FINANCES
When the Honeymoon's Over
By Cynthia Savage and Debbie White
The 700 Club
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– Sarah and Scott Nicodemus had a beautiful wedding and a fabulous honeymoon. Just one thing marred the celebration ...
“I knew that when we came home we would be facing this enormous debt load,” says Sarah.
Together they brought to the marriage debt totaling $75,000!
“It was very stressful. I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it,” recalls Sarah.
Early in their relationship, Scott lost his job. He had to live off his savings until he got a new job. And Sarah made the mistake of buying a condo that profited a meager 12 dollars a month.
“When I lost my job in ’03, there was a two-year period of struggle," says Scott. "Finally, I got smart and said, 'Hey, two years have not been working. Why don’t I go and ask God what is going on here? Why don’t I get quiet and hang out with Him for a little while?'”
He continues, “So the Lord said to me, ‘Scott if you were the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, would you put yourself in charge of your own finances?’ And I just sat back and laughed and said, ‘No way. No way because mine are a mess.’"
Scott felt God say, "Until you learn how to manage your money, I’m not going to give you more ... until you show me that you can be faithful over the little that I’ve given you."
Scott and Sarah became deliberate in their money management. They agreed to live on a tight budget, save for emergencies, and strategically pay off their debts.
“We very purposefully sat down and talked about what our goals were and what the priorities were. Our lives matched up, our goals matched up, and our big picture matched up,” says Sarah.
They were already tithing, but giving was a top priority in this new plan.
“CBN was one of the first ministries that came up in my heart, so I talked to Sarah about it, and I asked her what she thought about giving to CBN. She thought it was a great idea. And so the reason why I started to give to CBN was simply because the Lord told me to,” says Scott.
The very next month Sarah was promoted as the art director at her work and Scott started a new job. Their annual income increased by $14,000. Four months later, Scott began working with a company that creates videos for growing churches. His income increased by $23,000.
“We began to see big things happen right away in our lives – job promotions and income increases. Money from other places outside of our jobs started to come in. It just seemed like we couldn’t keep track of where it was coming from and how fast it was coming in,” says Sarah.
They finally sold Sarah’s condo with a $10,000 profit! And just 10 months from their wedding day, the Nicodemus's paid off over $75,000 worth of debt.
“The day we paid off our debt we screamed! We were so relieved. It felt like the whole world just opened up,” says Sarah.
“That is Jesus, man. That is the glory of God because I could not do that on my own," adds Scott.
“We knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that that offering portion was critical to our success,” says Sarah.
“What we look forward to now is number one. We’ll be able to give more. That percent keeps going up every year ... to build a house debt-free and to raise a family. These are the things that are the desires that God has dropped inside of our heart. So, that is our goal in life. Our future is simply to obey God. Whatever He says to do, we’re going to do it, and we’re going to do it debt-free,” says Scott.
Sarah and Scott saw the rewards of applying the Law of Reciprocity – "Give and it shall be given to you" – by giving to CBN. Here is your chance to give to the Lord and see your dollars bring truth to hurting people, feed and clothe needy children, keep The 700 Club Prayer Counseling Center phone lines operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and provide medical care to those who need a tangible touch of God's love. Become a CBN partner today!
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