What did Jesus mean when he said to lay up your treasure in heaven? Should you convert your traditional IRA into a Roth IRA? And how can you share the gospel in times of crisis?
These questions and more are answered in this week's My 5 for Friday.
Aim All You Have at Heaven by Marshall Segal. What did Jesus mean when he said to lay up our treasures in heaven? Today’s decisions have eternal significance. Every penny in savings and every square foot in the home—everything we have—is a gift from God that we are called to ambitiously put to use for the good of others.
Now Is The Time to Convert Your Traditional IRA to a Roth by Roney Brooks. Have you ever considered converting your retirement account from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA? This transition would especially be wise in a year with a particularly low tax rate. This year happens to be such a year. Consider your tax bracket, your employment, and your heirs as you think about converting to a Roth this year.
Is Paying Off Your Mortgage Early Always the Best Financial Decision? by Josh Patoka. Paying off your home mortgage early frees up finances for other expenses. Is it always a good idea to do so? Financial freedom, and reduction of both interest and stress are good reasons to pay the home off early. However, other debts, financial goals, and investment opportunities may be cause for not speeding up mortgage payments.
Sharing the Gospel in Times of Crisis by Ed Stetzer. The past year has brought about unique crises for today’s generation that Christians ought to engage with both word and deed. Ed Stetzer promotes his attitude of “integral priority” in which physical needs are met in times of crisis, but the Gospel is given priority to speak to trying times. He then lays out a roadmap for crisis care of needs both physical and spiritual.
What Should We Pay Attention to in the News? by Andrew Bertodatti. News comes to us in just about every medium possible, from social media to the paper in print. Information about politics, the economy and society is a constant (and possibly unhealthy) consumption for many of us. For Christians, a proper understanding of new and “the times” will put daily news in its proper place.