Programs And Podcasts

Imagine a warehouse that only receives deliveries and never ships anything out. Dr. Tony Evans says that’s what happens when Christians become blessing depositories instead of conduits of grace. Discover how to pour out what God pours in.

Leann Murphy wanted to share the truth about marriage with her adult children. This wisdom became her 21-day devotionals – Becoming a Wife and Becoming a Husband. Leann shares how to “fight well,” build routines that draw you closer to Jesus, and walk through bitterness and resentment. You’ll be encouraged to contend for your marriage like never before.

Receive a copy of both Becoming a Husband and Becoming a Wife and an audio download of "Before the Wedding Bells: Essential Pre-Marital Tips for Couples" for your donation of any amount!

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Money has a remarkable ability to shape our emotions. In a single week, it can make us anxious, fearful, generous, or joyful. But Scripture reminds us that money—despite the power we often assign to it—cannot ultimately provide what we most want.

On today’s episode of Faith & Finance, we spoke with Dr. Russell James III, the CH Foundation Chair of Personal Financial Planning and Charitable Giving at Texas Tech University and author of A Christian’s Guide to Joyful Wealth Management. 

He helped us explore a foundational question: If money cannot give us security or control, what is it actually for?

Dr. James begins where the Apostle Paul begins—in 1 Timothy 6. Paul reminds believers of a simple but transformative reality: we cannot take wealth with us when we die.

“Money is temporary,” Dr. James explained. “Eventually, every one of us will lose it. The only real question is how.”

That truth reframes everything about financial decision-making. If wealth cannot follow us beyond this life, then we are not owners in the ultimate sense—we are stewards. And that reality isn’t merely a theological concept; it’s also biological. Eventually, every dollar we possess will pass to someone else.

Thinking about money this way changes the conversation. Instead of asking, “How can I keep this?” we begin asking, “How should I use what God has entrusted to me while I have it?”

According to Dr. James, Scripture points to four common approaches to handling wealth:

1. Binge

Spending wealth recklessly in pursuit of pleasure—like Solomon’s experiments in Ecclesiastes or the prodigal son in Luke 15.

2. Bury

Hoarding wealth, protecting it carefully but never truly using it.

3. Toil

Working relentlessly to accumulate more and more wealth, even when basic needs are already met.

4. Enjoy

Receiving God’s provision with gratitude and using it for good.

The first three approaches share a common problem: they ultimately lead to the same outcome—dying with unused or misused wealth.

The fourth option—enjoyment—points us toward something better.

One of the most powerful forces shaping financial behavior is fear.

Dr. James noted that many stewardship conversations focus on avoiding overspending. While that’s important, Jesus often warned about the opposite problem—hoarding wealth out of fear.

In both the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30) and the Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11–27), the servant who buried what he was given offered the same explanation: “I was afraid.”

Fear narrows our focus to worst-case scenarios. It tempts us to seek control through accumulation rather than trusting God as our provider.

And yet Scripture reminds us that wealth cannot offer the control we hope for. It is always uncertain and ultimately temporary.

One of the most surprising teachings in Scripture is that God intends us to enjoy what He provides.

In 1 Timothy 6:17, Paul writes that God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” But biblical enjoyment is not indulgence.

Dr. James explained that true enjoyment comes when we put resources to work for good purposes. In the very next verse, Paul describes what that looks like:

“They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.” —1 Timothy 6:18

In other words, enjoyment is found

We know Jesus is coming back. We don’t know when. The Bible even tells us that none of us knows the day or the hour. But it also advises us to be ready. It’ll come suddenly and could happen when we least expect it. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie welcomes Bible scholar Don Stewart for a revealing discussion of what the Bible says about God’s End Times plan. Although we don’t know the day or the hour of the Rapture, there’s so much we do know. And we’ll talk about that today. 

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Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.

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You’re busy. Faithful. Grinding. But if you’re honest? Something at home feels off. Music artists and authors Montell and Kristin Jordan get real about success, sickness, marriage strain—and the quiet drift that almost costs you what matters most. If work, church, kids, or “good things” are crowding your covenant, this conversation will recalibrate you without shaming you.

Show Notes and Resources

• Check out Montell and Kristin's website at  montellandkristin.com
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Being comfortable with who God made you to be, for most of us, is a lifelong pursuit, filled with anxiety and fear. Chip helps you begin to discover how to come to grips with the real YOU.

Three questions we all ask ourselves:

1. Who am I? (Identity)
2. Where do I belong? (Security)
3. What am I supposed to do? (Significance)

Why is it so hard to answer these questions?

• Genesis 3:8-13

Three obstacles to getting right answers:

1. Fear rooted in SHAME.
2. Hiding rooted in INSECURITY.
3. Blaming rooted in denial.

God’s Answers: Romans 12:3-8

1. Who are you? -Romans 12:3
   • The Command: Think ACCURATELY about yourself.
2. Where do you belong? -Romans 12:4-5
   • The Reason: You have a ROLE to fill.
3. What are you supposed to do? -Romans 12:6-8
   • The Practice: Discover and DEPLOY your spiritual gift.

Never forget who you really are!

1. God uniquely created you – you are ETERNALLY VALUABLE. -Psalm139:13-14
2. God placed you in His family – you are UNCONDITIONALLY ACCEPTED. -Ephesians 3:19-22
3. God gifted you to fulfill His purpose – you are IRREPLACEABLY SIGNIFICANT. -Ephesians 2:10

Broadcast Resources

• Message Notes

Additional Resources

• Become a Monthly Partner
• True Spirituality Book
• Take the Real You Assessment Free
• What Every New Believer Needs to Know
• BOOK - The Strong and the Weak by Paul Tournier
• BOOK - Romans Verse by Verse by William Newell

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I opened the refrigerator and there it was again - the pig! Yes, years ago someone bought it, put it in the refrigerator for a while and then it disappeared. I thought maybe he'd gone to the bacon factory, but then the pig was back. See, this pig was actually plastic, and whenever you would open the door, the plastic pig started oinking at you. It's annoying, but it does make you think about what you're about to do to yourself.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The No Regrets Alarm."

Our word for today from the Word of God - very familiar verses from Matthew 6, beginning at verse 9, "This then is how you should pray." And this is what we commonly call The Lord's Prayer of course. "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one." How many times have you prayed that? That's an important prayer. We almost don't think about those words. "Lead me not into temptation; deliver me from evil."

In other words, "Lord, help me see where the temptation is. Help me steer away from it. Keep me from anything that the Devil might be trying to get me to do." Well, how do you do that? That's through His Holy Spirit. In fact, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit, who He called the Comforter, would do that. He said it in John 16:8. He promises "that the Holy Spirit - the Comforter - when He is come, He will convict the world of sin." He also said in John 14:26 He will "bring to your remembrance all the things that I have taught you." In other words, the Holy Spirit's going to bring to mind how Jesus feels about this.

The day you put your trust in Jesus as your Savior, God plants in your soul a sin alarm. Now somebody planted a gluttony alarm in our refrigerator; this noise that makes you stop and think before you reach for something. It was annoying, but the pig could keep you from doing something you would regret later; like how you'll feel when you step on the scale tomorrow.

We do need some noise inside of us when we're about to reach for something we're going to later regret. And God delivers us from evil if we will listen to the inner alarms He triggers when we are about to sin. He says something like, "That's not the truth; don't lie. That's not pure; don't watch it. That's going to hurt; don't say it. That's going too far; don't do it."

See, one alarm in us is what I call Scripture brakes. God brings to your mind a statement from the Word of God that keeps you from making a mistake if you listen. It's the brakes; step on the brakes. D. L. Moody said that "When you think sin you ought to think Scripture." That's why it's important to commit to memory verses that God can later use to warn you away from the edge. Psalm 119: "I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I will not sin against You."

Now, another sin alarm is what I call shame warnings. See, many of us don't carry a sense of shame from the sins of the past, and God erased those from His books if you've brought those sins to Jesus. But sometimes the shame feelings are there a long time after God has forgiven us. And that's actually not all bad, because God can remind you of the damage that comes from saying yes to that temptation, using the shame warnings from the past. Listen to those.

One other sin alarm that God uses when you're reaching for something that could hurt you is Spirit tremors. It's an uneasiness in your spirit that says, "This just isn't right." That's probably the stirring of the Holy Spirit. Listen to that inner warning. But respond immediately and put on the Scripture brakes, respond to the shame warnings, to the Spirit tremors before sin drowns them out and you grab a plateful of regrets.

After a while, I have to admit I got immune to that pig warning in the fridge. I finally just put it away. Don't do that with the Holy Spirit alarm system inside you. Do not quench