Principle of Maximums

Roger Stichter

Description

Most Christians in the United States live their financial lives similar to non-Christians. When their income increases, their standard of living increases and Christians have no more money to give than they had before the increase in income. The book explains how setting financial maximums on our lifestyle can be used as a method of generating additional free cash available to use to donate to church, missions, and/or help our families and the poor. Living utilizing maximums is setting limits on how we will live our financial lives so we are increasingly more generous as our income increases. Other authors have mentioned this concept, setting limits, but most do not outline how such a lifestyle is possible and what maximums could mean to generosity. This book does this. It explains how maximums can be implemented and how this could affect giving over a lifetime. While this book is relevant to all Christians, it has special significance to college students and younger Christians who are developing their theological understanding of money and deciding how they will spend God's money during their life.

Sujets

• Personal finance

Informations

• Publié par: BMH Books
• Date de parution: 01 mai 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780884693550
• Langue: English

Extrait

What Others Are Saying about
The Principle of Maximums
The Principle of Maximums offers a biblical and practical guide to experiencing abundance, contentment and joy as a manager of your God-gifted resources. Applying these principles will yield maximum returns of true riches.
Chuck Bentley , CEO, Crown Financial Ministries Author of Money Problems, Marriage Solutions Knoxville, Tennessee
Roger lifts managing money to a higher plane: from striving to have enough to strategizing with more than enough; from hoarding to generosity; from self-oriented to other-oriented; from fear to joy. With mathematical motivation and the witness of other writers, the author models the message of maximums that is biblical, practical, and life changing.
Keith E. Yoder , Ed. D., Founder and Minister Teaching the Word Ministries Leola, Pennsylvania
In this book, Roger Stichter repudiates the idolatry of self-sufficiency and the apathy that plagues much of contemporary Christian discipleship. He confronts the fear and the pride that cripples our response to life’s opportunities and shrivels our witness. Stichter grounds his reflections in a careful engagement with the biblical text and blesses us with an extended invitation to a liberating stewardship based on the concept of “maximums” which he outlines in the text. His convictions and ideas are helpfully reinforced by intensely personal and vulnerably transparent narrative that describes the author’s own practices and goals. The book offers abundant practical advice that will both challenge and guide intentional commitments to better steward our choices and resources at every stage of life. The format of the chapters, with questions to consider and actions to take, ensures the usefulness of this text for Sunday School classes, Bible Study cohorts and discipleship groups wanting to think about stewardship from a Kingdom perspective.
Full of wise counsel on how to live more freely and generously, Stichter’s work is a gift to the Christian community. If we would risk paying attention and embrace his invitation to generous living, the witness of our churches will be strengthened by the holistic missional thrust and transformative potential of Stichter’s gift to us.
Stanley W. Green , Executive Director Mennonite Mission Network Elkhart, Indiana
The Principle of Maximums by Dr. Roger Stichter reads like an autobiographical journey through years of faithfulness of handling money in a biblical fashion with “focus on eternity and not on things of this world.”
This book weaves together Roger’s formative years of family and local church experiences with his adult life as he shares insights on how to handle money in a biblical fashion.
The principles covered in the book are based on Scripture, and Dr. Stichter often goes directly to the text and regularly examines how Jesus approached these topics while ministering here on earth. I am so thankful to have Roger here at Grace teaching our students, and I pray that the Holy Spirit will use this book to teach and convict, even as it has in my own life.
Dr. Bill Katip , President Grace College and Seminary Winona Lake, Indiana
Roger Stichter has made a big impact on my life and in the lives of many of his students with his practical and sound financial principles combined with a biblical worldview. He brings those principles and perspective to Maximums , where he introduces a thought-provoking approach to living a life of purpose, contentment, and generosity. Roger’s countercultural perspective on how we view and manage our finances strives to eliminate fear and bring financial peace of mind.
Jessica Bricker , CPA, Financial Advisor Winona Wealth Management Warsaw, Indiana
How much is enough? The inquiry is hardly new, but in today’s commercial society, the question has a heightened relevance. Seeking to carefully address this, Dr. Roger Stichter has provided a thoughtful, convicting book that aims to liberate readers from the “financial strongholds” that slowly, and often unwittingly, bind us. Accessible in content, practical in approach, and orthodox in its application of Scripture—the book is a must read for people of faith desiring to accumulate treasure in the Heavenly realm.
Kevin Brown , Associate Dean, Associate Professor Asbury University Wilmore, Kentucky
Jacque Ellul, in his thought-provoking book entitled Money & Power suggests that the only way to profane the power of the God Money is through generosity. Roger Stichter has provided an insightful and practical guide for how to go about this calling for those of us who profess Jesus as Lord. I love his idea about maximums. It is simple yet profoundly helpful. I know Roger well and I respect how seriously he takes the concepts that make up this book. While helpful for any age, I am especially excited about the impact of his thoughts and concepts on a younger generation who is thinking critically about the use of their resources. A worthwhile read.
Dr. Kent Denlinger , Corporate Chaplain Prasco Pharmaceutical Co. Liberty Township, Ohio
Roger Stichter has written an easy-to-read but challenging book on how followers of Jesus can consider handling the difficult matter of money. As Jesus made clear, money is a god, and not a god to be taken lightly. It has powerful hooks into all of us that typically results in this powerful deity controlling us, drawing us away from our only allegiance to our Lord. Many books have been written on the topic of money and the Christian; Stichter’s has the distinction of calling us to making choices to live with a “maximum”—a maximum amount of money that we choose to live with. He covers the basic categories in which we all spend money and urges us to consider limiting our spending, making choices that will free us from money’s rule over us.
Jim Eisenbraun , Publisher Eisenbrauns Warsaw, Indiana
If we, as Roger lays out, embrace a life of Maximums , I have no doubt the impact will be overwhelmingly positive, not only this broken world but also our own lives. It’s encouraging to know in some ways my family and I have been embracing this concept already, but even more exciting to catch a vision for what it would look like in several other areas. Much stress, overwhelm, and pain comes from thinking our minimum standard of living needs to be as high as others we see, yet setting a life of maximums gives the freedom we are really looking for, and it allows us to partner with God as He leads us towards the areas of highest impact He has for us.
Andrew Kipsey , CPA, Executive Pastor Marina, California
Being one of Dr. Stichter’s very first college accounting students, I was blessed not only to receive technical training from him, but also biblical wisdom for life and my future professional pursuits. I have been blessed by Roger again with the opportunity to read and provide a review of Maximums . The book is full of practical, biblical wisdom. In it, he not only explains the concept of Maximums but also provides practical application. Whatever your stage in life, you will find thought-provoking ideas based on what I will call true truth, or biblical truth. I was personally convicted about my own life and my perspective on money and possessions, including the example I set for my family. If God-honoring stewardship is important to you, I recommend you read Maximums to see how it might challenge you, irrespective of how you would rate your current level of obedience to God in this arena. I am grateful for a friendship with Roger that has spanned some 20-plus years. I pray that God will use Maximums to impact your heart and mind, as well as that of many others.
Jon Martin , CPA Indianapolis, Indiana
Maximums is a must read for anyone who feels stuck in the cycle of consumption or hopelessly chasing the American dream. Roger Stichter offers practical, actionable financial advice for people in any stage of life. If you adhere to these principles, you’ll experience true freedom as you seek to increase your standard of giving, not just your standard of living. I first encountered Roger’s concept of Maximums while attending Grace College, and it’s laid the foundation for how I view money and finances with a stewardship mentality. Read this book and you’ll be challenged to contribute to the Kingdom instead of attempting to keep up with the Joneses.
Caleb Roth , Entrepreneur Aurora, Colorado
Reading the concepts of “maximums” in this book has turned my thought process/philosophies around in my personal financial planning. These “maximum” concepts will allow my financial resources to be more abundant to build His Kingdom and my generosity muscle to be stronger.
Roger does a great job of describing the biblical concepts of money and the behaviors that hold us back in being generous. As he describes, fear is the primary behavior that restricts our willingness to give. But using Roger’s concepts of “maximums” in all aspects of your lives will reduce the fear of not having enough and allow us to be more generous.
Lastly, Roger does a great job of taking his concepts of “maximums” and outlining practical ways to implement them throughout your life. If you can apply these concepts within your life, you continue to build your heavenly account not your bank account.
Wallace P. Wetherill , CPA, Managing Partner BKD CPAs & Advisors Fort Wayne, Indiana
Practical. Personal. Powerful. Setting and living by maximums will transform your life and help align your life with the purposes and priorities of Christ. The wisdom shared by Roger Stichter works. A life lived by the financial maximums suggested in this book produces joy, contentment and peace. Even more, the maximums put us in a position to give more, care actively and to invest our lives into the Kingdom of God. Seasoned by personal stories and insights, this book lays out the principles, the implications of living by the concept of maximums and makes the reader believe that she or he can do