Bountiful: The Heart of Money Management

You may have heard the term “work / life balance” but what is it and is it something Christians should think about? In this episode, Gary and Christy talk with Jonathan Medley on this subject. Jonathan serves as a deacon with the Willow Avenue church of Christ in Cookeville, TN. He’s also an engineer, CPA, banker, and blogger on Perspectives of a Bondservant. Listen in to hear Jonathan share his i...

In this episode, recorded live at Polishing the Pulpit, Gary and Christy talk with Dale Hubbert about starting a financial roadmap. Dale has worked in financial services for several years, and he is currently employed by a wealth management firm in Madison, AL. Dale is a father of three children and grandfather of five. He previously worked as a pulpit minister, and he has helped charitable organi...

We know our earthly possessions aren’t eternal, but we can still get a skewed perspective on material things, like when we intend to trade them up. We buy a “starter house” because we plan on moving into a larger house. We shop for automobiles that are bigger or better than our current vehicles. We buy clothes because they’re trendy even though our closets are already full. In this episode, Gary a...

Is your identity wrapped up in your career? Do you put more effort into being a faithful employee or into being a faithful Christian? Do you treat another person based on whether or not they have a job or based on what type of job they have? In this episode, Gary and Christy look into how to determine whether our jobs have taken priority over our faith and, if so, what can be done about it. Episod...

It is rare to hear someone say, “My employer pays me too much.” It’s more common to hear, “I should be paid more.” In this episode, Gary and Christy tackle the question, “Do I deserve a raise?” by reviewing some valid reasons to be paid more, invalid reasons to want more money, and then some principles to keep in mind if we do ask for a raise. Episode Resources https://www.christianpost.com/news/a...

One of the trends in personal finance is called “FIRE” (Financial Independence, Retire Early). In this episode, Gary & Christy talk about the components of FIRE, discuss a little bit of its background and what it involves, and then consider what our response as Christians ought to be to this lifestyle trend. Episode Resources Bountiful episode about minimalism – https://thelightnetwork.tv/boun...

The title for this episode comes from Malachi 3:8 – “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.” The book of Malachi is focused on waking up God’s people up because they seemed unaware of their religious apathy. The prophet points out their lack of effort, their unwillingness to sacrifice, their lack of commitment, and their...

Do you view taking care of yourself as a necessity or a luxury? Is self-care a priority in your life, or do you view it as a selfish indulgence? In this episode, Gary and Christy talk about self-care, what it is, what the Bible says about it, and why it’s a subject for a personal finance podcast. Episode Resources Sermons by Melvin Otey “Jesus Grew and We Should, Too.” Jesus Grew – https://player....

‘Tis the season for graduations. For many graduates, they receive a diploma, degree, or other type of certificate, but they haven’t been taught how to live on their own financially. In this episode, Gary & Christy provide 5 money tips that can help recent graduates as well as those who are living on their own already. Toward the end, there’s bonus material where these five tips are applied to...

Financial embarrassment happens when someone feels self-conscious about their personal finances. For example, you might experience this when people are talking about their finances, but their situation is significantly different than yours. Embarrassment or awkwardness are subjective feelings; not everyone feels embarrassed about the same things. Also, our feelings have to be tempered with knowled...

Our social connections are different than when our parents were our age. We are no longer restricted by location, which means we’re able to stay in touch with people from our hometowns, with family near and far, and with fellow Christians around the world. As a result, we can see glimpses of people’s lifestyles that a generation ago were only visible in-person or on television (but that usually wa...

The American Dream is, in a nutshell, the belief that through hard work and determination, anyone can achieve a better life for themselves, regardless of their background or social class. It’s an idea that if you are diligent and use your abilities well, you be successful. In this episode, Gary & Christy talk about chasing the American Dream and present a few questions for Christians to consid...

This is a sequel to Season 3 Episode 3 entitled “Money Myths”. In it, we highlighted a few personal finance misconceptions like:  keep a small balance not he credit card buy as much house as you can afford a four-year degree is the only way to get a good job. Personal finance is made up of both timeless principles and cultural principles. Some people try to challenge either kind, stating those pri...

In this episode, Gary and Christy talk about preparing for natural weather-related disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, or floods. Preparation doesn’t guarantee safety or security, but it is good stewardship – a way of managing our possessions.   Episode Resources https://www.ready.gov https://www.bottledwater.org https://www.moneytalksnews.com/11-tips-to-prepare-your-home-for-severe-weather/?utm...

There are times when guilt is a positive thing because guilt can drive us to repentance. However, if we don’t know how to deal with guilt properly, we may find ourselves paralyzed or even running in the opposite direction we should be. In this episode, Gary & Christy talk about how to deal with financial guilt in a positive way, specifically: Guilt over past financial mistakes Guilt over not h...

In this episode, Gary and Christy talk about how our attitude has a greater long-term impact on our financial health than only changing our actions. So much of personal finance is tangible – bank balances, interest rates, taxes, etc. But it’s what’s intangible, our attitude behind our actions & our emotions about our money that can help us achieve long-term success in this area.    Our motivat...

One of the biggest financial decisions we make is regarding our housing. If we live on our own, our monthly rent or monthly mortgage payment is probably one of the biggest monthly expenses in our budget. Therefore, the question, “Should I rent or buy?” is one that a lot of people struggle to answer because they want be sure to get it right. Here are a few factors to consider when deciding whether...

In this episode, Robert and Emily Hatfield talk to us about transitioning to living on a single paycheck. Some things we discussed include: Preparing to transition to a one-paycheck household Connecting with your “why” for living on one income The importance of communicating with your spouse about finances Principles of leadership for husbands Advice for couples who are talking about going through...

For a lot of folks, personal finances are as scary as a haunted village on Halloween. Bank statements, credit card bills, 401(k)’s, IRA’s, taxes, and mortgages can seem to make up a haunted financial village. But instead of running away in fear, how can we overcome this?  In this episode, Gary & Christy talk about how to overcome financial fears. The first step is to recognize that the fear is...

The Bible tells us that in all labor there is profit (Proverbs 14:23) and whatever we do, we ought to work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men (Colossians 3:23). Rather than being a “necessary evil” work is a privilege. Each and every job has value. Nevertheless, we have our own unique situations, so not every job is the right fit for us. In this episode, Gary & Christy answer the questi...

The material blessings we receive are not really ours; everything (we mean everything) belongs to God. However, like a toddler who is reluctant to share a toy or a snack, as adults we may struggle with the concept that our possessions are not owned by us. If we’ve ben given lot of blessings for a long period of time, we can start to forget the origin of those blessings. We start congratulating our...

It’s common in early January to set resolutions for the new year. As Christians, we are to be faithful in our stewardship of the blessings God gives us, so setting a financial resolution is a great way to improve your financial AND spiritual life in 2019. In this episode, Gary and Christy talk about how to keep financial resolutions. Since resolutions have a tendency to fade away within the first...

The last 3 months of the year tend to be hard on bank accounts. For Halloween, we might buy costumes and candy as well as some decorations for the house. For Thanksgiving, we might travel or buy groceries, including the turkey. For Christmas, we might travel some more, get more groceries, and buy presents for our family, friends, the Secret Santa at work, or a gift exchange. Plus, don’t forget the...

Are you content with what you have? If not, you can, like the apostle Paul, learn to be content. Contentment is something we continually work on; it’s a journey more than a destination. In this episode, Gary and Christy talk about contentment, how it’s different than complacency, and how we have the choice of whether or not to be content. In any and every circumstance, whether we have a little or...

One of our goals as Christians ought to involve growing spiritually in the Lord. We want to live a life of consistent self-improvement so we can be more and more like Jesus. One responsibility each of us shares in this life is that we’re all stewards. We ought to manage the blessings God generously provides so that we may glorify Him. A way we can become better stewards is to challenge ourselves t...