September 25, 2025 • 43 mins
For many children, going barefoot isn’t a choice—it’s a daily struggle that puts their health, safety, and future at risk. But one pair of shoes can change that story. On the next Faith & Finance Live with Rob West, we’ll hear how Shawn Spurrier and Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls bring hope to vulnerable children around the world. Discover how God is changing lives through something as ordinary—and extraordinary—as shoes. Then, it’s your calls. That’s Faith & Finance Live, where biblical wisdom meets today’s finances—weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:04):
The following program was pre-recorded so our phone lines are
not open.
S2 (00:08):
For many children, going barefoot isn't a choice. It's a
daily struggle that puts their health, safety and future at risk.
But one pair of shoes can change that story. Hi,
I'm Rob West. Today we'll hear how Buckner's shoes for
Orphan Souls is bringing hope and dignity to vulnerable children
around the world. Shawn Spurrier joins us to share how
(00:29):
God is changing lives through something as ordinary and extraordinary
as shoes. Then we have some great questions lined up
for you. But don't call in today because we're prerecorded.
This is faith and finance. Live. Biblical wisdom for your
financial decisions. Well, it's always a privilege to have Shawn
(00:51):
Spurrier with us. He serves as director of Buckner Shoes
for Orphan Souls, an underwriter of this program. And, Shawn,
I'm so thrilled you're here, as you well know. And
I want to make sure our listeners know this month,
the month of September, we have a goal to partner
Faith by and Buckner shoes for orphan souls to put
1000 shoes on the feet of a child somewhere in
(01:15):
the world, in a vulnerable situation. And as we've talked
about it has far reaching implications for their health and
their safety and their education and their understanding of Jesus
love for them. We're going to talk about all of that,
but let me just say thanks for being here, Rob.
S3 (01:31):
So glad to be with you again. It's always a pleasure.
S2 (01:33):
By the way, folks, if you want to learn more
or get involved, let me just go ahead and give
out that website. It's give Shoes today. Now, Shawn, many
people know Buckner International, but not everyone realizes the incredible
global impact of Buckner shoes for orphan souls, which you
and your team lead. So why don't you start by
just sharing a bit more about this work?
S3 (01:54):
Yeah, absolutely. You know, you're right. This is a it's
really a project that the Lord has really grown. This
is something that started out in 1999 as a as
a local project here in Dallas, Texas, um, where we
just wanted to serve some children who, uh, were living
in orphanages that we were working in, in Russia at
the time. And, um, over the last 25 years. This is, um,
(02:16):
this is something that's really grown. Uh, we work with
churches and businesses and believers all throughout the country, um, to, uh,
to serve children now to the tune of over 5
million children in 86 countries. And so the Lord has
been really kind to us over the last 25 years
to continue to grow this impact and really serve more children.
S2 (02:34):
Now, Sean, we've alluded to the significance of a pair
of shoes because they carry a much deeper meaning than
just covering feet. Uh, talk for a moment about why
it is so critical for a child's safety and quality
of life.
S3 (02:48):
Yeah. You know, there are 300 million children, uh, throughout
the world who lack access to this very, very basic need. Um, Wow. And, uh,
tens of millions of those children today will not go
to school because of that lack of access. And so,
you know, we're really focusing on a handful of things here.
We're really wanting to promote health in regions where there
are foodborne illnesses that can often be catastrophic. Um, we
(03:12):
want to send children to school. Um, and shoes are
often a barrier to receiving that education that is vital
to their rising above poverty. Um, shoes also provide a
moment of hope when you distribute a pair of shoes
as a gift in the name of Jesus to a child,
you get an opportunity to express the love of Christ
to them in a very tangible way. It's an amazing
moment of hope. Um, and these are also opportunities to
(03:34):
introduce children and families to programming and ministries in their communities, um,
that are transformational.
S2 (03:41):
Yeah, no doubt about it. It's something we take for granted.
We just finished the back to school season, and no
doubt many of you listening, bought a pair of shoes
for your kids and you were thrilled to do it.
But it's so much bigger than that. Uh, you've pointed out, Shauna,
I know you were just recently on one of these
shoe distributions. It's not something they take for granted in
(04:01):
other parts of the world. Isn't that right?
S3 (04:03):
Oh, not at all. You know, you and I, when
we walk out of our houses every morning, I'm sure
we've got choices on the pairs of shoes that we're
going to wear that day. But in many of the
communities we work in, this is not a choice. This
is something that might take months to save up the money,
to provide a pair of shoes for your kid. Um,
or they just don't have access to it at all.
And so, you know, it really, it restores a sense
of dignity for parents to be able to provide something
(04:26):
for their kids. Um, we've met moms who had siblings,
and they had to choose which sibling would go to
school on which day because they had one pair of
shoes between the two. Um, so, you know, the opportunity
to go to school and have confidence and receive that education,
it's huge. Um, yeah. There are also diseases and other
issues that children encounter when they have, um, when they
(04:46):
experience a lack of access to shoes that, that really, um,
have serious, uh, social stigma attached to them. And we're
trying to address those as well.
S2 (04:55):
Well, there's no doubt. All right. Faith and finance, family,
this is your opportunity. We have a goal of providing
shoes for 1000 children around the world this month. The
gift of $150 equips ten children, while just $15 provides
one child with a pair of shoes, socks and the
cost of getting it there. Give shoes today. Org is
(05:16):
the website. Much more to come just around the corner.
Stick around. Welcome back to Faith and Finance live. I'm
(05:39):
Rob West with me today, my good friend Shawn Spurrier.
He's director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, and I
am so thrilled that this month, the month of September,
we are partnering with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. We've
set a goal for 1000 children around the world to
be provided a new pair of shoes. Now, these are
(05:59):
vulnerable children. We'll talk about where in the world these
kids are with Sean here in just a moment. But
when they receive a new pair of shoes, it's the
difference in terms of health, their access to education, restoring
their dignity. And and we'll get into this as well.
Sharing the love of Jesus alongside the sharing of those shoes. Now,
a gift of $150 equips ten children to receive a
(06:24):
brand new pair of shoes, socks and the cost of
getting them there. $15 provides one child with a new
pair of shoes. Would you help us reach this goal
of 1000 shoes this month? We're not there yet. We
need you. It's give shoes today again. That's give shoes today. Now, Sean,
I'd love for you to share where Buckner's shoes for
(06:46):
Orphan Souls is active right now. And give us a
snapshot of some of the countries where you and your
team are serving.
S3 (06:53):
Absolutely. So we are working right here in the United States.
We actually have programming in the state of Texas where
we're based, actually, even recently got to serve children, um,
who were affected by the flooding in the hill country, uh,
by providing shoes for them as they went back to school. Um,
in addition to that, uh, we work through Latin America
and Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Honduras, Peru. Um, and
(07:15):
then we also have programming in Ethiopia and Kenya as well. Um,
beyond that, we work with like minded partners that are
trusted throughout the world, and doing so have been able
to distribute to, you know, 75, 80 other countries, uh,
through those partners.
S2 (07:30):
Incredible. I want you to talk about some of the
broader ripple effects you've witnessed in the communities you serve.
And I know you've experienced this, even just in the
last few weeks, as you were in Mexico on a
shoe distribution.
S3 (07:43):
Absolutely. You know, a pair of shoes. Uh, it's simple,
but this leads to it's kind of a gateway to
so many other opportunities. And in these communities we have
family hope centers. And those family hope centers are coming
alongside vulnerable families and vulnerable communities, providing resources and education
and training and, um, all from a Christ centered perspective. Um,
(08:05):
really just kind of trying to come alongside families and
helping them to achieve sustainability and reach their God given potential. Um, and,
and these programs, you know, when you focus on families
in this way, you'll see that kind of ripple out
into their neighborhoods and into their communities. And, um, you know,
I was just having a conversation with some folks that
I was in Mexico with, and you can physically see
(08:25):
the difference in the community. Um, and one of the
communities where we've worked for about ten years now, when
you go into that community, it is a visibly different
community than it was when we started working there. And
so much of that is because of the hope that's
experienced through those programs.
S2 (08:41):
I can only imagine now. Stories, Sean, help us put
a name to it, and I'd love for you to
perhaps share 1 or 2 of the stories of the
powerful moments watching children receive shoes through Buckner.
S3 (08:53):
Yeah. You know, um, I tell this all the time, but,
you know, I've been doing this for about 12 years.
And to this day, um, when I came into Buckner,
I was a little bit of a germaphobe. I knew
that the Lord had called me to do this, but,
you know, just sitting in front of a child, placing
a pair of shoes on their. On their feet, uh,
was was foreign to me. It was a unique thing. But, man,
to this day, I can remember the first little girl
(09:16):
that I gave a pair of shoes to in the
Dominican Republic. Um, you know, I can remember the sun
coming through the window in the room. I can remember
the look on her eyes and the hope that she
was experiencing, um, in a community where, um, you know,
there was just a lot of hardship. It's just something
that doesn't, uh, it sticks with you when you get
to do this. Um, but addition to that, one of
(09:36):
the things that I love seeing after having done this for, um,
you know, close to 12 years now, is that longer
term impact? Um, yeah. I think of a little girl
named Cynthia who who lives in Bungoma, Kenya. And just
a couple of years ago, I think she was 12.
She received a new pair of shoes at a distribution
in her community, and that pair, again, was a gateway
to a relationship that's been transformational. Um, she was the
(09:59):
youngest of six children. Um, and within a three year
span of time, both of her parents had passed away. Um,
and you know, when in that culture, when when the
father passes away, the kids are not going to receive
an education. They're all just trying to, you know, make
ends meet. Um, so after her mom passed away, she
was really in a bad spot. She she moved in
with her uncle, who knew she needed shoes. She needed
(10:20):
she needed an education. And so he brought her to Buckner,
to a distribution. And that opened up a relationship where
she is now receiving an education. She's, um, part of
our school there. Um, and, you know, our family coaches
in her her program described her when she came as
someone who was experiencing hardship. She was turned in on
herself and introverted. She struggled to trust people. Um, but
(10:43):
now they say that she's experiencing hope. She her personality
is shining. She's a natural leader amongst her fellow students
and her friends. She even recently became the class president
and her little school there. And so, you know, I
love looking at these longer term stories to where you
can say, man, a pair of shoes provided by somebody
in the United States who wanted to carry a burden
(11:04):
has led to just, um, the Lord really doing some
incredible work in the lives of children who've experienced hardship
that most of us couldn't imagine.
S2 (11:13):
That's amazing. Now, I mentioned, Sean, that you were just
recently in Mexico on a shoe distribution. I'd love for
you to give a sense of the scale of that operation,
because I think it'll help folks appreciate what you're doing here.
S3 (11:27):
Yeah. So we served, uh, several hundred children over the
course of about 5 or 6 days of ministry. We
had volunteers come in for it. Uh, who came alongside
local volunteers and local churches and our family Hope centers there. Um,
we would have, uh, you know, at least 100, 150
children a day who would come in, many with their families.
We had a Stem camp, sort of a Vacation Bible
(11:48):
school set up, but there were also Stem. We offered
a Stem program which is teaching them science and technology, engineering, mathematics, uh,
training opportunities in there. Wow. Um, spiritual development across each station. Um,
an opportunity to tell Bible stories and introduce them to
the gospel. Let them know that the Lord loves them
(12:09):
and cares for them. And, um, and then we would
distribute shoes to them, and we would have that moment
of washing their feet, getting in front of them, washing
their feet, um, and, uh, and just expressing that, that
hope to them in that moment. Um, those opportunities also
led to opportunities to minister to their overall families, though.
And so, you know, one of the images that I
have just most ingrained in my mind from that trip
(12:30):
a couple of weeks ago, was moms whose children had
received shoes at the end of our distribution, at our
family Hope center, um, coming in and, and us having
the opportunity to distribute the scriptures to them, just giving
them their own Bible. Wow. And I've got this image
of so many of these moms experiencing this hope and
just clutching their Bibles close to their chests. Wow. Um,
(12:50):
when they were handed to them, because there was so
much joy and excitement that they had that. And so
many of those moms made a commitment that day to
raise their children in the scriptures. And so, um, it
it's just it's just a really sweet thing to see
how this simple gift, um, can really, like you said,
it's kind of a ripple effect to, to some really
(13:11):
incredible things that the Lord will do.
S2 (13:13):
It sure is. And I am so thrilled that we're
partnering with you. Well, let's share with our listeners again,
this goal that we've set together between Faith Fi and
Buckner shoes for orphan souls.
S3 (13:25):
Yeah, man, we would love to, uh, put shoes on
the feet of a thousand children together. Um, and so,
you know, every $15 provides a pair of shoes. You
can provide shoes for ten children with a gift of
of $150. Um, it is simple, um, and truly, it
is something that we know that the Lord can use.
S2 (13:43):
There is no doubt about it. Well, Shawn, we're honored
to be partnered with you. And I appreciate your time,
my friend.
S3 (13:48):
Likewise. We're so grateful to to know you and to
be a part of doing this alongside you and your listeners.
S2 (13:53):
Folks, the website is Give Shoes TODAY.com. This month, just
the month of September, we're working toward the goal of
providing shoes for 1000 children around the world. A gift
of $150 equips ten children $15 provides one child with
a pair of shoes, socks and the cost of getting
them there. Help us reach this goal, perhaps even go
(14:15):
right past it. Give shoes today. That's give shoes today.
This is faith and finance. Live and we'll be right back.
So glad to have you with us today on Faith
(14:36):
and Finance Live. Our team is away today, so don't
call in. But we lined up some great questions in
advance and we'll be going to those here in just
a moment. Let me also remind you that the advice
that I give each day on this program is general
in nature. We offer principles and ideas that apply at
a high level. They are not personalized. So that's why
(14:58):
you should always seek professional financial advice. And if you'd
like to find a professional who shares your values, we
of course, here at Faith and Finance Live recommend the
Certified Kingdom Advisor designation. These are men and women who've
met high standards, and they've been trained to bring a
biblical worldview of financial decision making. You can find one
at Faith comm. Hey, before we dive in today, if
(15:21):
you're 73 or older, the IRS requires you to take
annual withdrawals. Now, they call those required minimum distributions. You
might hear them referred to as RMDs. Those come out
of pre-tax retirement accounts, and you face a penalty if
you don't take them. Now Your first RMD is due
by April 1st of the year after you turn 73,
(15:45):
and then subsequent withdrawals are due by December 31st each year.
Which means, by the way, if you wait until April
1st to take that very first RMD, you will actually
have two in the same year because you'll have that
April 1st deadline for your first RMD, and then the
second RMD is due by December 31st of the same year. Now,
(16:05):
for many retirees, Social Security, pensions, investments and other income
sources already meet their needs. So that means that the
RMD may not be necessary for living expenses. And if
that's your situation, you do have several strategic options. That's
going to be the focus of my thoughts here at
the start. First, you can reinvest for growth. So you
(16:27):
could just put those into a taxable brokerage account and
get them invested, perhaps in a faith based investing mutual fund.
Invest it systematically every year. Let it grow a second,
you could give it to charity tax free. You know,
this is an often underutilized tool that really is the
only way you can get money that went into a
(16:47):
retirement account pre-tax out without ever paying the tax, which
means there's never any tax paid. And it's called a
qualified charitable distribution. So as long as you're 70.5 and
in the case of an RMD, you would be you
can send up to and for 2025 $108,000. Now you
(17:07):
could stop at the amount equal to your RMD, but
you could keep going beyond that as long as the
money goes directly from your IRA to a qualified nonprofit,
a 500 1C3. And so this qualified charitable distribution satisfies
the RMD allows you to do more giving because you're
not going to increase your taxable income. Therefore no tax
(17:29):
paid on that money and you get the money into
God's economy. Now the next option would be invest in
the next generation, you could consider directing those RMDs to,
let's say, a 529 college savings plan for children or grandchildren.
And more than 30 states offer a state tax deduction
or credit for those contributions, although there's no federal deduction.
(17:52):
So that would be a great option as well. So
hopefully those are some ideas as you think about how
you can, uh, honor that requirement that the IRS has.
And if you don't need the money, get that into
productive purposes. All right. Let's begin in Arkansas today. Hi, Anne.
Go ahead.
S4 (18:10):
Hello, Rob. Uh, I called yesterday, but too late to
get on.
S2 (18:14):
Oh, I'm so glad you called back. Thank you.
S4 (18:17):
My, um, my question has to do with, uh, limits
of charitable contributions for for IRS deductions, and, um, I,
I cannot use the the A qualified charitable distribution method
because I annuitized my 403 and my IRA. And so, um,
(18:45):
I think the limits, uh, are 50% of my annual income.
And I'm wondering if, if I go over 50%, uh,
what happens does can I claim any of that on
subsequent years? Um, this would be um, for next for
(19:08):
next year, I would be, uh, I have a CD
that would be maturing in January. And, um, there are
some upcoming surgical needs for, um, some orphans in our
church's mission program.
S5 (19:25):
Ah. Got it.
S2 (19:26):
Yes, ma'am. Well, I love that you're thinking about how
to get this money into a productive kingdom, building purposes
and help those in need. That's great. Yeah. So the
maximum deduction for charitable contributions and up to a public
charity is 60%. It used to be 50% 60% of
(19:46):
your adjusted gross income. Um, so you would have the
ability now if you go above that, you don't lose
the deduction. It can be carried forward for up to
five years until it's fully utilized. So that is an option. Um,
and you could go ahead and just make those charitable
(20:07):
contributions take as much as you can. Uh, for this
year and then, you know, carry the rest forward.
S4 (20:15):
Okay. All right. I'm very interested in this wise generosity idea.
S2 (20:23):
Yeah, I love that, you know, because when we can
connect our giving and clearly you have passions around giving
to really how God has wired us uniquely. And, you know,
find the intersection between our passions and wiring, which is
God's thumbprint on us, and then those causes that are
on the heart of God. I just think it releases
(20:43):
your giving toward things that bring more purpose and passion,
because it's uniquely aligned to your purposes. And so check
out the website if when you have time wise generosity.
Com and perhaps you take the free quiz there on
the website, see what it comes back with, perhaps even
pick up a copy of the book. In fact, I'd
love to send you a copy of it and I
(21:04):
think it'll be a blessing to you. So you stay
on the line. We'll get your information. And as our
gift to you today, we'll put a copy of Why's
Generosity in the mail to you. Okay.
S4 (21:13):
Oh, thank you so much.
S2 (21:15):
Absolutely. And thanks for your call today. Hey, before we
head to this break, just a quick reminder. Our team
is away from the studio today, so don't call in.
We did line up some great questions in advance, and
when we come back from this break, we'll have an
opportunity to hear some of those questions. Let me also
remind you that if you have a question you'd like
to get in front of us and get an answer to.
(21:35):
You can always send it in electronically. That's right. The
way to send an electronic question is just to head
to Moody Radio.com. You'll see the form there on that
page where you can submit your question. We try to
get to a few of those each week on the air. Again,
Moody Radio.com. Back with more on faith and finance. Live
(21:57):
right after this. Stick around. Delighted to have you with
us today on Faith and Finance live. We're not here today.
Our team is away from the studio. This is pre-recorded,
so don't call in. But we've got some great questions
we lined up in advance before we go to the phones,
let me remind you, faith and faith and finance live
(22:18):
is listener supported. If you'd like to be a financial partner,
you can do that at Faith. Com just click give
thanks in advance. Let's head right back to the phones.
Sue is waiting patiently in Michigan. Go right ahead.
S6 (22:31):
Hi. Um, I'm a little nervous, so forgive me.
S2 (22:35):
No problem. Glad you called.
S5 (22:36):
I have, uh.
S6 (22:38):
I have a parent who has Alzheimer's. The other one
does not. They have two homes. Um, they're very generous. Uh,
the parent that has Alzheimer's paid the bills, uh, can
no longer. And so the other parent took over, and
they they have very little or 1 in 401 K.
(23:04):
They still owe on one of the houses. Um, I'm
concerned because the parent that took over is very, very,
very giving. And, um, I don't I know the other
has Alzheimer's.
S5 (23:19):
Yeah.
S6 (23:20):
I don't know how they're going to continue doing that
and have enough for care. But the one parent sees
it as a God thing by giving all the money away.
S5 (23:36):
Yeah.
S2 (23:37):
Well, I certainly understand that, Sue, and your desire to help.
And I think you're asking the right questions here because
clearly we want to, you know, part of why God
entrust to us what he does is so we can
hold it loosely and give it generously at the same time.
He there's plenty in his word about being wise stewards
and counting the cost and, you know, making sure we're
living within God's provision. And we know in this season
(24:00):
of life, especially, uh, with one parent facing Alzheimer's, expenses
can rise quickly, especially for care and with little savings
and high costs. Uh, you know, generosity can unintentionally put
them at real financial risk. Uh, you know, I think
the first step, perhaps, is to let the numbers tell
the story. So rather than you trying to articulate that
(24:24):
when they see the shortfall, or the one spouse does
who has the ability cognitively to process this. You know,
when that particular parent sees the shortfall in black and white,
it often speaks louder than you can. And so one
option would be to sit down together and just put
the numbers on paper. List the income list the care
expenses list the housing costs, show what's left over. And,
(24:48):
you know, let the numbers tell the story. I think
the second is perhaps you build the giving into the plan.
And so you say, listen, I know you have a
generous heart. I love that that's on the heart of God.
We see that in Scripture, but we also know that
God calls us to be faithful stewards and to live
within our means. So let's build a plan on a
monthly basis that recognizes all of the true expenses against
(25:12):
the income. And let's put a number in for giving.
And it may not be the number that this particular
parent wants because of their generous heart. And yet again,
when they see it on paper, Often that can be,
you know, helpful just to say, well, at the end
of the day, if we're going to run out of money,
there's definitely not going to be anything there for giving.
(25:32):
But there's also not going to be anything there for care.
And that's going to be a problem. And again, you're
not having to tell them that. You're letting the you know,
the numbers tell the story. Um, I would be happy
if it would be helpful to you, Sue, to connect
one of our certified Christian financial counselors to you and
your parents. Um, at our cost. We would provide this
(25:56):
just as a ministry to you. This is somebody who's
trained in biblical stewardship, but also works with people on
a daily basis on their spending plans and their budget,
and perhaps having a third party to sit down with
them virtually over a web call, like a zoom meeting
or something, and go through the numbers. Now, it's not
you that's kind of pointing this out, but it's somebody
(26:18):
else who's there just to provide trusted counsel. Outsole, and
perhaps that would be received a little better. Now you
may decide, no, I don't want that. And that's fine.
But if you did, I'd be happy to provide it
and even cover the cost for you just as our
gift to you. But give me your thoughts on all that.
S6 (26:35):
Well, I would love, uh, love that, other than we
have tried that, um, and, uh, uh, the the other
parent won't. Okay, um, we've sit down with the numbers and, um, uh,
(26:56):
we just keep pulling out of there the savings. Um,
and I, you know, I've friends and other have voiced
the the concern. Yeah. Um, I just, uh, I'm not
positive if there's any other route. Um.
S5 (27:18):
Yeah.
S2 (27:19):
Based on the current spending.
S6 (27:21):
And Alzheimer's.
S5 (27:22):
Sure.
S2 (27:23):
Based on the current spending and giving, what do you anticipate?
How long will the money last?
S6 (27:29):
Well, um, here's the other issue is a lot of unexpected, uh,
how do I word it? Unexpected repair. Other bills have
come out. If that were to continue, maybe for years.
S5 (27:47):
Well, yeah.
S6 (27:48):
If it were to continue. But these are huge things
that came out. How how long could that go I
don't know.
S5 (27:57):
Yeah. You just.
S6 (27:58):
Never know.
S5 (27:58):
On that. Oh of course.
S2 (27:59):
Yeah for sure. Well have you pointed I mean have
you had that conversation where you say, hey, I just
want to point out to you that based on the
current run rate with the things that are going on
right now, we've got about four years and you all
are going to be out of money. I mean, has
it has it gotten that specific?
S6 (28:16):
It has. The response is the rapture is coming.
S5 (28:21):
Yeah yeah yeah.
S6 (28:23):
And and I agree that, you know, the way things
are going possibly tomorrow.
S2 (28:27):
But yeah, but the Bible says we don't know the
day or the hour. So we need to continue to
operate as, as wise stewards in the meantime. Um, I mean, yeah.
So this is really difficult. And, you know, and obviously
if there's cognitive decline, you know, you could there are
ways to step in whether there's a power of attorney
(28:47):
or not. But in the case of, you know, one
spouse who is of sound mind and just, you know,
with a generous heart. And I love that, um, you know,
using more than is is available. Uh, that's a challenge.
And so I think your job is to continue to
point it out, provide solutions. But at the end of
the day, you can't force it. It's not on you. It's,
(29:08):
you know, it's ultimately, uh, your, your parents responsibility and, um,
you know, it doesn't mean you don't continue to pray
and ask God to open their eyes and receive what
you have to share. Um, but, you know, there's not
a there's not a quick fix here, as you well know.
S6 (29:25):
Yes, yes. Well, I would appreciate then. Any prayers?
S5 (29:29):
Yeah.
S6 (29:29):
Um, I figured that was the answer, but just wanted
to make sure there isn't something big that I might
be missing.
S5 (29:38):
Yeah.
S2 (29:38):
No, I don't think so. Let's take a time, a
moment here now, just to to pray and ask the
Lord to intervene. And, uh, folks, if you're listening today,
would you pray with us for Sue and and for
her parents? And, Lord, we just commit this to you
and ask that you would just open this parent's eyes. Lord,
we love this desire to be generous and to take
what you've given and to hold it loosely. And, Lord, uh,
(30:00):
we want you to come quickly. And we we long
for the day of your return and, uh, to be
in the new heaven and the new earth. And yet
we recognize while you have us here, you have a
purpose and a plan for us. And part of that
is to be a wise steward of what you've entrusted
to us. So I, I just pray that you would have, uh,
have allow for a breakthrough in the conversation between Sue
and her parent. Uh, that there would just be an openness,
(30:23):
a receptivity, an understanding that it would be met with
the right heart posture and that they'd be able to
work through a plan together that allows the generosity to continue.
But in the context of the provision that you've given
and the needs that are very real with regard to this, uh,
this Alzheimer's. So, Lord, we just leave that in your
hands today. We tell you, we trust you. Be with Sue,
(30:45):
give her wisdom and discernment on how to navigate this.
And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Sue, thanks
for your call today. We appreciate it. Greg. Coming your
way after the break. Stay with us. This is faith
and finance. We'll be right back. Thanks so much for
(31:08):
joining us today on Faith and Finance Live. I'm Rob West,
your host. Hey, our team is away from the studio today.
We're not here, but we've got some great questions that
we lined up in advance. I know you'll enjoy those
a little later in our broadcast, folks. Have you checked
out recently? Our website at Faith. Com if not, I'd
encourage you to do that. You'll find our community there
(31:29):
where you can post questions and comments, hear from others
that are on the stewardship journey as well. You can
also access our content and check out the Faith fi app.
It's at faith.com. All right, now let's head back to
the phones. Let's go to Arkansas. Hi, Greg. Go right ahead.
S7 (31:46):
Uh. Yes, sir. Rob, I enjoy your show. Thank you. Um,
I'll be 65 in January, and I've already retired, and
I just had $45,000 dropped in my lap. I don't
have any credit card debt. I have a mortgage on
my home, and I really don't know what to do
with that money. I'm afraid to stick it in the
(32:06):
stock market this late in age. You got any opinions
on it?
S2 (32:11):
Yeah, I think that's the key is really, you know,
whenever we've got money to put to work, we have
to decide, according to our starting with our values and
our priorities. What's the the best course of action? Um,
so I assume a you don't have any consumer debt.
And B, separate from this, you have an emergency fund
at least 3 to 6 months expenses. Is that true, Greg?
S7 (32:35):
Yes, sir.
S2 (32:36):
Okay, great. And then in terms of, uh, you know,
how you might want to put this to work, you know,
it's all about risk and return and time horizon. And
so I heard you say right there at the tail end,
you know, you're not. Doesn't sound like you're you're comfortable, uh,
taking any risk with this, but but let's just talk
about the various asset classes that would be available to you.
(32:58):
You've got cash and cash equivalents. So, you know, we're
talking about CDs and money market and high yield savings.
Then we kind of move up the the line there.
We've got US Treasury bill bills bonds and notes backed
by the full faith and credit of the United States government.
We then kind of move beyond that and, you know,
up the risk spectrum. And, you know, we could move
(33:19):
into some corporate bonds, whether that's direct ownership or probably
with this amount of money through, you know, mutual funds.
And then we can keep going from there. You know,
you could start to get into things like real estate
investment trusts, which are income focused, but also interest rate sensitive.
But it's a way to buy into real estate without
taking direct ownership. And then you get into stocks and
(33:40):
there's a variety of, you know, risk, uh, you know,
spectrum in the stock or equity space where you can be,
you know, on the more conservative end with kind of
high quality dividend paying stocks all the way to, you know,
the Mag seven with the high growth tech companies, um,
you've got precious metals, you know, that could fit in
there as well. So as you kind of think about
(34:02):
those different asset classes and that that spectrum of risk
from most conservative to most aggressive, you know, what what
do you feel like is the right fit for you.
S7 (34:14):
Uh, you know, I'm not real keen on on on
any of it. Uh, I just wish there was a
magic ball out there that you could, you know, a 6%
interest and stick it in there and forget about it. But, yeah,
I don't guess there really is, is it?
S2 (34:31):
Well, I mean, you said 6%, uh, you know, you
could look at, uh, more of, like, an annuity product. Um,
you know, some of those are paying, you know, I know,
for instance, uh, one and this would just be an
example like, uh gainbridge. Um, you know, they're in this,
(34:52):
you know, in the same way you'd have online banks
where they don't have brick and mortar operations, and they
pass that savings along in the form of a higher
yield on savings accounts. There are some insurance companies offering
insurance products like annuities, where they take a similar approach.
They're internet only, but they have all the financial stability
(35:13):
and protections that you would expect from an insurance company.
But their idea is that they want to pay, you know,
a lot more out in the way of, uh, you know,
guaranteed income and growth. So for instance, one would be
called Gain Bridge. Um, you know, they've done a lot
of marketing lately. They get great reviews, very strong financially. Um,
(35:35):
and they're paying right now 5.8%. Um, and, you know,
you've got, uh, two different approaches. You've got one where
you pay tax along the way, you've got another one
where you don't pay it till it comes out. But
in terms of Am best, which is the rating service
that rates insurance companies, they're a minus, which is actually
(35:56):
considered excellent in terms of financial strength. And you could
kind of customize it to how you want, um, you know,
it to, um, happen. So if you have under Hundred
and 50,000. And you want somewhere between 5 and 10 years.
They can lock it in today at 5.5%. You could
go all the way down to 3 or 4 years
(36:17):
and get 5.45. But, you know, something like that may
be an option for you where you're essentially transferring the
risk to the insurance company. You're not in stocks and
bonds that can rise and fall. And, you know, you
get that, uh, better than average return. Certainly something better
than you'd get in a money market savings or CD.
(36:40):
Does that make sense?
S7 (36:41):
Yes, sir. It does. Gainbridge. Yeah, I need to do
a little research on that. That sounds great.
S5 (36:47):
Yeah.
S2 (36:47):
Check it out. Uh, it could be, uh, it could
be a good option for you. Again, they get a
strong rating, and there's others like it. I'm just using
that as an example. And, you know, I don't have
any reason to endorse a particular company, but that would
be an example of the type of, uh, option that's
out there where you're looking for more of a guaranteed
annuity product. But you also, you know, are looking for
(37:10):
something better than you can get in the national CD average,
for instance. So, uh, Greg, hope that helps you, my friend.
We appreciate you being on the program. May the Lord
bless you. Thanks for calling. You know, folks, um, uh,
I am holding in my hand the latest edition of
Faithful Steward, our magazine. It's issue three, and the theme
for this issue is Your work Matters. And we have
(37:32):
an incredible article from pastor Tom Nelson out of Kansas City,
who's also the founder of Made to Flourish. Uh, that
connects Sunday to Monday and, uh, provides resources to pastors
and church leaders on really seeing God's designed for work.
And and that's the topic he's written on for our
feature story for this issue. By the way, I can't
(37:53):
wait for you to get it. It's full of some
incredible content. But, uh, Tom Nelson writes this article, uh,
called Your Work Matters and it's really God's four part
story through the counsel of Scripture for our work. But
one of the really helpful. Q and A's that are
in this, this latest issue of Faithful Steward is a
(38:14):
question that Ron Blue answers. And we get this one
a lot. And I thought I'd tee it up here
for a moment, and then we'll head back to the phones.
And it's this question, is it okay to be unequally
yoked in business? So I'm not talking marriage. We're talking
about a business partnership. And you know, a lot of
times as believers, you know, we go into a business
partnership and it may be a partnership with a non-Christian. And,
(38:38):
you know, I think it's important to start with Scripture here.
Second Corinthians 614. You know it well. Don't be unequally
yoked with unbelievers, for what partnership does has righteousness with lawlessness.
What fellowship has light with darkness? Now many apply this
verse strictly to marriage. But, you know, I think it's
important to note here, and Ron points this out in
(38:59):
this Q&A, that the apostle Paul wasn't necessarily limiting this
advice to one kind of partnership, that being marriage. I think,
you know, business, legal, financial, spiritual alliances. We just need
to recognize that the same principle can apply here. And
a yoke is something that binds two individuals together with
(39:20):
the purpose of pulling in the same direction. And so
if you and in this case, your business partner, are
not aligned in your worldview and your values, you can
be pulling that plow in two different directions. And business
partnerships are serious. They're often long term. They require mutual trust.
They involve decisions that ultimately reflects your values. So Ron
(39:41):
provides some really helpful guidelines. If that's you in this
particular Q&A, he says, number one, protect your testimony. You know,
what's ultimately important is whether you can preserve your testimony
for Christ in this relationship. Second, plan with the end
in mind. You know, business partnerships may not last forever,
(40:01):
so it's wise to have a clear plan in place
for how one partner will step away. So you plan
the exit strategy on the front end. And then thirdly,
he says, build something that outlasts you. A healthy business
partnership isn't just about the present, it's about creating something
that can endure. So if you want to become a
(40:22):
partner and receive, uh, each issue a faithful steward, we'd
love for you to learn more when you head to
faith fi com slash partner. Incredible content in this latest
issue of Faithful Steward. All right, let's head back to
the phones. We've got just a few minutes left here
before we round out the program. Roger is in Michigan.
Go ahead sir.
S8 (40:41):
Hi, Rob. Thanks for taking my call. Um, I've got
my son as a minor. Received an inheritance from an aunt.
He is not aware of it. We were put in
charge of it. We put it in a trust. Now
we got to invest it. Um. And I'm. I'd like
(41:01):
to put it in like the Timothy plan, because I
want to put it in something that's not going against
our values and stuff.
S5 (41:08):
Yes, yes.
S8 (41:09):
I wondered about that.
S5 (41:11):
Yeah.
S2 (41:11):
You know, I think that's a great idea. First of all,
I love the idea. Roger that. You want to invest
in a way that's aligned with your values. I think
that's exactly right. And you have the opportunity to do that.
Now you're mentioning Timothy plan again, a wonderful faith based
investing fund family, one of the first and the best.
I love the team over there from Art alley and
and Brian Mumford and everybody. Um, it's a faith based,
(41:34):
biblically responsible family of mutual funds. They've added ETFs so
you can either go directly or you could connect with
a certified Kingdom advisor at Faith comm. But make sure
you search for a CPA that offers faith based investing
and any of those can you connect with as long
as you say, yes, I only want faith based investments,
(41:55):
they would be able to bring the Timothy plan to
you alongside perhaps other mutual fund families to round out
the portfolio. But even if you just went direct and
used the Timothy Plan funds just exclusively to build the portfolio, absolutely.
I'm totally in favor of that. But if you'd rather
delegate that to an advisor who can oversee the strategy,
(42:17):
and that's not all landing on you, then I think
the approach there is to go to faith-filled. Com and
click Find a Professional at the top of the page.
I hope that helps, but I'm on board. Roger, I
think this sounds like a great plan. Thanks for being
on the program today. Well folks, it's been a joy
to be along with you today. Thanks for inviting us
into your story. What a joy it is to encourage
(42:39):
you with God's Word as you seek to be that
wise and faithful steward. Let me say thanks to my
team today. I couldn't do it without them. Amy, Dan, Gabby, Tee,
and Jim Faith in Finance Live is a partnership between
Moody Radio and Faith fi. Have a wonderful day and
come back and join us next time for another edition
of Faith and Finance live.
The following program was pre-recorded so our phone lines are
not open.
S2 (00:08):
For many children, going barefoot isn't a choice. It's a
daily struggle that puts their health, safety and future at risk.
But one pair of shoes can change that story. Hi,
I'm Rob West. Today we'll hear how Buckner's shoes for
Orphan Souls is bringing hope and dignity to vulnerable children
around the world. Shawn Spurrier joins us to share how
(00:29):
God is changing lives through something as ordinary and extraordinary
as shoes. Then we have some great questions lined up
for you. But don't call in today because we're prerecorded.
This is faith and finance. Live. Biblical wisdom for your
financial decisions. Well, it's always a privilege to have Shawn
(00:51):
Spurrier with us. He serves as director of Buckner Shoes
for Orphan Souls, an underwriter of this program. And, Shawn,
I'm so thrilled you're here, as you well know. And
I want to make sure our listeners know this month,
the month of September, we have a goal to partner
Faith by and Buckner shoes for orphan souls to put
1000 shoes on the feet of a child somewhere in
(01:15):
the world, in a vulnerable situation. And as we've talked
about it has far reaching implications for their health and
their safety and their education and their understanding of Jesus
love for them. We're going to talk about all of that,
but let me just say thanks for being here, Rob.
S3 (01:31):
So glad to be with you again. It's always a pleasure.
S2 (01:33):
By the way, folks, if you want to learn more
or get involved, let me just go ahead and give
out that website. It's give Shoes today. Now, Shawn, many
people know Buckner International, but not everyone realizes the incredible
global impact of Buckner shoes for orphan souls, which you
and your team lead. So why don't you start by
just sharing a bit more about this work?
S3 (01:54):
Yeah, absolutely. You know, you're right. This is a it's
really a project that the Lord has really grown. This
is something that started out in 1999 as a as
a local project here in Dallas, Texas, um, where we
just wanted to serve some children who, uh, were living
in orphanages that we were working in, in Russia at
the time. And, um, over the last 25 years. This is, um,
(02:16):
this is something that's really grown. Uh, we work with
churches and businesses and believers all throughout the country, um, to, uh,
to serve children now to the tune of over 5
million children in 86 countries. And so the Lord has
been really kind to us over the last 25 years
to continue to grow this impact and really serve more children.
S2 (02:34):
Now, Sean, we've alluded to the significance of a pair
of shoes because they carry a much deeper meaning than
just covering feet. Uh, talk for a moment about why
it is so critical for a child's safety and quality
of life.
S3 (02:48):
Yeah. You know, there are 300 million children, uh, throughout
the world who lack access to this very, very basic need. Um, Wow. And, uh,
tens of millions of those children today will not go
to school because of that lack of access. And so,
you know, we're really focusing on a handful of things here.
We're really wanting to promote health in regions where there
are foodborne illnesses that can often be catastrophic. Um, we
(03:12):
want to send children to school. Um, and shoes are
often a barrier to receiving that education that is vital
to their rising above poverty. Um, shoes also provide a
moment of hope when you distribute a pair of shoes
as a gift in the name of Jesus to a child,
you get an opportunity to express the love of Christ
to them in a very tangible way. It's an amazing
moment of hope. Um, and these are also opportunities to
(03:34):
introduce children and families to programming and ministries in their communities, um,
that are transformational.
S2 (03:41):
Yeah, no doubt about it. It's something we take for granted.
We just finished the back to school season, and no
doubt many of you listening, bought a pair of shoes
for your kids and you were thrilled to do it.
But it's so much bigger than that. Uh, you've pointed out, Shauna,
I know you were just recently on one of these
shoe distributions. It's not something they take for granted in
(04:01):
other parts of the world. Isn't that right?
S3 (04:03):
Oh, not at all. You know, you and I, when
we walk out of our houses every morning, I'm sure
we've got choices on the pairs of shoes that we're
going to wear that day. But in many of the
communities we work in, this is not a choice. This
is something that might take months to save up the money,
to provide a pair of shoes for your kid. Um,
or they just don't have access to it at all.
And so, you know, it really, it restores a sense
of dignity for parents to be able to provide something
(04:26):
for their kids. Um, we've met moms who had siblings,
and they had to choose which sibling would go to
school on which day because they had one pair of
shoes between the two. Um, so, you know, the opportunity
to go to school and have confidence and receive that education,
it's huge. Um, yeah. There are also diseases and other
issues that children encounter when they have, um, when they
(04:46):
experience a lack of access to shoes that, that really, um,
have serious, uh, social stigma attached to them. And we're
trying to address those as well.
S2 (04:55):
Well, there's no doubt. All right. Faith and finance, family,
this is your opportunity. We have a goal of providing
shoes for 1000 children around the world this month. The
gift of $150 equips ten children, while just $15 provides
one child with a pair of shoes, socks and the
cost of getting it there. Give shoes today. Org is
(05:16):
the website. Much more to come just around the corner.
Stick around. Welcome back to Faith and Finance live. I'm
(05:39):
Rob West with me today, my good friend Shawn Spurrier.
He's director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, and I
am so thrilled that this month, the month of September,
we are partnering with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. We've
set a goal for 1000 children around the world to
be provided a new pair of shoes. Now, these are
(05:59):
vulnerable children. We'll talk about where in the world these
kids are with Sean here in just a moment. But
when they receive a new pair of shoes, it's the
difference in terms of health, their access to education, restoring
their dignity. And and we'll get into this as well.
Sharing the love of Jesus alongside the sharing of those shoes. Now,
a gift of $150 equips ten children to receive a
(06:24):
brand new pair of shoes, socks and the cost of
getting them there. $15 provides one child with a new
pair of shoes. Would you help us reach this goal
of 1000 shoes this month? We're not there yet. We
need you. It's give shoes today again. That's give shoes today. Now, Sean,
I'd love for you to share where Buckner's shoes for
(06:46):
Orphan Souls is active right now. And give us a
snapshot of some of the countries where you and your
team are serving.
S3 (06:53):
Absolutely. So we are working right here in the United States.
We actually have programming in the state of Texas where
we're based, actually, even recently got to serve children, um,
who were affected by the flooding in the hill country, uh,
by providing shoes for them as they went back to school. Um,
in addition to that, uh, we work through Latin America
and Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Honduras, Peru. Um, and
(07:15):
then we also have programming in Ethiopia and Kenya as well. Um,
beyond that, we work with like minded partners that are
trusted throughout the world, and doing so have been able
to distribute to, you know, 75, 80 other countries, uh,
through those partners.
S2 (07:30):
Incredible. I want you to talk about some of the
broader ripple effects you've witnessed in the communities you serve.
And I know you've experienced this, even just in the
last few weeks, as you were in Mexico on a
shoe distribution.
S3 (07:43):
Absolutely. You know, a pair of shoes. Uh, it's simple,
but this leads to it's kind of a gateway to
so many other opportunities. And in these communities we have
family hope centers. And those family hope centers are coming
alongside vulnerable families and vulnerable communities, providing resources and education
and training and, um, all from a Christ centered perspective. Um,
(08:05):
really just kind of trying to come alongside families and
helping them to achieve sustainability and reach their God given potential. Um, and,
and these programs, you know, when you focus on families
in this way, you'll see that kind of ripple out
into their neighborhoods and into their communities. And, um, you know,
I was just having a conversation with some folks that
I was in Mexico with, and you can physically see
(08:25):
the difference in the community. Um, and one of the
communities where we've worked for about ten years now, when
you go into that community, it is a visibly different
community than it was when we started working there. And
so much of that is because of the hope that's
experienced through those programs.
S2 (08:41):
I can only imagine now. Stories, Sean, help us put
a name to it, and I'd love for you to
perhaps share 1 or 2 of the stories of the
powerful moments watching children receive shoes through Buckner.
S3 (08:53):
Yeah. You know, um, I tell this all the time, but,
you know, I've been doing this for about 12 years.
And to this day, um, when I came into Buckner,
I was a little bit of a germaphobe. I knew
that the Lord had called me to do this, but,
you know, just sitting in front of a child, placing
a pair of shoes on their. On their feet, uh,
was was foreign to me. It was a unique thing. But, man,
to this day, I can remember the first little girl
(09:16):
that I gave a pair of shoes to in the
Dominican Republic. Um, you know, I can remember the sun
coming through the window in the room. I can remember
the look on her eyes and the hope that she
was experiencing, um, in a community where, um, you know,
there was just a lot of hardship. It's just something
that doesn't, uh, it sticks with you when you get
to do this. Um, but addition to that, one of
(09:36):
the things that I love seeing after having done this for, um,
you know, close to 12 years now, is that longer
term impact? Um, yeah. I think of a little girl
named Cynthia who who lives in Bungoma, Kenya. And just
a couple of years ago, I think she was 12.
She received a new pair of shoes at a distribution
in her community, and that pair, again, was a gateway
to a relationship that's been transformational. Um, she was the
(09:59):
youngest of six children. Um, and within a three year
span of time, both of her parents had passed away. Um,
and you know, when in that culture, when when the
father passes away, the kids are not going to receive
an education. They're all just trying to, you know, make
ends meet. Um, so after her mom passed away, she
was really in a bad spot. She she moved in
with her uncle, who knew she needed shoes. She needed
(10:20):
she needed an education. And so he brought her to Buckner,
to a distribution. And that opened up a relationship where
she is now receiving an education. She's, um, part of
our school there. Um, and, you know, our family coaches
in her her program described her when she came as
someone who was experiencing hardship. She was turned in on
herself and introverted. She struggled to trust people. Um, but
(10:43):
now they say that she's experiencing hope. She her personality
is shining. She's a natural leader amongst her fellow students
and her friends. She even recently became the class president
and her little school there. And so, you know, I
love looking at these longer term stories to where you
can say, man, a pair of shoes provided by somebody
in the United States who wanted to carry a burden
(11:04):
has led to just, um, the Lord really doing some
incredible work in the lives of children who've experienced hardship
that most of us couldn't imagine.
S2 (11:13):
That's amazing. Now, I mentioned, Sean, that you were just
recently in Mexico on a shoe distribution. I'd love for
you to give a sense of the scale of that operation,
because I think it'll help folks appreciate what you're doing here.
S3 (11:27):
Yeah. So we served, uh, several hundred children over the
course of about 5 or 6 days of ministry. We
had volunteers come in for it. Uh, who came alongside
local volunteers and local churches and our family Hope centers there. Um,
we would have, uh, you know, at least 100, 150
children a day who would come in, many with their families.
We had a Stem camp, sort of a Vacation Bible
(11:48):
school set up, but there were also Stem. We offered
a Stem program which is teaching them science and technology, engineering, mathematics, uh,
training opportunities in there. Wow. Um, spiritual development across each station. Um,
an opportunity to tell Bible stories and introduce them to
the gospel. Let them know that the Lord loves them
(12:09):
and cares for them. And, um, and then we would
distribute shoes to them, and we would have that moment
of washing their feet, getting in front of them, washing
their feet, um, and, uh, and just expressing that, that
hope to them in that moment. Um, those opportunities also
led to opportunities to minister to their overall families, though.
And so, you know, one of the images that I
have just most ingrained in my mind from that trip
(12:30):
a couple of weeks ago, was moms whose children had
received shoes at the end of our distribution, at our
family Hope center, um, coming in and, and us having
the opportunity to distribute the scriptures to them, just giving
them their own Bible. Wow. And I've got this image
of so many of these moms experiencing this hope and
just clutching their Bibles close to their chests. Wow. Um,
(12:50):
when they were handed to them, because there was so
much joy and excitement that they had that. And so
many of those moms made a commitment that day to
raise their children in the scriptures. And so, um, it
it's just it's just a really sweet thing to see
how this simple gift, um, can really, like you said,
it's kind of a ripple effect to, to some really
(13:11):
incredible things that the Lord will do.
S2 (13:13):
It sure is. And I am so thrilled that we're
partnering with you. Well, let's share with our listeners again,
this goal that we've set together between Faith Fi and
Buckner shoes for orphan souls.
S3 (13:25):
Yeah, man, we would love to, uh, put shoes on
the feet of a thousand children together. Um, and so,
you know, every $15 provides a pair of shoes. You
can provide shoes for ten children with a gift of
of $150. Um, it is simple, um, and truly, it
is something that we know that the Lord can use.
S2 (13:43):
There is no doubt about it. Well, Shawn, we're honored
to be partnered with you. And I appreciate your time,
my friend.
S3 (13:48):
Likewise. We're so grateful to to know you and to
be a part of doing this alongside you and your listeners.
S2 (13:53):
Folks, the website is Give Shoes TODAY.com. This month, just
the month of September, we're working toward the goal of
providing shoes for 1000 children around the world. A gift
of $150 equips ten children $15 provides one child with
a pair of shoes, socks and the cost of getting
them there. Help us reach this goal, perhaps even go
(14:15):
right past it. Give shoes today. That's give shoes today.
This is faith and finance. Live and we'll be right back.
So glad to have you with us today on Faith
(14:36):
and Finance Live. Our team is away today, so don't
call in. But we lined up some great questions in
advance and we'll be going to those here in just
a moment. Let me also remind you that the advice
that I give each day on this program is general
in nature. We offer principles and ideas that apply at
a high level. They are not personalized. So that's why
(14:58):
you should always seek professional financial advice. And if you'd
like to find a professional who shares your values, we
of course, here at Faith and Finance Live recommend the
Certified Kingdom Advisor designation. These are men and women who've
met high standards, and they've been trained to bring a
biblical worldview of financial decision making. You can find one
at Faith comm. Hey, before we dive in today, if
(15:21):
you're 73 or older, the IRS requires you to take
annual withdrawals. Now, they call those required minimum distributions. You
might hear them referred to as RMDs. Those come out
of pre-tax retirement accounts, and you face a penalty if
you don't take them. Now Your first RMD is due
by April 1st of the year after you turn 73,
(15:45):
and then subsequent withdrawals are due by December 31st each year.
Which means, by the way, if you wait until April
1st to take that very first RMD, you will actually
have two in the same year because you'll have that
April 1st deadline for your first RMD, and then the
second RMD is due by December 31st of the same year. Now,
(16:05):
for many retirees, Social Security, pensions, investments and other income
sources already meet their needs. So that means that the
RMD may not be necessary for living expenses. And if
that's your situation, you do have several strategic options. That's
going to be the focus of my thoughts here at
the start. First, you can reinvest for growth. So you
(16:27):
could just put those into a taxable brokerage account and
get them invested, perhaps in a faith based investing mutual fund.
Invest it systematically every year. Let it grow a second,
you could give it to charity tax free. You know,
this is an often underutilized tool that really is the
only way you can get money that went into a
(16:47):
retirement account pre-tax out without ever paying the tax, which
means there's never any tax paid. And it's called a
qualified charitable distribution. So as long as you're 70.5 and
in the case of an RMD, you would be you
can send up to and for 2025 $108,000. Now you
(17:07):
could stop at the amount equal to your RMD, but
you could keep going beyond that as long as the
money goes directly from your IRA to a qualified nonprofit,
a 500 1C3. And so this qualified charitable distribution satisfies
the RMD allows you to do more giving because you're
not going to increase your taxable income. Therefore no tax
(17:29):
paid on that money and you get the money into
God's economy. Now the next option would be invest in
the next generation, you could consider directing those RMDs to,
let's say, a 529 college savings plan for children or grandchildren.
And more than 30 states offer a state tax deduction
or credit for those contributions, although there's no federal deduction.
(17:52):
So that would be a great option as well. So
hopefully those are some ideas as you think about how
you can, uh, honor that requirement that the IRS has.
And if you don't need the money, get that into
productive purposes. All right. Let's begin in Arkansas today. Hi, Anne.
Go ahead.
S4 (18:10):
Hello, Rob. Uh, I called yesterday, but too late to
get on.
S2 (18:14):
Oh, I'm so glad you called back. Thank you.
S4 (18:17):
My, um, my question has to do with, uh, limits
of charitable contributions for for IRS deductions, and, um, I,
I cannot use the the A qualified charitable distribution method
because I annuitized my 403 and my IRA. And so, um,
(18:45):
I think the limits, uh, are 50% of my annual income.
And I'm wondering if, if I go over 50%, uh,
what happens does can I claim any of that on
subsequent years? Um, this would be um, for next for
(19:08):
next year, I would be, uh, I have a CD
that would be maturing in January. And, um, there are
some upcoming surgical needs for, um, some orphans in our
church's mission program.
S5 (19:25):
Ah. Got it.
S2 (19:26):
Yes, ma'am. Well, I love that you're thinking about how
to get this money into a productive kingdom, building purposes
and help those in need. That's great. Yeah. So the
maximum deduction for charitable contributions and up to a public
charity is 60%. It used to be 50% 60% of
(19:46):
your adjusted gross income. Um, so you would have the
ability now if you go above that, you don't lose
the deduction. It can be carried forward for up to
five years until it's fully utilized. So that is an option. Um,
and you could go ahead and just make those charitable
(20:07):
contributions take as much as you can. Uh, for this
year and then, you know, carry the rest forward.
S4 (20:15):
Okay. All right. I'm very interested in this wise generosity idea.
S2 (20:23):
Yeah, I love that, you know, because when we can
connect our giving and clearly you have passions around giving
to really how God has wired us uniquely. And, you know,
find the intersection between our passions and wiring, which is
God's thumbprint on us, and then those causes that are
on the heart of God. I just think it releases
(20:43):
your giving toward things that bring more purpose and passion,
because it's uniquely aligned to your purposes. And so check
out the website if when you have time wise generosity.
Com and perhaps you take the free quiz there on
the website, see what it comes back with, perhaps even
pick up a copy of the book. In fact, I'd
love to send you a copy of it and I
(21:04):
think it'll be a blessing to you. So you stay
on the line. We'll get your information. And as our
gift to you today, we'll put a copy of Why's
Generosity in the mail to you. Okay.
S4 (21:13):
Oh, thank you so much.
S2 (21:15):
Absolutely. And thanks for your call today. Hey, before we
head to this break, just a quick reminder. Our team
is away from the studio today, so don't call in.
We did line up some great questions in advance, and
when we come back from this break, we'll have an
opportunity to hear some of those questions. Let me also
remind you that if you have a question you'd like
to get in front of us and get an answer to.
(21:35):
You can always send it in electronically. That's right. The
way to send an electronic question is just to head
to Moody Radio.com. You'll see the form there on that
page where you can submit your question. We try to
get to a few of those each week on the air. Again,
Moody Radio.com. Back with more on faith and finance. Live
(21:57):
right after this. Stick around. Delighted to have you with
us today on Faith and Finance live. We're not here today.
Our team is away from the studio. This is pre-recorded,
so don't call in. But we've got some great questions
we lined up in advance before we go to the phones,
let me remind you, faith and faith and finance live
(22:18):
is listener supported. If you'd like to be a financial partner,
you can do that at Faith. Com just click give
thanks in advance. Let's head right back to the phones.
Sue is waiting patiently in Michigan. Go right ahead.
S6 (22:31):
Hi. Um, I'm a little nervous, so forgive me.
S2 (22:35):
No problem. Glad you called.
S5 (22:36):
I have, uh.
S6 (22:38):
I have a parent who has Alzheimer's. The other one
does not. They have two homes. Um, they're very generous. Uh,
the parent that has Alzheimer's paid the bills, uh, can
no longer. And so the other parent took over, and
they they have very little or 1 in 401 K.
(23:04):
They still owe on one of the houses. Um, I'm
concerned because the parent that took over is very, very,
very giving. And, um, I don't I know the other
has Alzheimer's.
S5 (23:19):
Yeah.
S6 (23:20):
I don't know how they're going to continue doing that
and have enough for care. But the one parent sees
it as a God thing by giving all the money away.
S5 (23:36):
Yeah.
S2 (23:37):
Well, I certainly understand that, Sue, and your desire to help.
And I think you're asking the right questions here because
clearly we want to, you know, part of why God
entrust to us what he does is so we can
hold it loosely and give it generously at the same time.
He there's plenty in his word about being wise stewards
and counting the cost and, you know, making sure we're
living within God's provision. And we know in this season
(24:00):
of life, especially, uh, with one parent facing Alzheimer's, expenses
can rise quickly, especially for care and with little savings
and high costs. Uh, you know, generosity can unintentionally put
them at real financial risk. Uh, you know, I think
the first step, perhaps, is to let the numbers tell
the story. So rather than you trying to articulate that
(24:24):
when they see the shortfall, or the one spouse does
who has the ability cognitively to process this. You know,
when that particular parent sees the shortfall in black and white,
it often speaks louder than you can. And so one
option would be to sit down together and just put
the numbers on paper. List the income list the care
expenses list the housing costs, show what's left over. And,
(24:48):
you know, let the numbers tell the story. I think
the second is perhaps you build the giving into the plan.
And so you say, listen, I know you have a
generous heart. I love that that's on the heart of God.
We see that in Scripture, but we also know that
God calls us to be faithful stewards and to live
within our means. So let's build a plan on a
monthly basis that recognizes all of the true expenses against
(25:12):
the income. And let's put a number in for giving.
And it may not be the number that this particular
parent wants because of their generous heart. And yet again,
when they see it on paper, Often that can be,
you know, helpful just to say, well, at the end
of the day, if we're going to run out of money,
there's definitely not going to be anything there for giving.
(25:32):
But there's also not going to be anything there for care.
And that's going to be a problem. And again, you're
not having to tell them that. You're letting the you know,
the numbers tell the story. Um, I would be happy
if it would be helpful to you, Sue, to connect
one of our certified Christian financial counselors to you and
your parents. Um, at our cost. We would provide this
(25:56):
just as a ministry to you. This is somebody who's
trained in biblical stewardship, but also works with people on
a daily basis on their spending plans and their budget,
and perhaps having a third party to sit down with
them virtually over a web call, like a zoom meeting
or something, and go through the numbers. Now, it's not
you that's kind of pointing this out, but it's somebody
(26:18):
else who's there just to provide trusted counsel. Outsole, and
perhaps that would be received a little better. Now you
may decide, no, I don't want that. And that's fine.
But if you did, I'd be happy to provide it
and even cover the cost for you just as our
gift to you. But give me your thoughts on all that.
S6 (26:35):
Well, I would love, uh, love that, other than we
have tried that, um, and, uh, uh, the the other
parent won't. Okay, um, we've sit down with the numbers and, um, uh,
(26:56):
we just keep pulling out of there the savings. Um,
and I, you know, I've friends and other have voiced
the the concern. Yeah. Um, I just, uh, I'm not
positive if there's any other route. Um.
S5 (27:18):
Yeah.
S2 (27:19):
Based on the current spending.
S6 (27:21):
And Alzheimer's.
S5 (27:22):
Sure.
S2 (27:23):
Based on the current spending and giving, what do you anticipate?
How long will the money last?
S6 (27:29):
Well, um, here's the other issue is a lot of unexpected, uh,
how do I word it? Unexpected repair. Other bills have
come out. If that were to continue, maybe for years.
S5 (27:47):
Well, yeah.
S6 (27:48):
If it were to continue. But these are huge things
that came out. How how long could that go I
don't know.
S5 (27:57):
Yeah. You just.
S6 (27:58):
Never know.
S5 (27:58):
On that. Oh of course.
S2 (27:59):
Yeah for sure. Well have you pointed I mean have
you had that conversation where you say, hey, I just
want to point out to you that based on the
current run rate with the things that are going on
right now, we've got about four years and you all
are going to be out of money. I mean, has
it has it gotten that specific?
S6 (28:16):
It has. The response is the rapture is coming.
S5 (28:21):
Yeah yeah yeah.
S6 (28:23):
And and I agree that, you know, the way things
are going possibly tomorrow.
S2 (28:27):
But yeah, but the Bible says we don't know the
day or the hour. So we need to continue to
operate as, as wise stewards in the meantime. Um, I mean, yeah.
So this is really difficult. And, you know, and obviously
if there's cognitive decline, you know, you could there are
ways to step in whether there's a power of attorney
(28:47):
or not. But in the case of, you know, one
spouse who is of sound mind and just, you know,
with a generous heart. And I love that, um, you know,
using more than is is available. Uh, that's a challenge.
And so I think your job is to continue to
point it out, provide solutions. But at the end of
the day, you can't force it. It's not on you. It's,
(29:08):
you know, it's ultimately, uh, your, your parents responsibility and, um,
you know, it doesn't mean you don't continue to pray
and ask God to open their eyes and receive what
you have to share. Um, but, you know, there's not
a there's not a quick fix here, as you well know.
S6 (29:25):
Yes, yes. Well, I would appreciate then. Any prayers?
S5 (29:29):
Yeah.
S6 (29:29):
Um, I figured that was the answer, but just wanted
to make sure there isn't something big that I might
be missing.
S5 (29:38):
Yeah.
S2 (29:38):
No, I don't think so. Let's take a time, a
moment here now, just to to pray and ask the
Lord to intervene. And, uh, folks, if you're listening today,
would you pray with us for Sue and and for
her parents? And, Lord, we just commit this to you
and ask that you would just open this parent's eyes. Lord,
we love this desire to be generous and to take
what you've given and to hold it loosely. And, Lord, uh,
(30:00):
we want you to come quickly. And we we long
for the day of your return and, uh, to be
in the new heaven and the new earth. And yet
we recognize while you have us here, you have a
purpose and a plan for us. And part of that
is to be a wise steward of what you've entrusted
to us. So I, I just pray that you would have, uh,
have allow for a breakthrough in the conversation between Sue
and her parent. Uh, that there would just be an openness,
(30:23):
a receptivity, an understanding that it would be met with
the right heart posture and that they'd be able to
work through a plan together that allows the generosity to continue.
But in the context of the provision that you've given
and the needs that are very real with regard to this, uh,
this Alzheimer's. So, Lord, we just leave that in your
hands today. We tell you, we trust you. Be with Sue,
(30:45):
give her wisdom and discernment on how to navigate this.
And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Sue, thanks
for your call today. We appreciate it. Greg. Coming your
way after the break. Stay with us. This is faith
and finance. We'll be right back. Thanks so much for
(31:08):
joining us today on Faith and Finance Live. I'm Rob West,
your host. Hey, our team is away from the studio today.
We're not here, but we've got some great questions that
we lined up in advance. I know you'll enjoy those
a little later in our broadcast, folks. Have you checked
out recently? Our website at Faith. Com if not, I'd
encourage you to do that. You'll find our community there
(31:29):
where you can post questions and comments, hear from others
that are on the stewardship journey as well. You can
also access our content and check out the Faith fi app.
It's at faith.com. All right, now let's head back to
the phones. Let's go to Arkansas. Hi, Greg. Go right ahead.
S7 (31:46):
Uh. Yes, sir. Rob, I enjoy your show. Thank you. Um,
I'll be 65 in January, and I've already retired, and
I just had $45,000 dropped in my lap. I don't
have any credit card debt. I have a mortgage on
my home, and I really don't know what to do
with that money. I'm afraid to stick it in the
(32:06):
stock market this late in age. You got any opinions
on it?
S2 (32:11):
Yeah, I think that's the key is really, you know,
whenever we've got money to put to work, we have
to decide, according to our starting with our values and
our priorities. What's the the best course of action? Um,
so I assume a you don't have any consumer debt.
And B, separate from this, you have an emergency fund
at least 3 to 6 months expenses. Is that true, Greg?
S7 (32:35):
Yes, sir.
S2 (32:36):
Okay, great. And then in terms of, uh, you know,
how you might want to put this to work, you know,
it's all about risk and return and time horizon. And
so I heard you say right there at the tail end,
you know, you're not. Doesn't sound like you're you're comfortable, uh,
taking any risk with this, but but let's just talk
about the various asset classes that would be available to you.
(32:58):
You've got cash and cash equivalents. So, you know, we're
talking about CDs and money market and high yield savings.
Then we kind of move up the the line there.
We've got US Treasury bill bills bonds and notes backed
by the full faith and credit of the United States government.
We then kind of move beyond that and, you know,
up the risk spectrum. And, you know, we could move
(33:19):
into some corporate bonds, whether that's direct ownership or probably
with this amount of money through, you know, mutual funds.
And then we can keep going from there. You know,
you could start to get into things like real estate
investment trusts, which are income focused, but also interest rate sensitive.
But it's a way to buy into real estate without
taking direct ownership. And then you get into stocks and
(33:40):
there's a variety of, you know, risk, uh, you know,
spectrum in the stock or equity space where you can be,
you know, on the more conservative end with kind of
high quality dividend paying stocks all the way to, you know,
the Mag seven with the high growth tech companies, um,
you've got precious metals, you know, that could fit in
there as well. So as you kind of think about
(34:02):
those different asset classes and that that spectrum of risk
from most conservative to most aggressive, you know, what what
do you feel like is the right fit for you.
S7 (34:14):
Uh, you know, I'm not real keen on on on
any of it. Uh, I just wish there was a
magic ball out there that you could, you know, a 6%
interest and stick it in there and forget about it. But, yeah,
I don't guess there really is, is it?
S2 (34:31):
Well, I mean, you said 6%, uh, you know, you
could look at, uh, more of, like, an annuity product. Um,
you know, some of those are paying, you know, I know,
for instance, uh, one and this would just be an
example like, uh gainbridge. Um, you know, they're in this,
(34:52):
you know, in the same way you'd have online banks
where they don't have brick and mortar operations, and they
pass that savings along in the form of a higher
yield on savings accounts. There are some insurance companies offering
insurance products like annuities, where they take a similar approach.
They're internet only, but they have all the financial stability
(35:13):
and protections that you would expect from an insurance company.
But their idea is that they want to pay, you know,
a lot more out in the way of, uh, you know,
guaranteed income and growth. So for instance, one would be
called Gain Bridge. Um, you know, they've done a lot
of marketing lately. They get great reviews, very strong financially. Um,
(35:35):
and they're paying right now 5.8%. Um, and, you know,
you've got, uh, two different approaches. You've got one where
you pay tax along the way, you've got another one
where you don't pay it till it comes out. But
in terms of Am best, which is the rating service
that rates insurance companies, they're a minus, which is actually
(35:56):
considered excellent in terms of financial strength. And you could
kind of customize it to how you want, um, you know,
it to, um, happen. So if you have under Hundred
and 50,000. And you want somewhere between 5 and 10 years.
They can lock it in today at 5.5%. You could
go all the way down to 3 or 4 years
(36:17):
and get 5.45. But, you know, something like that may
be an option for you where you're essentially transferring the
risk to the insurance company. You're not in stocks and
bonds that can rise and fall. And, you know, you
get that, uh, better than average return. Certainly something better
than you'd get in a money market savings or CD.
(36:40):
Does that make sense?
S7 (36:41):
Yes, sir. It does. Gainbridge. Yeah, I need to do
a little research on that. That sounds great.
S5 (36:47):
Yeah.
S2 (36:47):
Check it out. Uh, it could be, uh, it could
be a good option for you. Again, they get a
strong rating, and there's others like it. I'm just using
that as an example. And, you know, I don't have
any reason to endorse a particular company, but that would
be an example of the type of, uh, option that's
out there where you're looking for more of a guaranteed
annuity product. But you also, you know, are looking for
(37:10):
something better than you can get in the national CD average,
for instance. So, uh, Greg, hope that helps you, my friend.
We appreciate you being on the program. May the Lord
bless you. Thanks for calling. You know, folks, um, uh,
I am holding in my hand the latest edition of
Faithful Steward, our magazine. It's issue three, and the theme
for this issue is Your work Matters. And we have
(37:32):
an incredible article from pastor Tom Nelson out of Kansas City,
who's also the founder of Made to Flourish. Uh, that
connects Sunday to Monday and, uh, provides resources to pastors
and church leaders on really seeing God's designed for work.
And and that's the topic he's written on for our
feature story for this issue. By the way, I can't
(37:53):
wait for you to get it. It's full of some
incredible content. But, uh, Tom Nelson writes this article, uh,
called Your Work Matters and it's really God's four part
story through the counsel of Scripture for our work. But
one of the really helpful. Q and A's that are
in this, this latest issue of Faithful Steward is a
(38:14):
question that Ron Blue answers. And we get this one
a lot. And I thought I'd tee it up here
for a moment, and then we'll head back to the phones.
And it's this question, is it okay to be unequally
yoked in business? So I'm not talking marriage. We're talking
about a business partnership. And you know, a lot of
times as believers, you know, we go into a business
partnership and it may be a partnership with a non-Christian. And,
(38:38):
you know, I think it's important to start with Scripture here.
Second Corinthians 614. You know it well. Don't be unequally
yoked with unbelievers, for what partnership does has righteousness with lawlessness.
What fellowship has light with darkness? Now many apply this
verse strictly to marriage. But, you know, I think it's
important to note here, and Ron points this out in
(38:59):
this Q&A, that the apostle Paul wasn't necessarily limiting this
advice to one kind of partnership, that being marriage. I think,
you know, business, legal, financial, spiritual alliances. We just need
to recognize that the same principle can apply here. And
a yoke is something that binds two individuals together with
(39:20):
the purpose of pulling in the same direction. And so
if you and in this case, your business partner, are
not aligned in your worldview and your values, you can
be pulling that plow in two different directions. And business
partnerships are serious. They're often long term. They require mutual trust.
They involve decisions that ultimately reflects your values. So Ron
(39:41):
provides some really helpful guidelines. If that's you in this
particular Q&A, he says, number one, protect your testimony. You know,
what's ultimately important is whether you can preserve your testimony
for Christ in this relationship. Second, plan with the end
in mind. You know, business partnerships may not last forever,
(40:01):
so it's wise to have a clear plan in place
for how one partner will step away. So you plan
the exit strategy on the front end. And then thirdly,
he says, build something that outlasts you. A healthy business
partnership isn't just about the present, it's about creating something
that can endure. So if you want to become a
(40:22):
partner and receive, uh, each issue a faithful steward, we'd
love for you to learn more when you head to
faith fi com slash partner. Incredible content in this latest
issue of Faithful Steward. All right, let's head back to
the phones. We've got just a few minutes left here
before we round out the program. Roger is in Michigan.
Go ahead sir.
S8 (40:41):
Hi, Rob. Thanks for taking my call. Um, I've got
my son as a minor. Received an inheritance from an aunt.
He is not aware of it. We were put in
charge of it. We put it in a trust. Now
we got to invest it. Um. And I'm. I'd like
(41:01):
to put it in like the Timothy plan, because I
want to put it in something that's not going against
our values and stuff.
S5 (41:08):
Yes, yes.
S8 (41:09):
I wondered about that.
S5 (41:11):
Yeah.
S2 (41:11):
You know, I think that's a great idea. First of all,
I love the idea. Roger that. You want to invest
in a way that's aligned with your values. I think
that's exactly right. And you have the opportunity to do that.
Now you're mentioning Timothy plan again, a wonderful faith based
investing fund family, one of the first and the best.
I love the team over there from Art alley and
and Brian Mumford and everybody. Um, it's a faith based,
(41:34):
biblically responsible family of mutual funds. They've added ETFs so
you can either go directly or you could connect with
a certified Kingdom advisor at Faith comm. But make sure
you search for a CPA that offers faith based investing
and any of those can you connect with as long
as you say, yes, I only want faith based investments,
(41:55):
they would be able to bring the Timothy plan to
you alongside perhaps other mutual fund families to round out
the portfolio. But even if you just went direct and
used the Timothy Plan funds just exclusively to build the portfolio, absolutely.
I'm totally in favor of that. But if you'd rather
delegate that to an advisor who can oversee the strategy,
(42:17):
and that's not all landing on you, then I think
the approach there is to go to faith-filled. Com and
click Find a Professional at the top of the page.
I hope that helps, but I'm on board. Roger, I
think this sounds like a great plan. Thanks for being
on the program today. Well folks, it's been a joy
to be along with you today. Thanks for inviting us
into your story. What a joy it is to encourage
(42:39):
you with God's Word as you seek to be that
wise and faithful steward. Let me say thanks to my
team today. I couldn't do it without them. Amy, Dan, Gabby, Tee,
and Jim Faith in Finance Live is a partnership between
Moody Radio and Faith fi. Have a wonderful day and
come back and join us next time for another edition
of Faith and Finance live.
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