ name.”
      • Remember, your mind needs to be exercised and developed. Have daily mental and physical workouts! That is why I strongly suggest you take the scriptural memory and meditation section of your syllabus very seriously.
    • What else do we need to know about God’s helmet of salvation?
      • Well, it is a defensive weapon—it protects your mind from the devil’s prolonged and continuous attacks designed to wear you out. Your helmet of salvation gives you all you need to withstand every continuing assault of the great deceiver against your Salvation and deliverance from sin.
      • It’s also an offensive weapon. When a strong knowledge of your salvation is wrapped around your mind, you will never again fall prey to the devil’s deceptive tactics.
        • You will both be able to stand against the devil AND move to take back ground already given up.
        • You can stand and advance in your confidence in the
          • Complete soundness of your mind.
          • Divine protection
          • Healing
          • Wholeness
          • To include your financial healing and wholeness
        • When you choose to pick up, put on, and “walk” in your helmet of salvation, you’ll begin to think like God thinks, reason like God reasons, believe like God believes, and act like God acts. Do not underestimate the importance of filling your mind with the proper understanding and knowledge of your salvation. Salvation is a powerful piece of weaponry. If it’s allowed to function correctly in your life, it will defend your mind from every mental attack the enemy might wage against you!
        • When you wrap the knowledge of your salvation around your brain and let it protect your mind you will begin to be transformed.
          • You will no longer think and talk as an individual who is constantly sick.
          • You will no longer walk through life like an individual who is continually defeated.
          • You will no longer think and talk as someone who is poor.
        • All of this, remember that this helmet of salvation is part of God’s gift to you. He fully well intends for you and me to reach out our hands, receive it, thank Him for it, then trust His Holy Spirit to show us how to use it…wow, God’s helmet of salvation. What a fantastic piece of God’s spiritual, financial armor.
      • Next time, well next time we’ll dig deeply for just a bit into His sword of the Spirit, It’ll be a great time together, don’t miss it.

Q&As (Dave Ramsey)

As you probably already know, Dave Ramsey is an American evangelical Christian personal finance personality, businessman, radio host, and an eight-time best-selling author. When Dave speaks, people listen. So let’s join in and listen to what Dave has to say about giving your income a boost in 2023.

Thanks Dave, and by the way, you can learn all about Dave Ramsey at www.ramseysolutions.com, that’s www.ramseysolutions.com

Men’s Conference (No transcription available)

Minute with Maxwell

Now, let’s start to wrap up our time together today with one of the highlights of all of our times together. Let’s spend a Minute with Maxwell and John Maxwell gives us his thoughts on being teachable, on being coachable.

Wow, what a great teaching. What I hear John saying is that if we are a teachable, if we are coachable, then we are folks who want to learn and become more productive. This is so important in today’s world because we need more people who are willing to adapt and strive to become better stewards, to become better managers of all that the Lord places into our hands. My friends, Financial Freedom God’s Way is possible right now for you and even for others through you if, listen, if you are willing to be teachable, to be coached to learn, apply, and pass on what the Bible says about money. Wow, being teachable, being coachable, what a timely Minute with Maxwell.

CONCLUSION

That wraps up our time together for today, so let’s close with a word of prayer.

Lord, thank you for another great time together with You today. We also ask a special blessing on your men’s conference this weekend, in Jesus’ name, Amen

Have a blessed rest of your day and remember and be back next weekend for Financial Freedom God’s Way radio.