September 17, 2025 • 32 mins
Money can be a mirror for the heart. Allen & Stacy Jo share four anchors for Kingdom-focused finances: give first, break free from debt, choose contentment, and budget with Jesus at the center. Move beyond comfort to eternal impact with practical steps and biblical clarity.
What you’ll learn
- ✅ Why treasure directs the heart (and how to aim it at eternity)
- ✅ Generosity as worship, not compulsion—give first, not last
- ✅ Debt as a master and a plan for freedom
- ✅ Contentment over comparison—gratitude that quiets “more”
- ✅ Pray before you pay: Spirit-led budgeting that fuels mission
📖 Scriptures
Matthew 6:19–21; 2 Corinthians 9:6–7; Proverbs 22:7; Philippians 4:11–13; Matthew 11:28–30
✨ Takeaways
- God first & best → worshipful generosity.
- Debt reduction is spiritual warfare for freedom.
- Contentment is learned in Christ—He is enough.
- Budgets become discipleship tools when Jesus leads.
- Always: Kingdom > Comfort.
If this episode helped you
- 👉 Follow/Subscribe to Faithfully Invested
- ⭐ Leave a 5-star review so other faith-driven leaders can find the show
- 🔗 Share this episode with someone ready to steward money for eternal impact
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Are you ready to build a life,business and legacy that truly
lasts?
Welcome to Faithfully Investedwith Allen and Stacy Jo Thorne
where Faith meets real talk.
Biblical wisdom meets everydaylife and leadership meets
laughter.
Together we will uncover God'sblueprint for leadership,
marriage, and mission, helpingfaith-driven leaders invest in
(00:21):
what matters most.
Each episode, we explorebiblical wisdom, have real
conversations, and of course,have some fun along the way
because let's be real.
Walking in faith is anadventure.
It sure is.
So pull up a seat, grab yourcoffee or your sweet tea, and
join us as we steward ourcallings with intention, because
(00:42):
when we invest in his kingdom,he brings the increase.
Hey friends.
Welcome back to FaithfullyInvested, where we discuss
leadership, marriage, andmission, one Kingdom Principle
at a time.
I am Allen, and I am Stacy Jo,and we're glad you're here with
(01:03):
us today.
Today we're gonna dive intosomething that affects us all
our finances.
Mm, you know, dilute the beans,the moolah, chaga.
Isn't our finances just goodenough?
Apparently not.
Anyway, as as Christ followers,we see our finances differently
(01:27):
than the world sees financialresponsibility.
Uh, we'll discuss it today, whatit looks like through a kingdom
advancing lens.
Yeah.
You know, money's one of thosetopics that can either make
people lean in or maybe squirm alittle.
Depending on where you're at,but Right.
Did you know though that thereare about 2,350 biblical
(01:50):
references to handling financesin the Bible?
I did know that.
Did you?
I did know that.
Did, did you know that 16 ofJesus's 38 parables discussed
money handling?
I did.
I, uh, I was gonna say, Jesusspoke a lot on, on finances.
He did.
He did.
Why?
What?
Because, because he knew.
Where our treasure is, ourhearts will follow.
(02:14):
Absolutely.
And so this isn't about justdollars and cents, it's actually
about discipleship.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
My goodness.
The tension.
Uh, and, and if you're, ifyou're squirming out there,
right.
Uh, listen up.
'cause this is for you.
This is, uh, this is especiallyfor the squirms.
Uh, and I, I used, we used to besquirms.
(02:34):
I was especially, I stillsquirm, I sm sometimes, uh,
because we all crave comfort.
Yeah.
Uh, that bigger savings account,a nicer house.
Mm-hmm.
That new car.
Uh, or just a feeling offinancial security.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, and I love these, these twowords here.
These are some of my favoritetwo words.
But Jesus consistently calls usfollowers to a higher calling.
(02:59):
He calls us to invest in hiskingdom, not just, uh, insider
comfort zones either.
He calls us to, uh, givesacrificially.
So our challenge may be.
As we live in the world, butwe're not of the world.
We, we might be dealing with askewed perspective that if, uh,
if we see things, uh, through a,a, the God shaped kingdom
(03:22):
investment lens, that we, wemight, we might see things as a
got to instead of a get to.
Oh yeah.
And that challenge is real.
I mean, we face debt.
We face the temptation tooverspend and the constant pull
of comparison, you know?
Yeah.
That keeping up with the Jonesesas they used to say, you know,
(03:43):
it's nonsense.
What's that?
It's nonsense.
Well, we don't have any Jonesesthat live next to us, but Right.
But culture says, you know,culture says buy now and pay
later.
Right.
And Jesus says, trust me, givegenerously and store up
treasures in heaven.
Yes.
And the question we have towrestle with.
(04:04):
Is, are we living for comfort orfor kingdom impact?
And can we have both?
And I wanna say I, there'snothing wrong with things.
There's nothing wrong withstuff.
And there's nothing wrong withhaving money.
No.
We're not, we're not demon it.
Same as before, uh, in a coupleseasons ago, we weren't
(04:24):
demonizing the hustle.
Right.
Uh, we're just saying that, andwe're not demonizing wealth.
We're not demonizing, uh, havingstuff.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, we're simply saying is ifthe stuff is greater than Jesus,
then that's an idol and thatshould be addressed.
Yeah.
So, so I recall.
When I thought that financialstewardship was all about me
(04:46):
being in control, I rememberthat too.
I bet you do.
I was budgeting so tight that Ifelt like I was the provider.
Uh, but con that kind of controlled to a lot of stress.
What I learned through that isthat when I clinging to money, I
was clinging to fear and I hadto ask myself self, are you
(05:09):
really following Christ?
I said, come on, self dude, selfdude.
That's what I said.
I said, come on self, dude,where do you really find your
security in money or in Jesus,in the Holy Spirit?
And back then, self dude felt alittle convicted and was, and he
(05:29):
decided to, to loosen the reinsand, and began moving in faith.
And, and, and the Holy Spiritshowed self, dude, how to do
that.
And when I learned, when I wasable to loosen the reins on that
and, uh, and give, uh, let Godbe in control of our finances
and show me how to, to releasethat, uh, it was pretty cool how
(05:53):
God showed, showed me what's up.
And, uh, he, when I decided tolet him lead, yeah, self dude
changed quite a bit during thattime.
Self, self dude has grown, man.
Yes, for sure.
But you know, I've been theretoo.
And for me it was the pole ofsecurity.
You know, I wanted to know that,that we were always covered.
(06:14):
No risk, no lack, because I grewup, I mean, and, and you can say
this too.
Yeah.
I mean, we grew up with nothingin a lack mindset.
Yeah.
And I, you know, it came back tohaving parents who were raised
by parents who were in thedepression.
And who suffered through thedepression.
(06:35):
And it was, you know, I grew upwith that lack mindset.
Right?
But scarcity.
The scarcity mindset.
Scar mindset.
Mindset.
Right.
We had to break that scarcitymindset.
Yeah.
And God kept nudging me saying,do you trust me to be your
provider?
Or do you trust your bankaccount?
And honestly, you know, thattook some hard lessons like
(06:57):
giving when it didn't make senseor stepping out in obedience
when the numbers just didn'teven add up.
Yeah.
And I can remember doing thatseveral times and, and tithing
especially, and we'll get intothat, you know, later down the
road.
But, um.
Yeah.
I mean, it didn't always makesense.
It doesn't always make sense.
(07:18):
And I, I gotta say that I havelearned to love giving when it
doesn't make sense.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And that's not, not any, I'm notputting myself on a pedestal.
No, no credit to myself.
No glory to me, but all glory toGod to the Lord.
'cause, and we don't give, so wecan get, uh, but.
You know, the Lord says that heloves a cheer giver.
(07:40):
We're gonna, we're gonna jumpinto that here a little later.
But I love, I, I've learned tolove giving when it doesn't make
sense.
Uh, we decide, um, when wedecide to live aligned with his
truth, uh, the, the ever living,breathing word of God, we learn
to obey the spirit's prompt andmove accordingly.
(08:02):
If he says, give, we give.
Uh, if he says, don't give, if,if, if it, maybe it's us, maybe
it's, maybe we feel that we needto, to give out of, maybe out of
guilt or mm-hmm.
Or, or something like that.
If it's obligation.
It's obligation.
Yeah.
You know, everybody else isdoing that, so, so we gotta do
that.
So we're gonna, we run, we runboth sides of it.
(08:23):
Pass the Lord and, and see whathe says about that, you know,
and, uh.
Along the way.
Uh, an example I could give isthat comfort would say play it
safe.
And, uh, just, and what is safeis, is the world's safe, or, or
Jesus is safe.
(08:44):
'cause I, every time I, I, I've,I've learned the difference
between the two.
And every time I'm gonna go withJesus is safe.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, so where comfort would say,play it safe, uh, the Bold
Truth.
Uh, faithfully reminds us thatthe capital T truth, that's the
capital T truth, uh, the JCtruth, right?
Jesus Christ, yes.
(09:05):
Yeah.
He faithfully reminds us to, uh,step out comfort lies to us and
tells us to pursue more becauseyou deserve it.
But Jesus encourages us tofaithfully invest in his
kingdom, and based on myexperience, more is never enough
(09:25):
and Jesus never disappoints.
Amen to that.
Yeah, absolutely.
Amen to that.
So, so what does kingdomstewardship look like in real
life?
I mean, can I, we have fourpractical.
Anchors that we can unpack rightnow.
Right.
And why don't you start us offbecause this is one of your
favorite.
(09:46):
Favorite topics.
I'm, I'll just keep rolling ongenerosity.
Yeah.
No, give first, not last.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, give, and I'll say thatagain.
Give first, not last.
And if you're not giving, givefirst, not last.
Uh, yeah.
It's, it's absolutely biblicalgenerosity aligns our hearts
(10:08):
with, uh, kingdom principles andprecepts.
It aligns our hearts with hisheart, uh, with the Lord's
heart.
And it's, it's not about theamount, but it's about the
obedience and the joy in giving.
And I, I just, I mentioned it,or ear, I mentioned it earlier
that, uh, earlier that I love togive when it doesn't make sense.
(10:32):
But, uh, I remember, uh, Paul'sencouragement to his, uh, when
he wrote, uh, the second time inthe second letter to the
Corinthians when he said he,who's he who sows sparingly will
also reap sparingly.
Mm-hmm.
But also, uh, he who sowsbountifully will reap
bountifully.
Each one should do.
(10:53):
As he's, as is purposed in hisheart, not grudgingly or under
compulsion for God, loves acheerful giver.
That's a second Corinthiansnine, six, uh, through seven.
So once we wrap our heart aroundthat, uh, kingdom giving, uh,
becomes a big beefy get to, Iget to give.
(11:16):
Uh, to people who need, I get tohelp.
We, we get to help, uh, peoplewho need it to, uh, need, need
to be given to.
Mm-hmm.
They, they need that sort ofhelp.
Uh, and I watched.
A lot of people coming up inthat scarcity mm-hmm.
That, that life, uh, early, uh,as a kid and as a teenager.
(11:38):
Uh, and as, uh, what developed ascarcity mindset.
I've seen a lot of people give,um, and, and help mom.
Uh mm.
And I'd give a shout out to myuncle Jim and my Aunt Joyce.
Yeah.
Um, and, uh.
There's, yeah.
They, they come to mind, but alot of people get, and, and as
I'm able to, because they wereable to, and they, they, they
(12:00):
give without expecting anythingin return.
Yeah.
And, and that's, that's whatit's all about.
It's not, it's not giving for,uh, so that will get something
back.
It's giving, uh, Christ calls usto give without expecting
anything in return.
And I'm just gonna say becauseof that.
I'm just gonna plug Hearts forMoms right now because we love
Hearts for Moms and because ourmoms were single mothers, you
(12:27):
know, they help single mothers.
They give single moms a hand upand not a handout, a hand up.
And you know, we love, we love.
Being able to come beside them.
Yes.
With a generous heart.
Yeah.
What the spirit's placed onAngela and her team's hearts.
Yeah.
Uh, they, the spirit hasliterally given them hearts for
(12:50):
moms.
Right?
Absolutely.
And we love that organization.
Absolutely.
We love, we love, uh.
Giving to that organization.
We love being, being a part ofit.
And we, and if you wanna knowmore about it, I will drop it in
the show notes.
Right.
Check it, check it out.
Right.
So, so anyway, go.
Going back to, to, uh, being acheerful giver, as, as we wrap
(13:15):
our hearts around that it, we,it gets, it goes.
Mm-hmm.
It's a get to, not a whiteknuckle.
Got to, yeah.
We don't give out a compulsion.
Mm-hmm.
I say this to a lot of people'cause I get challenged on the
tithe.
A lot of people, I, I hearpeople are guys mainly, uh,
(13:36):
upset about their finances.
I was like, bro, you want, youwant.
More money.
You want to, you wanna make moremoney?
Do you want to have more thanenough?
Then I suggest that you givesome of it away sacrificially.
Mm-hmm.
And I was like, I know it don'tmake sense, but give some of it
away sacrificially and see whatGod does with your selfless
(13:57):
obedience.
Yeah.
100%.
That's it.
I've sa and I, this isn't justwords on a page.
I, I say this a lot and, andunbound.
It's not just words on a page.
This is, these are the wordsthat came off the page and came
to life.
And these are life lessons thatwe've learned.
Yeah.
You know, we're not that we'velived.
Yeah.
That we've learned.
Not even just learned.
We've lived and we're living init.
(14:19):
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's good.
Yeah.
And we, uh, kingdom principles.
Right.
So what's next babe?
Well, debt.
Huh?
Hello.
Don't let debt be your master.
Right.
You know, Proverbs 22:7 remindsus that the borrower is the
slave to the lender.
Mm.
And debt is more than numbers ona page.
(14:40):
It's actually a weight that canlimit your freedom.
Mm.
Your peace, and even yourability to say yes when God
calls.
You to go do something.
Uh, maybe it's a mission trip.
Maybe it's to give whatever itis, right?
But every payment you owe is apiece of your future that is
already spoken for.
(15:00):
Absolutely.
But here's the good news.
God is a God of freedom.
He is a God of freedom.
Absolutely.
And his heart is for you to liveunburdened and ready to serve.
Working toward debt.
Freedom isn't just a financialstrategy.
It is a spiritual act of trust.
Yeah.
(15:20):
Trust in him.
And each step you take to payoff debt is a declaration that I
ref, uh, I am gonna give you thedeclaration.
I refuse to be mastered byanything but Christ.
That's it.
Say it with me, Allen.
Refuse.
I refuse to be, to be masteredby anything, anything but
Christ.
Speak that out.
(15:40):
Mm-hmm.
Even if you don't believe it.
Yeah.
Speak that over yourself.
Yeah.
Speak that over your finances.
Speak that over your home andyour family.
Yeah.
Speak that truth.
Yeah.
That biblical truth over allthat, all that you want, you
want change, give it to God.
Yeah.
And start and see what he doeswith it.
Right.
And start praying over yourfinances and asking God for
(16:02):
wisdom.
Uh, create a plan toaggressively tackle what you
owe, even if it feels like it'sa long road.
Um, I know about long roads infinances.
Um, celebrate small victoriesalong the way.
Yeah.
Um, each bill paid off here.
Each bill.
Think about it this way.
Each bill paid off is one morelink of that chain that's
(16:26):
broken.
Yeah.
We love to break the chain.
We like to get unbound.
And break those chains.
So when you're no longer tied tolenders, you are free to be
radically generous, right?
To follow God's promptings withno hesitation and to step boldly
into kingdom opportunities,right?
(16:47):
I do wanna be clear though,however, that debt does not
define you.
Yes.
So do not let debt define youbecause only Jesus can define
you.
That's him.
He defines you, right?
So don't beat yourself up.
Right.
It's about progress.
It's not perfection.
Yep.
And know that with him though,that freedom is totally
(17:07):
possible.
Absolutely, totally possible.
Yeah.
Not to, not to be cliche andalways, but we're talking about
finances too.
Absolutely.
And but not to be cliche, butyou know, the son who, whoever
receives the sun is, is free.
Free.
Indeed.
Indeed, indeed.
Indeed.
So, um, he has, uh, all day, uh,every day.
(17:29):
Jesus is the answer.
Yeah.
And, and Paul knew this andthat, that brings us into our,
our third point is contentment.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, and the Apostle Paul, uh, hesaid, I've learned to be content
in every situation.
Uh, and this is actually thecontext of the ever, so proof
texted Philippians 4:13.
(17:51):
So let's dig into the contextfor full effect here.
Mm-hmm.
Paul writes, not that I speakfrom want or.
That I've learned to be contentin whatever, sit, whatever
circumstances I am.
Uh, I know what, how to getalong with humble means, and I
know how to live in prosperityin any and every circumstances.
(18:14):
I've learned the secret.
Paul knew the secret.
He had learned the secret ofbeing filled and of going
hungry, of having abundance andthat of suffering.
He said, I can do all things.
Through him who strengthens me.
That's the context of it.
(18:35):
Paul went through it.
Paul lived on both sides of thetracks at one point or another,
and regardless of his situation,uh, he relied on Christ Jesus,
our Lord.
And I believe that the secretthat he speaks of in, in verse
12 as Jesus.
Jesus was the most humble leaderever to walk the planet.
(18:58):
Uh, his um, so much so that hisamazing example of humility,
enlightened and empowered Paulto follow suit and contentment
with Paul was content with.
Jesus's presence and hisprovision.
He was content with Jesus beingmore than enough friends.
(19:22):
Let us encourage you today.
Let us, let us tell you fromexperience that every day when
you release it to him, yeah,Jesus is more.
Than enough.
Yeah.
Contentment's a spiritualdiscipline and it shatters the
cycle of Moore's pursuit.
(19:44):
Mm.
Moore's pursuit more.
The pursuit of more.
Yeah.
Pursuit of more.
More is never enough.
Mm-hmm.
And Jesus is always enough.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, number four is one of myfavorite topics and one that I
get to walk people through.
(20:04):
Uh, fairly often, not as oftenas I would like to, I would say,
but fairly often.
But it's budgeting with Jesus atthe center right on, you know,
a, a budget.
Allen is not just a spreadsheet.
No, it's not, it's not just aspreadsheet in numbers, but it
actually is a reflection of yourheart's posture.
(20:27):
And Jesus said in Matthew 6:21for where your treasure is
there, your heart will be also.
Yeah.
So, you know, every dollar wespend tells a story about what
we value.
That's why your budget can beone of your greatest
discipleship tools.
It's where faith actually meetsaction.
And before you swipe the card orclick by.
(20:51):
Yeah.
Pause and pray.
Yeah.
And I, I'm gonna be.
100% transparent.
I don't always do this right, Ineed to do it more often.
I need to pause and pray beforeI click the Amazon button, right
before you even open up the app.
Maybe before I open up the app.
(21:11):
Yes.
Maybe we can hold each otheraccountable to that May perhaps
We do pretty good though.
I don't know about all you.
We do pretty good.
But you know, Amazon, our Amazondriver probably knows us by name
now, but Yeah.
You know if, but if we wouldpray, you know, and ask the Holy
Spirit, does this purchase alignwith kingdom values or is it
(21:34):
just about my comfort?
I mean, I'm gonna challenge usto do that as well.
But the simple question actuallyturns financial decisions into
spiritual formation moments,right?
So invite God into your grocerylist.
Allen, you do the groceryshopping.
Do you invite God into thegrocery list?
I bring in bare necessities.
Maybe not bare necessities, butnecessities, and you don't.
(21:57):
And we, we stuck.
That wasn't my question.
Do you pray over your grocerylist?
I do not pray over my grocerylist, but I do know what to
bring and what not to bring.
True.
And, uh, true.
You do a really good job atthat.
Do to stick sticking to abudget.
And there there's, there is a,there's a number and it comes in
under that number.
Usually three out of four weeksof the month.
(22:20):
Yeah, you, you are really goodat that.
Yeah.
But, but when you start prayingover your spending, um, you
know, your budget stops feelingrestrictive and starts actually
becoming a roadmap forgenerosity.
Right.
For stewardship and.
For freedom.
Yeah.
You know, it becomes a roadmapto freedom and it's not about
(22:42):
guilt or deprivation, it's notabout depriving yourself.
Right.
But it's about alignment.
You know, God cares about thelittle things and the big
things.
Right.
And when he is in the center ofyour finances, they actually
become a tool for impact ratherthan a tool for stress, which
I've lived that.
(23:04):
Right.
Still love it sometimes.
Absolutely.
And I, going back to the grocerylist, what, what I do, I, I'm
not specifically weekly, prayover, you know what, what.
How much we spend it, it comesin under the budget.
But what I do is, is I don'tbring in a bunch of junk.
Oh, that's true.
You know, because we gottasteward our bodies well, as, as
(23:26):
well.
Mm-hmm.
And it's, there's nothing wrongwith a few tortilla chips, but
when you know.
When it, when it's, we do likeour tortilla check.
I watch some people check outat, at Costco and Aldi, man.
And I'm like, goodness.
Yeah, but you gotta, uh, so Ido, uh,'cause this is, this is
the, the temple of the HolySpirit.
(23:46):
Mm-hmm.
We gotta take care of that.
Yeah.
That temple.
So that part is, uh, is, is paidattention to as much as, uh, the
financial aspect of it.
Right.
You know, so, yeah.
Right.
So, but uh.
Back to your budgeting, youknow?
Mm-hmm.
Here, here's a paradigm shiftfor you based on what Stace had
just mentioned about budgeting,paradigm shift, a, a different
(24:10):
way to see things, a budget.
A lot of people see budget asrestriction, but the paradigm
shift for you, unless you'redriving, write this down.
Yeah.
It's, it's not, your budget isnot about restriction.
It's about direction.
Yes.
It's not about restriction.
It's about direction.
(24:31):
Let the spirit guide yourdirection.
Mm-hmm.
And when we, when we decide torelease and receive direction, I
think, I think we, uh, we willexperience what we like to refer
to as a blemo.
Moment, a blama moment.
(24:52):
It's a blama.
It's, it's important to, uh, togive every dollar, see, every
dollar as, as a dollar, as asoldier in Christ army.
It sounds a little corny, but,uh, every dollar as a soldier in
God's army.
And it's important that we, wesend those dollars to fight for
eternity rather than holdingonto'em just to build a, a
(25:17):
frivolous.
Temporary house of cards, right?
Yeah.
And, and let's not forget whenwe say yes to God and our
finances, you know, it oftenfeels risky, but that's where
testimonies of his faithfulnessshine the brightest.
And we have some amazingtestimonies.
Of his faithfulness through ourfinances.
(25:38):
Yeah, absolutely.
And, and I'm sure as we go alongthrough this podcast, we'll
we'll be sharing them, but Sure.
You know, just when, justthinking right now, you know
what, what often doesn't makesense on paper.
You know, makes sense in thekingdom.
(25:59):
Right.
Somehow giving, and he providesti doesn't make sense on paper,
right?
I, I've put it down on paper.
I was like, Nope, that don'tlook right.
Yeah.
All right.
And then I give anyway and italways comes out ahead, huh?
He's awesome, man.
Somehow he's good.
Somehow he's good stuff.
Yeah.
Uh, so anyway, uh.
(26:19):
It's important, uh, friends thatwhen in doubt we remember
Jesus's truth, he had so muchtruth.
Uh, I mean, he is so much truth.
He is the way, the truth and thelife.
But his truth, encouragement inMatthew's gospel when he, when
he proclaims that, that we'rewe're better off.
(26:40):
Storing up treasures in heavenwhere moth and rust don't
destroy, where thieves don'tbreak in and steal.
He says, where your treasure is,your heart will be there.
Also.
Sta mentioned that a littleearlier and sometimes that gets
twisted around.
You get those prosperitypreachers going, that saying
that where your heart is, yourtreasure will be also.
(27:01):
But that's not what Jesus said.
Jesus.
It's it's clearly.
Uh, stated in Matthew's Gospelthat where your treasure is,
your heart will be also.
So where is your treasure storedup at?
Mm-hmm.
Where are you storing yourtreasure?
That's something to think about,something to pray about, don't
you think?
Mm-hmm.
Uh, so what if, what if, whatif, what if?
(27:28):
Hold on.
What if we started looking atevery paycheck, uh, every
spending decision, uh, every actof giving through God's
perspective.
What if we saw it as a get to.
A big beefy get to, uh, insteadof a, instead of a white
knuckling.
Got to.
Yeah.
Uh, I, I think we would, wewould definitely tell you that
(27:51):
you'd be better off over thelong run.
You're better off in the shortrun, uh, as, as well as the long
run.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
So, so maybe today your nextstep is simple.
Maybe you create a prayerfulbudget, or maybe it's bolder.
Maybe you step out faithfullyand drop some radical
generosity.
(28:12):
Or maybe it's asking God to freeyou from debt so that you can
live open-handed, right.
And, you know, as we wind downhere today, you know, we, we
just wanna recap a little ofwhat we just talked about.
Just give you the four takeawaysand the, and the challenge to
(28:32):
try these this week, right?
As we move, as you move forward,right.
If, if you're on board, youknow, take these bold takeaways
with you.
Yeah.
If you are, if you're not onboard, take these bold takeaways
with you, right?
If you decide when.
When you decide to take thesebold takeaways mm-hmm.
When you decide to put theseinto practice, you will see
(28:54):
change.
You will see your financestransformed.
Mm-hmm.
The first is give first, notlast.
Generosity is all about worship.
Put God first and your financesfirst and best.
Yeah.
All the time.
And number two is debt is amaster break free.
(29:16):
Don't let debt be your master.
That's it.
Don't let debt chain yourcalling.
So plan the work and work theplan towards freedom.
That's it.
Make that change shorter everypaycheck.
Mm-hmm.
Make that change just a littlebit shorter.
Yeah.
Number three is choosecontentment over comparison.
Gratitude.
(29:37):
Woo.
Gratitude love.
Gratitude kills greed.
Yeah.
Gratitude kills greed and fuels.
Life and peace.
Yes.
Budget with Jesus at the center.
You know, every dollar is adisciple or as Jesus said, a
soldier for, for God's kingdom.
So send it on a Kingdom mission,you know, don't hesitate to do
(29:57):
that.
Yeah.
Jesus didn't say that I saidthat, but you know, thanks for
the compliment.
Oh, I, I think I said as you,okay.
Nevermind.
No, you said Jesus said just forthose.
Allen said not Jesus.
Well, I think maybe the HolySpirit spoke that you, she
(30:18):
loves, loves me a whole lot.
And as, and he is, he is workingthrough me.
Thank you for that recognitionanyway.
It's alright to be a littlesilly here.
Absolutely.
We better be a little silly ifwe're not silly.
You know?
We're too serious.
Anyway, so, and the, um, thefifth, uh, bold, uh, financial
(30:40):
encouragement is kingdom.
Over comfort.
How often?
Always, always, always.
Kingdom over comfort.
Kingdom over comfort, alwaysrisky.
Obedience opens the door toGod's faithfulness.
Yeah, and that's the call rightthere, folks.
Truth believers, hear us now.
(31:00):
That's the call right there.
Decide for Kingdom over comfort.
Don't settle for building yourstuff.
Pile higher.
Trust Jesus.
Yeah.
I'll say it again.
Trust Jesus.
Listen to his insight duringyour quiet time, and watch him
(31:21):
prove himself faithful time andtime again.
And remember, you're not alonein this.
The Holy Spirit is your guide,and Jesus is your provider,
right?
He will meet you as you stewardhis resources.
He will meet you with openhands, absolutely every time.
Right.
Well babe, that wraps up anotherepisode of Faithfully Invested.
(31:44):
So friends, if you've beenencouraged by this, we'd love
for you to share it with someoneelse who would, uh, who could
use.
Encouragement in this area.
Yeah.
And be sure to tell us what youthink.
And don't forget to leave us afive star review because it
actually helps us reach morekingdom leaders who need these
messages.
Five star review.
(32:04):
Yes, Allen.
Thank you.
Five star review.
But until next time, rememberthat when you decide to live
faithfully invested, God bringsthe increase.
Yeah, he does.
Be blessed.
Take care.
Thanks for joining us onFaithfully Invested with Allen
and Stacy Jo, if today'sconversation encouraged you,
(32:26):
challenged you, or helped yousee your calling more clearly,
don't keep it to yourself.
That's right.
Share it with a friend.
Leave a five star review andkeep leaning into God's
blueprint for your life, yourleadership, and your legacy.
So until next time, remember,when you invest in his kingdom,
he brings the increase.
Are you ready to build a life,business and legacy that truly
lasts?
Welcome to Faithfully Investedwith Allen and Stacy Jo Thorne
where Faith meets real talk.
Biblical wisdom meets everydaylife and leadership meets
laughter.
Together we will uncover God'sblueprint for leadership,
marriage, and mission, helpingfaith-driven leaders invest in
(00:21):
what matters most.
Each episode, we explorebiblical wisdom, have real
conversations, and of course,have some fun along the way
because let's be real.
Walking in faith is anadventure.
It sure is.
So pull up a seat, grab yourcoffee or your sweet tea, and
join us as we steward ourcallings with intention, because
(00:42):
when we invest in his kingdom,he brings the increase.
Hey friends.
Welcome back to FaithfullyInvested, where we discuss
leadership, marriage, andmission, one Kingdom Principle
at a time.
I am Allen, and I am Stacy Jo,and we're glad you're here with
(01:03):
us today.
Today we're gonna dive intosomething that affects us all
our finances.
Mm, you know, dilute the beans,the moolah, chaga.
Isn't our finances just goodenough?
Apparently not.
Anyway, as as Christ followers,we see our finances differently
(01:27):
than the world sees financialresponsibility.
Uh, we'll discuss it today, whatit looks like through a kingdom
advancing lens.
Yeah.
You know, money's one of thosetopics that can either make
people lean in or maybe squirm alittle.
Depending on where you're at,but Right.
Did you know though that thereare about 2,350 biblical
(01:50):
references to handling financesin the Bible?
I did know that.
Did you?
I did know that.
Did, did you know that 16 ofJesus's 38 parables discussed
money handling?
I did.
I, uh, I was gonna say, Jesusspoke a lot on, on finances.
He did.
He did.
Why?
What?
Because, because he knew.
Where our treasure is, ourhearts will follow.
(02:14):
Absolutely.
And so this isn't about justdollars and cents, it's actually
about discipleship.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
My goodness.
The tension.
Uh, and, and if you're, ifyou're squirming out there,
right.
Uh, listen up.
'cause this is for you.
This is, uh, this is especiallyfor the squirms.
Uh, and I, I used, we used to besquirms.
(02:34):
I was especially, I stillsquirm, I sm sometimes, uh,
because we all crave comfort.
Yeah.
Uh, that bigger savings account,a nicer house.
Mm-hmm.
That new car.
Uh, or just a feeling offinancial security.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, and I love these, these twowords here.
These are some of my favoritetwo words.
But Jesus consistently calls usfollowers to a higher calling.
(02:59):
He calls us to invest in hiskingdom, not just, uh, insider
comfort zones either.
He calls us to, uh, givesacrificially.
So our challenge may be.
As we live in the world, butwe're not of the world.
We, we might be dealing with askewed perspective that if, uh,
if we see things, uh, through a,a, the God shaped kingdom
(03:22):
investment lens, that we, wemight, we might see things as a
got to instead of a get to.
Oh yeah.
And that challenge is real.
I mean, we face debt.
We face the temptation tooverspend and the constant pull
of comparison, you know?
Yeah.
That keeping up with the Jonesesas they used to say, you know,
(03:43):
it's nonsense.
What's that?
It's nonsense.
Well, we don't have any Jonesesthat live next to us, but Right.
But culture says, you know,culture says buy now and pay
later.
Right.
And Jesus says, trust me, givegenerously and store up
treasures in heaven.
Yes.
And the question we have towrestle with.
(04:04):
Is, are we living for comfort orfor kingdom impact?
And can we have both?
And I wanna say I, there'snothing wrong with things.
There's nothing wrong withstuff.
And there's nothing wrong withhaving money.
No.
We're not, we're not demon it.
Same as before, uh, in a coupleseasons ago, we weren't
(04:24):
demonizing the hustle.
Right.
Uh, we're just saying that, andwe're not demonizing wealth.
We're not demonizing, uh, havingstuff.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, we're simply saying is ifthe stuff is greater than Jesus,
then that's an idol and thatshould be addressed.
Yeah.
So, so I recall.
When I thought that financialstewardship was all about me
(04:46):
being in control, I rememberthat too.
I bet you do.
I was budgeting so tight that Ifelt like I was the provider.
Uh, but con that kind of controlled to a lot of stress.
What I learned through that isthat when I clinging to money, I
was clinging to fear and I hadto ask myself self, are you
(05:09):
really following Christ?
I said, come on, self dude, selfdude.
That's what I said.
I said, come on self, dude,where do you really find your
security in money or in Jesus,in the Holy Spirit?
And back then, self dude felt alittle convicted and was, and he
(05:29):
decided to, to loosen the reinsand, and began moving in faith.
And, and, and the Holy Spiritshowed self, dude, how to do
that.
And when I learned, when I wasable to loosen the reins on that
and, uh, and give, uh, let Godbe in control of our finances
and show me how to, to releasethat, uh, it was pretty cool how
(05:53):
God showed, showed me what's up.
And, uh, he, when I decided tolet him lead, yeah, self dude
changed quite a bit during thattime.
Self, self dude has grown, man.
Yes, for sure.
But you know, I've been theretoo.
And for me it was the pole ofsecurity.
You know, I wanted to know that,that we were always covered.
(06:14):
No risk, no lack, because I grewup, I mean, and, and you can say
this too.
Yeah.
I mean, we grew up with nothingin a lack mindset.
Yeah.
And I, you know, it came back tohaving parents who were raised
by parents who were in thedepression.
And who suffered through thedepression.
(06:35):
And it was, you know, I grew upwith that lack mindset.
Right?
But scarcity.
The scarcity mindset.
Scar mindset.
Mindset.
Right.
We had to break that scarcitymindset.
Yeah.
And God kept nudging me saying,do you trust me to be your
provider?
Or do you trust your bankaccount?
And honestly, you know, thattook some hard lessons like
(06:57):
giving when it didn't make senseor stepping out in obedience
when the numbers just didn'teven add up.
Yeah.
And I can remember doing thatseveral times and, and tithing
especially, and we'll get intothat, you know, later down the
road.
But, um.
Yeah.
I mean, it didn't always makesense.
It doesn't always make sense.
(07:18):
And I, I gotta say that I havelearned to love giving when it
doesn't make sense.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And that's not, not any, I'm notputting myself on a pedestal.
No, no credit to myself.
No glory to me, but all glory toGod to the Lord.
'cause, and we don't give, so wecan get, uh, but.
You know, the Lord says that heloves a cheer giver.
(07:40):
We're gonna, we're gonna jumpinto that here a little later.
But I love, I, I've learned tolove giving when it doesn't make
sense.
Uh, we decide, um, when wedecide to live aligned with his
truth, uh, the, the ever living,breathing word of God, we learn
to obey the spirit's prompt andmove accordingly.
(08:02):
If he says, give, we give.
Uh, if he says, don't give, if,if, if it, maybe it's us, maybe
it's, maybe we feel that we needto, to give out of, maybe out of
guilt or mm-hmm.
Or, or something like that.
If it's obligation.
It's obligation.
Yeah.
You know, everybody else isdoing that, so, so we gotta do
that.
So we're gonna, we run, we runboth sides of it.
(08:23):
Pass the Lord and, and see whathe says about that, you know,
and, uh.
Along the way.
Uh, an example I could give isthat comfort would say play it
safe.
And, uh, just, and what is safeis, is the world's safe, or, or
Jesus is safe.
(08:44):
'cause I, every time I, I, I've,I've learned the difference
between the two.
And every time I'm gonna go withJesus is safe.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, so where comfort would say,play it safe, uh, the Bold
Truth.
Uh, faithfully reminds us thatthe capital T truth, that's the
capital T truth, uh, the JCtruth, right?
Jesus Christ, yes.
(09:05):
Yeah.
He faithfully reminds us to, uh,step out comfort lies to us and
tells us to pursue more becauseyou deserve it.
But Jesus encourages us tofaithfully invest in his
kingdom, and based on myexperience, more is never enough
(09:25):
and Jesus never disappoints.
Amen to that.
Yeah, absolutely.
Amen to that.
So, so what does kingdomstewardship look like in real
life?
I mean, can I, we have fourpractical.
Anchors that we can unpack rightnow.
Right.
And why don't you start us offbecause this is one of your
favorite.
(09:46):
Favorite topics.
I'm, I'll just keep rolling ongenerosity.
Yeah.
No, give first, not last.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, give, and I'll say thatagain.
Give first, not last.
And if you're not giving, givefirst, not last.
Uh, yeah.
It's, it's absolutely biblicalgenerosity aligns our hearts
(10:08):
with, uh, kingdom principles andprecepts.
It aligns our hearts with hisheart, uh, with the Lord's
heart.
And it's, it's not about theamount, but it's about the
obedience and the joy in giving.
And I, I just, I mentioned it,or ear, I mentioned it earlier
that, uh, earlier that I love togive when it doesn't make sense.
(10:32):
But, uh, I remember, uh, Paul'sencouragement to his, uh, when
he wrote, uh, the second time inthe second letter to the
Corinthians when he said he,who's he who sows sparingly will
also reap sparingly.
Mm-hmm.
But also, uh, he who sowsbountifully will reap
bountifully.
Each one should do.
(10:53):
As he's, as is purposed in hisheart, not grudgingly or under
compulsion for God, loves acheerful giver.
That's a second Corinthiansnine, six, uh, through seven.
So once we wrap our heart aroundthat, uh, kingdom giving, uh,
becomes a big beefy get to, Iget to give.
(11:16):
Uh, to people who need, I get tohelp.
We, we get to help, uh, peoplewho need it to, uh, need, need
to be given to.
Mm-hmm.
They, they need that sort ofhelp.
Uh, and I watched.
A lot of people coming up inthat scarcity mm-hmm.
That, that life, uh, early, uh,as a kid and as a teenager.
(11:38):
Uh, and as, uh, what developed ascarcity mindset.
I've seen a lot of people give,um, and, and help mom.
Uh mm.
And I'd give a shout out to myuncle Jim and my Aunt Joyce.
Yeah.
Um, and, uh.
There's, yeah.
They, they come to mind, but alot of people get, and, and as
I'm able to, because they wereable to, and they, they, they
(12:00):
give without expecting anythingin return.
Yeah.
And, and that's, that's whatit's all about.
It's not, it's not giving for,uh, so that will get something
back.
It's giving, uh, Christ calls usto give without expecting
anything in return.
And I'm just gonna say becauseof that.
I'm just gonna plug Hearts forMoms right now because we love
Hearts for Moms and because ourmoms were single mothers, you
(12:27):
know, they help single mothers.
They give single moms a hand upand not a handout, a hand up.
And you know, we love, we love.
Being able to come beside them.
Yes.
With a generous heart.
Yeah.
What the spirit's placed onAngela and her team's hearts.
Yeah.
Uh, they, the spirit hasliterally given them hearts for
(12:50):
moms.
Right?
Absolutely.
And we love that organization.
Absolutely.
We love, we love, uh.
Giving to that organization.
We love being, being a part ofit.
And we, and if you wanna knowmore about it, I will drop it in
the show notes.
Right.
Check it, check it out.
Right.
So, so anyway, go.
Going back to, to, uh, being acheerful giver, as, as we wrap
(13:15):
our hearts around that it, we,it gets, it goes.
Mm-hmm.
It's a get to, not a whiteknuckle.
Got to, yeah.
We don't give out a compulsion.
Mm-hmm.
I say this to a lot of people'cause I get challenged on the
tithe.
A lot of people, I, I hearpeople are guys mainly, uh,
(13:36):
upset about their finances.
I was like, bro, you want, youwant.
More money.
You want to, you wanna make moremoney?
Do you want to have more thanenough?
Then I suggest that you givesome of it away sacrificially.
Mm-hmm.
And I was like, I know it don'tmake sense, but give some of it
away sacrificially and see whatGod does with your selfless
(13:57):
obedience.
Yeah.
100%.
That's it.
I've sa and I, this isn't justwords on a page.
I, I say this a lot and, andunbound.
It's not just words on a page.
This is, these are the wordsthat came off the page and came
to life.
And these are life lessons thatwe've learned.
Yeah.
You know, we're not that we'velived.
Yeah.
That we've learned.
Not even just learned.
We've lived and we're living init.
(14:19):
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's good.
Yeah.
And we, uh, kingdom principles.
Right.
So what's next babe?
Well, debt.
Huh?
Hello.
Don't let debt be your master.
Right.
You know, Proverbs 22:7 remindsus that the borrower is the
slave to the lender.
Mm.
And debt is more than numbers ona page.
(14:40):
It's actually a weight that canlimit your freedom.
Mm.
Your peace, and even yourability to say yes when God
calls.
You to go do something.
Uh, maybe it's a mission trip.
Maybe it's to give whatever itis, right?
But every payment you owe is apiece of your future that is
already spoken for.
(15:00):
Absolutely.
But here's the good news.
God is a God of freedom.
He is a God of freedom.
Absolutely.
And his heart is for you to liveunburdened and ready to serve.
Working toward debt.
Freedom isn't just a financialstrategy.
It is a spiritual act of trust.
Yeah.
(15:20):
Trust in him.
And each step you take to payoff debt is a declaration that I
ref, uh, I am gonna give you thedeclaration.
I refuse to be mastered byanything but Christ.
That's it.
Say it with me, Allen.
Refuse.
I refuse to be, to be masteredby anything, anything but
Christ.
Speak that out.
(15:40):
Mm-hmm.
Even if you don't believe it.
Yeah.
Speak that over yourself.
Yeah.
Speak that over your finances.
Speak that over your home andyour family.
Yeah.
Speak that truth.
Yeah.
That biblical truth over allthat, all that you want, you
want change, give it to God.
Yeah.
And start and see what he doeswith it.
Right.
And start praying over yourfinances and asking God for
(16:02):
wisdom.
Uh, create a plan toaggressively tackle what you
owe, even if it feels like it'sa long road.
Um, I know about long roads infinances.
Um, celebrate small victoriesalong the way.
Yeah.
Um, each bill paid off here.
Each bill.
Think about it this way.
Each bill paid off is one morelink of that chain that's
(16:26):
broken.
Yeah.
We love to break the chain.
We like to get unbound.
And break those chains.
So when you're no longer tied tolenders, you are free to be
radically generous, right?
To follow God's promptings withno hesitation and to step boldly
into kingdom opportunities,right?
(16:47):
I do wanna be clear though,however, that debt does not
define you.
Yes.
So do not let debt define youbecause only Jesus can define
you.
That's him.
He defines you, right?
So don't beat yourself up.
Right.
It's about progress.
It's not perfection.
Yep.
And know that with him though,that freedom is totally
(17:07):
possible.
Absolutely, totally possible.
Yeah.
Not to, not to be cliche andalways, but we're talking about
finances too.
Absolutely.
And but not to be cliche, butyou know, the son who, whoever
receives the sun is, is free.
Free.
Indeed.
Indeed, indeed.
Indeed.
So, um, he has, uh, all day, uh,every day.
(17:29):
Jesus is the answer.
Yeah.
And, and Paul knew this andthat, that brings us into our,
our third point is contentment.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, and the Apostle Paul, uh, hesaid, I've learned to be content
in every situation.
Uh, and this is actually thecontext of the ever, so proof
texted Philippians 4:13.
(17:51):
So let's dig into the contextfor full effect here.
Mm-hmm.
Paul writes, not that I speakfrom want or.
That I've learned to be contentin whatever, sit, whatever
circumstances I am.
Uh, I know what, how to getalong with humble means, and I
know how to live in prosperityin any and every circumstances.
(18:14):
I've learned the secret.
Paul knew the secret.
He had learned the secret ofbeing filled and of going
hungry, of having abundance andthat of suffering.
He said, I can do all things.
Through him who strengthens me.
That's the context of it.
(18:35):
Paul went through it.
Paul lived on both sides of thetracks at one point or another,
and regardless of his situation,uh, he relied on Christ Jesus,
our Lord.
And I believe that the secretthat he speaks of in, in verse
12 as Jesus.
Jesus was the most humble leaderever to walk the planet.
(18:58):
Uh, his um, so much so that hisamazing example of humility,
enlightened and empowered Paulto follow suit and contentment
with Paul was content with.
Jesus's presence and hisprovision.
He was content with Jesus beingmore than enough friends.
(19:22):
Let us encourage you today.
Let us, let us tell you fromexperience that every day when
you release it to him, yeah,Jesus is more.
Than enough.
Yeah.
Contentment's a spiritualdiscipline and it shatters the
cycle of Moore's pursuit.
(19:44):
Mm.
Moore's pursuit more.
The pursuit of more.
Yeah.
Pursuit of more.
More is never enough.
Mm-hmm.
And Jesus is always enough.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, number four is one of myfavorite topics and one that I
get to walk people through.
(20:04):
Uh, fairly often, not as oftenas I would like to, I would say,
but fairly often.
But it's budgeting with Jesus atthe center right on, you know,
a, a budget.
Allen is not just a spreadsheet.
No, it's not, it's not just aspreadsheet in numbers, but it
actually is a reflection of yourheart's posture.
(20:27):
And Jesus said in Matthew 6:21for where your treasure is
there, your heart will be also.
Yeah.
So, you know, every dollar wespend tells a story about what
we value.
That's why your budget can beone of your greatest
discipleship tools.
It's where faith actually meetsaction.
And before you swipe the card orclick by.
(20:51):
Yeah.
Pause and pray.
Yeah.
And I, I'm gonna be.
100% transparent.
I don't always do this right, Ineed to do it more often.
I need to pause and pray beforeI click the Amazon button, right
before you even open up the app.
Maybe before I open up the app.
(21:11):
Yes.
Maybe we can hold each otheraccountable to that May perhaps
We do pretty good though.
I don't know about all you.
We do pretty good.
But you know, Amazon, our Amazondriver probably knows us by name
now, but Yeah.
You know if, but if we wouldpray, you know, and ask the Holy
Spirit, does this purchase alignwith kingdom values or is it
(21:34):
just about my comfort?
I mean, I'm gonna challenge usto do that as well.
But the simple question actuallyturns financial decisions into
spiritual formation moments,right?
So invite God into your grocerylist.
Allen, you do the groceryshopping.
Do you invite God into thegrocery list?
I bring in bare necessities.
Maybe not bare necessities, butnecessities, and you don't.
(21:57):
And we, we stuck.
That wasn't my question.
Do you pray over your grocerylist?
I do not pray over my grocerylist, but I do know what to
bring and what not to bring.
True.
And, uh, true.
You do a really good job atthat.
Do to stick sticking to abudget.
And there there's, there is a,there's a number and it comes in
under that number.
Usually three out of four weeksof the month.
(22:20):
Yeah, you, you are really goodat that.
Yeah.
But, but when you start prayingover your spending, um, you
know, your budget stops feelingrestrictive and starts actually
becoming a roadmap forgenerosity.
Right.
For stewardship and.
For freedom.
Yeah.
You know, it becomes a roadmapto freedom and it's not about
(22:42):
guilt or deprivation, it's notabout depriving yourself.
Right.
But it's about alignment.
You know, God cares about thelittle things and the big
things.
Right.
And when he is in the center ofyour finances, they actually
become a tool for impact ratherthan a tool for stress, which
I've lived that.
(23:04):
Right.
Still love it sometimes.
Absolutely.
And I, going back to the grocerylist, what, what I do, I, I'm
not specifically weekly, prayover, you know what, what.
How much we spend it, it comesin under the budget.
But what I do is, is I don'tbring in a bunch of junk.
Oh, that's true.
You know, because we gottasteward our bodies well, as, as
(23:26):
well.
Mm-hmm.
And it's, there's nothing wrongwith a few tortilla chips, but
when you know.
When it, when it's, we do likeour tortilla check.
I watch some people check outat, at Costco and Aldi, man.
And I'm like, goodness.
Yeah, but you gotta, uh, so Ido, uh,'cause this is, this is
the, the temple of the HolySpirit.
(23:46):
Mm-hmm.
We gotta take care of that.
Yeah.
That temple.
So that part is, uh, is, is paidattention to as much as, uh, the
financial aspect of it.
Right.
You know, so, yeah.
Right.
So, but uh.
Back to your budgeting, youknow?
Mm-hmm.
Here, here's a paradigm shiftfor you based on what Stace had
just mentioned about budgeting,paradigm shift, a, a different
(24:10):
way to see things, a budget.
A lot of people see budget asrestriction, but the paradigm
shift for you, unless you'redriving, write this down.
Yeah.
It's, it's not, your budget isnot about restriction.
It's about direction.
Yes.
It's not about restriction.
It's about direction.
(24:31):
Let the spirit guide yourdirection.
Mm-hmm.
And when we, when we decide torelease and receive direction, I
think, I think we, uh, we willexperience what we like to refer
to as a blemo.
Moment, a blama moment.
(24:52):
It's a blama.
It's, it's important to, uh, togive every dollar, see, every
dollar as, as a dollar, as asoldier in Christ army.
It sounds a little corny, but,uh, every dollar as a soldier in
God's army.
And it's important that we, wesend those dollars to fight for
eternity rather than holdingonto'em just to build a, a
(25:17):
frivolous.
Temporary house of cards, right?
Yeah.
And, and let's not forget whenwe say yes to God and our
finances, you know, it oftenfeels risky, but that's where
testimonies of his faithfulnessshine the brightest.
And we have some amazingtestimonies.
Of his faithfulness through ourfinances.
(25:38):
Yeah, absolutely.
And, and I'm sure as we go alongthrough this podcast, we'll
we'll be sharing them, but Sure.
You know, just when, justthinking right now, you know
what, what often doesn't makesense on paper.
You know, makes sense in thekingdom.
(25:59):
Right.
Somehow giving, and he providesti doesn't make sense on paper,
right?
I, I've put it down on paper.
I was like, Nope, that don'tlook right.
Yeah.
All right.
And then I give anyway and italways comes out ahead, huh?
He's awesome, man.
Somehow he's good.
Somehow he's good stuff.
Yeah.
Uh, so anyway, uh.
(26:19):
It's important, uh, friends thatwhen in doubt we remember
Jesus's truth, he had so muchtruth.
Uh, I mean, he is so much truth.
He is the way, the truth and thelife.
But his truth, encouragement inMatthew's gospel when he, when
he proclaims that, that we'rewe're better off.
(26:40):
Storing up treasures in heavenwhere moth and rust don't
destroy, where thieves don'tbreak in and steal.
He says, where your treasure is,your heart will be there.
Also.
Sta mentioned that a littleearlier and sometimes that gets
twisted around.
You get those prosperitypreachers going, that saying
that where your heart is, yourtreasure will be also.
(27:01):
But that's not what Jesus said.
Jesus.
It's it's clearly.
Uh, stated in Matthew's Gospelthat where your treasure is,
your heart will be also.
So where is your treasure storedup at?
Mm-hmm.
Where are you storing yourtreasure?
That's something to think about,something to pray about, don't
you think?
Mm-hmm.
Uh, so what if, what if, whatif, what if?
(27:28):
Hold on.
What if we started looking atevery paycheck, uh, every
spending decision, uh, every actof giving through God's
perspective.
What if we saw it as a get to.
A big beefy get to, uh, insteadof a, instead of a white
knuckling.
Got to.
Yeah.
Uh, I, I think we would, wewould definitely tell you that
(27:51):
you'd be better off over thelong run.
You're better off in the shortrun, uh, as, as well as the long
run.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
So, so maybe today your nextstep is simple.
Maybe you create a prayerfulbudget, or maybe it's bolder.
Maybe you step out faithfullyand drop some radical
generosity.
(28:12):
Or maybe it's asking God to freeyou from debt so that you can
live open-handed, right.
And, you know, as we wind downhere today, you know, we, we
just wanna recap a little ofwhat we just talked about.
Just give you the four takeawaysand the, and the challenge to
(28:32):
try these this week, right?
As we move, as you move forward,right.
If, if you're on board, youknow, take these bold takeaways
with you.
Yeah.
If you are, if you're not onboard, take these bold takeaways
with you, right?
If you decide when.
When you decide to take thesebold takeaways mm-hmm.
When you decide to put theseinto practice, you will see
(28:54):
change.
You will see your financestransformed.
Mm-hmm.
The first is give first, notlast.
Generosity is all about worship.
Put God first and your financesfirst and best.
Yeah.
All the time.
And number two is debt is amaster break free.
(29:16):
Don't let debt be your master.
That's it.
Don't let debt chain yourcalling.
So plan the work and work theplan towards freedom.
That's it.
Make that change shorter everypaycheck.
Mm-hmm.
Make that change just a littlebit shorter.
Yeah.
Number three is choosecontentment over comparison.
Gratitude.
(29:37):
Woo.
Gratitude love.
Gratitude kills greed.
Yeah.
Gratitude kills greed and fuels.
Life and peace.
Yes.
Budget with Jesus at the center.
You know, every dollar is adisciple or as Jesus said, a
soldier for, for God's kingdom.
So send it on a Kingdom mission,you know, don't hesitate to do
(29:57):
that.
Yeah.
Jesus didn't say that I saidthat, but you know, thanks for
the compliment.
Oh, I, I think I said as you,okay.
Nevermind.
No, you said Jesus said just forthose.
Allen said not Jesus.
Well, I think maybe the HolySpirit spoke that you, she
(30:18):
loves, loves me a whole lot.
And as, and he is, he is workingthrough me.
Thank you for that recognitionanyway.
It's alright to be a littlesilly here.
Absolutely.
We better be a little silly ifwe're not silly.
You know?
We're too serious.
Anyway, so, and the, um, thefifth, uh, bold, uh, financial
(30:40):
encouragement is kingdom.
Over comfort.
How often?
Always, always, always.
Kingdom over comfort.
Kingdom over comfort, alwaysrisky.
Obedience opens the door toGod's faithfulness.
Yeah, and that's the call rightthere, folks.
Truth believers, hear us now.
(31:00):
That's the call right there.
Decide for Kingdom over comfort.
Don't settle for building yourstuff.
Pile higher.
Trust Jesus.
Yeah.
I'll say it again.
Trust Jesus.
Listen to his insight duringyour quiet time, and watch him
(31:21):
prove himself faithful time andtime again.
And remember, you're not alonein this.
The Holy Spirit is your guide,and Jesus is your provider,
right?
He will meet you as you stewardhis resources.
He will meet you with openhands, absolutely every time.
Right.
Well babe, that wraps up anotherepisode of Faithfully Invested.
(31:44):
So friends, if you've beenencouraged by this, we'd love
for you to share it with someoneelse who would, uh, who could
use.
Encouragement in this area.
Yeah.
And be sure to tell us what youthink.
And don't forget to leave us afive star review because it
actually helps us reach morekingdom leaders who need these
messages.
Five star review.
(32:04):
Yes, Allen.
Thank you.
Five star review.
But until next time, rememberthat when you decide to live
faithfully invested, God bringsthe increase.
Yeah, he does.
Be blessed.
Take care.
Thanks for joining us onFaithfully Invested with Allen
and Stacy Jo, if today'sconversation encouraged you,
(32:26):
challenged you, or helped yousee your calling more clearly,
don't keep it to yourself.
That's right.
Share it with a friend.
Leave a five star review andkeep leaning into God's
blueprint for your life, yourleadership, and your legacy.
So until next time, remember,when you invest in his kingdom,
he brings the increase.
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