'Where Your Treasure Is...': The Podcast where Faith and Finance Meet

In this episode of ‘Where Your Treasure Is...’, Season 1 (Foundations of Faith & Finance), Simon and Bex discuss Financial Planning and its potential benefits for anyone wanting to manage their money wisely and effectively. They comment that a key point to note is that it is important to establish personal priorities at the outset so that finances can then be used to achieve relevant and desirable goals.

Points that may be of particular interest in this episode include the following:

• In response to a question from Simon, Bex provides two examples from the Bible of references to planning involving finances: (1) Jesus’ illustration of the need to calculate the overall costs before starting to build a tower, Luke 14.28-30; (2) the Parable of the Rich Fool, Luke 12.16-21 [01:36]
• Simon explains that although the passages seem to be at odds with each other, they make sense when interpreted in context: one is highlighting the need to count the cost before undertaking a venture; the other is warning of the dangers of greed and placing trust in wealth and possessions. In a broad sense, they each deal with financial planning issues but, in each instance, they do so in a distinctive, specific manner which needs to be understood in its own right. [03:13]
• Simon provides an overview of what financial planning is, going on to comment that it can enable us to use today’s money to meet not only today’s needs but also the needs that we (and possibly others linked to us) may have in the future. [04:59]
• Simon comments that financial planning does not start with money! Instead, it begins with a clear understanding of what we consider our purpose in life to be and what our priorities are. [06:37]
• Simon talks about a common purpose that he thinks that all Christians share: to worship and glorify God. He then goes on to outline specific purposes to which he feels that God has called him, such as devoting himself to his marriage, family and relationships, and also using his financial skills to create wealth so that it can be passed on to others. [08:19]
• It is recognised that not everyone will be absolutely clear about all aspects of their purpose and priorities in life; financial planning is, nevertheless, relevant and important for all of us because it can help us to explore the relationship between our faith and our possessions, prompting us to consider how we can become the best possible stewards of what we have. [10:03]
• Simon observes that the type of financial planning that we do depends on our stage in life. Whatever our circumstances, though, Simon would encourage us to have open and natural conversations about money. [12:26]
• Simon explains the difference between financial planning and financial advice. The former continually bears in mind the overview of an individual’s finances, taking into account their values, principles and priorities; the latter adopts a more ‘technical’ approach, concentrating on the practicalities of how to set up effective financial processes, where to invest etc. [17:05]
• Simon goes on to comment that it is generally better to get some kind of assistance and external input when dealing with matters relating to financial planning and advice but stresses that, much of the time, this does not need to come from experts. Conversations with others and reference materials (including podcasts!) can be very helpful in this area. This topic will be developed in future episodes but, as an example of the way in which financial matters can be simplified, Simon mentions that a work pension and an ISA can meet the core needs of most people in the UK. [18:18]
• When asked who should use a financial planner, Simon comments that large and complex financial arrangements may require that kind of input and that it can also be very helpful when planning for retirement. [20:09]
• However, everyone can undertake basic and important financial planning that will give them a good foundation for managing their money. The earlier that people can start doing this the better [21:11]
• How often should a financial plan be updated? [22:11]
• And how do we make a plan resilient so that it can cope with unforeseen circumstances? [23:47]
• For anyone who is in the category that Simon mentions of looking for assistance in response to finding themselves in financial difficulties [26:25], Simon would highly recommend seeking advice from Christians Against Poverty (https://capuk.org/), who also run a very practical CAP Money Course, which could be relevant and helpful for anyone.

Links

Christians Against Poverty: https://capuk.org/

CAP Money Course: https://capuk.org/i-want-help/courses/cap-money-course/introduction

In the second episode of ‘Where Your Treasure Is...’, Season 1 (Foundations of Faith & Finance), Simon and Bex explore what the Bible has to say about money.

Key points covered include God being the creator and owner of all things, with our role being one of stewardship: to be wise, faithful and responsible managers of the wealth and possessions entrusted to us.

Specific points of interest in this episode include the following:

• Simon starts by observing that the Bible has a great deal to say about money, referring to it in many different contexts and highlighting regularly its relevance and significance for us. [01:04]
• The aim of this episode is to provide an overview of key themes relating to money that are mentioned in the Bible in order to establish a foundation for topics that will be covered in greater depth in future episodes. [02:41]
• The first key theme is that God is the creator and owner of all things. Bible verses: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” Psalm 24.1; “To the Lord your God belong the heavens... the earth and everything in it” Deuteronomy 10.14; the Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25.14-30; “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” 1 Chronicles 29.14; “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things.” Romans 11.35-36; “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6.33 [03:33]
• ‘Stewardship’ seems to best describe the biblical relationship between mankind and money: God delegates authority and responsibility to us for what he has given us but also holds us accountable for the way in which we do that in practice. Bible verses: “The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to the human race.” Psalm 115.16 (see also Genesis 1.28 and Psalm 8.6); the Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25.14-30; “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12.48; "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due to us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5.10 [06:17]
• Simon explains that he has drawn heavily from Mark Lloydbottom’s excellent book ‘Blueprint: Reflections on Money, Wealth and Possessions’ when identifying themes to be covered in the podcast. [10:01]
• The Bible’s attitude towards debt is explored, highlighting some of the implications of being in debt and possible responses to being in that situation. The discussion also considers briefly the nature of ‘debt’ in modern society and some of the different ways in which it is handled. [10:39]
• For anyone for whom debt is a current issue, Simon would highly recommend seeking advice from Christians Against Poverty (https://capuk.org/), who also run a very practical CAP Money Course, which could be relevant and helpful for anyone. [15:01]
• Honesty runs through the Bible as a key principle, which can be challenging in modern society where we can often be tested on matters of integrity relating to financial matters. [15:43]
• Another key biblical principle is the importance of generosity and giving to others. It can be hard for us to get our heads fully around what the Bible says about giving; in addition; it is not always an easy topic to discuss in a church setting. It is, nevertheless, of crucial importance, especially as – through ‘the grace of giving’ - it can be a means by which blessings can be experienced not only by the recipients of gifts but also by those who give. [19:07]
• Contemporary financial topics – such as saving options and investments – will be covered during the podcast. In addition, matters relating to retirement – a concept that does not feature strongly in the Bible – will be discussed against a backdrop of established biblical principles and priorities. [24:30]
• The Bible also covers topics such as budgeting, financial planning, teaching our children about money, taxation and lifestyle – these will also be explored with the aim of helping listeners to develop a clear understanding of modern financial planning, supported by a strong biblical foundation. [25:24]
• The next episode will focus on Financial Planning. [27:18]

Links

Mark Lloydbottom: ‘Blueprint: Reflections on Money, Wealth and Possessions’

Christians Against Poverty: https://capuk.org/

CAP Money Course: https://capuk.org/i-want-help/courses/cap-money-course/introduction

In this first episode of ‘Where Your Treasure Is...’, Simon and Bex go back to basics and open up a discussion about what money actually is and how it can affect our attitudes towards financial matters. Three core principles that can help to shape our thinking about money are identified as being as follows: (1) Everything belongs to God – He is the originator and true owner of wealth (2) Our role is to be good stewards of the wealth and possessions entrusted to us by God, managing them faithfully and effectively on His behalf (3) If we demonstrate that we can be trusted to use resources in a godly manner, we may well find that further responsibilities of that nature come our way.

Overall, the healthiest approach that we can take in this area is to look to God as our Provider first and foremost rather than focusing attention on money in its own right, which is likely to lead to worry and a sense of dissatisfaction.

Specific points of interest in this episode include the following:

• Simon explains the history of money and comments that it originally used items, such as gold, that were regarded as possessing their own intrinsic value and could therefore be used as a medium of exchange. [02:36]
• In the modern world, however, money has developed more into a ‘promise’ which is usually processed in a digital manner rather than existing in a physical format. [04:46]
• Our attitudes to, and appreciation of, money can be affected by the fact that it has become a fluid concept and can often be ‘virtual’ in form when we encounter it. [06:47]
• Education and experience are important in helping us to understand how money works. [08:38]
• Simon talks about the emotion around, and the ‘value’ of, money, noting that the Bible comments regularly on the significance and impact of our habits and attitudes in this area. [09:49]
• Bex gives the story of the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19: 16-30; Mark 10: 17-31; Luke 18: 18-30) as a biblical example of someone who put his trust in the wrong place. [10:48]
• Simon observes that people can find that money on its own does not necessarily fix major concerns in life, such as health and relationships, and that is why this podcast explores what we should value as ‘treasure’, and how our money and possessions should then fit into that perspective. [11:38]
• Simon speaks about using money as a tool to support our own values and priorities rather than focusing on it as an end in itself. [14:04]
• Simon asks Bex about her purpose in life to illustrate a key issue underpinning the choices that we make in connection with our use of money. [16:07]
• Bex observes that widely varying attitudes towards money can be prevalent in churches and asks Simon for his thoughts on that point. [18:31]
• Simon comments that there are basic principles that are important when trying to arrive at a biblical understanding of how we should deal with money. The first is recognising that God owns all things and that everything we have is a gift from Him. (Psalm 24:1  “The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.”) [20:11]
• The second principle is Stewardship, the idea that we don’t actually ‘own’ our money and possessions; instead, we look after and manage them on behalf of God. [21:11]
• Thirdly, there is the Trust and Test principle, which prompts us to be faithful and conscientious in the manner in which we handle any wealth or possessions entrusted to us by God. [22:31]
• Simon concludes by highlighting the fact that the Bible talks about worry being the outcome when people make money their focus. Instead, the best foundation for developing good practices and attitudes in our personal finances is to look to God, first and foremost, as our Provider. [24:38]
• Feedback, comments and questions are invited from listeners, who can direct emails to [email protected]. [25:58]
• The next episode will explore what the Bible has to say about money. [26:39]

Podchaser Reference Code:

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The 'Where Your Treasure Is...' podcast has been designed to provide information and ideas for anyone wishing to understand principles that can help Christians to be faithful and effective in their use of money.

In this introduction to the show, co-hosts Simon Glazier and Bex Elder pose some initial questions for listeners to set the scene, before going on to introduce themselves: Simon is an award-winning financial planner who now runs his own business while Bex is a freelance writer and translator who also works one day per week for her church as its Assistant Youth Pastor.

Simon concludes the trailer by explaining that he and Bex will be exploring financial principles that they see in the Bible and will be discussing how these can be applied to our lives and financial situations.

The show launched on Wednesday 11 May 2022, with subsequent episodes appearing weekly, apart from when short breaks are taken between seasons.

For more information, please follow us at https://where-your-treasure-is.captivate.fm/ and https://www.instagram.com/whereyourtreasureispodcast/or contact us at [email protected]

This show has been brought to you by Free Range Podcasting.