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The human factor of implementing God’s solutions Often in God, criticism of Him only embitters and distances us from the one who is able to best comfort us in our pains. Resolute Bible Conference 2014 shall look more closely at how we humans naturally respond to God when suffering, looking at the many provisions the Lord has set in place ready for us to utilise when life gets difficult. Whether it’s health, relationships or financial problems, God has an intimate knowledge of them as “nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight” (Hebrews 4:13), and He seeks to use these very pains to bring us into a closer, more dependent relationship with Himself. One where we see our circumstances from His perspective, where we grow to understand the purpose behind the difficulties, and where we can identify the specific remedies He has provided. We shall turn to God’s Word, the Bible. There we shall find the answers to age-old questions that well up from within us when we suffer. In 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 the apostle Paul explained their hardships and that they: “…were under great pressure, far beyond their ability to endure, so that they despaired even of life...”. Paul continued that: “…this happened that they might not rely on themselves but on God…”. You are invited to join us as were explore how to rely on God during the seemingly unbearable pains of life. Check it out at www.resolute.org.nz By Lincoln Forlong, Bay Bible Fellowship
www. www.
.org.nz .org.nz
Sunday Services 9:30am & 6:00pm Come along!
07 576 5387 252 Otumoetai Road www.citychurchtauranga.org.nz
High calibre cricket The Northern Knights are aiming to add a second domestic trophy to their cabinet this summer when they take on the Wellington Firebirds in the Ford Trophy final at Mount Maunganui’s Bay Oval. After dispatching the Canterbury Wizards by four wickets in their preliminary final at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, the side has won the advantageous right to host tomorrow’s final. The Knights have already tasted success this summer, lifting the HRV Cup T20 trophy for the first time and booking their ticket to the lucrative Champions League Twenty20 later this year. And the Black Caps early exit from the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh may also mean the side is bolstered by the return of some national players, including Kane Williamson, Anton Devcich and Trent Boult. Already this summer the Bay Oval has taken centre stage as an international cricket venue hosting HRV Cup T20 matches, ICC World Cup qualifiers and the last two games of the T20 Women’s International series, between the White Ferns and the West Indies. And the final stanza of the Ford Trophy, in effect the NZ Cricket one-day championship, will bring home a number of players who have travelled the Bay of Plenty Cricket pathway. Northern Knights skipper Daniel Flynn along with Graeme Aldridge, Jono Boult, Joe Carter, Brett Hampton and Bharat Popli are all Bay products while Kane, Trent and Cory Anderson have all worn the Knights strip this season. The Firebirds get the chance to challenge the Knights for the title after beating the Canterbury Wizards in Wednesday’s preliminary final. The Ford Trophy final starts at 10am tomorrow, finishing about 7pm at the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.
By Luke Balvert
RENTALS
and
The Weekend Sun
Northern Knights batsman Daryl Mitchell. Photo by Photosport
REAL ESTATE
You can have your cake and eat it too The 2013 census shows a further slide in the rate of home ownership, which has fallen from 73.7 per cent in 1986 to 64.8 per cent last year. While it’s easy to blame lack of affordability for the increasing number of renters, another significant influence is the preference among Gen X and Gen Y to settle and start families later in life. One of the issues this raises is the sooner you start saving, the longer you have interest compounding for you – and a delay of 10 years can substantially reduce the value of your retirement nest egg. Youngsters may think owning a house ties you down and makes it hard to move for work or a relationship. However those restrictions don’t apply to owning rental property. Getting into the habit of putting some money each payday into a growth asset is a good way to build a long-term asset and avoid the risk of wasting money on fripperies. And a rental property can provide a roof over your head if your circumstances change – even though it may not be your perfect home. There is a reasonable supply of affordable rental properties in Tauranga. If you can raise a 20 per cent deposit then for as little as a $5 per week “top up” after tax benefits you could cover the costs of
owning a house costing $250,000. This can rent for $300 per week, including the cost of having the property professionally managed, so you don’t have to worry about collecting rents and fixing blocked toilets. Allowing for capital growth of only 3 per cent per year – which is pretty conservative and a lot less than the 5.5 per cent annual increase house prices in Tauranga have shown during the last 20 years – then 10 years down the track your $50,000 deposit will have grown to more than $136,000. This will ensure
you’re well on the way to building a useful passive income.
By John Foot,
Action Real Estate