110 Financial Heart Issues with Rachel Cruze

110. Financial Heart Issues with Rachel Cruze

 

**Transcription Below**

 

1 Timothy 6:6-11 (NIV) “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 

 

Rachel Cruze is a #1 New York Times best-selling author and host of both The Rachel Cruze Show and The Rachel Cruze Show podcast. Rachel helps people learn the proper ways to handle money and stay out of debt. She’s authored three best-selling books, including Love Your Life, Not Theirs and Smart Money Smart Kids, which she co-wrote with her father, Dave Ramsey. You can follow Cruze on Twitter and Instagram at @RachelCruze and online at rachelcruze.com,youtube.com/rachelcruze or facebook.com/rachelramseycruze

 

Other Episodes Related to Finances:

Episode 3: Being Intentional with our Health, Finances and Relationships with Elizabeth Dixon

Episode 10: How to Align Your Finances with Your Values with Natalie Taylor

Episode 27: Life Lessons with my Dad with Bill Leman

Episode 70: Energy to Spark Success in Your Business with Best-Selling Author, Speaker, and Podcaster, Christy Wright

Special Episode: Ideas for Spreading Generosity with Courtney DeFeo

Episode 98: Financial Wisdom Amidst COVID-19 and Beyond with Natalie Taylor

Patron-Only Episode: Answering Common Financial Questions with Certified Financial Planner and Speaker, Natalie Taylor

 

At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in! We also want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 

 

3 Books by Rachel Cruze:

Love Your Life, Not Theirs

Smart Money, Smart Kids

The Contentment Journal

 

Rachel Cruze’s Website

 

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Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)

 

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

 

Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

 

Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” 

 

Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” 

 

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

 

Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” 

 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

 

Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” 

 

Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

 

Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”

 

Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession- to the praise of his glory.”

 

Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

 

Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“

 

Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“

 

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

 

**Transcription**

[00:00:00] <music>

 

Laura Dugger: Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here. 

 

[00:00:18] <music>

 

Laura Dugger: Samaritan Ministries offers a biblical solution to health care, connecting you to other Christians who will support you spiritually and financially when you experience a medical need. Learn more at SamaritanMinistries.org.

 

Our sponsor for this episode is Plan to Eat. Make sure you check out their app today or visit their website. Savvy Sauce listeners get a 60-day free trial that requires no payment information when they visit PlanToEat.com/Savvy. 

 

Rachel Cruze is our guest today. You may recognize her from her longtime presence online teaching about all things related to finances. She's going to give us a quick peek into her parenting as it relates to training kids with financial wisdom. And she's going to share more of the root issue behind all financial decisions. [00:01:19] 

 

Here's our chat. 

 

Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Rachel.

 

Rachel Cruze: Thank you so much, Laura. Thanks for having me on.

 

Laura Dugger: Well, we gotta start here. What was it like to hate budgets as you grew up Dave Ramsey's daughter?

 

Rachel Cruze: Well, I think a lot of people assume that, you know, growing up as Dave Ramsey's kid that we had mutual fund birthday parties and had budget camps every summer and it was like this hardcore money household. But thankfully, that was not the case. Mom and dad were very good at teaching us how money works, but they weren't overly legalistic, if you will.

 

So the fact that I hated budgets, it wasn't an absolutely terrible thing. I still had to do one and understand like, okay, this is how you control your money, this is how you tell your money where to go and all of that.

 

And for that, I really was thankful because I'm not naturally good at details. I didn't care to budget. I just wanted to spend and enjoy.

 

I finally started to see that a budget doesn't limit your freedom. [00:02:19] A budget gives you freedom. It gives you permission to spend money on things that you want and things that you value. And so I really took that to heart probably a few months after I got married in my early 20s and I'm like, "Okay, this is good. This budgeting thing is good." So now actually I love a budget because it shows me how much I can spend.

 

Laura Dugger: And what has your financial journey looked like since that time?

 

Rachel Cruze: I mean, it has changed a little bit. I mean, the principles are still the same. When Winston and I got married about 10 years ago, yeah, we started off on a great foot financially. He really didn't come into the marriage with debt and I didn't have debt. And so that was a huge part of us being able to win faster, which I'm so thankful for. 

 

It's something we teach couples all the time to get out of debt so that your income can be used, that you can give it away, that you can use it to build wealth and use it for your family. And so we've been doing that and it's been exciting. 

 

You know, we still have our ups and our downs for sure, [00:03:20] we're still human, but the budget really has been the thing that's kind of kept it going and kept it in control and not feel like this absolute crazy show.

 

Laura Dugger: Well, and then just on a personal note, I'm wondering, did Winston follow the baby steps that your dad had laid out before you two met?

 

Rachel Cruze: That's funny. No, he didn't. Actually, he had never really heard of Dave Ramsey when we started dating in college and all that. He had a couple of things that he was like, "Oh, yeah, I have a credit card. No big deal." 

 

You know, it was just the things that my average Americans do and have with their money that don't follow our plan. But, yeah, he learns probably relatively fast. I was pretty passionate about it, about kind of where I stood with everything. And he was like, "Yeah, it makes sense. Sure." It was not thankfully this major convincing or anything. He was pretty on board. 

 

And he's a natural saver so this was all up his alley. He was like, "Oh, this is great. I love it. I love having saved money. So let's do it."

 

Laura Dugger: Well, that's awesome. [00:04:19] Because there often are couples where there's one saver and one spender. And it sounds like that's true for you two, and you've come together.

 

But I just love one of the quotes. I think it was from one of your books where you say "A budget gives you permission to spend without guilt." And I know my husband and I find that to be so true. In general, your teaching just leads to freedom. So will you elaborate on your three-step process for financial freedom in our minds?

 

Rachel Cruze: Yeah. We talk about the tactical side of money so many times, you know, getting out of debt and budgeting and saving, investing. But the heart issue, the mind issue... I mean, these are big topics that you really have to come around. But I think one of the ultimate things to find in life that helps you win over the long term is contentment. 

 

And contentment is a word that's thrown around a lot. I think it can be hard to achieve. So I did kind of figure out that three-step process to ultimately get the contentment. And so you first have to start with gratitude. Just being grateful. And put things in place, patterns in place that allow that gratitude to come out, whether it's a list you make every day. [00:05:24] It's something that you say to your spouse. Maybe every day you just say one or two things you're grateful for them. 

 

But just practicing gratitude is huge because once you're grateful for something and grateful for your life, you can transition into humility really fast. And humility, C.S. Lewis says that is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less. And so when you're grateful for your life and you're able to be humble and serve and outpour, then contentment is the natural next step. 

 

And contentment, it's not complacency. It's not laziness. Contentment really is at this place where you're just at peace with where you are in life and what you have, knowing that stuff is not going to create joy in your life. It can be fun, but it's not the end all be all. 

 

So that contentment piece is key. Because I just find people, they're willing to sacrifice their lifestyle to get out of debt when they're content. They're able to say no to stuff and save when they're content. Content people just, they win faster financially. And it's a big heart issue that I think is really important, especially in today's world. [00:06:26] 

 

Laura Dugger: That's really interesting. I kind of want to pause here because you've even taught that income doesn't really affect the people who choose to go into debt, that it does begin with more of a heart issue. So do you have any personal struggles of contentment that you can share and how you've applied this three-step process to enjoy the contentment?

 

Rachel Cruze: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I have to practice this on a daily basis. Yeah, for me, my downfall is always just like I'm a spender at heart, I love spending money. I can get in that rat race of just thinking, Oh... I mean, I'll even tell myself sometimes, which I hate, but I'll be online looking at something. I'm like, "Oh, I really want that," and in my head and in my spirit, I'm like, "That's going to satisfy this itch that I have. I'm going to scratch this itch and buy this shirt that's 50% off, but I'm going to get it in the mail in a few days." And it's like this adrenaline, exciting thinking that, okay, yeah, this will satisfy me. [00:07:28] 

 

And I know in my brain, no, it's not going to scratch that itch, Rachel. No, there's deeper issues there that you're just trying to fulfill from buying this silly shirt that's online that has this nice sale or something.

 

I mean, I see that stuff all the time. And even social media, seeing people that I know, some people I don't even know, I've never met before that I follow, and seeing their life and thinking, "Wow, they have it all together." And I can start to go in that cycle too. And the mom guilt comes in. Are they a better mom than me? Or wow, their stuff is taking off more than mine. 

 

I mean, you can get in this cycle of comparison, which eats away at contentment. And so, yeah, I always have to check myself. Again, starting with that gratitude place. And If find myself doing that, I'm like, "Okay, just be grateful for what you have, Rachel. Be here and be satisfied and be grateful." It's a for sure a journey for me. 

 

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Laura Dugger: Switching gears here, what tips do you have for married couples so that they can be on the same page with their finances?

 

Rachel Cruze: This is a very key component, I think, to winning with money when you're married is to work together and be a team. And you can do that a couple of ways. I think getting on the same page with your money, a budget, doing the budget together, agreeing where your money's going reveals so much more than just where your money's going. I mean, it really reveals your goals. It reveals your dreams. It reveals your fears. And so working together as a team is very, very crucial by doing that budget together. 

 

Combine all your accounts. If you still have separate checking accounts, combine them. [00:11:35] Work as one. That's the one piece of advice people just are not happy with me that I give. A lot of people are like, "No, they need to be separate. You're still an individual and all this." And I'm like, "Yes, you are still an individual. But when you're married, you say one in every aspect of your marriage, including your money." And so coming together and combining those accounts is key. 

 

And then I think creating long-term goals together. Find something that you guys are working towards because it just kind of keeps you motivated in this process. It could be that you want to get out of debt together. Maybe it's that you want to save X amount of money. Maybe it's you want to pay for your kid's college. Maybe it's you want to move school districts and be in a different county. I mean, whatever it is, have those dreams, those goals long-term together that you can work to as a team.

 

Laura Dugger: Well, and then ideally, we would be financially fit ourselves as parents before we attempt to train our kids in this area. But certainly, there is so much grace for this on-the-job learning that each of us experience. I would love to know how you and Winston are intentionally training your own children about money. [00:12:39] 

 

Rachel Cruze: Yes. So we have a 5-year-old, a 3-year-old, and an 8-month-old. So the five-year-old is the one that we're working with right now. Caroline, the 3-year-old, yeah, she's three. You can start then. Honestly, we probably... We have a lot going on. So Caroline's watching her sister a lot. 

 

But with Amelia, we're starting to teach her that money comes from work. She's getting more responsibilities around the house and helping pay for those things and showing her what things cost and starting to really show her what it looks like to give and save and spend and why we do the things that we do.

 

We'll have those conversations with her and make her do a couple of things. But even just two nights ago, my husband and I were kind of like, Oh. It filled my heart and made us kind of giggle at the same time. But she made a comment about something she got as a birthday gift recently. And she opened it, out of the box finally, it had been a little while. 

 

And the toy came out of the box and she made the comment and she was like, "Oh, that is just not what I was expecting." And I was like, "What?" [00:13:40] And so we kind of walked her like, "Well, Amelia, listen, sometimes life is not what we expect and it's okay to be kind of sad that you were thinking it was one thing and it's not. But listen, we're going to be grateful. We're going to be grateful for this. And if you want a different kind of this toy, maybe we can save up and pay for it."

 

This whole conversation back and forth. And she said, "Yeah, well, we'll have to go to work because you and Daddy go to work to help people that don't have houses and food and water." And I was like, "Wow, she's 3 years old, but she understands we ultimately go to work to help people." Obviously, I help in the money space, but we make money and in turn, we give it back and we give to people that need it. 

 

And so it just was one of those moments as a parent you think you're speaking this crazy language, but they get it. Like your kids are getting it. They can connect the dots. You know, I think some people think, Oh, they're still a little too young for the subject. And I'm like, "No. Dive in and talk about it and show them how money works in a real-life example." 

 

Laura Dugger: So it sounds like you're prioritizing just open dialogue with kids when they're age-appropriate. [00:14:42] And then also maybe teaching that work equals pay at the end. So paying them on commission. And it sounds like a heart attitude of gratitude. But is there anything else that you prioritize teaching them at that age or even as they get a little bit older?

 

Rachel Cruze: That's the basics of it. I mean, when they get older, I really will probably push more to her, giving them some of that money, saving some of that money and spending that money, kind of that little budget that you can do with kids and helping her learn to do all three well. But we're not doing that right now at five. It's still kind of in the beginning stages.

 

Laura Dugger: I love that. As you think about your kids when they're ready to launch, what are some of the financial end goals or something that you guys would consider a win?

 

Rachel Cruze: I would love for them to live debt-free. I would love for them to be generous givers. I would love for them to be able to do the things that God's called them to do in their life and money is just a tool that helps them do that. [00:15:43] 

 

And I think helping them learn the heart position of money, meaning that they are managers for what God has given us. God owns it all and we are managing this for Him. And kind of pulling them up to that higher calling.

 

Laura Dugger: Is there any scripture that keeps you focused on your financial goals as a family?

 

Rachel Cruze: Probably in 1 Timothy when it says, "Godliness with contentment is great gain." We kind of talked about contentment earlier, but that's a big one for me. It's just knowing like, man, when you have godliness paired with contentment, you can gain a lot in this world because there's not much the world can offer that can allow what God can fill. So that's a big one for me.

 

Laura Dugger: And then on the flip side, I think sometimes it's easier to learn for some people through the opposite. So what are some of the pitfalls that you and Winston want to avoid in teaching your children about finances?

 

Rachel Cruze: I never want them to get the picture from us that stuff is going to make them happy. [00:16:44] I talk a lot about that. It's okay to have nice stuff, but don't let your nice stuff have you. And it can have you by your identity, your happiness, everything we just talked about, being wrapped up in just tangible stuff, thinking, "Oh, if I could just have that purse, I'd be happy. If I could just have this, I'd be happy." And really, really, really not letting that be the priority is big.

 

Then also your stuff can have you when you go into debt for it. So that's a pitfall that we are avoiding with our kids and talking about the dangers of debt and showing them, you know, in Scripture, there's nothing good said about debt. And I don't think it's a sin. I don't think it's a salvation issue. So if your listener, you know, has student loan debt, I'm like, no, you're okay. You're okay. You're going to go to heaven. You know, it's not a salvation issue, but it can be a very dangerous game to play. And so we just avoid it at all costs. And I want to teach my kids that as well.

 

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Clearly, you had some great training growing up. So thinking back to yourself as a kid, now that you're an adult and you can reflect on this, what do you think are some of the biggest lessons you learned about finances just from witnessing your parents?

 

Rachel Cruze: They said no to themselves a lot in order to say yes to other things. And it was kind of this trade-off. And I just think it's true today. I think that there's things that you want. Sometimes you can just outright buy it and it's fine. Or maybe you say no, even though you can afford it and you want it, to say yes to something else that's a better priority. [00:18:50] 

 

That was a big thing that I saw them do. I think it just shows a lot of self-discipline, a lot of wisdom. So that was one thing I saw. I saw them being generous a lot, which is something that I've really taken on, that I really appreciate.

 

And then they practice what they preach. I mean, I think more is caught than taught. And parents, your kids are watching you. So if you're preaching one thing and doing another, that's what's known as a hypocrite, right? I'm like, you have to be consistent in your words and your actions. 

 

And no one's perfect. We're not perfect at this. We need grace for sure.  But the overall big value systems of money as you're teaching your kids, I would really say that following it with the actions is extremely important. And that's going to have a great influence on your children.

 

Laura Dugger: I want to zero in on that word "generosity". When you say that you witness them being generous, do you have any practical ways that we could emulate that or specific instances that you can recall that really taught you about generosity?

 

Rachel Cruze: Yeah. So everything from when Christmas came around and we were giving gifts, bought gifts for kids or anything around that, to even we'd see a family at dinner and they would pay for their dinner and talk about it, or they would leave a huge tip for the waiter that was working our table. [00:20:05] So it was things like that that they pointed out. And they told us not in a bragging way, but I think just to allow us to know, you know, dad would say, like, we've left a big tip. So let's go to the car and watch the window and see if you can see her reaction or his reaction. 

 

We get to experience the joy of giving. So they would do it in all different kinds of ways, big, big ways, and even just small, small ways. But it spoke volumes.

 

Laura Dugger: That's really helpful to hear because I know a lot of times we focus on that scripture about one of your hands not knowing what the other is doing. And yet as parents, when we can talk about things and demonstrate it, we've seen that that's so powerful. And there's also scripture about letting your light shine before others so that they can see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven. So I feel like you just brought that to life. So thank you for sharing some personal examples.

 

Rachel Cruze: Yes.

 

Laura Dugger: What are some of the best practices you recommend for all parents?

 

Rachel Cruze: You know, teaching your kids the tangible aspects of money is big. [00:21:05] And then also getting to a place where you can pass on a legacy to them. You know, that may be being that you're helping to pay for college if you're able to do that. Or maybe it's in ways that you leave them something from your legacy that then they pass on to their children. 

 

I mean, scripture says that a good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children. And I think that inheritance can be tangible like money. I think it can be spirituality. I think it plays into so many ways. Taking that seriously and saying, You know what? If we build wealth on this side of us, we're going to teach our kids how to pass that down and to handle that well so that they can help others and be tremendously generous is a huge goal.

 

Laura Dugger: Do you have just a quick overview of a few practical tips for parents listening if they want to train kids? Let's just say generally like 5, 10 and 15. What would your tips be for those ages?

 

Rachel Cruze: Yes, I would say get a chore chart and write down the chores you want them to do around the house and then pay them. [00:22:06] Pay them once a week and say, "Okay, this is payday. Let's look to see what chores you've done and have three little envelopes. Give, save, and spend." And as you pay them, let them divide it up into those three areas. 

 

Then I would say the older ones, you know, the 15-ish and older, get a student checking account at the bank and teach them how a debit card works, what it looks like to pay for things online. I used to say write checks. You probably could still teach them to write checks. It's just not as prominent these days.

 

But teaching them how to balance a bank statement and to budget for things that they want. And mom and dad did this. They put a certain amount of money at the beginning of the month in this checking account for me. And they did it for my older sister as well and my younger brother. And we were in charge of managing that account. 

 

And if we wanted more money, we had to go get a job and work and make more money and put it in this account. But we were never allowed to ask them for money. So if we wanted to go to the movies with friends or we wanted to buy something at the mall, we couldn't ask them for like a $20 bill. It had to come out of this account that we've been managing. [00:23:06] 

 

And we had to make decisions, even as teenagers, of, Okay, I can go out to eat with my friends here. But that means I won't have money to go to a movie next weekend. What do I want to do? You know, you kind of have to make these decisions as a teen. And that was really, really helpful.

 

Laura Dugger: I love that idea because then you can make the $50 mistake rather than the $5,000 or $50,000 mistake later on.

 

Rachel Cruze: Exactly. Yeah. There's a lot of mistakes that can happen under your roof that won't damage them long-term financially versus, yeah, the first time they ever handle money they make a mistake on a car lot and it's a $30,000 mistake. Exactly.

 

Laura Dugger: Well, I love asking successful women like yourself this question. Just out of curiosity, what has God taught you about simultaneously living into both of these precious roles of career and motherhood?

 

Rachel Cruze: Yes, it's been hard, but I feel like I've gotten in a pretty good groove of it. I have learned that I can't do everything. [00:24:06] So I have learned to outsource what I can outsource and not have guilt or shame about that.

 

I have put in our budget certain things. We've taken things out of the budget in order to have someone help clean the house every other week, which has been huge, so that I'm not doing it on the weekends, we're not spending family time with that.

 

Shipt is the grocery delivery service. I've invested in that app because now I don't have to go to the grocery. I pay a little bit more for the groceries to be delivered, but, again, I can outsource that. But I can't outsource being a mom, and I can't outsource my love, and I can't outsource the times that I'm home with them and present with them. So that's one thing I've learned. 

 

I've also learned that having life balance is not about being 50-50, but it's about being 100 percent present. My friend, Christy Wright, always says that, and I love that quote because it allows me to be at work and be using the gifts that God's given me, and I'm present here. When I'm at work, I am doing my work as unto the Lord. Like, I am focused. I'm here. But when I'm home, I'm mom. I try not to keep my phone with me. I say, you know what? I'll check email when they go to bed, but I'm here with my kids. [00:25:07] 

 

I've also learned that there are seasons. There are seasons of times you're able to do a little bit more hard driving at work, and there's times that you need to be a little bit more at home. So I'm even shifting in that. I have three kids now, five and under, which is just crazy, and it's insane, and I love it, and even shifting to be home more with them in this next season. And so that's something I've really felt God pull my heart toward and something that I'm being obedient in.

 

It's been a joy to be able to do that because I know, you know, in short five years, they're all going to be in school, and I'm going to have the day to work even more, you know, when that season comes. So I've learned that things are seasonal and to listen to where the Spirit's guiding you.

 

Laura Dugger: It's such a common struggle to, like you say, try and chase this elusive balance, which isn't really a realistic goal.

 

Rachel Cruze: Yeah, you're exactly right. I know when people are like, Oh, it's just life balance. I'm like, no, that doesn't exist. As a whole person, you're not going to have the perfect amount of physical time every day and spiritual time and intellectual time and family time and social time and work time. [00:26:08] Like, it's not going to be equally balanced. It's very seasonal.

 

The hard thing is, I think people make the mistake that over the course of their life, their life is unbalanced. And they focus all their time at work and neglect their family, and they have these grown kids now that don't even have a relationship with them. Or you can pick any part of who we are as people. And if you focus on one thing for too long over too much time, other things start to suffer. And so I think looking at yourself as a whole person over the course of your life is really key.

 

Laura Dugger: I love that you just boiled that down to keeping in step with the Spirit, because I'm sure that God does not have a cookie-cutter answer for all of us on how much to pour into each role. But now, just for fun, as it relates to personal development, what are you currently reading, talking about, and listening to?

 

Rachel Cruze: Well, okay, so, Lord, don't judge me on this. But I have fallen in love with thriller-type novels, like my books I love, like, a murder mystery. So I just finished one of those, and it was great. [00:27:10] As I said, I'm doing a Bible study with some girls in my neighborhood, Seamless by Angie Smith. That's been excellent. 

 

My listening, honestly, has been just music on the radio. I'm kind of like old school in that way, that if I'm driving or something, I'm like, I just need a little bit of music in the background. And that's good. But if I get a good sermon or something sent to me, podcast, that's usually what I'll listen to.

 

Laura Dugger: Love it. And, Rachel, just in general, you're so fun and helpful to learn from. So where can listeners go to find you online?

 

Rachel Cruze: Thank you. Rachelcruze.com has a lot of resources. I have a YouTube show and also that we put on Facebook, as well as a podcast and a few books out wherever books are sold.

 

Laura Dugger: Great. We will link to all of that in our show notes and on our Resources tab of our website. And we're called The Savvy Sauce because "Savvy" is synonymous with practical knowledge. And we want to know how to apply some beneficial best practices from your life. [00:28:09] So as my final question for you today, what is your savvy sauce?

 

Rachel Cruze: My savvy sauce is probably say no to debt because it steals your joy and it steals your paycheck.

 

Laura Dugger: Rachel, you are enthusiastic, humble, and just a wealth of knowledge and advice. Thank you for generously sharing all of your savvy ways with us today. It was a blast to have you as my guest.

 

Rachel Cruze: Awesome. Thank you so much. Well, thanks for having me on. I really appreciate it.

 

Laura Dugger: One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term "gospel" before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news. Every single one of us were born sinners and God is perfect and holy, so He cannot be in the presence of sin. Therefore, we're separated from Him.

 

This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So for you and for me, it means we deserve death and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved. [00:29:12] We need a savior. But God loved us so much, He made a way for His only Son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute.

 

This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with Him. That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. 

 

We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 

 

So would you pray with me now? Heavenly, Father, thank You for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to You. [00:30:14] Will You clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare You as Lord of their life? We trust You to work and change their lives now for eternity. In Jesus name, we pray, amen. 

 

If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring Him for me, so me for Him, you get the opportunity to live your life for Him. 

 

At this podcast, we are called Savvy for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So you're ready to get started?

 

First, tell someone. Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision my parents took me to Barnes and Noble to get the Quest NIV Bible and I love it. Start by reading the book of John. 

 

Get connected locally, which basically means just tell someone who is part of the church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you. [00:31:16] 

 

We want to celebrate with you too. So feel free to leave a comment for us if you made a decision for Christ. We also have show notes included where you can read Scripture that describes this process. 

 

Finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." The heavens are praising with you for your decision today. 

 

If you've already received this good news, I pray that you have someone else to share it with today. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.