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Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the 40-day period in the church calendar known as Lent, a time of preparation leading up to Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday.

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Sometimes the biggest obstacle to close church fellowship is the people we have to fellowship with. Dr. Tony Evans explains how we can blend diverse people into a close-knit family of faith—cultivating an authentic community even across cultural and racial lines.

"An affair is the murder of a marriage." Pastor Gary Thomas explains how extra-marital affairs develop and how to avoid them. He also offers hope and healing for spouses who want to restore their relationship.

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Need time management just for moms? Crystal Paine of The Time-Saving Mom explains an easy-to-implement four-step system to organize and simplify your life.

Show Notes and Resources

• The Time Saving Mom: How to Juggle a Lot, Enjoy Your Life, and Accomplish What Matters Most by Crystal Paine
• Begin the Easter story early with Resurrection Eggs. Start your family tradition now

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Monks and money don’t seem to go together—but maybe they should. Early Christian monastics developed a biblical approach to possessions that offered freedom from fear and created space for generosity. Their example continues to resonate with believers navigating modern financial pressures.

Dr. Shane Enete, Chair of the Finance Department at Biola University, joins the show today to help us explore what he calls “monk finances,” drawing on early Christian history to uncover insights that remain strikingly relevant today.

For many people, the idea of monks and money in the same sentence feels contradictory. That perception has historical roots.

In the early centuries of the church, some believers reacted to growing spiritual complacency by withdrawing from society. These early monks sought lives of radical devotion and discipline. In extreme cases, they rejected material possessions entirely, viewing the physical world—and even the body itself—as spiritually dangerous.

But this wasn’t the final word on monastic life.

Leaders like St. Anthony and St. Benedict helped reshape the movement. They recognized that God created the material world before the fall; therefore, possessions, work, and even money could be used for His glory. Instead of rejecting material things, they began developing thoughtful, disciplined ways to steward them.

Out of that shift came a surprisingly rich theology of money.

As monastic communities formed, they began to rethink how Christians should live with resources.

Rather than treating money as evil, they saw it as necessary for life—but not as a source of identity or security. Their approach emphasized moderation, equality, and shared responsibility.

Their guiding principle was simple: Meet your needs, then help meet the needs of others.

Money became a tool for self-sufficiency that led to hospitality, not a means of achieving independence from God. This perspective echoed the Apostle Paul’s teaching to the early church, especially in communities wrestling with wealth and inequality.

In many ways, the monks’ worldview stands in contrast to modern financial culture. Where today’s systems often prioritize accumulation and long-term personal security, the monastic tradition emphasized dependence on God and care for neighbor.

One of the most striking insights from monastic life is the distinction between economic sufficiency and economic security.

The monks worked hard. They cultivated gardens, produced goods, and provided for themselves. But they intentionally stopped short of building wealth for personal protection. Their goal was sufficiency—having enough to live and to share.

A well-known story about St. Anthony illustrates this progression. After initially living in isolation, he began growing food to avoid burdening others. Eventually, he expanded his efforts to feed visitors and care for those who came seeking wisdom. His work produced enough for his needs and created margin for generosity. That pattern shaped monastic communities:

• Work diligently
• Meet basic needs
• Create margin
• Practice hospitality

They believed the danger came when financial planning shifted from provision to self-protection—when wealth began to replace trust in God.

Monks viewed wealth with a sober realism. They saw it as useful but spiritually risky.

Money, they believed, has a way of whispering false assurances: “You’re safe. You’re secure. You don’t need God.”

To guard against this, monastic communities developed “rules of living”—structured rhythms that shaped how they worked, spent, and shared. These practices served as guardrails, protect