Getting Out of Debt, and Being Generous
Stories Over Stuff: Scott and Nicole Wertz
by Dale Reeves
Story Pastor
Scott Wertz, his wife Nicole, and their two boys were first introduced to Christ’s Church a few years ago at the prodding of their neighbor Jack Quackenbush (who has since gone on to be with Jesus!) The Wertz’s had been neighbors of Jack and Betty for awhile when, as Scott says, “Jack invited me to Christ’s Church every day for about six months. We finally went one Sunday and have loved it ever since. Everyone here is so welcoming and genuine. We’ve been here for about three years now.”
Scott was raised in a large Catholic family with parents who knew something about commitment to one another. They were married for over 60 years. After attending a few years of college, Scott enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve, where he served during Operation Desert Storm/Shield for four years. Scott loves giving back to others as a member of the American Legion in Mason, helping other fellow veterans who have served our country. He says, “We attend funerals for fallen veterans that don’t have family members and enjoy being involved in other community projects.”
Generosity Changes Others
As we concluded the “Stories Over Stuff” sermon series yesterday, we talked about the fact that generosity is an attitude, and all of us can be generous. Lead pastor Trevor DeVage said, “When we have a heart of generosity, it changes the world around us.”
Scott and his family have discovered how being generous has changed their personal world. But in order to be generous, they had to address some financial debt first. Scott attended Financial Peace University in 2018 with Robbie Forste as a facilitator in 2018. He praises Dave Ramsey’s program for giving them lots of practical help and says, 
“It worked wonders for me and my finances. Since taking FPU, we restructured our mortgage from a 30-year mortgage to a 10-year mortgage—and we hope to have the mortgage paid off early! We paid off $70,000 of debt in the beginning of 2019. We have totally changed the way that we look at money and debt.”
Scott quotes from Proverbs 22:7, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender” (NIV). He explains, “I believe that debt can enslave an otherwise good Christian and hold him back from living a happy, productive life. Learning the tools that I did from FPU has literally changed my life forever.”
Worrying Less, Giving More
Scott is the owner of a painting and remodeling business called “All-in-One Wertz Painting” (https://wertzpainting.com). He says he used to worry about money management a lot more but now, “I worry less about money because I have set in place several key principles learned from FPU, following the baby steps, paying off debt first, paying off the mortgage, then saving money. Once we are out of debt, we can invest more in retirement, financial markets, etc. and not be burdened with debt anymore.”
It helps to know that God has a plan for his life and his career. One of Scott’s favorite Scriptures is Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (NIV). Believing in the truth of this Scripture causes Scott and his family to not be as concerned for their financial future.
Throughout the SOS (“Stories Over Stuff”) sermon series we’ve studied several passages where Jesus talks about money in the Gospel of Luke. 
We’ve seen how to correct financial mistakes we have made; how to make sure we have our money and our money “doesn’t have us”; how to stop worrying about money; and what true generosity looks like. Scott explains, “I have learned that the money that we earn in our profession is God’s money, and we are simply stewards of this money. If we will tithe to him first, our financial life will be blessed. Money is a powerful tool that can be used to bless others through God-honoring charities as well.”
Scott concludes, “Giving money to others is not the only way we can give back and share the blessings we’ve been given. We are also called to serve others in many ways. I have had many helpful, giving people in my life who helped me become who I am today. I believe it is very important for all of us to help and serve others along their journey as well. They may not have had the same opportunities or blessings that we have received. God loved us so much that he gave his Son! And we can pass that message along by loving and giving to others in whatever ways necessary.”