1.1- Starting Well - Preparation & Planning


PREPARATION & PLANNING


Open in Prayer

Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance as you begin reading passages of Scripture. Ask for clarity and insight as you engage in God’s word.

Scripture Reading

To read any of the scripture verses in a different version of the bible, click on the highlighted verse(s) and then click the more button.

Read Isaiah 38:1-3

“In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.’ 2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, 3and said, ‘Please, O Lord, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.’ And Hezekiah wept bitterly” (ESV).

Read Proverbs 16:1-4

“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. 2All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. 3Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (ESV).

Observation

What do these passages say about...

Isaiah 38:1-3Proverbs 16:1-4

Interpretation

Isaiah 38:1-3, Proverbs 16:1-4

Application Question

Isaiah 38:1-3, Proverbs 16:1-4

Howard's Highlights

We were completely unprepared for what happened during the meeting. Bev and I had been asked to meet with Nancy, a recent widow, to review her finances and give advice.

During our time together, she experienced dramatic emotional swings. Initially, it was grief as she told us about the sudden death of her husband of twenty years. Then anger marked Nancy’s face as she explained that her husband had handled their finances and had never discussed them with her. She had no clue whether they had savings or how much debt they might have accumulated. She didn’t know the location of their bank accounts or even the names of their tax preparer and insurance agent.

Finally, she was gripped by fear. As a widow of three children, Nancy had left the work force ten years earlier to stay at home with their special-needs child. She didn’t know whether her husband carried life insurance, so she was afraid of losing their home and wasn’t sure they would be able to make ends meet.

One of the purposes of the Set Your House in Order study is to help people gather and organize all their financial information in one place. This helps married couples improve their communication. You will save time retrieving information, and if your spouse should die, you will not face the uncertainty Nancy experienced.


Application Worksheets


The Document Organizer

Isaiah 38:1-3, Proverbs 16:1-4

The purpose of the Document Organizer is to gather and organize all your important papers in one place. Please begin assembling all your important documents now. If you discover you are missing any, try to obtain them promptly. It is important to have these files and documents organized so they can be easily retrieved.



Download the Document Organizer by clicking on the icon above.

Remember to save the document to your computer or device before entering data.


When organizing your documents, we recommend a three-pronged approach:

1. Hard Copies — It’s always a good idea to have a hard copy of your documents on hand, filed safely away. A fireproof document safe, a lock box, or a cabinet are all good choices.

2. Computer/Hard Drive — You may be thinking, why not just store these files on my computer? While it is a good option, it shouldn't be your only option. Hard drives can fail and computers can crash — and just like that, all your data is gone. We do recommend saving files on your computer — just don't make this your only source.

3. Online Cloud Storage — Online cloud storage is the third option we recommend. It gives you the ability to access your data anywhere and share documents with trusted family and advisors. When using cloud storage, it is important to have a strong password to help protect your data. Click here for a list of the top rated cloud storage services.

Prayers for Today

(this prayer section is for personal use and isn't meant to be part of the group discussion)

Connect with us...

.

.

.

.

.


Start Search


Suggestions: