Are luxuries something Christians should have? Can we live faithfully while enjoying this life's extravagant or very nice things, or would that be wrong? In this episode, we talk about what a luxury is and some things to consider regarding the question "Are luxuries wrong?".

"Am I pursuing a life of luxury or am I pursuing a life of righteousness?"

Episode Resources:

https://one2oneacademy.com/living-beyond-necessity-the-perils-and-pleasures-of-luxuries

https://www.history.com/articles/toilet-paper-hygiene-ancient-rome-china

Financial Dysmorphia can alter your perspective between how your money situation is and how you think it is. In this episode, we describe this in more detail, highlighting some causes and signs of Financial Dysmorphia. We end with some ways to overcome this for those who may struggle.

Episode Resources:

https://www.verywellmind.com/money-dysmorphia-8713617

https://www.themoneypages.com/household-bills/money-dysmorphia-what-is-it-and-how-to-spot-the-signs/

https://www.creditkarma.com/about/commentary/gen-z-and-millennials-are-obsessed-with-the-idea-of-being-rich-and-it-could-be-leading-to-money-dysmorphia

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/body-dysmorphic-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353938

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/body-dysmorphic-disorder

The prophet Jonah is best known for spending 3 days and nights in the belly of a great fish. However, there are a other things we can learn from Jonah that are more applicable to our lives, including how we approach our financial lives. In this episode, we take a common outline of the book of Jonah and put a financial spin to it: we can run from our finances, to our finances, with our finances, and ahead of our finances.

Episode Resources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/truetamplin/2024/10/23/9-scary-personal-finance-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them/

Many things have changed in the work environment, especially in the last five years. In this episode, we talk through some workplace trends that either are un-Christian or could lead to unholiness. The things we talk about include ghosting, scrolling, isolation, family, ingratitude, and fraud.

Episode Resources:

• https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-ghosting-5071864
• https://letsgrowleaders.com/2023/01/09/ghosting-at-work
• https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/isolated-at-work
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/platonic-love/202209/7-secrets-to-making-friends-as-an-adult?msockid=2e7cb6b3840762af1a98a47a852b637f

To be a Christian is to belong to God. We were lost in sin but God has bought us back from that punishment. Now we are His, and our lives should reflect that. In this episode, we talk about different ways we can reflect God with our finances.

Episode Resource:

• https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/borrow/financial-thumb-rules-follow-these-8-golden-rules-when-taking-a-loan/articleshow/106659964.cms?from=mdr

Doom spending is what happens when we use God’s money to deal with the stress of believing the world is doomed. Much like doom scrolling hinders our growth, doom spending hinders our ability to give effectively, save sufficiently, or plan adequately. In this episode, we talk about doom spending, describing a little more about what it is, talking about why people do it, and how we can overcome its temptation.

Episode Resources:

• https://believeinabudget.com/what-is-doom-spending-how-to-stop/
• https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/what-is-doom-spending
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomscrolling
• https://www.thesimplicityhabit.com/waiting-in-an-instant-gratification-world/
• https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/spending/articles/what-is-doom-spending-and-how-can-you-avoid-it

Bountiful 101 is when we take a subject, like cosigning, and introduce some of its concepts. Our goal for episodes like this is to combine our Christian attitude with a little bit of knowledge in order that we may glorify God by making wiser decisions with the money & possessions with which we are blessed. To cosign a loan or a lease involves a lot of responsibility. What situations would be ideal to cosign? Are there alternatives to cosigning? Listen to hear more!

Episode Resources:

• Other Bountiful 101 episodes:
  • Banking: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls3e8/
  • Credit Scores: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls3e13/
  • Retirement: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls7e2/
  • Buying a Car: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls7e4/
  • Cryptocurrency: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls9e15/
  • Investing: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls10e2/
  • Fiduciaries: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls15e6/
• https://www.equifax.com/personal/education/loans/articles/-/learn/co-signer-pros-and-cons
• https://www.bankrate.com/loans/personal-loans/im-a-loan-co-signer-what-are-my-rights
• https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/cosigning-loan-faqs#what’s

There are many dangers when it comes to financial blessings, including greed, arrogance, and jealousy. In this episode, we discuss financial jealousy, what it is, how it can happen to us, and what we can do to prevent it.

Episode Resources:

• https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/signs-jealousy-envious
• https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-jealousy-5190471
• https://www.wealthify.com/blog/how-to-stop-being-jealous-of-your-friends-finances
• https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/5-ways-to-deal-with-money-envy

Could you explain the dividing line between saving and hoarding? Is it based on a dollar amount? Is it a percentage? Or is the line between saving and hoarding based on something else?

Larry Burkett is credited with this quote: “The only difference between saving and hoarding is attitude.” Savers find meaning in godliness while hoarders look for meaning in accumulation (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Savers know their security lies in God’s hands while hoarders set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches (1 Timothy 6:17). Savers are willing to give and to help, while hoarders tend to say, “be warmed and filled,” without giving people what they need (James 2:16, 1 John 3:17). Savers are wise while hoarders foolishly lay up treasure for themselves and are not rich toward God (Luke 12:20-21).

Episode Resources

• Bountiful Episode “Am I Stingy?” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls13e9/
• Bountiful Episode “Steward or Stingy?” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bs2e5/
• https://bethebudget.com/the-importance-of-saving-money/
• https://accountinginsights.org/understanding-money-hoarding-psychological-and-economic-impacts/
• https://goodsensemovement.org/when-does-saving-become-hoarding/

In this episode, we talk about a note Gary left for himself in a box of Christmas decorations about enjoying the holidays.

Resources:

• https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Busy-Cure-productivity-people/dp/1529367085
• https://balancethroughsimplicity.com/how-to-simplify-your-calendar-and-be-more-intentional-with-your-time/