Where to Invest?

What is an investment?

Poor Investments

When I was 12 I asked for a safe for my birthday. I wanted some place to keep all my valuables. Things that I knew would someday be extremely valuable. I thought I might share with you some of those things.

When I was 8 my friends and I collected game cards, like magic, and other customized deck card games. Never could figure out how to play but we bought the packs. We got onto Star Wars game cards. I got this gem. The Executor Class Star Wars Card it was a rare card and extremely valuable. So I could find a single webpage that even talked about the card or the game. I did find several places online where you could buy the card for under 3 dollars.

When I was eleven I was given Tobasco the Bull for my birthday, "Tabasco" is also the trademarked name given by the Tabasco sauce company. Because of this, Tabasco was retired to avoid lawsuits by the company that makes Tabasco sauce. Tabasco is one of the first post-Spring 1996 beanies to be prematurely retired.

I was 14 when I started my first job working at a B-bops fast-food drive-through. I rode my bike to work, up hill - both ways - in the snow. Anyway I found a wheat penny in the change someone gave me for their order and began collecting money. I would bring spare change in my pocket to work and would exchange it for wheat pennies, one time I found a buffalo nickel thats pretty cool. Old dollars, whatever it was if it was interesting I would collect it as an investment.

Some investments produce, some don’t.

We all have resources, some of those are finite and some are fluid.

Your time is finite. You are given a certain amount of time to live this part of your life. No more, no less.

Money, and Energy are more fluid their amounts are based on flow.

So you have to decide where you are going to invest those assets, for what purpose. Some people want to leave something for their children, My dad said don’t expect to get anything I’m spending it. We have to consider our goals for the future and the futures of our loved ones.

In Mark 12:38ff Jesus is condemning the scribes for their poor investments. In verse 41ff Jesus is commending the Widow’s investment.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

By worldly standards the scribes were succeeding and had amassed many resources for themselves; power, treasures, reputation but for all they had invested their time, resources, and money in they had nothing to show for it.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

But the widow, who only had a penny gave everything she had to invest in God’s favor, obedience to His law, ultimately in Him. Her investment was greatly rewarded.

So I’m going to share some investment strategies that might help you as you are trying to figure out where to invest your resources....

Warren Buffet, the Guru of Omaha,

Is always asked to give advice on investments. Here are 6 things to consider when investing for your future, and your families future.

1. Most news is noise, not news

“Owners of stocks, however, too often let the capricious and often irrational behavior of their fellow owners cause them to behave irrationally as well. Because there is so much chatter about markets, the economy, interest rates, price behavior of stocks, etc., some investors believe it is important to listen to pundits – and, worse yet, important to consider acting upon their comments.” – Warren Buffett

The world wants you to believe they know where happiness comes from and how to get it. Everyone wants you to share in their perception of the truth because there is security in the crowd. Don’t assume because everyone is saying it that its true.

2. Invest in what you know…and nothing more.

“Never invest in a business you cannot understand.” – Warren Buffett

If it doesn’t makes sense don’t buy into it. How often is quality the same as quantity? How many silver bullets have ever hit their mark? Hold to what you know is true and don’t allow yourself to be swept off in the crazy. Your mom has been trying to teach you this for years, “So if everyone was jumping off a bridge would you do it?” If you are trying to invest towards a quality life and there are things you are giving yourself to that don’t produce joy, love, hope, faith, peace.... stop investing there.

Isaiah 55:2 ESV

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

3. Know the difference between price and value

We are very short sided… it is easy to see the cost of things but difficult to see the value.

“The stock market is filled with individuals who know the price of everything but the value of nothing.” – Phil Fisher

Well I wont get to, or I’ll have to.... we talk ourselves out of opportunity so quickly because the cost is bigger than we have ever paid before...

“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” – Warren Buffett

Price is only a problem when the value is low.

Mark 8:36 ESV

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

Right before that Jesus challenges his disciples to give up their lives… to lay them down, all their hopes, dreams, aspirations, and desires....

Mark 8:35 ESV

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

Before considering the price ask yourself what do I have to gain.

Matthew 13:44 ESV

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

4. Never compromise on business quality

“It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.” – Warren Buffett

“Time is the friend of the wonderful business, the enemy of the mediocre.” – Warren Buffett

Over time the good investment will only grow in its value. The poor investment will not. For me that was sports.... I can shoot a basket today as good as I could when I first decided to try out for basketball. No matter the practice and the effort it hasn’t changed… and even if it did… how much did it add to my life?

5. When you buy a stock, plan to hold it forever

“If you aren’t thinking about owning a stock for ten years, don’t even think about owning it for ten minutes.” – Warren Buffett

You have to look at the long term. Is this going to be something I want to fill my life with? Will it even be able to “fill my life.”

John 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

6. Diversification can be dangerous

“Diversification is a protection against ignorance. It makes very little sense for those who know what they’re doing.” – Warren Buffett

If you truly know what God given you your life for.... then don’t hesitate to invest in the right things and say no to the wrong things…

1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

“Opportunities come infrequently. When it rains gold, put out the buck, not the thimble.” – Warren Buffett

Like the widow, go all in. You wont be disappointed....

Matthew 25:21 ESV

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’