This Faith in Finance podcast is underwritten in part by Guidestone. Guidestone envisions a world transformed by Christian investing. Through screening, corporate engagement, and impact investing, our investment strategies allow investors to be more proactive with their investment dollars to make a meaningful difference in the world while preparing for their financial future. Learn more at guidestonefunds.com/slash faith. Jim Elliott once wrote, He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
Hi, I'm Rob West. Generous might not be the first word that comes to mind when you think about pro athletes, but Kirk Cousins is rewriting that playbook. The Pro Bowl quarterback in the NFL is using his platform and resources for eternal impact. Today, we'll hear how his faith shapes everything from football to finances. And then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000.
That's 800-525-7,000. This is Faith and Finance: biblical wisdom for your financial journey.
Well, Kirk Cousins has spent 14 seasons throwing touchdown passes in the NFL. But even more significant is how his faith in Christ has shaped every part of his life, from how he plays the game to how he stewards his finances. It all flows from his walk with Jesus. And Kirk, what a treat to have you in the studio today. Oh, it's great to be here.
Thanks for the opportunity. Kirk, I'd love to go back and maybe start with your upbringing. I know you've mentioned before that you were a PK, a pastor's kid, and maybe you start there. How did growing up in a ministry home influence your perspective on faith and finances from an early age? Yeah, my dad really handled the finances, the numbers, if you will.
But I would say my mom was the one who had the spiritual gift of hospitality. And so she really modeled for me generosity. And I remember when I was in middle school and high school, and I'd be going out with friends. My mom would say, Do you need any money? And I would say, no, I'm good.
I think we'll be fine. I got, you know, five, 10 bucks in my wallet. That'll be enough. And she'd hand me two 20s and take these. And so there was just a.
Holding it loosely, that I think I saw in my parents that we had budgets and we were stringent on not overspending for ourselves. But I also felt like my parents were pretty extravagant when it came to being generous towards others. And that was caught, not just taught. And that's probably more important that it's caught than taught. And so I'm grateful that my parents modeled it in a way that I could just observe and then go put into practice myself.
Yeah, absolutely.
Well, modeling is obviously one of the key ways that we learn, even though we understand that kind of our approach to money is often hardwired at those early ages. What mom and dad do has huge implications. And that then allowed you to be grounded as you found yourself as a young athlete with more and more money coming in. Of course, life in the NFL brings plenty of pressure and public attention and often significant wealth. How has that helped you to stay rooted in your faith amidst all of that?
Yes, I remember when I was first drafted, I didn't know how Paychecks worked and how it would all go and the cash flow. I've certainly learned a lot over the last 14 years. But when I was a rookie, I got my first check, which was called a signing bonus, which is a large percentage of your entire contract for four years that is given right up front. And the check was several hundred thousand dollars. And as a college kid who had really only made minimum wage at a local golf course picking up driving range balls, I hadn't really seen a paycheck bigger than maybe three digits at the most.
So I called my dad. I said, Dad, what do I do with a check this large that has six figures before the decimal? And he said, Kirk, I don't know because I've never gotten a check like that either.
So we started kind of this journey of what do we do with that. And certainly it was, you know, great to have a base and to know, you know, certainly you give, you tithe, you know, and you save and you live on the rest. And, um, but I certainly had to practice it from right away, my first check after being drafted. And And then it's been a stewardship journey ever since.
Well, and you know, you look around you and your peers were probably handling it quite differently. I mean, and and it can be challenging, right? When you get a check like that at a young age and just wondering how do I maintain this lifestyle that's expected from me and yet be a faithful steward at the same time. How did you navigate that tension?
Well, I think, you know, first of all, being a professional athlete, you know there's an end game. You know, we have diminishing returns as we get older. And so there is a need to save probably more than someone who's coming into success and they feel like their business is something that is built to last. I think as a professional athlete, you know it isn't built to last. It's built to diminish.
And so we're pretty good with saving. I think the harder part is knowing that when you give it, if you're working a job that is diminishing, it's scary to give it because you're saying, I'm approaching a cliff career-wise that's going to end. What do I do if I'm giving it away? You know, what's next? And I think that's where faith comes in and allowing room for God to show up and to have a plan and to direct your steps.
Well, we're going to unpack that after the break. Kirk will share the journey of generosity he's been on with his wife Julie, how they think about stewardship, and how he's used this incredible platform as an NFL quarterback to bring God glory. This is Faith in Finance. I'm Rob West. NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins in the studio today.
We're talking about his stewardship journey, and we're just getting started. Stick around. I was in ministry full time and I was always looking for a way to integrate my faith with this new industry around money and finances. This is Mark. He is a Certified Kingdom Advisor.
As a CKA, one of the best things I offer my clients is trust in knowing that they're working with a professional that understands their values. And I think in all of the different challenges that clients go through, if we can go back to trusting in God, then He'll make the path straight. You can find an advisor like Mark at findacka.com. Faith in Finance is grateful for support from SoundMind Investing. If you have money in an investment account, you know sometimes the stock market can seem like a roller coaster.
But it's possible to enjoy both profit and peace of mind as a do-it-yourself investor, no matter what's happening in the market. A short video webinar about that is available at soundmindinvesting.org. Financial Wisdom for Living Well.
Soundmindinvesting.org. Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance. With me today, NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins. Kirk's talking to us today about his journey of generosity and the role we each have as stewards of God's resources. Kirk, our goal as stewards is faithfulness with what God has entrusted to us.
And more than anything, it's about our hearts and not just checking the box on a list of money management do's and don'ts, right? Right. No, I don't think that's the abundant life Jesus speaks of. And I've been tempted to do that, to just say, well, God wants me to tithe, he wants me to give. I'll check those boxes.
I'll do that and then I'll be good. That's really not the Christian life, that's religion. And when you read Jesus' parables and he teaches about the man who found treasure in a field, sold all he had, and went and bought the field. Yes. Once you find the treasure, The rest of the decisions are just logical.
Why wouldn't you go sell everything you have and go buy the field if there's a treasure in there that's worth a thousand times more than anything you could be saving? The problem is, we many times are told, hey, there's this treasure here. You should go sell all you have to go get the treasure, but we never really see it as a treasure ourselves.
So we say, okay, I'll go sell what I have. That's what I'm supposed to do. We need to first discover the treasure and see the treasure for what it is: that Jesus has an abundant life for us and He wants us to experience the kingdom of heaven.
So that's the first step. And then the financial decisions really stem from there. But I've often put it in the wrong order where, okay, I'll go make the right financial decisions and then things will align. It's like, well, first go. Find your heart to be in the right place and seek Jesus as the treasure.
And the only logical choice is to have your finances follow that.
Well, and if you get to that place that you're describing, and I completely agree, it is ultimately about surrender, then you can face some of these tensions and struggles around: well, I do have a career that's diminishing. You know, there is a lifespan as an NFL quarterback, and yet I can continue to give generously, even though I feel it and maybe there's some uncertainty around it, because I know God is ultimately my provider. I've kind of enjoyed the moments that require more faith financially because I feel that the pressure goes back on God.
So it's okay, God's provided. And I don't know what's next, but I know if I give or if I put it back into a vehicle that God has to steward and use, the pressure's off of me. Absolutely.
So I can also view it that way, which helps to say, okay, now the ball's back in God's court and he's got to do something with it. In that meantime, while you're waiting to see what God does, it can be a little stressful. But that is a big faith thing for me. And I almost enjoy that challenge. But certainly from a lifestyle standpoint of what is something that God's given us to enjoy, and then what starts to become self-indulgent and excessive.
That's an interesting balance that we all have to walk as Christians. And each person has to discern for themselves and for their family and their relationship with God, what is wise. But I think that's something, that tension will never go away as long as we're here on this earth, feeling like, was this too much? Or am I being too strict? And should I give myself some grace?
I think that's the part that there's no set formula. We just have to walk with God and let the Holy Spirit lead us. I love that. You know, it'd be easy if the Bible said you're to live on 68.2%. Of your income, it's not there, but that's good because it drives you to your knees for you to say, Lord, what would you have me to do?
How have you worked that out? How have you and your wife defined enough? We're still defining it. I do think that God has given us all things to enjoy. And so we want to enjoy what He's given us.
I think it's also important that when you save, you know, I've had this conversation with my brother, with my dad, both of them are in ministry and they're very wise on these topics. I like to bounce ideas off of them along with many other people. At some point, money is a tool. It's a test, it's a testimony. It's those three T's.
But money is a tool such that if it's just being put into a snowball that can just get bigger and bigger and bigger as you invest it, That's not really a tool. That's just becoming a bigger snowball. That's right. I guess to make us feel like we have more control over our lives.
So, while I believe in maybe growing that snowball somewhat, I also believe in growing the snowball for an end game. There has to be an end purpose to growing the snowball. And so, that's where I think we have to check ourselves and say, Am I trying to grow this bigger for a purpose? Yeah, to have an end game, or am I just growing this bigger just so I can have more control and feel better about myself? And I think that again goes back to the heart because we could both be trying to grow our what we steward, but the heart behind growing it could be very different between two people.
Absolutely.
Well, and even more so for a married couple because we have different money personalities. You know, one might be more inclined to hold it a little tighter, they like the security aspect, another might be more inclined to give it away. How have you all found that path forward as a couple? I was advised when I was only in my second year in the pros by a very wise man who had given away a Um Probably nine figures at that time. And I asked him, you know, tell me some things you've learned about your giving journey, because he would tell you there were things I did right, there were things I did wrong.
And one line that just stuck out with me immediately was: he said, Always give in unity with your wife. And I wrote that down because it. Was something I probably would be tempted to not do. I would be tempted to go off and say, Well, disagree, Julie, we're going to do this. And so that always stuck with me.
And it's something when my wife says, I don't feel comfortable with that, or I do feel comfortable with this, I really try to listen and apply that and pray about it. And especially if I disagree, to really think about it and pray about it, because many times. The spousal consent, the support of your wife is another way for the Holy Spirit to speak. And so I try to make sure that if we're giving, especially in more sizable ways, That we're not just on the same page, but that we're really in lockstep as to feeling like this is wise and this is what the Lord is leading us to do. Yeah.
Ron Blue has taught for many years, we need to decide how much is enough for us, how much is enough for the kids, and then what do we do with the rest? How are you handling that with regard to inheritance and the kids? And even going back to your mom and dad, modeling that for your boys? Yeah, we set up a family office a few years ago. And so those conversations became very real as we put together the estate plan and factor in, you know, what are the rules around estate plans and does the government take a certain percentage up to a certain amount and talking through all those conversations.
But We we first of all, our boys are young, and so we want to kind of see how they develop. Is are you know, would it be very wise to give them a lot of assets? It very well may be, and in that sense, we want to plan accordingly. If heaven forbid One of them, it would not be wise to do that. We also want our plan to basically say, We would love to give it to you, but that would not be wise.
It's not being stewarded properly.
So, in the years ahead, as we raise them, we certainly need to invest in them. But our hope and prayer is that we look around and we say, there's no wiser place to put this money in the hands of someone than of our own kids. That's really the goal as a parent, is that we would get the end of our lives and say, we don't want it to go into anybody's hands but theirs because of how wise we feel they are and how well they'll steward it. Um but then certainly, you know, we want to give heavily to our foundation when we pass. And I think our boys will have will have enough to to you know do what they want to do in life as far as their giving and their kingdom impact.
and whatever's left we'd love to give to our foundation and then have that. not only be given to kingdom work, but also probably go to zero shortly after our death.
So it doesn't live on in perpetuity and reach intentions we never had for it. I love it. But I think you're prioritizing passing wisdom before wealth, and that's the key. We've got just a minute left. In terms of what to do with the rest, you mentioned your foundation.
What's something you and Julie are most excited about giving to right now? I went to a Christian high school and I was a public school kid all the way through sixth grade and then went to a public school for college.
So I kind of had this public school education that sandwiched the middle being Christian education from seventh grade to twelfth grade and it had a very profound impact on my life. And so my high school Holland Christian is one that just has always tugged at my heart since the day I was drafted into pro sports and it's only grown and I desire over the long haul to really continue to support. My high school to support Christian education. To really give teachers the resources they need to try to make it affordable to go to Christian schools. And so that's a passion of mine.
I love it. Well, Kirk, this has been a treat. I'd love to have you back sometime. We've just scratched the surface, but really grateful for your time today. Thank you.
That's Kirk Cousins, husband, father, NFL quarterback, and a faithful steward. And if you'd like to join us in helping more families grow as faithful stewards, now's a great time. Every gift made before December 31st will be doubled through a generous matching opportunity. You can become a FaithFi partner or give at faithfy.com/slash give. As the leading advocate for the Christian financial industry, Kingdom Advisors serves the public by promoting the integration of a biblical worldview across every aspect of the financial services industry.
And we serve a growing network of thousands of Christian financial professionals, equipping and empowering them to carry biblical financial wisdom to their clients, peers, and community. For more information, visit kingdomadvisors.com. That's kingdomadvisors.com. We're grateful for support from Guidestone, whose diversified suite of investment solutions align with Christian values to create positive change in the world. More information is available at guidestonefunds.com slash faith.
Investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal. Carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of Guidestone Funds before investing. They're distributed by Four Side Funds Distributors LLC, which is not an advisory affiliate, a registered investment advisor, nor do they provide investment advice. Thanks for joining us today on Faith and Finance. If you have a question, something going on in your financial life, you'd like to talk about it, we'd love to hear from you today.
The calls are coming in, but we've still got room at the moment.
So call right now, 800-525-7,000. That's 800-525-7,000. All right, let's begin today in New York. Bernadette, thank you for calling. Go ahead.
Hi, Rob. Hi there. How can I help you?
Okay, so I have a little bit of a windfall coming in. And I don't know if I would call it a windfall. I worked very hard for it, but I'm selling my current business.
Okay. And it looks like when I walk away from the debt that I owe on the business and the taxes. That I'll probably have maybe two million or two point five million dollars, which is a little overwhelming and astonishing. And I feel very blessed and grateful that the Lord has been so kind to me. I'm just beside myself.
I've never seen that kind of money in my life. I've always worked so hard. I do have some questions about how to invest that money safely because I'm risk averse. What kind of cash I might need to keep on hand. And of course, my third question about tithing.
Yes, very good. Excellent.
Well, Bernadette, obviously the Lord is entrusting you with a significant amount of his resources. It all belongs to him. He's entrusting it to you to be his household manager. That's how we translate the word steward or economist that we see in the New Testament.
So we recognize the starting point is we own nothing. This is not your $2 million. Everything I have is not mine. It belongs to God. And yet you have, it's not intended to diminish.
your role in this because it's a high calling that you have been entrusted this to manage.
Now, that shouldn't be something we are fearful about because we have plenty of insight from God's word in terms of how we should think about it. And the Bible is very clear we should seek wise counsel. And that's ultimately where I'm going to point you at the end of our time together today is a certified kingdom advisor. When you go to find ACKA.com, these are men and women who have attained the only financial services industry designation for. Those that have met a high bar in training and experience and pastor reference and client reference and a regulatory review and a code of ethics and a statement of faith.
I mean, there is a lot of hoops to jump through, but then you know that this is somebody who I can then trust. And, you know, I would encourage you to interview two or three certified kingdom advisors there in New York, find the one that's the best fit who can come alongside you, encourage you, help you think through how to manage this money as a steward, not based on the advisor's goals and objectives or risk tolerance, but based on yours. Because as you started today, you said I'm risk averse. And that's a good thing to know for this advisor so that you and the advisor can build a plan that says, okay, how do we take what God has entrusted to us, not be fearful? We don't want to be like the manager that was entrusted in the parable of the talents, the servant who was entrusted with some that he buried.
Because perhaps he was fearful of his master. But by trusting his master, we want to be like those servants that put it to work and saw a return on it, realizing that it's not ours. In the case of the parable of the talents, it wasn't the servants anyway. They knew it belonged to the master, so they could take appropriate care with it, but also put it to work and trust that God will continue to provide. And I think part of that means defining what is the right investment strategy for you.
Now, that could skew, because you perhaps have all that you need, maybe even more than you need, that could skew very conservative.
So that could look like things like CDs, it could look like treasury bonds. But I would say it's probably appropriate to have a portion of that in stocks because, you know, one of the risks, if you will, from a purely just an economic standpoint is you have inflation risk.
So, for instance, if you were to put all this just in CDs or savings accounts, that may not keep up with the rising cost of living. especially over a twenty or thirty year retirement. You have what's called reinvestment risk.
So rates today might not hold. And when these C Ds mature, the returns could drop sharply. You also have what's called longevity risk. If the Lord has still quite a bit of time planned for you here before he calls you home and you live a long life, then you need the growth of this money so that the money lasts. But there's a way to do that that I think is safe and smart, that ultimately is depending on the Lord.
And so perhaps one approach is to say, okay, bucket number one is my liquidity and my stability. I'm going to have somewhere between one and three years worth of expenses and high yield savings and short-term CDs and treasuries. And then bucket two is for income generation, where I'm looking out five to 10 years and that might be high quality bonds or a laddered CD. And then bucket three maybe is your long-term inflation protection. And that's where you have conservative, diversified stock exposure.
But give me your thoughts on all that. I think that's great information, things I hadn't even thought about. And I'm very grateful for making this phone call because I really had no idea where to go. I literally was going to squirrel it away in a CD. But now that you talk about long term inflation, You know, that's a really good point.
Also, the short term Having cash on hand and just knowing that the wise way to move forward would be to put it in three different buckets and get some good advice on that. I am averse to some of this, but knowing that there's some kingdom advisors, that changes the whole. Picture for me, you know, just take some of the fear out of this because that's the first thing that sneaks in. The enemy wants. us to be afraid.
And I'm a double down on my prayer life. For this, and I appreciate your feedback.
So, thank you.
Well, those who are faithful in a little are entrusted and are to be faithful in much, and God has seen fit to entrust you with much. And he knows what he's doing. And I love that you are going to lead with prayer. I love that you're going to seek wise counsel. I love that you want to get this right and that you want to be faithful in managing God's resources.
And I'm glad I could give you just some nuggets of things to consider today. And I think your next step, you know, perhaps is to go to findacka.com. And one of the things you can do there is hear from, just in some short 60-second clips, you'll hear from some of the CKAs on that webpage as they talk about what's different in the advice that comes from a certified kingdom advisor. You know, what does it mean to be a Christian financial advisor versus an advisor who's just a Christian? And how do they define success for their clients?
And, you know, what are those differentiators? You'll hear a little bit of that on that website. But then the other big thing you'll be able to do is actually do a search in your zip code and find the CKAs that are near you. And, you know, I think once you do, you will. Be able to find a trusted partner.
Let's do this. I'm gonna have my team get your information. I wanna send you a couple of things, and I'd love to just connect with you and send you a few things that I think will be an encouragement to you. And so, if you'll stay on the line, Bernadette, our team will get your information, and I'll get some things right out to you, okay? Thank you so much.
All right. Hold the line. Lord bless you.
Well, folks, that's going to do it for us today. Big thanks to my team today, the amazing Josh, Omar, Taylor, and Tahira, plus everybody here at Faith Phi. Listen, if you love the program, one of the things you could do to help us reach more people as a listener supported ministry is become a Faith Phi partner when you support us at $35 a month or $400 a year. We'll send you great resources. Learn more at faithfy.com/slash partner.
We'll see you tomorrow. Faith in Finance is provided by FaithFi and listeners like you.
