About the Book
Title: 5 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom
Author: Dan Willis
Genre: Finances/Christian living
Release date: January 8, 2019
Publisher: Whitaker House
As a young and naïve pastor, Dan Willis maxed out twenty-three credit cards and ruined his credit to support his ministry. It wasn’t until massive debt caused the cards to stop working that he realized that God never asked him to do this. Through his candor and honesty, Dan reveals the five steps God showed him to get out of debt: stop spending, create a budget, develop a debt payoff plan, begin saving, and repair bad credit. This led him to becoming a thriving and financially-free ministry. Now, Dan is on a mission to teach this to the world. Using biblical principles, but not relying on miracles or “name-it-and-claim-it” theology, Dan provides easy-to-follow, practical steps that can be used by anyone to escape financial bondage. Finally, he encourages readers to use their financial freedom to help others and advance God’s kingdom, and to use their newfound fiscal wisdom to store up wealth. Without shaming those who struggle financially, 5 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom is the perfect combination of spiritual wisdom and practical advice for those who desperately need it.
Click here to purchase your copy!
About the Author
As a young boy, Dan Willis’s dreams involved entering the medical field until that fateful day when, at age sixteen, he was called to “temporarily” take over the pastor position of a local church. More than thirty years later, Dan is still there, serving as the senior pastor of The Lighthouse Church of All Nations in Alsip, Illinois. He took the small ministry of sixteen people and nurtured it into a thriving multicultural body of more than 1,500 people. Dan’s previous books with Whitaker House were Freedom to Forget: Releasing the Pain from the Past, Embracing Hope for the Future and Praise Is My Weapon.Guest Post from Dan
Not 23 Ways to Money Greatness or 67 Options to Financial Well Being. Just Five Simple Steps to Financial Freedom. Why complicate this? Wipe out debt and create wealth.
I'm sure most of us can relate to the author's story of watching our credit cards bounce from store to store. Before we have realized it, it stops bouncing and you hear the horrible beep of denial across the loud speaker in the store. Well, maybe not the loud speaker, but it might as well be. I can remember how I was excited to get my first credit card. My husband and I said we will use it for emergencies only. How long did that great plan last? Not very long as more "we are pleased to inform you that you have been pre- approved for a new credit card from ...."
I loved the visual of shredding your credit cards. The author is right. If they are maxed out, you can't use them anyway. Better to get rid of them and pay them off, then keeping them and paying on them just enough to use again. It must have been so hard for his congregation to take that first step toward the shredder that morning. But what freedom they must have experienced as they knew they would never be using the card again. The enemy's hold was lessening as their freedom from credit became closer for them.
The scripture, " The love of money is the root of all evil," has been misquoted so often. I have heard people say "money is the root of all evil, " but the scripture specifically says "the love of money." It sure makes a big difference when you know the correct way to follow the word of God. I get the premise of the book, that we should be debt free, but I don't like to feel guilty because the only way I could afford a medical procedure was to charge it. We all have choices and sometimes those choices are not agreeable by others. I do pray about our finances and I know what we need to do.
There are times that emergencies come up and a credit card or borrowing money is your only choice. Does it mean I lack faith because I used a credit card? I don't think I should beat myself up when I have to act quickly during an emergency. There are so many teachings on tithing and I always want to make sure that the words I'm hearing are lining up with the Bible.
I liked when the author said the prayer to lead people to Christ until he put in about tithing during the prayer of salvation. I can't recommend this book because I found it to be more about tithing and how to have lots of money which seemed important to the author. The author does have a few good points, but I found it difficult to follow his train of thought and the use of some of his examples. The best thing I can say is use your judgement when reading a book such as this and seek God for wisdom in what you should do about finances.
I received a copy of this book from celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 8
Real World Bible Study, January 9
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 10
Just the Write Escape, January 11
Robin is Bookish, January 11
Books, Books, and More Books, January 12
A Baker’s Perspective, January 13
Janices book reviews, January 13
Remembrancy, January 14
Texas Book-aholic, January 15
Bigreadersite, January 15
Aryn The Libraryan, January 16
Margaret Kazmierczak, January 16
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 17
Jennifer Sienes: Where Crisis and Christ Collide, January 18
Mary Hake, January 18
A Reader’s Brain, January 19
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 20
Captive Dreams Window, January 20
Carpe Diem, January 21
Giveaway
To celebrate his tour, Dan is giving away a $20 Starbucks gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d8d4/5-simple-steps-to-finical-freedom-celebration-tour-giveaway
As a teenager, Victor Torres was a gang warlord and heroin addict on New York City’s violent streets. Through the ministry of David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz, Victor had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ and came to realize that God had a purpose for his life. Victor has spent the last forty-five years helping tens of thousands of young men and women find freedom from drug addiction and gang life. Now, he answers your toughest questions about your addicted loved one. Without pulling punches or promising easy answers, Victor provides wisdom and expertise that can lead you toward success.
Victor Torres was a junkie, drug-pusher, and warlord in Brooklyn’s meanest streets. Since his conversion, he has ministered Christ to thousands. He and his wife Carmen have traveled to over thirty nations preaching the Good News. Their chief undertaking, however, has been New Life for Youth, which began in 1971 in Richmond, Virginia. This growing work is one of the most respected and largest organizations in the country. Today, New Life for Youth has a ranch in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, which is helping an ever increasing number of hurting young men searching for hope, as well as a home for women with drug-related problems called the Mercy House. Their other resources in the Richmond, Virginia, area include House of Hope, a home for recovering men, and Mercy Moms, which serves women and their children. Victor and Carmen are also the founders and pastors of New Life Outreach International, a fast-growing dynamic church in Richmond, Virginia with over forty nationalities worshiping together. In 2017, his story was made into an award-winning major motion picture, 
Susan Barnett Braun earned a BS in retail management from Indiana University and an MA in education from the University of Alabama. She taught for eight years in northeast Indiana, earning a Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship and a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Study Scholarship. Susan has had work published in Parents, Children’s Ministry, and The Secret Place. She also writes online for Fort Wayne Visitor’s Bureau and blogs at Girls in White Dresses. She is married with three wonderful young adult daughters. Susan enjoys reading, playing piano and organ, and spending her time with her family and pets (currently three rabbits and a chinchilla).
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