Art Rainer - The Money Challenge for Teens: Prepare for College, Run from Debt, and Live Generously

Copyright 2020 by Art Rainer

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

978-1-0877-0623-8

Published by B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

Dewey Decimal Classification: 332.024

Subject Heading: STEWARDSHIP \ PERSONAL FINANCE \ MONEY

All Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible, copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

To my three sons:

Nathaniel

Joshua

James

I love you.

I am proud of you.

I am glad that you are my sons.

Acknowledgments

E very book is a team effort. The author gets the name on the cover, but most of the time there are many names that allowed the book to reach the hands of a reader. This book is no different.

I want to first thank my wife, Sarah. She is an incredible, godly woman. Her generosity seems to know no bounds. She is Christ-centered and others-focused. I love being her teammate.

Next, I should thank those already found in the dedicationmy three sons. They bring me such happiness. Every time I look at them, I desire that time slows down. I cherish every moment God gives me with them.

I have an incredibly supportive family. My parents, Thom and Nellie Jo Rainer, have encouraged me to pursue whatever Gods calling is on my life from day one. As for the rest of the familySam, Erin, Jess, Rachel, Tom, Dale, Stephanie, David, Maggie, Bren, Joel, Dominic, Canon, Harper, Will, Collins, Kaitlyn, and ConnorI love you all and am grateful for each one of you.

I am also grateful for the B&H team. Not only have they given me the opportunity to get this message out, but their investment in this project has made it better than I could have ever imagined.

Every day, I am fortunate to work alongside some of the most incredible, servant-minded, Great Commission men and women at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. I love serving with each one of them as we train men and women to advance Gods Kingdom around the world.

There have been a few specific individuals who have provided invaluable feedback on the project. Rachel Lambert, Amanda Burke, and Lauren Francethank you for your words of wisdom. Your ideas influenced this book in a significant way.

Finally, I am thankful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of my sin, I was destined and deserving of an eternity without God. But then, Jesus stood in my place and took my punishment, and now my eternity will be spent with Him. I have put my hope in Jesus, and I want you, the reader, to do the same.

Now, lets dive into The Money Challenge for Teens .

Read This First!

I dont know why you have this book in your hands right now.

Maybe you picked it out on your own because you wanted to know more about money. But you didnt want the typical money book; you wanted something more.

Maybe someone close to you gave it to you, which means they love you and probably dont want you to make the same money mistakes everyone tends to make.

Look, many people get money all wrong. And it messes up their lives. They end up discontent, burdened, and broken. You dont want that to be you, I dont want that to be you, and God doesnt want that to be you.

So Im really glad you have this book because you have a chance to pull off what few ever dostart getting money right early .

This is a pretty fast-moving book. So let me go ahead and tell you how it works.

Each chapter has two parts. The first part is a fictional story about Brendon and Ambrielle and their money journey. Youll like them. Theyre good people. The second part of the chapter teaches you some really important stuff about money. And at the end of each chapter, you get hit (in a positive way) with some Money Challenges. Ill explain those later.

One more thing (or really two more) before we get startedyou need to remember these two truths:

1. What you do with your money right now can literally impact the rest of your life.

2. What you do with your money right now can literally impact others lives for all eternity.

Dont waste your teenage years. You will miss a big opportunity.

Okay, lets go.

What do I do next? What steps do I need to take to give generously, save wisely, and live appropriately? The 8 Money Milestones help answer these questions. Use them as a guide. And dont worry, the upcoming chapters are going to explain each one.

Your 8 Money Milestones

1. START GIVING.

2. OPEN A CHECKING ACCOUNT.

3. GET A PLAN.

4. OPEN A SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND SAVE $500.

5. OPEN A ROTH IRA (IF EMPLOYED).

6. PUT 15% OF YOUR INCOME INTO THE ROTH IRA.

7. SAVE FOR A CAR OR COLLEGE.

8. LIVE GENEROUSLY.

Your 8 Money Milestones

1. START GIVING.

2. OPEN A CHECKING ACCOUNT.

3. GET A PLAN.

4. OPEN A SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND SAVE $500.

5. OPEN A ROTH IRA (IF EMPLOYED).

6. PUT 15% OF YOUR INCOME INTO THE ROTH IRA.

7. SAVE FOR A CAR OR COLLEGE.

8. LIVE GENEROUSLY.

Can I Take Your Order?

I t was Saturday, and the line was long.

Welcome to Sugar Burger, said Brendon. Can I take your order?

The customer rattled off her order.

And can I have your name, please? Brendon requested in a monotone voice.

He was a sophomore at Spratling High School in Chicago, Illinois. Some days he liked school, and others days he hated it. He played on the junior varsity basketball team and made decent grades. But although Brendon liked basketball and even his teachers, he struggled to keep pace with everyone. Not in grades and not in sports. But in stuff.

Some of his classmates always had the latest edition video game, newest shoes, and just nicer stuff in general. He always felt behind, like he didnt fit in. On occasion, he resented his parents for this. They werent poor, but they werent big spenders. Why wouldnt they buy him the same things his friends parents bought them? It seemed like Mom and Dad made him work for anything he wanted.

So he worked to spend, but he never had enough. The pay at Sugar Burger wasnt great.

He already knew what he would buy nexta new pair of Nikes. They were expensive, but he could only imagine how good he would feel with them on. No one else had them yet. He was pretty sure the girls in his class would notice them too. He liked that thought.

Brendon reasoned that he would become a self-made millionaire one day. Then he could buy whatever he wanted.

Can I help whoevers next? That was Ambrielle. She was on the register next to Brendon.

Ambrielle was Brendons older sister and a senior at Spratling. She was on the dance team, loved school, but couldnt wait for college. Ambrielle was a good student and had already been accepted into a few schools. But she had yet to hear from her dream school. Like Brendon, she had to work for anything she wantedextra makeup, clothes, shoes, and anything else to express herself. She worked, cashed her paycheck, and spent it. Like Brendon, she liked shoes, and she bought a new pair of shoes on the first of every month. It was kind of her thing.