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Most of us dream about having more money—but could wealth be a spiritual liability? On this episode of Know The Truth, Philip De Courcy explores what the Bible says about money, status, and eternal values.

A joyful heart can turn a rough start into a reset because even in life’s stumbles, laughter is powerful medicine.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” – Ecclesiastes 3:1

God has designed life to unfold in seasons, and with each one comes new challenges, opportunities, and sometimes, new finish lines. Today, Cody Hobelmann joins us to talk about why it’s not only okay to adjust your financial finish line—it’s often the wise and faithful thing to do.

Cody Hobelmann is a Certified Financial Professional (CFP®), a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA®), and a Wealth Advisor at Wealth Squared. He and his brother, Kealan, founded the Finish Line Pledge and also co-host the Finish Line Podcast, where they discuss the intersection of faith, generosity, and personal finance.

A financial finish line is simply an answer to the question, How much is enough? It helps us define what we need for our lifestyle so that everything beyond that can be redirected toward building God’s Kingdom.

There are two kinds of finish lines:

• Lifestyle (or Spending) Finish Line – The amount needed to fund your personal lifestyle.
• Accumulation (or Net Worth) Finish Line – The total assets needed to sustain that lifestyle for the rest of your life.

These lines aren’t rigid—they’re tools to help us hold God’s money with open hands, growing in both contentment and generosity.

However, there’s often a lot of pressure to get it exactly right, but what matters more is having a starting point. You’ll grow and refine it as your life and faith journey progress.

We recommend revisiting your finish line at least annually—or sooner if significant life changes occur, such as a new dependent, a move to a more expensive area, or a shift in health.

To help clients visualize their financial decisions, Cody teaches a simple framework that divides money into four “buckets”:

1. Personal Spending – Covering day-to-day lifestyle costs.
2. Future Planning – Savings and investments for future needs.
3. Taxes – Obligations to the government.
4. Kingdom Giving – Resources designated for generosity.

A lifestyle finish line determines what belongs in the first two buckets, freeing the rest for eternal purposes.

A net worth finish line is the amount we believe is appropriate to accumulate over a lifetime. The parable deeply informs us of the rich fool in Luke 12—the man who tore down barns to build bigger ones but failed to consider the brevity of life and the weight of eternal priorities.

To set a net worth finish line, Cody walks clients through three core considerations:

• Lifestyle Needs – How much do you need each year?
• Wealth Transfer Goals – What will you leave to heirs or ministries?
• Conservative Margin – A buffer for life’s unknowns—but not a replacement for trust in God.

If you find yourself exceeding your finish line—accumulating more than necessary—we encourage asking yourself one essential question:

“Why am I holding on to these resources in the first place?”

God may have given you more not for personal security, but to fund the “good works He prepared in advance for you” (Ephesians 2:10). In that light, generosity becomes more than a response—it becomes a calling.

Rather than letting a higher income raise our standard of living, it becomes an opportunity to increase our standard of giving.

Not sure where to start? Try setting a fin

A healthy body requires every part to function properly, and the same principle applies to Christ’s body, the church. So how can we ensure that each member is working together effectively? Dr. Robert Jeffress describes the power of spiritual gifts and their role in building a thriving church.

To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org/donate.

Dr. John Townsend offers practical ideas for how to tank up on relational nutrients in your relationships and how to contribute to the lives of others for emotional and spiritual health. He describes the types of people who are needed on your “life team” to help you grow – and others who need to be held at arm’s length, as you seek balance in your relationships with friends and colleagues.

Receive a copy of People Fuel with free audio download of “Fueling Great Relationships With Others" for your donation of any amount.

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Special effects companies are masters at building small models of railroads or high rises or mountain ranges. But in the movie theater, they seem huge – they fill the screen! Could it be that our problems only LOOK big? Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us see our challenges through the lens of faith. And we’ll see, whether our problems are small or big or incalculable, nothing’s too hard for the Lord. Glad you’re along for our series in Joshua.

Learn more about this year's Harvest Crusade!

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A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

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