
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


Based on Podcast App listening data
If God is going to do what He wants anyway, why pray?
My guest today, Matt Smallbone, is a pastor in downtown Nashville, and for most of his thirty years as a Christian that question kept him from praying much at all. He'd read every book on prayer. He'd handed the whole thing back to God and called it theology.
Then he ran an experiment. The Lord's Prayer, all six parts, every day, for a year.
In this conversation we get into what that year taught him about God's sovereignty and unanswered prayer, why he believes most unanswered prayers go unanswered for one reason (and why he also believes God says yes to every prayer we would pray if we knew what He knows), what "give us this day our daily bread" meant when his family lived on $150 a week, why he says forgiveness has actually become easy, and how he and Linda kept praying through the loss of a baby.
If prayer has ever felt boring, awkward, or like it just isn't working, this conversation is for you.
If you enjoyed this conversation, definitely check out Matt's new book, The Prayer Experiment. The whole year-long experiment is in there: https://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Experiment-Realigns-Everything-Thoughts/dp/0310372739
Here's a little of what we cover in this episode:
Bible Verses Mentioned:
Resources Mentioned:
Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting.
Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.
Most of us measure our money by how the month feels, and that's a lot like trying to lose 20 pounds by checking how tight your sweatpants are. In this live workshop, Linda and I walk you through the one number that actually tells you whether you're getting ahead, why we stopped calling it net worth, and what Proverbs 27:23 has to do with it.
We get into why so many of us avoid looking at our finances, the two scoreboards that keep people anxious no matter how they're doing, our own first number (-$13,843) and where it was one year later, a 10-minute exercise to find your number, the four financial stages and what to do in each one, and your questions about money leaks, setting an enough number, giving when money is tight, and paying for kids in college.
Not sure which of the four stages you're in? Take our short stage quiz (10 questions, about two minutes) and you'll get next steps for right where you are: https://seedtime.com/stage
Timestamps
0:00 Cold open and intro
0:42 Seeing your whole financial picture on one page
1:47 Proverbs 27:23 and why God wants you to know your number
3:18 Why so many of us avoid looking
6:26 Step 1: Face the number
8:52 Visibility vs. discipline
10:50 Step 2: Swap the scoreboard
11:33 Your strength or God's strength
17:41 Why debt and net worth make bad scoreboards
20:30 Assets under management (AUM)
23:41 Step 3: Mark the starting line
24:28 Our first number: -$13,843
26:46 Where we were one year later
29:09 Find your number (live exercise)
36:55 The four financial stages
42:20 Stage 1: Surviving
45:50 Stage 2: Stable
49:21 Stage 3: Secure
51:35 Stage 4: Surplus
Here's a little of what we cover in this episode:
Bible Verses Mentioned:
Resources Mentioned:
Disclaimer:
Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting.
Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.
"I'll give more when I make more."
Most of us have prayed some version of that. My guest today is a business owner who realized he had been living it.
Colby Jenkins can easily afford to give. And one day he noticed he hadn't heard God prompt him to give in a very long time. What God told him about why almost made him cry.
In this conversation we get into the two money tests almost every Christian faces (the vision test when you have less, and the obedience test when you finally have more), why "one more layer of security first" is the prayer that keeps us stuck, what your bank statement already says about your real vision for money, why God can go silent about your finances and what that silence might mean, and the one question Colby asks himself to tell whether a plan is from God or just from him.
Nothing here is a formula. It's a conversation about obedience, and about what it looks like to become a conduit instead of a vault.
We wrote down the 14 things we did to be able to give away $1 million by our 40th birthdays. It's free at: https://seedtime.com/GIVE1M
Here's a little of what we cover in this episode:
Bible Verses Mentioned:
Resources Mentioned:
Disclaimer:
Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting.
Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.
You can be totally at peace with God, doing everything right, and still not get the thing you've been praying for.
That one hit me hard.
Annie F. Downs sat down with me and Linda to talk about her new book, Don't Let That Hold You Back.
She's the host of the That Sounds Fun podcast, and she just got engaged after decades of being single.
We talked about the idea that if you just get content enough, God will finally hand you what you want.
She says that's not how it works, not even close.
We got into what the Bible actually means by abundant life, and why the enemy's real target isn't your bank account, it's your dreams.
We talked about her "board of directors," the people she lets speak into her biggest decisions instead of just asking ChatGPT.
And we talked about why our company shuts down for three whole months every summer, fully paid, and what that has to do with a verse about letting a field rest.
This one covers faith, waiting, money, and what it looks like to stop letting fear make your decisions for you.
If you enjoyed this, we'd love to send you a free copy of our book. You just cover shipping. It has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Amazon. Grab it at: seedtime.com/free.
What We CoverHere's a little of what we cover in this episode:
Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting.
Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.
Most of us pray about money. Very few of us ask God what to do with it and then sit still long enough to hear an answer.
This is Part 2 of our conversation with our friend Bryan, a business owner and honestly a spiritual mentor in a lot of ways. In Part 1 he showed us how a money idol hides in a phrase you say every day. This time he shows us the other side: what it actually looks like to hear God about a money decision, and what God tends to deal with before He builds anything.
In this conversation we get into the exact ten-minute practice Bryan's whole team uses to ask God what to do (a timer, a notebook, and four things to write down), what came out of it the first time twelve people tried it, why he believes everyone in the room hears something, why "you need $250,000 to do this" is usually money holding you hostage, the stuff in the basement God insists on dealing with first, why you should not rush to be a teacher, the million-dollar cabin God told them to buy with money they did not have, and the question Bryan can't shake: how many spots have I not been in because I didn't listen?
Nothing here is a formula. It's a practice, it happens in community, and Bryan argues against his own decisions the whole way through.
If you want a place to start, Linda and I wrote 30 Days of Prayer for Your Finances for exactly this: one short prayer a day to start asking God about your money instead of just worrying about it. Grab it at: https://seedtime.com/30DOP
Timestamps
Here's a little of what we cover in this episode:
Bible Verses Mentioned:
Resources Mentioned:
Disclaimer:Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting.
Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.
You can do everything right with money and still not feel free.
Budget in place. Debt gone. Emergency fund full. And underneath it, the same low hum of anxiety and comparison that was there before.
Our friend Bryan built his entire financial life on three words he'd heard a thousand times: cash is king. He's a Dave Ramsey superfan. He did the debt-free scream. Then one day in the shower it hit him. Cash isn't king. Jesus is.
That one shift exposed a money idol he never knew he had, and it changed how he makes every financial decision since.
In this conversation we get into how to tell whether money has become your idol (it usually hides in a phrase you say every day), the two kingdoms your money can run on, a definition of financial freedom that has nothing to do with a dollar amount, and what happened when Bryan and his wife prayed about spending their last $12,000 and believed God said yes.
To be clear, there is real wisdom in "cash is king." This is not a takedown. It's a conversation about what sits on the throne.
We wrote down the 14 things we did to be able to give away $1 million by our 40th birthdays. It's free at: https://seedtime.com/GIVE1M
Timestamps
0:00 Cold open and intro
2:57 The three words Bryan built his financial life on
3:51 The shower moment that flipped "cash is king"
7:30 Where the idol got built (and why he never saw it)
10:50 Two kingdoms, two operating systems
20:45 Money wants to give you what only God can
21:50 The stronghold you can't see
23:45 A definition of financial freedom that isn't a dollar amount
26:33 Nearly $1 million in cash to negative $3,000
29:46 The truck, and their last $12,000
31:59 Jesus math
34:01 You gotta ask God
41:19 "I have enough"
What we cover:
Here's a little of what we cover in this episode:
Bible Verses Mentioned:
Resources Mentioned:
Disclaimer:
Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting.
Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.
What if you don't need more money to pay off your debt?
What if you just need to see what's already in your house?
That's the pattern hiding inside a story in 2 Kings 4.
A widow. A dead husband. A creditor at the door.
And one small flask of olive oil that God multiplied until her debt was gone.
This episode was recorded live from one of our workshops.
Linda and I walk through the whole story, verse by verse.
Then we pull five simple steps out of it for paying off debt fast:
We also tell our own debt payoff story, starting with a blog that made $100 a month.
And why students in our Mission Driven Millionaire coaching program have paid off $17,000, $25,000, even $65,000 of debt in a matter of months…
This isn't a budgeting lecture.
It isn't a "just have more faith" pep talk either.
It's a biblical formula for getting in step with how God works.
And it might change how you see your debt for good.
So grab a notebook. You're going to want to write this one down.
If you enjoyed this, we'd love to invite you to apply for our Mission Driven Millionaire cohort starting soon - can you learn more at: https://seedtime.com/apply
What We CoverHere's a little of what we cover in this episode:
Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting.
Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.
When money is tight, a sneaky thought creeps in.
If God was really pleased with me, wouldn't this be easier?
I have wrestled with that question myself more times than I can count.
So in this episode, Linda and I get honest about whether financial struggle means God is displeased with you.
We talk about what blessed actually means, and why comparing your finances to everyone's highlight reel is a trap.
We share seasons where we did everything right and money was still hard.
And we look at why adversity might actually mean you're on the right path.
This is for anyone quietly asking, am I doing something wrong?
If you enjoyed this, we'd love to send you a free copy of our book. You just cover shipping. It has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Amazon. Grab it at: seedtime.com/free.
What We CoverHere's a little of what we cover in this episode:
Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting.
Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.
I used to hate everything about our finances.
Then one thing changed and paying bills actually became fun.
That thing is margin.
Margin is the gap between what you earn and what you spend.
It might look small, but that gap is where the freedom lives.
In this session from our Mission Driven Millionaire cohort, Linda and I dig into why building margin might be one of the most spiritual things you ever do with your money.
We look at Joseph in Genesis 41 and how he made a plan before the famine came.
We look at the ant in Proverbs 6 and what it teaches us about saving.
And we talk about the two ditches: living paycheck to paycheck with no margin, and building bigger barns out of fear.
Plus how the Real Money Method helps you create margin so you can say yes when God says go.
If you enjoyed this, we'd love to send you a free copy of our book. You just cover shipping. It has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Amazon. Grab it at: seedtime.com/free.
What We CoverHere's a little of what we cover in this episode:
Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting.
Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.
Three different doctors told her she should be dead.
She is still here, and still hosting live radio.
For over three decades, Susie Larson fought Lyme disease and mold toxicity.
It left seven areas of brain damage.
She lost words on the air and forgot how to spell.
At her lowest, IV bags filled the fridge where the groceries should have been.
Her family had no money for food while their friends bought second homes.
But something grew in the middle of all that pain.
She learned how to trust God when the breakthrough was nowhere in sight.
In this episode, Susie joins Linda and me to talk about her new book, More Than You Can Imagine.
We dig into the real difference between faith and "name it and claim it."
We talk about speaking God's Word over your money, your health, and your family.
I also share the story of declaring life over our newborn son when he would not breathe.
This one is about money, faith, healing, and what God actually does when you keep trusting Him.
If you enjoyed this, we'd love to send you a free copy of our book. You just cover shipping. It has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Amazon. Grab it at seedtime.com/free.
Timestamps0:51 Why this conversation felt like a divine appointment
3:14 Three decades of Lyme disease, mold, and losing words on live radio
4:23 The wandering lamb and the two ways we drift from God
12:50 The bold stranger who told Susie not to quit, then vanished
16:04 Broke and sick, learning to say "let the weak say I am strong"
21:38 The longest 90 seconds: declaring life over a baby who would not breathe
24:15 Why telling a hurting person to "just say it" can backfire
32:41 Who Susie wrote More Than You Can Imagine for
What We CoverHere's a little of what we cover in this episode:
Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting.
Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.
From the publisher's feed
Ranked by our users in the last 21 days

2,487 Listeners

2,832 Listeners

10,735 Listeners

92 Listeners

508 Listeners

912 Listeners

399 Listeners

6,599 Listeners

511 Listeners

1,821 Listeners

3,907 Listeners

1,399 Listeners

529 Listeners

424 Listeners

204 Listeners