We'd like to think that our actions are always pleasing to God and certainly don't offend Him but we also know that isn't always true Christians are called to do good works so the world will see them and God will be glorified So it shouldn't surprise us that God takes stinginess and generosity personally Randy Alcorn joins us today to discuss this Randy Alcorn is a New York Times bestselling author of over books on Christian Living and the Founder and Director of Eternal Perspective Ministries His ministry focuses on helping others use their time money possessions and opportunities [... more]

What is the risk of playing it too safe That does seem like a bit of a riddle but we can start to make sense of it by first exploring a behavioral phenomenon called loss aversion Researchers have found that most people feel the pain of losing money roughly twice as strongly as the joy of gaining money To say it again clearly losses feel twice as bad as gains feel good This naturally causes many people to be loss averse and try to avoid losses sometimes to such a substantial degree that it undermines their long-term goals One of [... more]

WHAT DOES BIBLICAL HOSPITALITY LOOK LIKE IN TODAY'S CULTURE Sharon reflects on the biblical instruction to show hospitality emphasizing its relevance beyond traditional notions of entertaining Hospitality is an act of generosity and kindness extending warmth and generosity to both guests and strangers alike This understanding encourages us to reconsider hospitality as acting as God's ambassadors Hospitality transcends formal dining and embraces the simple generous reception of others It's an expression of generosity serving as a means to fulfill our role as ambassadors for Christ Personal experiences underscore the profound impact hospitality can have during challenging times illustrating its power [... more]

SPIRITUAL BOTTOM LINE OVER FINANCIAL CONCERNS The true bottom line for believers in Jesus is our identity in Christ providing us peace and assurance that our sins are paid for as highlighted in the hymn Jesus paid it all This foundational truth encourages believers to rest in God's role as protector and provider alleviating worries about financial matters SCRIPTURAL ENCOURAGEMENTS AGAINST WORRY Matthew Jesus teaches not to worry about material needs emphasizing God's provision for all creation thus underscoring our value and God's care for us over our material concerns Numbers Highlights God's unchangeable and trustworthy nature contrasting human unreliability [... more]

Matt Bell is the managing editor at Sound Mind Investing and the author of several books on personal finance including Money Marriage A Complete Guide for Engaged and Newly Married Couples HOW DO INDIVIDUAL TEMPERAMENTS AFFECT MARRIED COUPLES' FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Understanding each other's temperament helps couples manage money together effectively since temperament influences how individuals naturally react to financial situations bringing inherent strengths and weaknesses to money management Temperament shapes our financial behaviors and preferences influenced by upbringing and personal experiences Knowing and respecting each other's temperament can lead to better teamwork in financial decisions It's crucial to recognize that [... more]

Ron Blue is the co-founder of Kingdom Advisors author of a shelf-full of books on biblical finance including Master Your Money HELPING A DAUGHTER WHO'S GOING THROUGH A DIVORCE WHAT'S THE BEST APPROACH Support must be dynamic adapting as circumstances change Emotional spiritual and financial challenges intertwine requiring sensitive navigation Equitable treatment among siblings means addressing each child's unique needs especially in crisis HOW DID YOU AND JUDY DECIDE ON THE EXTENT AND MANNER OF HELP The decision on how much to help was made progressively acknowledging the fluid situation post-divorce The process involves constant reassessment based on changing needs [... more]

Sharon Epps is the president of Kingdom Advisors our parent organization Kingdom Advisors is a group dedicated to training financial professionals to guide and advise you according to biblical principles WHAT ARE THE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES RELATED TO CASH FLOW AND LIVING EXPENSES Sharon emphasizes the importance of spending less than we earn drawing from Philippians which teaches contentment in all situations Contentment is key in managing finances as it helps us be satisfied with what we have and avoid unnecessary spending To improve financial health it's vital to spend less than what we earn Contentment with our current situation is [... more]

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN BUDGETING SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT Perspective is key in creating and adhering to a budget Budgeting is often viewed as a necessary but challenging task similar to a diet Success in budgeting hinges on understanding the 'why' behind it Differentiating between your financial goals what you want to do and the underlying reasons why you're doing it is crucial AS BELIEVERS WHAT SHOULD OUR 'WHY' BE IN BUDGETING Our 'why' should align with scriptural teachings recognizing God's ownership over everything Believers should form their own 'why' statements reflecting a commitment to stewardship based [... more]

So how would God's word in particular give us guidance on this giving portfolio approach Jesus gives His mission here on earth in Luke - The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor This is a really is a model for a giving portfolio So how do you take that and apply it to giving [... more]

WHAT IS BIBLICAL FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP ACCORDING TO FAITHFI Biblical financial stewardship as FaithFi defines it is about letting Scripture influence and inform financial decisions It's not just following financial principles from the Bible like recognizing God as the owner and ourselves as managers giving cheerfully avoiding debt and planning for the future but it's also about understanding these principles in the broader context of Scripture All Scripture ultimately points to Jesus shaping a deeper relationship with Him FaithFi's purpose is to help Christians see God as their ultimate treasure not money or possessions It's about changing the heart posture aligning [... more]

Sharon Epps is the President of Kingdom Advisors WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATE OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY ACCORDING TO RECENT RESEARCH AND WHAT ARE ITS EFFECTS Economic uncertainty is at a high as indicated by the International Monetary Fund's World Uncertainty Index Covering data from countries over the past years the current level of uncertainty is among the highest since This uncertainty can lead to fear decision paralysis and irrational decision-making Economic uncertainty is significantly high currently comparable to the highest levels since This uncertainty can cause fear hinder decision-making and lead to irrational choices Historical perspective shows that economic uncertainty [... more]

WHAT DOES A MOVEMENT OF FAITHFUL STEWARDS LOOK LIKE AND WHAT IS FAITHFI TRYING TO ACHIEVE FaithFi aims to integrate faith into financial decisions moving beyond just wise money management The mission is to help Christians see their finances through the lens of faith as every aspect of life including finances should be influenced by faith FaithFi supports this integration recognizing the challenge but stressing its importance The goal is to guide Christians to be good stewards of their resources It's about integrating faith and finances not just being wise with money FaithFi's mission is to equip Christians to integrate [... more]

Jeanne McMains Executive Vice President of Offerings and Marketing at the National Christian Foundation For more than years she's helped families create a fun and lasting giving experience HOW CAN FAMILIES ENHANCE THEIR GIVING PRACTICES DURING THE HOLIDAYS Create a thriving family giving culture by engaging in generosity activities together Right size the giving experience to suit children or grandchildren's capacity to understand and participate Cultivate a culture of grace allowing the family's giving practices to develop organically over time WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES ILLUSTRATING THE IMPORTANCE OF RIGHT SIZING THE GIVING EXPERIENCE A single mother overwhelmed her daughter with [... more]

Jesus entrusted us with the Gospel and gave us His immeasurable love by dying on the Cross As stewards of those priceless gifts we're to share them with the world So keep in mind that stewardship isn't just about money So what are the marks or characteristics of good stewards Acknowledgment of God's Ownership Good stewards understand that everything is God's Deuteronomy You shall remember the Lord your God for it is he who gives you power to get wealth They hold resources temporarily and avoid hoarding or coveting Recognition of God's Gifts They see their skills and abilities as [... more]

Objectives for Successful Investing th century humorist Will Rogers once said I'm not so much interested in the return on my money as I am in the return of my money It's a funny line but also something every investor should keep in mind What are the objectives you should consider when risking your money We'll give you three of them today on Faith and Finance Here are Objectives for Successful Investing UNDERSTANDING INVESTING OBJECTIVES Rob West clarifies the difference between an objective and a goal emphasizing the significance of objectives in the investment journey There are three main objectives [... more]

First a hat tip to our friends at The Gospel Coalition for a great article on this topic By Baby Boomers are expected to pass nearly trillion in assets to their children primarily millennials Millennials are projected to hold five times as much wealth by compared to today Concerns arise regarding the impact of declining church giving as Boomers pass away Smaller and larger churches alike are experiencing a downturn in giving with even larger evangelical churches seeing a drop during the COVID- pandemic Younger generations prioritize charitable giving potentially offsetting the decline Christian Boomers can influence their adult children's [... more]

Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil Ephesians Chris Meyer is Manager of Stewardship Investing Advocacy and Research at Praxis Mutual Funds an underwriter of this program What exactly is shareholder advocacy and how does Praxis do it Many people begin by screening or avoiding certain industries or companies based on their values Screening is a valid approach but has limited power to create real change Praxis uses seven different impact strategies for investments Shareholder advocacy is one of these strategies leveraging ownership rights to drive change [... more]

Today we're picking up where we left off in our last conversation with Jerry in our series on a Christian Economic Worldview And this time we're talking about what he calls Principled Reasoning But we might add the subtitle A Way Out of this Mess We'll start with a few key questions First is there a way out of the confusion and the futility of boom and bust cycles And is there a way out of the confusion of a fragmented worldview that leaves out cause and effect and leaves us unable to understand the relationship between different parts of [... more]

What You'll Need To RetireFolks always ask us How much will I need to retire And the answer is It depends One important piece of the retirement puzzle is How much are you willing and able to cut from your budget We'll talk about that today on Faith and Finance Many of the expenses associated with work go away when you retire Because of this many experts say you'll generally only need - of your working income when you retire The problem is many studies show the average retirement budget is only about of working income So if you're working [... more]