The Faithful Steward

76: Discipling Believers in Lane 3

In our last podcast, we addressed the stewardship conversation with two segments of our congregations: those in financial crisis (Lane 1) and those who are making ends meet but not making real financial progress (Lane 2). We identified their needs for stability and clarity and discussed how we might disciple them toward those goals. The stewardship conversation with folks in Lane 3 looks very different than the other two conversations, and it can be a bit daunting. Often as pastors and leaders, we fall into one of two patterns around engaging our Lane 3 believers with the stewardship conversation: 1. We avoid the conversation because we believe Lane 3 folks already know more about handling finances than we do; or 2. We pursue the conversation with the goal of increasing giving to the church. Both of these approaches fall short of discipling our Lane 3 members and rob them of the opportunity to learn from God's Word and grow in their stewardship. Many of these folks may actually have the gift of giving but are not deploying that gift because they haven't been discipled in stewardship. So potential kingdom impact isn't realized and we leave our Lane 3 people without a vision for the joy that God may have in store for them. Podcast host James Lenhoff shows us the importance of these conversations with Lane 3 believers and guides us in casting vision for personal discipleship and kingdom impact. To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org [https://www.GoodSenseMovement.org] Contact James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org [JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org] You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhlKZROBa85WmwIiN4tmbxcLUXGuLlmA1]. This will be our last episode for a while. We are taking a break and don't know when we will return.

75: Discipling Believers in Lanes 1 & 2

Leading the stewardship conversation in church can be difficult. It can come across as self-serving ("the church just wants me to give more"). Or we can miss the mark by focusing on one financial condition ("I'm not in debt, so this doesn't apply to me"). Biblical principles apply across all financial conditions. Principles of God's ownership, and values like generosity, gratitude, and contentment are relevant regardless of income and wealth. Big ideas - like being a faithful steward, a diligent earner, a prudent spender, a generous giver, a wise saver, and a cautious debtor - connect with our entire congregations. But these big ideas look very different in various financial situations. Our stewardship conversations must address the entire congregation, not just a segment in a certain financial state. Some believers are in financial crisis. Struggling to pay bills each month, they accumulate more and more debt over time. They need hope and a plan to get to a place of stability. They likely need to make some big decisions and changes for a period of time to stabilize their cash flow. Others are in a place of making ends meet month to month. They think they're doing OK because they're paying all the bills, but they're not making real progress. They're not growing their net worth with the resources God has provided. They're treating their money as their own, not as trustees of Another's assets. They need to get clear on stewardship principles and how to apply them in their situation. Podcast host James Lenhoff provides guidance on speaking to believers in these two different financial conditions. Emphasizing a grace-filled, practical approach based on Biblical wisdom, James shows us how to disciple these believers in the area of finances. Next episode will tackle the conversation with a third segment of the congregation - those who have more than enough. To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org [https://www.GoodSenseMovement.org] Contact James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org [JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org] You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhlKZROBa85WmwIiN4tmbxcLUXGuLlmA1].

74: Faith, Fear, and Finances

Fear of missing out. Fear of rejection, of not fitting in. Fear of not having enough. These and other worries drive much of our behavior. Marketers and media know this. So they play on our fears to manipulate our decisions or pique our interest. And we find ourselves driven by the things that other people tell us we need to be afraid of. This can lead to bad stewardship decisions. We fear loss, so we invest too conservatively and miss out on opportunities to multiply rfdesources. We fear not having enough, so we overwork and oversave - at the expense of relationships with others and with God. Scripture tells us that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." There's a freedom that faith brings - freedom from fear and uncertainty. This is also the freedom that stewardship brings; if everything belongs to God and he is our provider, then we don't have to worry about the future. Podcast host James Lenhoff explores the contrast between faith and fear and outlines a 3-step process for dealing with our fears in a way that ultimately leads to joy. To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org [https://www.GoodSenseMovement.org] Contact James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org [JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org] You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhlKZROBa85WmwIiN4tmbxcLUXGuLlmA1].

73: Intentional Retirement, pt. 2: Transition

In our last episode, we talked about preparing for retirement. We highlighted the importance of planning beyond the finances and balancing pleasure with purpose. But what happens when we get there? Suddenly, the career is over and the demands of the job are gone - as is the paycheck! How do we handle this important time of transition? Three major areas of focus are finances, health, and lifestyle - and they're all connected. The key at the beginning is to understand our position and plan well enough to enter retirement with confidence. As we develop that understanding, we enable ourselves to pursue our retirement priorities without constant worry about money. Mental and emotional preparation is also important. The transition into retirement brings with it significant changes in lifestyle and often changes in our most important relationships, especially with our spouse if we're married. This is a time for open and honest communication, flexibility and intentionality, and lots of grace! There's a good chance that our retirement won't meet all of our idealized expectations; this calls for an ongoing attitude of contentment and thankfulness - two key characteristics of the Biblical steward. Podcast host James Lenhoff helps us think through some important questions in all these areas and outlines an approach to retirement that helps us make the most of our "fourth quarter". To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org [https://www.GoodSenseMovement.org] Contact James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org [JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org] You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhlKZROBa85WmwIiN4tmbxcLUXGuLlmA1].

72: Intentional Retirement, pt. 1: Preparation

Most of us who haven't reached retirement yet are looking forward to getting there. But how much have we thought about what retirement actually looks like? If all we're thinking about is what we're retiring from, we're not ready to maximize what we're retiring to. Many people find after some time that the "permanent Saturday" they were dreaming about doesn't bring fulfillment. It lacks purpose and meaning. The Teacher warns us about the meaninglessness of pursuing nothing but pleasure (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11). At the same time, many of us are consumed with planning for retirement financially but not prayerfully considering how to prepare for it purposefully. As it turns out, the financial planning is actually the easier part. Planning for meaning and purpose is harder, especially if we've built our identity around our careers. Podcast host James Lenhoff leads us to think through balancing purpose and pleasure as we begin to plan for retirement. To learn more check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org [https://www.GoodSenseMovement.org] Contact James at: JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org [JamesLenhoff@GoodSenseMovement.org] You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhlKZROBa85WmwIiN4tmbxcLUXGuLlmA1].