Everything in this world fades, possessions, accomplishments, even financial security. But scripture reminds us that true riches never fade. In my 21-day devotional, Our Ultimate Treasure, I want to help you reorient your heart from what's temporary to what's eternal. Through daily scripture, reflection, and practical application, you'll explore what it means to steward God's resources with wisdom, generosity, and trust so your financial life reflects what you truly believe. Whether you're just beginning your stewardship journey or longing for deeper alignment between your faith and finances, my hope is that this devotional gives you a clear, hope-filled path towards seeing God as your ultimate treasure.
You can get your copy or place a bulk order for your church or small group at faithfi.com slash shop. That's faithfi.com and click shop. What if generosity isn't something God wants from you, but something He wants for you? Hi, I'm Rob West. Many people approach generosity with hesitation, wondering if it will lead to pressure, obligation, or another financial ask.
But biblical generosity is an invitation into joy, freedom, and deeper fellowship with God's heart. Tod Harper joins us today to explain, and then we'll take your phone calls at 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. This is Faith in Finance, biblical wisdom for your financial journey.
Well, Todd Harper is a good friend, and we're delighted to have him here. He's co-founder of Generous Giving and has spent more than two decades helping people discover the joy and freedom of biblical generosity, including through Generous Giving's Journey of Generosity experience. Todd, great to have you here. Great to be here, Rob. Todd, for listeners who may not be familiar, tell us what a journey of generosity or a jog is and why its message is relevant for every follower of Christ.
Yeah, well there's no jogging at a jog, so we'll dispel that notion. That's good. But a journey of generosity is a one or two day conversational experience where people explore together the biblical truth that it really is more blessed to give than to receive.
So it includes a bit of teaching, mostly stories and discussion. and reflection in this kind of unique pressure-free environment because most of the time when people are being challenged to be more generous. They're being asked. Yeah. And in this environment, we've removed that dynamic.
We never ask for money at any of our experiences. And so it's kind of we create this unique environment where Really, we help people discover the joy and freedom that comes from generosity. Yeah, I love that. Let's press into that just for a moment because it's a refreshing approach. Many people assume that any conversation about giving and generosity will eventually lead to an ask.
So, what does that look like to create an environment where it truly is pressure-free?
Well, we have to say it over and over, and I think there's still some skepticism. You know, people are like, come on, where's the catch? But we've been doing this now for 25 years, and I think have really created a reputation. of no strings attached conversations about generosity. And that helps people relax.
And I think. engage more authentically with this topic instead of having kind of walls built up around people's agenda Um And we get to focus on God's word and Really, these stories of real life people living radically other-centered lives. And I think it just becomes. over the course of the experience, really attractive Yeah, I think I think s many times as you introed this show, there there are these People think of giving as something that they have to do or ought to do or as an obligation. And I think what this experience does, maybe more than anything, is flip a switch for people from ought to.
to get to. from obligation. to opportunity or from giving grudgingly. To giving joyfully. And I'll tell you that that never gets old, getting to.
sit in the room and watch that happen for people. Yeah. Well, I've experienced it personally, and I can absolutely affirm everything you're saying here. Todd, we've only got about forty five seconds left. For someone listening today who loves what they're hearing, but they're maybe still a little hesitant.
What would you want them to know? I just think that God wants something good for people. You know, I was facilitating one of these experiences just this weekend, and one of the participants who's been walking with the Lord for forty years said, Man, this experience has changed my perspective. About generosity, and it makes me want to lean in. And so, I would say, explore this opportunity to engage in this kind of a conversation.
Well, I'm so excited to introduce our listeners to it. Folks, you absolutely need to check out A Journey of Generosity, this one or two day experience designed to help you think more deeply about biblical generosity and faithful stewardship. Just go to generousgiving.org to learn all you need to know. That's generousgiving.org. Todd, thanks for your time, my friend.
My pleasure. Back with your calls after this: 800-525-7000. Stick around. 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 Forside Funds Distributors LLC, which is not an advisory affiliate, a registered investment advisor, nor do they provide investment advice. Are you feeling overwhelmed by credit card debt? As followers of Christ, we are called to be good stewards of what God has given us.
That's why our trusted partner, Christian Credit Counselors, is here to help. Their debt management program can help you pay off your debt 80% faster while honoring your commitments in full. Take the first step toward financial freedom today. Visit faithby.com slash CCC or call 800-557-1985. Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance.
We've got a few lines open. You can call right now with your financial questions: 800-525-7000. All right, let's begin today in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Hi, Mary. Go right ahead.
Hey, thanks Rob for taking my call. Your show blesses me beyond measure. I have a question around the settlement of my mom's estate. And I was wondering if it is kind of divided into two pieces. Like the bulk of it was up in Ohio and it's all settled, and she didn't have any real property or anything like that.
So what I'm talking about right now is another piece of it, a small uh pension. And so that's the last piece that's needing to be settled. And it's supposed to be going through probate, right, for some reason because she passed in a different state. Anyways, my question is around The paperwork, I've gotten paperwork from the attorney that was hired in the state where it's going through probate.
So she's working for my mom, essentially. Um, and um, I got paperwork from him that was appears to be asking me to, um. to forfeit my right or to um how do they say it, to you know, to it was a waiver, essentially, um, forfeiting my right to uh an audit of her estate. And I thought, is that normal? Do they do that a lot?
And why would I why would I want to sign and particularly in this case, since there was a little financial misbehavior involved, with her estate historically.
So that's kind of my first question. And then my second question is kind of a Part B is like I feel like I need to find an attorney To you know, kind of kind of navigate the attorneys. And is that Because, I mean, don't they have like a don't you sit down at a conference table and everybody reads the will and you know, with an attorney present and you kind of get Kind of get it out on the table, so to speak. Sure.
So those are kind of A and B of my question. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's helpful, Mary. And I can understand why you're just trying to think through all of this because you certainly don't want to make a misstep here on this.
Do you know the personal representative or executor who's named in the will to handle all of this?
Okay. Thank you. All right. That doesn't sound like a good thing necessarily, but all right. Yeah, very good.
And let me just say, I'll give you kind of a part A and a part B to my answer. Part A is: I'm not an attorney. And so, to the extent you have legal questions, I would always direct you back to an attorney. And at the end of the day, if you're concerned about how this is handled, yeah, having an estate attorney represent you as a part of this process, or at least as a sounding board, is never a bad idea.
Now, generally speaking, is a waiver of accounting a standard procedure? It certainly can be for a fairly simple situation. The reason you would do it is it eliminates the need for an extensive and expensive, when that's the key, accounting process by the personal representative or executor.
So it makes sense as long as the personal representative. Has provided comprehensive information about the accounting, you know, when the estate is administered. And therefore, a final accounting may not be necessary if all the information has been provided. And that's where it does, in a fairly simple cut-and-dry situation, become somewhat routine from the personal representative.
Now, if you have concerns over the finances of the estate, you don't feel like you've been given all the information, or you feel like there's some question, then I would say this is probably the situation where you do not decline or you decline the waiver, I should say, so that that final full accounting can be done. And even though that may result in a smaller estate to the extent that that's going to have to be then paid for, that would give you some peace of mind that at least you know things have been handled properly, and that may be a very worthwhile expense. For you, given what you're alluding to, and I don't need to know the details of what may or may not have taken place. Does that make sense? Right, Ellen.
Yes, it does.
So, is there a great resource you can point me to quickly for a good Christian like attorney? Yeah, what I would say is I would probably reach out to a certified kingdom advisor there in your area and ask for a referral to an estate attorney. That's what you want, an estate attorney who understands your worldview, a godly person who could represent you and answer your questions to look out for your interests.
So, go to faithfi.com, click find a CKA or find a professional, and any one of those certified kingdom advisors, Mary, can refer you to a godly estate attorney, either in your area or the area where the estate's being settled. Thanks for your call. New Jersey is where we're going next. Ty Allison, go right ahead. Hi, how are you?
Doing great, thanks for your call.
So, my question, or while looking for some advice on a situation that I'm going through. Um, recently I was scammed. I was looking online, like through Indeed, things like that, looking for a way to get some extra income working remotely from home. And I don't know if that's where they contacted me from or where they got my information from, but I was contacted. from a company.
They're pretty popular, known as Timu, which is a clothing company. They said that they were part of them and that what I would do is use their platform. I would have three tasks a day, which each task was just to make sure that there were 30 items they would show me, and all items had to have five stars, basically, so that they get seen more. Because the more stars they have, the more frequently it would get viewed. And I would make a small commission off of that.
Okay, fine. That was pretty simple, pretty straightforward. And then they told me that I would. Occasionally, I encounter a combination order and how wonderful that would be because you would make a bigger commission off of that. But what they didn't tell me is that.
If you hit a combination order, it would zero out your account balance on their platform and you would have to replenish it. Mm.
So the first time I did it, okay, fine, that went fine. But then I got hit with four of these combination orders. to the point where I was ten thousand in the hole. And they kept assuring me, oh, don't worry, your money's safe. As soon as you log in, it's your last order.
You just submit it and you can withdraw your funds.
Okay, fine. So I believe them. And Because I did it, there were so many bonuses and all this other stuff.
So it looked like my platform account on their end had like. I don't know, $25,000 in it or something crazy.
So I went to go withdraw it and it wouldn't let me withdraw the funds.
So I asked them and they're like, Oh, let's let's take a look. And they're like, Oh, your points went down. And I said, Well, you've never told me anything about points. What are you talking about? And they're like, Yeah, you have to have a hundred points on your account in order to withdraw the funds.
So I was short 30 points. I said, okay, well, how do I get the points back? And they basically told me you would have to buy those points at $1,000 a pop.
So basically, they were holding my money ransom for $30,000. Yeah. Yeah, this is obviously not good. I mean, there's so many of these employment scams out there, some that are just purely scams and fraud, other, you know, guised as work-from-home opportunities, others where there's complicated structures that kind of trick you into, quote, legitimate business, and then you just find out as you get into it, it ends up costing you more than anything else. I would report this to the Federal Trade Commission, Allison, at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
That's reportfraud.ftc.gov and get them to look into it. Let's talk a bit more off the air. We'll take a quick break and be back with more after this. Stay with us. Have you ever started a budget only to watch it fall apart a few weeks later?
You're not alone. The FaithFi app is the leading Christian budgeting app. Combining smart budgeting tools, automated budgeting, and personalized insights with daily rhythms of scripture, short devotionals, and guided reflection. Manage God's money God's way. Start your free 30-day trial today to lock in 25% savings for a limited time at faithfy.com slash app.
Faith in Finance is grateful for support from Sound Mind 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 and financial wisdom for living well.
Soundmindinvesting.org. Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance. We've got lots of calls here waiting, but still three lines remaining.
So, if you've got a question, we'll get to as many as we can today. Call right now, 800-525-7000. Let's head to Oklahoma. James, go ahead, sir. Hi, Rob.
Wanted to ask about charitable gift annuities. I'm single, and the ones that I have gotten information. about thus far have been Only that you're able to connect your spouse to it. And I was wondering if there are any out there that you can connect family members or friends. And I'm looking for a ten thousand dollar amount So do you have any advice on Looking for that.
Yeah, yeah, good question.
So, a charitable gift annuity can be a really fabulous tool. You absolutely do not have to be married. They can be set up for a single individual. In fact, that's the most common. Yes, you can do them for two people, but single is most typical and it's completely fine.
Can you do it for 10,000? It just totally depends on the charity.
Now, many charities have minimums of 5,000 to 10,000. And so, 10,000 is enough. You just need to find the right organization that aligns with your specific criteria and the amount you're looking to get the CGA for. And then, obviously, one that you would be excited about leaving whatever is remaining at your death.
So, you certainly can do that. My team could get your information and I could direct you accordingly. But, you know, this is going to give you a contract with a charity. You give them the money. They pay you a fixed income for life.
Get a partial tax deduction up front. And then, when you pass away, the remaining amount goes to the charity.
So, you certainly can do it. And I think it's just a matter of finding the right charity at this point. Yeah, I'm I'm mostly interested in being able to connect another person to that family member or Uh oh, as a second person as well.
Okay. In terms of receiving the income, or what are you thinking there? Yeah, I would receive the income as I understand it until I pass and then the second person. would then receive income until they pass. Yeah.
Yes. What you're thinking of is a two-life charitable gift annuity, and it's absolutely possible.
So instead of just one person, you set it up for two people. It doesn't have to be a spouse. Payments go to person one, which would be you, the primary annuitant, and then continue to person two after the first passes. And income continues until the second person dies.
So it could be a sibling, a child, a friend, no marriage requirement. You would get a lower payout rate because they're paying for two lifetimes, not just one.
So it'll be a lower amount than a single-life CGA. And the minimum amount could be higher. But, you know, I think. you still very well could find one. I will say for a two-life CGA, often it's 20 to 25,000.
But again, it still could work. You just need to do your due diligence.
Okay. Appreciate that help. All right. Thanks for your call today. We appreciate you very much.
If you want to stay on the line, our team will get your information and I can give you a couple of options to check with. Let's go to Michigan. Hilda, how can I help? Hi, Rob. Thanks for taking my call.
My husband and I recently were introduced to the Starfish program. Wondering if you're familiar with that and what your thoughts are on that. Hmm yeah. In terms of, I've heard a little bit about it. I can't say that I know a ton, but essentially, you know, what I'm aware of is that this is something you need to stay really far from.
And essentially, it can sound appealing because they promise instant cash back, but they typically charge, if I'm thinking about the right thing, an annual membership fee, meaning you start in the hole.
So basically, you load money into the app. At checkout, you buy a gift card instantly. You use that gift card to pay and you get cash back, what are referred to as perks, credited to your account. It sounds appealing because you get cash back on everyday spending, and you can kind of stack the savings on other reward programs and encourage us paying with quote a cash-like. Fund option.
The trade-off is it adds friction to the spending because you've got to load the money ahead of time. You got to buy the gift cards at checkout, so it's not seamless like a normal card. You're pre-funding purchases, so your money sits in their system, not in your bank.
So that introduces liquidity and access risk. And then there's this point I mentioned a moment ago, and that is they often required a paid membership, which could run you $60 a year or more.
So you need to be able to justify the cost. And I think, just from that standpoint, you know, it introduces a lot of complexity. And I would just ask, is it really worth it? I think the other thing is, you know, is it driving overspending? Because if you're saving, quote, 5% on spending you didn't need, at the end of the day, you're spending more just to earn rewards.
So you've got to be really disciplined with your spending and you've got to be willing to deal with the extra steps. Does that all make sense, though? Yes, it does.
And we were kind of reluctant about it anyway, because you're right. There is a membership fee of $139 to get in, and then it's $60 a month, which they're very vague about explaining that when they explain the program to you.
Well, just based on hearing that, I would run for the hills on that one. Yeah, that's not going to make sense at all. That's just way too much in the way of fees for a minimal benefit. And again, it might end up driving spending that you wouldn't otherwise do, which we don't want.
So let's keep it simple. If you're disciplined, get a cashback rewards card, you know, like the Wells Fargo card or one of the others that's 2% on every purchase. Pay it in full every month. Only use it for budgeted items. And I'd feel a lot better about that.
Hilda, thanks for your call today. God bless you. Let's go to Chattanooga. Hi, Christy. Go right ahead.
Yeah, hi, I hope you can clarify something for me.
Someone told me that I can collect on my husband's social security. I am 68. He's 61 working. And my benefits are really low. I was a stay-at-home mom, didn't have a lot of work.
experience out of the home.
So is that true?
Well, you can get up to 50% of your husband's benefit by claiming spousal benefits, but He must already be taking benefits for you to be eligible.
So, if you think about this in terms of, you know, one of our go-to guys on this explains it: like, he's gotta walk through the door before you can. And so, you're not eligible until he begins taking benefits.
So we both would be getting benefits at the same time? Yes. Uh-huh.
So he starts taking benefits on his record. And then once he does, that makes you eligible for benefits as a spouse. But the benefits, the max you can get is 50% of his, and that's only if you're full retirement age. If you're under that, then you're going to be reduced below 50%. But yes, you would be collecting your spousal benefit, he would be collecting his full retirement benefit, and you would get both of them.
And the amount depends on your age at which you begin taking it. I hope that helps. Thanks, Christy. Thanks to Devin, Sandy, Taylor, and everybody here at FaithFi. We'll see you next time.
Bye-bye. Faith in Finance is provided by FaithFi and listeners like you.
