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How Big Are Your Barns?

Faith And Finance / Rob West
The Truth Network Radio
December 20, 2024 3:00 am

How Big Are Your Barns?

Faith And Finance / Rob West

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December 20, 2024 3:00 am

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is found in Luke 12:16-21, the Parable of the Rich Fool. While most of us don’t have barns today, Jesus’ warning about storing up earthly treasures is just as relevant now as it was then. So, what does it mean to be “rich toward God,” and why does it matter? Let’s dive into this powerful lesson.

The parable begins with a wealthy man who has a problem many might envy—his land has produced so much that his barns aren’t big enough to store it all. His solution? Tear down the old barns and build bigger ones. He says to himself, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry” (Luke 12:19).

At first glance, this sounds practical, even responsible. But Jesus reveals the man’s tragic mistake. God calls him a “fool” because his life will end that very night, and all his possessions will be left behind. Jesus concludes with a warning: “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).

What Does It Mean to Be Rich Toward God?

“Rich toward God” is a striking phrase, and while Scripture doesn’t define it explicitly, we can infer its meaning through contrast. The Rich Fool’s mistake wasn’t his wealth but his heart. He prioritized his possessions over God, finding his security and satisfaction in material abundance rather than in his Creator.

Being rich toward God means:

  1. Acknowledge God as Your Source – Recognize that all you have belongs to Him.
  2. Treasure God Above All – Count Him as your greatest riches, above money or possessions.
  3. Use Wealth for God’s Glory – Invest in His Kingdom by giving generously to those in need.

Had the Rich Fool done this, his wealth could have been a tool for eternal good instead of a trap for his soul.

The story of the Rich Fool reminds me of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Like the Rich Fool, Ebenezer Scrooge was consumed by wealth and self-interest. But Scrooge was given a second chance to change—and so are we.

Jesus teaches that the way we use money is evidence of our faith. While works don’t save us, they reflect our relationship with God. Holding onto wealth for ourselves reveals a heart that treasures possessions more than the Giver of all good things.

Money as a Tool, Not a Treasure

It’s important to note that money itself isn’t bad. It’s a powerful tool that can be used for good or bad, depending on how we handle it.

The danger lies in letting money take God’s place in our hearts. As Jesus warns in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The Rich Fool’s failure wasn’t his wealth but his attitude. Instead of viewing his abundance as a gift from God, he saw it as an opportunity for personal indulgence.

Imagine if the Rich Fool had responded differently. What if, instead of building bigger barns, he prayed, “God, this is all Yours. You have made my fields prosper. Show me how to use this blessing to glorify You and help others”?

He might have used his wealth to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, or support God’s work. He could have shared in the joy of giving and discovered that, as Jesus said in Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Lessons for Us Today

The Parable of the Rich Fool is a sobering reminder to examine our own hearts. Are we building bigger barns, accumulating wealth for our own comfort? Or are we using God’s blessings to invest in eternal treasures?

Here’s how we can strive to be rich toward God:

  1. Trust in God’s Provision – Avoid placing your security in money.
  2. Give Generously – Use your resources to bless others and advance God’s Kingdom.
  3. Focus on Eternity – Remember that worldly wealth is temporary, but treasures in heaven last forever.

The Rich Fool learned his lesson too late, but we don’t have to. Let’s choose today to prioritize God over possessions and live as wise stewards of His blessings.

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Let’s not just hear those words—let’s live them.

Rich Toward God: FaithFi's Study on the Parable of the Rich Fool

If you’d like to combat pride in your life and grow closer to the Lord, purchase our study guide entitled Rich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich Fool. With the Lord's guidance, FaithFi created it to expand our understanding of His amazing love for us and what it means to follow him with all our hearts. Get a copy for personal study or for everyone in your Bible study group to experience it together. 

Go to FaithFi.com/RTG to learn more!

On Today’s Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:
  • I'm 35 years old, married but without kids, and have no significant assets. Is it still necessary for me to set up a will? And if so, what would I need to do to go about that?
  • I'm considering retiring at 65, even though my full retirement age for Social Security is 67. If I wait to claim Social Security until I am 67, will my benefit amount continue to grow during the two years I'm not working, or will my lack of income negatively impact the benefit?
  • I have a pretty nice house and a paid-off car, but I need to set up a will and a trust. I don't know where to start. Can you recommend a company or resource that provides godly estate planning services?
  • I have just over $50,000 in a CD that recently matured, and I want to move it somewhere where I have easier access to the funds. Should I look into a high-yield savings account? When I look at the options on Bankrate, I'm unsure how to decide which bank to go with. What should I be considering?
  • I've heard you mention a company when discussing reverse mortgages with other callers. You usually say that would be the one you prefer or advise checking with. What was the name of that company again?
  • With the recent political changes, I wonder about the outlook for T-bills versus CDs as we head into 2025. How do you see the rates and performance of these short-term investments, and how will they compare in the near future?
Resources Mentioned:

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community and give as we expand our outreach.

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Through FaithFi's biblically based tools and resources, we're helping millions of Christians navigate their financial lives each week so that they can see God as their ultimate treasure. As we look ahead to the new year, we at FaithFi want to invite you to partner with us as we seek to continue equipping more good and faithful financial stewards for God's kingdom. Every donation made to FaithFi between now and the end of the year will be doubled up to $150,000 through a generous matching gift opportunity. This means your donation will have twice the impact in helping us reach more Christians with biblical financial wisdom.

You can make your year-end gift by visiting faithfi.com, that's faithfi.com, and clicking Give, that's faithfi.com slash give. Now, let's jump into the podcast. One of my favorite passages is in Luke 12, the parable of the rich fool. Do we still need to be concerned about the size of our barns today? I am Rob West.

Actually, yes. Not many of us have barns these days, so we'll just use barns as a metaphor. Jesus' message in that parable is every bit as important for us today. I'll talk about that first, then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000.

That's 800-525-7000. This is faith and finance, biblical wisdom for your financial journey. Okay, so let's look at the first part of the parable, Luke 12, 16-19. That's where Jesus says, The land of a rich man produced plentifully. And he thought to himself, What shall I do? For I have nowhere to store my crops.

And he said, I will do this. I will tear down my barns and build larger ones. And there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, You have ample goods laid up for many years.

Relax, eat, drink, and be merry. Now, a lot of people might read that and think, Hey, that sounds like a solid practical solution. You've got too much stuff coming in. Your barns aren't big enough.

You need bigger barns. What's wrong with that? Well, the rich man finds out what's wrong in the next two verses. They read, But God said to him, Fool, this night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

If that theme sounds familiar to you, there's a good reason. Charles Dickens no doubt borrowed it when he wrote A Christmas Carol. Of course, there, Ebenezer Scrooge takes on the role of the rich fool, obsessed with money and possessions. But unlike the rich fool, old Ebenezer gets a second chance.

And so do we. Our second chance starts with understanding what rich toward God means. It's an unusual phrase, and God's word doesn't elaborate on it, but we can get an idea of its meaning by contrast. It's the opposite of building bigger barns or laying up earthly treasure for yourself. Being rich toward God is acknowledging that we're made for him, not our own pleasure or possessions, that our abundance is in God, not our bank accounts. Rich toward God means counting him as greater riches than anything on earth. And it means using earthly riches to show how much we value God.

How do we do that? By giving generously to his kingdom. Had the rich fool done that, he might have heard these words from Matthew 25, Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me.

I was in prison, and you came to me. As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. But the rich fool did none of that. He thought only of himself, and when he died, he left his earthly treasure behind. Now, Jesus is not saying that our works save us, but he is saying our actions are evidence of our faith.

This isn't about earning salvation, but showing how our faith should be lived out. Jesus is teaching that money and possessions are dangerous because they can lure us out of love for God and keep us from treasuring him. Because of that, some might think that money is bad, but it's not.

It's really a powerful tool that can be used for good or bad. While the proper use of money can store up treasures in heaven for you, the improper use of money can be hazardous to your spiritual health, as it was in the case of the rich fool. The problem wasn't that he became rich. The rich are no less godly than the poor. The problem was that the rich fool ceased to view God as his supreme treasure. If God had been his treasure, what would he have done differently? Well, instead of saying, soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years, relax, eat, drink, and be merry, he might have said something like this, God, this is all yours. You have made my fields prosper. Show me how to express with my riches that you are my treasure and that riches are not.

I already have enough. I don't need more luxury and leisure. Then he might have gone on to say, I do indeed want to make merry, but not with self-indulgent peers. I want to share your blessings and make merry with the people who have been helped by my generosity.

I want the fullest blessing of giving while giving all glory to you. Had he said that, the rich man wouldn't have been a fool at all. He would have been a very wise man who was rich toward God. He would have discovered that as Jesus is quoted in Acts 20, 35, it is more blessed to give than to receive. The rich fool learned that the hard way, but we don't have to.

We can learn from his mistake and strive to be rich toward God. All right, your calls are next at 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. Membership eligibility required. Each account is insured up to $250,000.

This institution is not federally insured. Are you a financial advisor or CPA seeking to build your practice on biblical wisdom? Not only does the Certified Kingdom Advisor Education provide you with deep biblical insights, the CKA designation sets you apart. Each year, almost 50,000 people search for a Christian financial advisor. Join our community and share your expertise with clients looking for someone who shares their faith and values.

Find more information at kingdomadvisors.com slash get certified. I'm so glad you joined us today on Faith and Finance. Whatever your questions are today, anything in your financial life, we've got lines open. You can call right now 800-525-7000.

That's 800-525-7000. Our team is standing by. All right, let's dive in. We'll begin in Albuquerque today. Hi, Dean, go ahead.

Hey there, Rob. I'm 35 years old. I'm married, but I don't have kids. And I also don't have any assets. Is it necessary for me to set up a will? And if so, what would I do to go about that?

Yeah, it is. Now, this may be that situation where, and generally I don't recommend this, but if your situation is fairly simple, I would say you could consider an online app that would help you set up just a basic will and make sure it's one of the more reliable ones that have a good reputation. I'd read some reviews before you make that decision. But, you know, you're going to want to make sure that it takes into account, of course, the laws of your state because it does vary. And while you're doing that, whether it's online or with an attorney, and just my general default is to use an attorney because these things are important, it would be a good time for you to take care of some other things, namely a living will, which is different than a last will and testament. The living will is how you determine end-of-life decisions that you want made on your behalf so you can make those in advance. Second, a healthcare surrogate, someone to act on your behalf if you're incapacitated with regard to healthcare decisions. A durable power of attorney is another one.

That's the person that will act on your behalf with regard to legal and financial matters if you're incapacitated. And then if you're doing those, kind of throwing that last will and testament in is something that could be done at the same time just to kind of put that whole package together. One of the primary things about a will is a guardian that's named for minor children. But to your point, you don't have any kids, so that wouldn't be necessary. So really the main purpose of the will, even for a very simple estate, is to insure your assets. And I realize you say I don't have a whole lot, but you do have some assets.

We all do. It gets to the place you want them to go, and so the state, the court, is not making that decision for you. So what are some of those categories? Well, that's real property, homes, land, any business ownership.

Now you may say, well, I don't have those, all right? Personal property, vehicles, jewelry, furniture, clothing, household items, we all have those. Financial assets. Now let me say one caveat here, and that is with typical financial accounts, you can and would be recommended to name a beneficiary as attached to the account. So your 401k or your checking or savings account, other investment accounts, you'd name a beneficiary or beneficiaries. And by doing so, that's going to ensure that those go right to whoever you want to receive them outside of your will. So those wouldn't apply if you have the beneficiary in place. And then finally, for a will, you've also got digital assets as well. A lot of people may not think about that.

And beyond that, you've got email and social media accounts, you might have cloud storage, maybe even some domain names. A will can specify what to do with those assets. So I think for that reason, even someone who says, like yourself, my situation's fairly simple, I'm single, I don't have a whole lot in the way of assets, I think that still makes the case for having a will. Does that make sense? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. The big idea here is we want you to be able to decide who gets what out of all those things I just mentioned, and not somebody making that on your behalf. And having those other things in place, because again, if you're incapacitated from a health standpoint, you want somebody to be able to easily act on your behalf, you want to name that person in advance, they need to have the proper authority to do that.

And then that living will, we don't want to think about that, but we do need to make those decisions about what would end-of-life decisions look like that meet your wishes, and all that can be taken care of at the same time. Hope that helps. Thanks for your call, Dean. We appreciate you being on the program. Cleveland, Ohio is where we're headed next. Hi, Kathy, go ahead.

Hi, thank you. So I'm considering retiring at 65, even though my retirement age is not until 67 for the full Social Security. And I've heard you talk about, the longer you wait, the more the check would be, and how it increases 8% per year. So if I would consider living two years off of my 401 and not touch my Social Security, or not register for Social Security, I guess, would it continue to grow even though I'm not working?

Or is my income what's dependent on it growing? So at a minimum, you need 10 years or 40 credits to be eligible for benefits. And then your benefits are based on your highest 35 years of earnings. But if you've worked throughout your life, and you haven't had a job where you didn't pay Social Security, and so, you know, throughout your working life, you were paying FICA taxes, then you've already got your high 35 in place. So if you stop working, there's no penalty. And in fact, you're correct. If between 65 and 67, you don't claim the benefits, then you're not going to have any kind of reduction, and you're going to get your full retirement benefit, which you can find at MySSA, or maybe you already know what it is because you've been getting those annual mailers each year. So the fact that you're stopping work, as long as you've got those high 35 already in place, is not going to penalize you in any way.

And in fact, you're correct. You will get that full benefit by waiting. Okay, I was concerned that the two years without income at 66 and 67, if I had zeros for both of those years, that would decrease my high 35. No, it would not. It just won't replace any of your high 35 with a higher amount, but it won't knock any of them off because, again, your high 35 is only looking at your highest 35 years of earnings. So your earnings at 66 and 67 or 65 and 66 at zero are clearly not going to replace any of your existing high 35s, but they're not going to go in there as zeros. They're just not going to be applied. Got it, got it.

Okay, that's good to know. Thank you so much. Sure, Kathy. Let's go to Mississippi. Miguel, you'll be our next caller. Go ahead.

Hey, Rob. Hope you're doing well. Thank you for all your help here in Mississippi, and we really mean it from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate that. It means a lot, sir. Yes, sir. You know, I have a pretty nice house.

I'm 58 years old. I have a car that's paid off in pretty good shape, but I need a will and a trust, and I don't even know where to start. There's a company, willtrust.com, but I need something that's, you know, godly.

Yeah, I appreciate that. You know, trustandwill.com has been doing a ton of advertising lately, and you know, they do make it very simple. I think for estate planning, having an attorney in your state and to your latter point, having an attorney who shares your values and can really help you think through this really important and final stewardship decision that you will make as a manager of God's resources, making that decision through the lens of biblical wisdom, which isn't just about getting the documents in place. It's a lot of the why before the how, meaning, you know, are you leaving anything to heirs, and what is the trajectory of their life currently? And to the extent you're leaving, you know, sizable assets, you know, could that get in the way or accelerate their lifestyle that's moving away from the Lord?

You know, just thinking through not only is the next steward chosen, but are they prepared? And that's just one of the issues that a godly estate attorney would help you think through. So your question is, where do you go to find one?

Well, here's what I would do. I'd head to our website. It's faithfi.com.

That's faithfi.com. Right there at the top of the page, it'll say find a professional. I would put in either financial planner or investment to find a certified kingdom advisor there in Mississippi. And then any one of those that you contact, if you say, listen, I listen to faith and finance. Rob said to reach out to you and you could refer me to a godly estate attorney in our area. They'd all have one or more that they work with and they could make that referral for you.

Set up an appointment, go in and they can take care of that trust if you need it. And certainly that will. So again, faithfi.com.

Just click find a professional, choose investments or financial planning and ask for a referral. Miguel, thanks for your call, sir. May the Lord bless you. We appreciate you being on the program. This is Faith and Finance.

We'll be right back. If the heavy burden of debt is robbing you of freedom and peace of mind, Christian credit counselors can help. We're a nationwide nonprofit credit counseling organization that has helped over 300,000 individuals in the last 27 years get out of credit card debt 80 percent faster while honoring that debt in full. To learn how Christian credit counselors can help you visit Christian credit counselors dot org. That's Christian credit counselors dot org or call 800-557-1985. So thankful to have you with us today on faith and finance. Let me tackle an email. And this one is from Heather and she writes, I have just over $50,000 in a CD that recently matured and I want to move it somewhere.

Will have access to it. Would you suggest a high yield savings account? I know you've mentioned bank rate before, but when I look there, I'm not sure how to decide which bank to go with. Well, I would ensure that they have FDIC insurance and all of those at the top of the page of bank rate will. The next step would be what are their minimum deposits and or are there fees?

If you don't have a certain amount on deposit, I would love for you to be in a fee free situation. You of course want to look at the yield. What is that interest rate?

They're going to be paying you because the reason you're doing this is to get a high yield. And then finally, there's a five star rating system there that allows you just to see based on all the criteria that bank rate looks at how they stack up. And I would look for somebody, a bank that has four to four and a half stars at a minimum.

So hopefully that gives you some other criteria to consider as you evaluate that at bankrate.com. I will also mention our friends at Christian Community Credit Union could be a great option. You can check them out at joinchristiancommunity.com. You know, more and more of our listeners want to align their values with those that they're doing business with, including in their financial lives. And if you want to bank a banking partner that you know is not going to be taking a portion of the profits and supporting things that are misaligned with your values or lending to companies with practices that would be counter to your Christian faith. Well, that's where I think choosing someone like Christian Community Credit Union would allow you to know that the money, the profits is going actually to not only build churches, but also to fund great Christian ministries around the globe.

That's the kind of thing that you would have access to. So if you want to check that out as well, just go to joinchristiancommunity.com. Again, that's joinchristiancommunity.com. Thanks for writing to us.

By the way, if you have a question, send it along, askrob at faithfi.com. All right, let's head back to the phones. By the way, we have two lines open, 800-525-7000. Hi, Phyllis. Thanks for calling from Florida.

Go ahead. Yes, hi. I've listened before, but I've always been driving when you're discussing reverse mortgages with other callers, and you usually throw in, that would be the one I would prefer or I advise you check with them. What was the name of that company?

Do you recall? I sure do. Yeah, we have a trusted partner and underwriter here at FaithFi called Movement Mortgage. And they're a national lender, and they are run by believers and really operated based on biblical values. And not only do they provide nationwide mortgages that are very competitive, which is their primary business, they really use the business as a means to in part fund a lot of great ministry work.

They've started movement schools around the world to not only provide safe and effective schooling, but also share the love of Christ and just incredibly generous. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been given to ministry, but they also are specialists in this area of reverse mortgages. So if you want to reach out, I'd be happy to give you a phone number, and then I'll ask you to hold. And if you didn't get it, our team can make sure you get it. But it's 855-970-1084. Again, it's movement mortgage 855-970-1084.

And if you hang on the line, our team will make sure you've got that. Here's the key though, Phyllis. You know, I think reverse mortgages aren't for everyone. We talk a lot about getting out of debt and staying there. And you know, you may be in a position where you say, listen, I have a conviction, I want to be debt free.

And I'd say, great, do it and don't look back. For some that have gotten into this season of life, and you know, maybe they still have a mortgage. And they're struggling to put food on the table and balance the budget. Because they've got a mortgage and they've got limited income. Or others who just, you know, they're right up to the edge and they've got some projects they'd like to do around the house. Or maybe they'd like to have a little bit more disposable income just to do some things that they might enjoy in this season of life.

Either paying off an existing mortgage with a reverse mortgage where the payment goes away. Or having access to a line of credit or getting an income stream, a monthly check for life, to tap into what is your biggest asset for most folks in this season of life is an opportunity. Because we look at our financial life and we say, okay, what are all of the assets we have? Well, I've got an IRA and I've got a 401k and I've got a home with a bunch of equity and it's got more equity now than I've ever had in that home. And, you know, I've got different things.

And so we say, what is the best asset to pull from to meet my needs that align with my values as a Christ follower? And for some, they have limited options and that home equity is the way that they can finally make the budget balance in this season of life. Well, that's where I think it's at least worth considering as a planning tool. Again, it's not for everyone. And yeah, there's a cost. I mean, that balance, because you're not paying them payment, is growing with interest and fees. And there's a fee on the front end, a two percent fee right up front. That's the FHA charge to ensure that you never owe more than the house is worth.

So that at your death, there's not a balance after the house is sold. So, you know, there is fees and expenses you just need to be aware of. But if you are going down this road and you believe it's the best option for you, or at least you want to explore it, that's where our friends at movement.com slash faith could be a great help to you. Thanks for your call today. We appreciate it. Quickly to Prospect Height, Illinois.

Dennis, go ahead. I just had a question. And when you look at things of the changes here politically, T-bills, credit bills and versus CDs on the rates and what you see is short term as we head into 2025.

Yeah. So, you know, I think the nice thing is that the T-bill rates are still fairly attractive. You know, right now, it just depends on kind of what duration you're looking for. So a three month treasury bills at four point four, you know, it's down from five and a quarter last year. What you're going to find is that for short term, I think 12 months or less, you're probably in maybe even as much as two years, you're going to do better with the CDs. But when you get out beyond the two year, you know, you're probably going to start to do better with the treasury bills as long as you hold the maturity because they're the price of those is going to move around with interest rates. Now, if interest rates are coming down during the period you're holding, well, you're going to get an increase in the underlying price of that T-bill. But as long as you hold the maturity, you can be assured that you're going to get the coupon.

But I'd say two years or less CDs if you want to go beyond that, I'd start looking at T-bills as a great alternative there. Hope that helps you, Dennis. We appreciate you being on the program today, sir. God bless you. Well, folks, that's why we do what we do, because this is a really important calling we each have on our lives to be money managers of the King of Kings resources.

Wow, that's a big deal. And one day we will give an account for how we've managed his money. We want to help you be that wise and faithful steward that we know you want to be. What does that mean? It means providing. It means enjoying. It means giving generously. I think it also means deploying God's capital into investments that align with our values that are solving problems and meeting needs and loving our neighbor and seeking a return at the same time. We put all that together.

It can seem confusing and difficult, but that's why we go back to God's word and pull out these principles. Hey, big thanks to my team today, Sandy, Jim, Devin, couldn't do it without them, and everybody else here at Faithfi. Folks, we could use your support as a listener supported ministry to support faith and finance. Go to faithfi.com and click Give. Faithfi.com, click Give at the top of the page. And we'll see you next week. Bye bye. Faith and Finance is provided by Faithfi and listeners like you.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-12-20 04:28:34 / 2024-12-20 04:39:15 / 11

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