We usually like to keep things in their “spot”. Car keys, wallets, and toothbrushes all have a place where they belong. If these get misplaced, we have trouble finding them. We try to proceed through our day, but we have to backtrack to find, not what was rightly placed, but what was misplaced.
When it comes to our material possessions, including money, we want to make sure to keep them where they belong. If money gets misplaced, then our plans to give, save, and spend can be upended. We try to move forward with our finances, but we have to look through account statements asking, “Where did we spend that…?” And instead of living bountiful lives in service to God, we realize we aren’t using his blessings in the best way.
In this episode, we talk about how to misplace money, as a sort of “how to not” practice stewardship.

Financial matters matter because they can impact our soul. How do we handle the material blessings God provides to us? Do we handle them with love, joy, and peace? Do we use those blessings to be kind, good, and gentle? Do we manage our money with patience, faithfulness, and self-control? In this episode, we review each element of the fruit of the spirit and talk about ways we can honor God in our stewardship.

Episode Resources

• Bountiful episodes related to this topic:
  • “Should I Love Money Or Hate It?” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls14e1/
  • “Joy In All Financial Circumstances” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls14e2/
  • “Overcoming Financial Stress” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls14e3/
  • “Being Patient With Ourselves” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls14e5/
  • “There’s Always Room For Kindness” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls14e6/
  • “Living The Good Life” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls14e7/
  • “Is Money Something You Can Count On?” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls14e8/
  • “Gentleness And Money” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls14e9/
  • “Self-Control With Our Finances” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls14e10/

The word “complain” comes from the Latin meaning “to lament with excessive force.” While a lot of things in life are great, not everything in life is problem-free. If our minds are not set on the things of the Spirit, then we can slip into the attitude of “thankful stomachs and grumbling hearts”, meaning we focus on our fulfillment and self-satisfaction. However, if we live like our citizenship is in heaven, we will strive toward the attitude of “grumbling stomachs and thankful hearts”, meaning we thank God for our blessings even if life isn’t how we would like it to be.But is there a way to know whether we have grumbling hearts or thankful hearts? Do we complain more than we realize? In this episode, we will diagnose what complaining is, discuss its dangers, and then determine to think and act differently.

Episode Resources

• Thanksgiving 2022 episode: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls12e10/
• Thanksgiving 2021 episode: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls10e10/
• Thanksgiving 2018 episode: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls4e13/
• Thanksgiving 2017 episode: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls2e14/
• https://www.verywellmind.com/how-and-why-stop-complaining-3144882#:~:text=Complaints%20can%20be%20a%20signal,replacing%20them%20with%20positive%20ones.
• https://hackspirit.com/signs-youre-in-a-relationship-with-a-chronic-complainer/

It is easy to teach about the importance of self control. It is challenging to live with self control, especially in all aspects of our lives. In this episode, we discuss the importance of self-control with our income & with our expenses.

Episode Resources

• Bountiful episode “Is This Job Worth It?” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls5e3/
• https://www.apa.org/topics/personality/willpower-finances
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianboswell/2023/01/30/8-ways-to-take-control-of-your-spending-that-really-work/?sh=2cc080b55b2a
• https://hbr.org/2022/05/switching-jobs-heres-how-to-make-sure-you-wont-regret-it
• https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/getting-a-second-job/

Gentleness, while it’s one of the parts that make up the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, is something that we sometimes dismiss. It can seem like a vague idea, compared to joy or self-control. However, God’s wisdom included “gentleness” (some versions use “meekness”) as something we should strive for in our lives, even our financial lives.In this episode, we discuss gentleness and how we can cultivate it as we grow in our stewardship of the Lord’s material possessions.Fun quote in our research: “We are all here on earth to help others. What on earth the others are here for I don’t know.” This is attributed to W.H Auden.

Episode Resources

• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/treat-others-respect-matter-what-subhan-sharif/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/24/fashion/fear-of-failure.html#:~:text=“What%20we%27re%20trying%20to,out%20of%20the%20learning%20experience.

What is the faithfulness or reliability of money? We use money every day in exchange for our needs and some things we want. But is money in it for the long haul?In this episode, Gary & Christy discuss what the Bible says about the faithfulness of material wealth. Then, they outline how we can draw the line between utilizing money and depending on it.

The good life may look different for you than for me, and how we define happiness or success has a huge impact on our perspective of what “the good life” means. In this episode, Gary & Christy compare a worldly viewpoint and a spiritual viewpoint of the good life.The worldly viewpoint of the good life involves being self-sufficient, self-centered, and focusing on physical blessings we want. The spiritual viewpoint involves fully relying on God, centering our life to glorify the Lord, and focusing on the spiritual blessings in Christ.The world is all around us, and it’s easy to fall into its line of thinking. When we hear about “the good life” let’s make sure we’re faithful in our stewardship of God’s blessings to us. Our souls are precious; let’s not cheapen them by chasing “the good life” that’s only going to be temporary.

Episode Resources

• Bountiful episode: “Starving for More” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls6e3/
• Bountiful episode: “I Want That!” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls11e7/
• https://medium.com/@snehagurpur/what-is-a-perfect-life-9d5a7e7a454a
• http://www.planetofsuccess.com/blog/2016/what-is-the-good-life/#:~:text=In%20its%20basic%20form%2C%20living,from%20that%20which%20you%20do.
• https://www.tyndale.com/sites/unfoldingfaithblog/2020/03/05/living-the-good-life-what-god-has-to-say-about-wealth-and-money/

Kindness is part of our stewardship. A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself (Proverbs 11:17). We can be kind just as effectively at no expense as we can at medium expense or high expense. But since this is a podcast about money management, this episode focuses on how we can use our money in the work of kindness.As faithful stewards of God’s blessings, let’s remember:

1. There’s always room for kindness in our budget. Kindness ought to be a forethought rather than an afterthought.
2. Being kind doesn’t give us permission to be mean. Our financial faithfulness is about the attitude more than the amount.
3. Being kind doesn’t require us to go broke. Our financial situations have limits, and it’s okay to respect those boundaries.

“Always be a little kinder than necessary.” (James M Barrie)

Episode Resources

• https://preacherpollard.com/2012/07/12/kindness-but-not-so-random/
• https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/jerks-for-jesus/
• https://www.sixfiguresunder.com/random-acts-of-kindness-for-any-budget/
• https://wealthfulmind.com/why-is-kindness-important-reasons-why-it-matters/

The Bible encourages us to be patient (Romans 12:12; Galatians 6:9). There are familiar quotes about patience, like “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” And even when it comes to our personal finances, patience is vital because our savings don’t grow overnight just like our debts don’t disappear overnight. But what about being patient with ourselves? Do we give ourselves grace when we make financial mistakes? Do we tolerate the monetary ups & downs without getting upset, or do we chide ourselves for not being more proactive? In this episode, Gary & Christy discuss being patient when we make money mistakes, remaining patient when things don’t go as planned, and maintaining patience when things do go as planned.“Let’s look forward at our reality rather than look backward at our mistakes.”

Episode Resources

• Bountiful episode “Little By Little” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls13e7/
• Bountiful episode “Six Tips For Managing Your Money” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls12e2/
• Bountiful episode “I Want That” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls11e7/
• Bountiful episode “The Power of Patience” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls1e10/
• https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/The-Simple-Dollar/2011/0928/Straightening-out-your-finances-Be-patient

Jesus talked about financial stewardship a lot. Two of his parables are the backbone for this episode and inspiration for its title. Do we use the strategy of the rich fool by tearing down our barns and building larger ones? Or do we use the strategy of the one-talent man by hiding our abilities instead of using them for God’s glory?

Episode Resources

• “Run With the Horses” book which quoted Pliny the Elder: https://www.amazon.com/Run-Horses-Quest-Life-Best/dp/083083706X