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

Even though some stress is good, trying to live through constant levels of high stress is very challenging. When it comes to our financial situation, if our money isn’t adding up like we expected, that can be tough to deal with. Add on something like unemployment or a big expense, and our finances can become a major struggle. In this episode, we discuss some reasons why money may stress us out. Then, we highlight some ways we can deal with financial stress in a healthy manner. 

1. Stay positive. God will take care of you (Psalm 37:25)
2. Prioritize. It’s impossible to accomplish everything all at once.
3. Pause. Don’t get swept up by the rat race.
4. Parler (French for “speak” or “talk”) about your financial situation with someone you trust.
5. Pray, because that’s how we can find peace among the stress (Phil 4:7)

Episode Resources

• Bountiful episode about communicating with your spouse about money: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls2e8/
• Bountiful episode about communicating about money in general: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls1e5/
• Bountiful episode about the benefits of talking about money: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls8e10/
• Bountiful episode about prioritizing financial goals: https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls9e1/
• https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress

The word “joy” in Galatians 5:22 means “calm delight; gladness”. Therefore, when we talk about joy from a spiritual perspective, it’s different than the joy the world offers. God’s joy involves a steady flow rather than a sudden spike of delight.Joy applies to our financial lives, but how can we have joy in all financial circumstances? In this episode, Gary & Christy talk about having joy when times are good, when times are not good, and when our lives are different than we expected. “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” – Karl Barth

Episode Resources

• https://www.verywellmind.com/why-cant-i-be-happy-6891279#:~:text=A%20Word%20From%20Verywell%20Mind,take%20time%20for%20self%2Dcare

Because we interact with money daily (using electricity, eating, driving, etc) we have some sort of relationship with it. Sometimes we’re tempted to love money – to obsess about our account balances or allowing my financial situation to determine my mood. Other times we may hate money – ignoring our situation hoping we’ll never have to deal with it or avoiding the topic of personal finance altogether! In this episode, we discuss the two sides of this question in order to find God’s answer. Proverbs 30:8-9 – Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

Episode Resources

• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/does-god-love-hate-money-jose-serpa#:~:text=God%20is%20emotionally%20indifferent%20to%20money.&text=He%20seems%20to%20understand%20that,Liked%20or%20disliked.
• https://www.wisebread.com/do-you-love-money-or-hate-it-either-way-youre-sick

What are some ways we can save money during the summer? In this episode, we mention a few methods we could trim costs from our utilities and our entertainment.

Episode Resources

• https://www.northcountrysavings.bank/blog-article/6-summer-savings-tips-tricks-make-most-season
• https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/how-to-have-a-fun-summer-when-your-finances-fall-short
• https://www.mystayathomeadventures.com/how-to-save-money-this-summer/
• https://frozenpennies.com/summer-budgeting-tips/
• https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/spring-and-summer-energy-saving-tips

In many ways, owning a pet is an investment of time and money. While having a pet can be very enjoyable, we must consider their cost before bringing them to our family. In this episode, we discuss some financial line items associated with pet ownership – both up-front and on-going.

Episode Resources

• https://blog.umb.com/personal-banking-tips-financial-considerations-before-adopting-a-pet/
• https://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/06/peteconomics.asp
• https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/pet-ownership-statistics/#:~:text=to%20pet%20ownership%3A-,As%20of%202023%2C%2066%25%20of%20U.S.%20households%20(86.9%20million,acquired%20pets%20during%20the%20pandemic.

In this episode, we discuss common tactics used by retailers, online stores, and grocery stores to sell us things. Then, we note a few things we can do to make sure we’re making the right purchases for us.

Episode Resources

• https://money.com/deal-alert-online-shopping-tricks-saving/
• https://www.choice.com.au/shopping/everyday-shopping/supermarkets/articles/supermarket-sales-tricks
• https://www.wisebread.com/how-retailers-manipulate-you-into-spending
• https://moneymarshmallow.com/how-ikea-tricks-you-into-spending-more/
• https://www.feedough.com/consumer-awareness/#:~:text=Consumer%20awareness%20is%20the%20act,a%20matter%20of%20public%20welfare.
• https://www.shiksha.com/online-courses/articles/consumer-awareness/

To be generous or to be stingy is a choice we all make, sometimes daily. Do we examine ourselves as we should (2 Corinthians 13:5) to make sure our actions reflect a heart of generosity? Or do we excuse our stinginess as “just who we are”? In this episode, Gary & Christy discuss stinginess, how it is similar to covetousness, and three ways it could sneak into our lives undetected.

Plenty of people were and are wealthy and faithful, but that does not mean everyone could be or should be. In this episode, we discuss how some are faithful with wealth, some are faithful without wealth, and some are faithful because of wealth.

Episode Resource

• Bountiful episode “is It Wrong to be Rich?” https://thelightnetwork.tv/bountifuls1e16/

Even though we know all about how we should be patient, it can be a struggle to practice patience when our savings are low, our debts are high, or when we can’t afford something. In this episode, we talk about how we can practice patience relative to our income, our expenses, and our choices. Proverbs 13:11 – Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.

Episode Resources

• Bountiful episode “The Power of Patience”: “The Power of Patience” (Bountiful S1E10) – The Light Network
• Patience Is the Most Underused Investing Skill – TheStreet
• A financial planner says a critical habit for building wealth seems obvious, but most people don’t do it | Markets Insider