SeedTime Money (Christian living & Personal Finances)

In this episode, we’re going deep on a topic the Church either glamorizes or demonizes—but rarely handles biblically: money. We’re unpacking Exodus, Jesus, and even Tesla stock (yep)—to wrestle through a question that’s been tripping up believers for decades: “Is wealth inherently evil… or is it just a tool?”  Here’s what we found: * Why the Israelites’ gold became both a golden calf and a golden lampstand * What Jesus really meant when He said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” * The shocking contrast between how the Old and New Testament describe wealthy people * The heart posture that turns a blessing into an idol * And why generosity, not guilt, is the actual fruit of spiritual maturity This isn’t financial advice—it’s soul-searching. If you've ever felt tension about having too much… or too little… this episode will give you clarity.  📚 Resources Mentioned: * Exodus 12:35–36 – Israelites plundering Egypt’s wealth * Exodus 32 – The golden calf * Exodus 35 – The Tabernacle offerings * Matthew 6:21 – “Where your treasure is…” * Philippians 4 – Learning to abound and abase * Galatians 5:22-23 – Fruit of the Spirit (including “goodness” = generosity) * Our book: Simple Money, Rich Life (Get a free copy—just cover shipping!) 🔗 Grab your free book here: http://seedtime.com/free [http://seedtime.com/free] 📩 If this message stirred something in you, share it with a friend. The Church needs a better theology of money—and it starts with conversations like this. BONUS: Ever dreamt of hanging out with us for 6 weeks in your small group or church? Head to https://seedtime.com/true [https://seedtime.com/true] for details or shoot us a DM on Instagram (http://instagram.com/seedtime [http://instagram.com/seedtime]).

In Part 2 of our “The prosperity gospel, the poverty gospel, and the truth most Christians miss” series, we dive into some of Jesus’ most controversial teachings on wealth. You’ve heard “sell everything,” “camel through the eye of a needle,” and “blessed are the poor,” but what if we’ve been misunderstanding who He was talking to and why?  In this episode, we unpack: * Why Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell everything—and why He didn’t tell Zacchaeus the same thing. * The real reason wealth can be dangerous (it’s not what you think). * Why Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and a group of wealthy women were never asked to give everything away. * The parable that proves Jesus wasn’t against being wealthy—but was deeply concerned about our heart posture. * Why abundance is meant to be shared—and how shopping, gardening, or even buying sunglasses can become worship. * A fresh, biblical perspective that helps you steward what God has given you without shame, guilt, or greed. Resources Mentioned: * 📖 Simple Money, Rich Life by Bob & Linda Lotich: http://seedtime.com/free [http://seedtime.com/free] * 📜 Bible References: Matthew 19, Mark 10, Luke 18, Luke 8, Luke 19, Luke 16, Luke 12:48, Genesis 13:2, 1 Timothy 6, Ephesians 3:20 * 📺 The Chosen (TV series): https://watch.thechosen.tv [https://watch.thechosen.tv/] 👉 Subscribe, share, and don’t miss the next episode in this series—we’re going to talk about gold, the golden calf, and what it really means for how we use our money. BONUS: Ever dreamt of hanging out with us for 6 weeks in your small group or church? Head to https://seedtime.com/true [https://seedtime.com/true] for details or shoot us a DM on Instagram (http://instagram.com/seedtime [http://instagram.com/seedtime]). If you haven’t checked out our best-selling book Simple Money, Rich Life [https://seedtime.com/smrl/] (https://seedtime.com/smrl/ [https://seedtime.com/smrl/]), we think you’ll love it. It was named the 2022 Book of the Year by ICFH and has over 900 5-star reviews on Amazon, and is best described as “a money book for people who don’t read money books.”  You can take it for a test drive for FREE at https://SeedTime.com/sample [https://seedtime.com/sample] where you can download chapter 1 of the audiobook, grab the 1st 2 chapters of the ebook version, and even get the 5-week book study companion guide.

This might be the most important conversation we’ve had about money, faith, and the Bible. For years, we've wrestled with it. One side says God wants you rich. The other says being poor makes you holy. But neither seemed to fully line up with Scripture. What if both extremes missed the point? In this episode, we kick off a 5-part series where we break down: * What the Prosperity Gospel gets right—and dangerously wrong * How the Poverty Gospel subtly creeps in as "humility" * The parable that changed everything for us  * The biblical third way no one talks about enough * How prayer can shift false teachers more than criticism ever could * Why stewardship (not ownership) is the core financial principle of Scripture * How even Mother Teresa modeled biblical abundance through simplicity If you’ve ever struggled to reconcile your faith with your finances… this episode is for you.   Resources Mentioned: * 📖 Simple Money, Rich Life by Bob Lotich – Get your free copy: http://seedtime.com/free [http://seedtime.com/free] * 📘 Business Secrets from the Bible by Rabbi Daniel Lapin * 📖 Bible verses mentioned: * Genesis 2:12 * Genesis 13:2 * Psalm 24:1 * Matthew 25 (Parable of the Talents) * 1 Timothy 6:9-10 (Amplified Version) * Proverbs 4:23   BONUS: Ever dreamt of hanging out with us for 6 weeks in your small group or church? Head to https://seedtime.com/true [https://seedtime.com/true] for details or shoot us a DM on Instagram (http://instagram.com/seedtime [http://instagram.com/seedtime]).   If you haven’t checked out our best-selling book Simple Money, Rich Life [https://seedtime.com/smrl/] (https://seedtime.com/smrl/ [https://seedtime.com/smrl/]), we think you’ll love it. It was named the 2022 Book of the Year by ICFH and has over 900 5-star reviews on Amazon, and is best described as “a money book for people who don’t read money books.”  You can take it for a test drive for FREE at https://SeedTime.com/sample [https://seedtime.com/sample] where you can download chapter 1 of the audiobook, grab the 1st 2 chapters of the ebook version, and even get the 5-week book study companion guide.

In this episode, we answer YOUR questions about how we’re using AI—personally, spiritually, and professionally. We’re not here to debate whether AI is “good” or “evil.” We’re here to share how we're using it practically—as a business tool, a parenting helper, a writing assistant, a garden coach, and even a wardrobe consultant. And yep, Linda's officially a soft summer. We get into the nitty gritty: * The custom GPT we built for flipping items on eBay * The podcast producer GPT that writes our show notes  * How AI helps with planning RV trips and killing poison ivy * Why we believe AI may become humanity’s greatest idol—and how to stay grounded in God’s Word * Plus, Linda’s surprisingly useful fashion hacks (involving NASCAR outfits) We talk faith, tech, and real life with all its messiness and nuance. And yes, we still believe God’s revelation always beats information. If you’ve been wondering what does this actually look like in daily life?, this is the episode. Resources Mentioned: * ChatGPT by OpenAI [https://chat.openai.com] * Claude by Anthropic [https://claude.ai] * Great AI debate between Christian leaders: https://overcast.fm/+ABHd1mRWhAI     BONUS: Ever dreamt of hanging out with us for 6 weeks in your small group or church? Head to https://seedtime.com/true [https://seedtime.com/true] for details or shoot us a DM on Instagram (http://instagram.com/seedtime [http://instagram.com/seedtime]).   Watch this episode on our SeedTime Money Podcast YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCREfMgyUzMp5UAI0ALjCnSw] (https://youtu.be/Ra0lk-nOt0g [https://youtu.be/Ra0lk-nOt0g])!   If you haven’t checked out our best-selling book Simple Money, Rich Life [https://seedtime.com/smrl/] (https://seedtime.com/smrl/ [https://seedtime.com/smrl/]), we think you’ll love it. It was named the 2022 Book of the Year by ICFH and has over 900 5-star reviews on Amazon, and is best described as “a money book for people who don’t read money books.”  You can take it for a test drive for FREE at https://SeedTime.com/sample [https://seedtime.com/sample] where you can download chapter 1 of the audiobook, grab the 1st 2 chapters of the ebook version, and even get the 5-week book study companion guide.

I sat down with Dr. Shane Enete—professor at Biola University, PhD in personal financial planning, total Jesus-loving money nerd, and author of Whole Heart Finances: A Jesus Centered Guide to Managing Money with Joy.  We dug into a fascinating study of ultra-wealthy families (yes, $25M+ net worth) and uncovered a surprising truth.  We talk about hedonic adaptation, generosity as a spiritual thermostat, and what your savings account might be saying about your heart.    In this episode, you’ll learn: * The biological and spiritual reasons why wealth never satisfies * How to spot when your heart is starting to trust money more than God * Why generosity is the fastest way back to peace * What $25M families regret (hint: it’s not about the stock market) * A brilliant money framework: acquisition, use, and management—and which one dominates your life * Why savings isn’t evil, but hoarding might be * How to know when you’ve moved from stewardship into idolatry   Mentioned Resources: * Whole Heart Finances by Dr. Shane Enete - http://wholeheartfinances.com [http://wholeheartfinances.com/] * 2 Corinthians 9 – Biblical metaphor of seed (consume vs. plant) * Dr. Eileen Gallo’s Money Dimensions Framework: Acquisition, Use, Management * Book: Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley - http://amzn.to/3JF0L0R [http://amzn.to/3JF0L0R]   BONUS: Ever dreamt of hanging out with us for 6 weeks in your small group or church? Head to https://seedtime.com/true [https://seedtime.com/true] for details or shoot us a DM on Instagram (http://instagram.com/seedtime [http://instagram.com/seedtime]).   Watch this episode on our SeedTime Money Podcast YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@seedtimepodcast] (https://youtu.be/_iwhObTFD7I [https://youtu.be/_iwhObTFD7I])!   If you haven’t checked out our best-selling book Simple Money, Rich Life [https://seedtime.com/smrl/] (https://seedtime.com/smrl/ [https://seedtime.com/smrl/]), we think you’ll love it. It was named the 2022 Book of the Year by ICFH and has over 900 5-star reviews on Amazon, and is best described as “a money book for people who don’t read money books.”  You can take it for a test drive for FREE at https://SeedTime.com/sample [https://seedtime.com/sample] where you can download chapter 1 of the audiobook, grab the 1st 2 chapters of the ebook version, and even get the 5-week book study companion guide.