Are luxuries something Christians should have? Can we live faithfully while enjoying this life's extravagant or very nice things, or would that be wrong? In this episode, we talk about what a luxury is and some things to consider regarding the question "Are luxuries wrong?". "Am I pursuing a life of luxury or am I pursuing a life of righteousness?" Episode Resources: https://one2oneacademy.com/living-beyond-necessity-the-perils-and-pleasures-of-luxuries https://www.history.com/articles/toilet-pa...
Aug 11, 2025•26 min•Season 18Ep. 2
Financial Dysmorphia can alter your perspective between how your money situation is and how you think it is. In this episode, we describe this in more detail, highlighting some causes and signs of Financial Dysmorphia. We end with some ways to overcome this for those who may struggle. Episode Resources: https://www.verywellmind.com/money-dysmorphia-8713617 https://www.themoneypages.com/household-bills/money-dysmorphia-what-is-it-and-how-to-spot-the-signs/ https://www.creditkarma.com/about/commen...
Aug 04, 2025•34 min•Season 18Ep. 1
The prophet Jonah is best known for spending 3 days and nights in the belly of a great fish. However, there are a other things we can learn from Jonah that are more applicable to our lives, including how we approach our financial lives. In this episode, we take a common outline of the book of Jonah and put a financial spin to it: we can run from our finances, to our finances, with our finances, and ahead of our finances. Episode Resources: https://www.forbes.com/sites/truetamplin/2024/10/23/9-sc...
Apr 07, 2025•27 min•Season 17Ep. 7
Many things have changed in the work environment, especially in the last five years. In this episode, we talk through some workplace trends that either are un-Christian or could lead to unholiness. The things we talk about include ghosting, scrolling, isolation, family, ingratitude, and fraud. Episode Resources: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-ghosting-5071864 https://letsgrowleaders.com/2023/01/09/ghosting-at-work https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/isolated-at-work htt...
Mar 24, 2025•38 min•Season 17Ep. 6
To be a Christian is to belong to God. We were lost in sin but God has bought us back from that punishment. Now we are His, and our lives should reflect that. In this episode, we talk about different ways we can reflect God with our finances. Episode Resource: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/borrow/financial-thumb-rules-follow-these-8-golden-rules-when-taking-a-loan/articleshow/106659964.cms?from=mdr ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
Mar 10, 2025•43 min•Season 17Ep. 5
Doom spending is what happens when we use God’s money to deal with the stress of believing the world is doomed. Much like doom scrolling hinders our growth, doom spending hinders our ability to give effectively, save sufficiently, or plan adequately. In this episode, we talk about doom spending, describing a little more about what it is, talking about why people do it, and how we can overcome its temptation. Episode Resources: https://believeinabudget.com/what-is-doom-spending-how-to-stop/ https...
Feb 17, 2025•27 min•Season 17Ep. 4
Bountiful 101 is when we take a subject, like cosigning, and introduce some of its concepts. Our goal for episodes like this is to combine our Christian attitude with a little bit of knowledge in order that we may glorify God by making wiser decisions with the money & possessions with which we are blessed. To cosign a loan or a lease involves a lot of responsibility. What situations would be ideal to cosign? Are there alternatives to cosigning? Listen to hear more! Episode Resources: Other B...
Feb 10, 2025•38 min•Season 17Ep. 3
There are many dangers when it comes to financial blessings, including greed, arrogance, and jealousy. In this episode, we discuss financial jealousy, what it is, how it can happen to us, and what we can do to prevent it. Episode Resources: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/signs-jealousy-envious https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-jealousy-5190471 https://www.wealthify.com/blog/how-to-stop-being-jealous-of-your-friends-finances https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/5-ways-to-deal-with-m...
Jan 27, 2025•27 min•Season 17Ep. 2
Could you explain the dividing line between saving and hoarding? Is it based on a dollar amount? Is it a percentage? Or is the line between saving and hoarding based on something else? Larry Burkett is credited with this quote: “The only difference between saving and hoarding is attitude.” Savers find meaning in godliness while hoarders look for meaning in accumulation (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Savers know their security lies in God’s hands while hoarders set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches ...
Jan 13, 2025•33 min•Season 17Ep. 1
In this episode, we talk about a note Gary left for himself in a box of Christmas decorations about enjoying the holidays. Resources: https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Busy-Cure-productivity-people/dp/1529367085 https://balancethroughsimplicity.com/how-to-simplify-your-calendar-and-be-more-intentional-with-your-time/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
Dec 02, 2024•31 min•Season 16Ep. 14
Even during the holidays, feelings of inadequacy can cloud our mindset and darken our emotions. In this episode, we discuss how this could happen and what we could do to remind us of how valuable we are! We are always dependent on God’s providence, blessings, and guidance, so every day is a great day to be thankful! But, are we giving thanks the way we should? In this episode, we look into one of the parables to learn from a bad example about doing thanksgiving wrong. Resources: If someone displ...
Nov 25, 2024•23 min•Season 16Ep. 13
Even during the holidays, feelings of inadequacy can cloud our mindset and darken our emotions. In this episode, we discuss how this could happen and what we could do to remind us of how valuable we are! Resources: https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/why-you-should-post-on-the-holidays-and-the-best-time-to/441318#:~:text=Since%20we%27re%20already%20closely%20connected%20to%20social%20media%2C,most%20common%20holidays%20to%20use%20that%20time%20off. https://thehealthycompulsive.com/co...
Nov 18, 2024•28 min•Season 16Ep. 12
This episode is more than just two content creators getting together to talk about creating content. We talk about some considerations for Christians to make before creating any content, not just Christians who create Christian content. We discuss this topic from the perspective of it becoming a career choice – what it entails, how it can become a career, and what to be aware of from a spiritual perspective. Resources: https://www.shopify.com/blog/content-creator-business-model https://sproutsoc...
Nov 11, 2024•49 min•Season 16Ep. 11
Integrity encompasses all our lives, including how we use God’s money. In this episode, we discuss financial integrity and the importance of having principles that consistently guide our stewardship of God’s blessings. We honor God when every aspect of our lives show integrity. We dishonor God when any aspect of our lives lacks integrity. Resources: https://www.financialmentor.com/wealth-building/financial-commitment/are-you-living-in-financial-integrity/4219 https://www.forbes.com/sites/timmaur...
Nov 04, 2024•37 min•Season 16Ep. 10
Zombie debt is a debt you believed was paid off, written off, discharged, or otherwise closed. But months later it comes back to haunt you, wanting you to pay toward it. In this episode, we go into some examples of how zombie debt can go after you and some preventive measures we can take to avoid this type of scare. Resources: “Money Lessons for Baby Boomers” (Bountiful S6E7) – The Light Network Bountiful episode where we talk about elder fraud “Don’t Be Fooled by Scams” (Bountiful S15E11) – The...
Oct 28, 2024•32 min•Season 16Ep. 9
College students and young adults have a unique approach to their personal finances because they’ve had unique experiences. In this episode, we talk with Amy Sewell, Instructor in Business at Freed-Hardeman University, who shares trends, challenges, opportunities, and recommendations. Resources: Money, Possessions, and Eternity: A Comprehensive Guide to What the Bible Says about Financial Stewardship, Generosity, Materialism, Retirement, Financial Planning, Gambling, Debt, and More: Randy Alcorn...
Oct 21, 2024•42 min•Season 16Ep. 8
If you’ve taken a personality type test, you may have found it interesting to read about yourself yet learn something, too. In this episode, we share a draft of a non-scientific, unofficial “Bountiful Personality” that considers four ways you interrelate with money. How do you see money? Do you tend to be generous or miserly? How do you use money? Are you usually impulsive or thoughtful? How do you feel about money? Do you look at the security that increased wealth brings or do you focus on its ...
Oct 14, 2024•27 min•Season 16Ep. 7
We discuss ways we can help ensure what we donate to charitable organizations is used effectively by those organizations. Sites to find objective information about charitable organizations: https://www.guidestar.org https://give.org https://www.charitywatch.org https://www.charitynavigator.org Other resources referenced for this episode: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/giving/how-to-choose-a-charity-wisely.html https://www.lovetoknow.com/life/lifestyle/what-percentage-donations-go-charity htt...
Sep 23, 2024•32 min•Season 16Ep. 6
Growing up, we likely had some milestones in mind of how life would go and when we would accomplish things like graduating, getting a job, buying a house, and having children. But what happens if life doesn’t go as planned? In spite of not wanting to get caught up in the rat race, we can feel anxious about falling behind in the race! In this episode, we discuss examples of financial milestones, some causes of anxiety of not meeting them, and what we can do to overcome that anxiety. “Life isn’t a...
Sep 16, 2024•30 min•Season 16Ep. 5
What do you want to be when you grow up? The world does not impose many limits on us. That means, if the Lord blesses you with time and opportunity, it’s up to you how far you want to go! This is where ambition comes in. How do we balance what we want to accomplish with making the best of our situation? How do we balance our priorities and resources against achieving our maximum potential? Resources: https://midsonshort.com/the-cost-of-ambition/ https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-ambitious-should-you-b...
Sep 09, 2024•30 min•Season 16Ep. 4
Quotes can be interesting and meaningful ways to remember or emphasize things. In all things, we want to measure all things, even thought-provoking quotes, against the Word of God, as that’s the only way we can know if they are true. In this episode, we do just that! We chose nine quotes about financial stewardship and discussed if the Bible backs them up. Quotes we referenced: “Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.” (P.T. Barnum) “Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. Th...
Aug 26, 2024•27 min•Season 16Ep. 3
The word “tithe” is sometimes used interchangeably with “give” when people talk about financial offerings for the church. Is “tithe” an appropriate word for us to use to describe the monetary gifts we offer? Does “tithe” accurately describe what it is we’re supposed to do, or are Christians called to do something different? In this episode, we define tithing, discuss its similarities and differences to giving, and determine if it’s a standard for us today. Tithing is referenced in many places th...
Aug 19, 2024•22 min•Season 16Ep. 2
Financial self-sabotage is when we undermine or damage our own financial situation. We could do this by depleting our savings as soon as it builds to something meaningful, buying things we can’t afford, or choosing to ignore sound financial advice because of fear or anxiety. In this episode, we’ll talk about how we can know if we’re self-sabotaging and how we can get out of destructive habits and make sound financial decisions. Resources: https://www.verywellmind.com/why-people-self-sabotage-and...
Aug 12, 2024•26 min•Season 16Ep. 1
We all will likely spend money on travel. We want to not only be responsible in our spending but also with our influence, especially when traveling to a foreign country. In this episode, Keith Kasarjian, Director of International Studies with Bear Valley Bible Institute, gives us his top five travel tips. Pack light. It is liberating to have less. Enjoy the journey. Traveling is more than just going from one destination to another. Be a local. Walk around the area. Adventure is no more dangerous...
May 06, 2024•48 min•Season 15Ep. 16
To celebrate our 200th recorded episode, we’re sharing some lessons we learned about podcasting that correspond to principles of stewardship. In this episode, we’ll talk about those principles, how we apply them on this show and how we can all apply them in our personal finances. Keep going even when it’s inconvenient. Doing something is always better than doing nothing. It’s better unscripted. You can’t control everything. It works better when the load is shared. Look back and see your growth i...
Apr 29, 2024•37 min•Season 15Ep. 15
Mortgages have been in the news a lot recently. Higher interest rates combined with higher prices have made mortgages more expensive than in the past few years. In this episode, Gary & Christy take away the click-bait words and (some) bias as they discuss interest rates, home prices, and things to consider when applying for a mortgage today. Regardless of what mortgage rates do, remember this world is not our home. Even if you don’t get your dream home on earth, don’t let it discourage you t...
Apr 22, 2024•38 min•Season 15Ep. 14
Conformity can be a good thing, especially when it involves positive peer pressure or keeping things organized. However, not all conformity is good. In fact, the Bible challenges us not to be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2). In this episode, we talk about conformity in our personal finances. This could happen when we spend how everyone else is, borrow how most people do, buy what most people get, or use our money the way most people do. As Christians, do we challenge ourselves to be intent...
Apr 15, 2024•35 min•Season 15Ep. 13
When we invest in a 401(k), IRA, or other type of brokerage account, we normally put money into individual stocks, individual bonds, or “baskets” like ETFs or index funds. We want to put our money to work for us in ways that will yield good returns, but do we look into those companies or agencies in which we invest to understand the values they promote? These companies produce, distribute, and are involved in various activities, but do we know whether those are activities we want to promote? Dal...
Apr 08, 2024•28 min•Season 15Ep. 12
It’s not always pleasant to talk about “ways people try to steal your money”, but it’s a necessary discussion. Part of being a good steward is learning the art of financial discernment – learning how to make wise decisions regarding our personal finances. One area of discernment is protecting ourselves from people who try to steal our online identity or steal our money. In this episode, we discuss some things we can do to help prevent us from being fooled by scammers and identity thieves. Episod...
Apr 02, 2024•29 min•Season 15Ep. 11
Boundaries are an important part of having a healthy life and good relationships. In this episode, we discuss some tips on setting effective boundaries. These tips will help in most areas of our life and especially with our personal finances. Resources: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/how-to-set-boundaries/ https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/setting-healthy-boundaries-in-relationships.htm https://www.hollyscherer.com/boundaries/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★...
Mar 18, 2024•41 min•Season 15Ep. 10
