faith & finance

Somebody told a young sales guy early in his career: if you want to close deals, go buy the most expensive suit you can’t afford and strap on a Rolex. Walk into any room looking the part and people will assume the rest.

There’s something almost right about that advice. And something completely rotten at its core.

The almost-right part: we all want to look presentable, we care about quality, and we want our homes to feel w...

I sat across from a client couple a few years ago who was walking into a business sale. The income from the sale was significant and was causing some tax problems. Their CPA’s solutions were pretty straightforward: defer the income thru a variety of retirement-funding vehicles, delay the tax bill, let the money compound. It was a solid idea and one that many professionals would’ve seconded.

But when they looked at the nu...

Do you need more money?

Honestly. Sit with question for a minute.

Do you think you need more money? Would more money be helpful in fulfilling God’s calling on your life right now? Would more money be catalytic to making you more like Jesus? Would it enhance your prayer life? Or your relationships with others?

(Spoiler alert: You don’t need more money.)

You’ve probably heard the famous Rockefeller response to the quest...

I’ve heard it said that the “real” answer to any question is buried only 3 layers deep. You have to ask the question, then ask the question beneath that, and then go one level deeper — then you arrive at the true answer.

As an advisor, I’ve learned from many of the greats that the answer a client is seeking often lies somewhere between me asking a better question and them surfacing a deeper answer. And ...

A few weeks ago I wrote about a man who slept with his pet snake. (You can view the archives here).

The metaphor comes from a fellow financial advisor, and his application was for investment accounts specifically. But I’ve started wondering where else we may find “the snake” at work in our lives and where we may be ignoring its power.

When stewardship tools make money bigger

Here’s what I mean.

The stewardship c...

I know this is a finance newsletter. So bear with me for a minute.

Have you ever caught yourself thinking — is this really it? You did the things. Built the career. Bought the dream house. Tithed more than you spent. Showed up for those who depended on you. And yet… underneath it all there’s an ache that you can’t quite name.

Loved ones get sick. Or we do. Our career dreams we chased have resulted in an endle...

Over the past three weeks we’ve been wrestling with a single question: what is wealth, really?

My friend called it a snake. And the warnings behind that metaphor are deadly serious -- Jesus and Paul made that clear. But we also saw that wealth isn’t a predator by nature. God gave us the ability to create it. It can be leveraged like the sun’s warmth, spread like fertilizer, and channeled like sap into fruit that ou...

the snake in your bed (part 3 of 4)

In Part 1, we met the snake -- a metaphor for the quiet danger of accumulating wealth. In Part 2, we challenged it. Wealth isn’t a predator. It’s a God-given tool that can be dangerous when mishandled. So how do we hold both of those truths at the same time?

the Christian financial paradox

John Wesley put it this way: “Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.”

Sou...

the snake in your bed (part 2 of 4)

Last week we discussed my friend’s metaphor of wealth: a snake. Today we’ll address the tension of how two wealthy men in the Bible responded totally differently to Jesus’ invitation.

but is wealth really a snake?

Here’s my honest problem with the metaphor: a snake in your bed is only a threat. There is no version of the story where the man and the snake coexist well. The onl...

the man who loved his snake

The story goes that there was a man who owned a pet snake.

It was kind of the passion of his life. He loved this animal. And his deeply held conviction was simple: if you love the snake, the snake will love you back.

So he slept with it. Every night. In his bed.

Years went by.

And then one night, while he was sleeping, the snake killed him.

An expert later explained what actually happened. The snake was never ...

When people ask what I do for a living, the easiest answer is “financial planner.”

But that description never quite captures what actually happens in the work.

Yes, there’s investment planning, tax strategy, and retirement projections. Sometimes there’s even the occasional trade execution. But a surprising amount of the work is something deeper and harder to name:

Helping people form a philosophy of money.

Most ...

When the Bible talks about debt, it’s rarely about interest rates or payment schedules. It’s almost always about something deeper.

In this episode, we explore what Scripture actually teaches about borrowing and lending through three recurring themes: presumption, power dynamics, and posture.

We walk through Proverbs’ strong warnings against guaranteeing someone else’s debt, unpack why predatory lending is ulti...

In this episode, we explore a timeless metaphor from St. Bernard of Clairvaux about living as reservoirs rather than canals—filling ourselves first before giving from overflow.

We discuss the intersection of biblical generosity, financial wisdom, and the uncomfortable truth that sometimes faithful stewardship means adjusting our giving.

Through client stories and scriptural reflection, we examine what it means to give wisely in...

If you’re self-employed, in sales, or running a small business, you know the budgeting struggle is real. But inconsistent income doesn’t mean you’re off the hook — it just means you need a smarter plan.

Nick shares a four-part framework inspired by YNAB (You Need a Budget) and shaped by real-world experience:

1. Only budget dollars you have — no guessing games.
2. Prioritize spending by what matters most (i...

In this episode, Nick reflects on the final chapters of Practicing the King’s Economy and how the Bible’s vision of rest is radically different from our hustle culture. He shares five real-world reasons why rest feels impossible — including the “reentry tax,” productivity identity, and the sheer effort it takes to prepare.

We explore:

• Why biblical rest requires intentionality and community
• The psychol...

In this episode of the One Degree podcast, I share how small choices over time can create significant impacts in our lives. As a husband, father, and financial planner, I reflect on my love for fixing things and how this 'fix it' mentality doesn't always translate well in relationships. I recount a recent family vacation story involving my daughter and emphasize the importance of approaching relationships with humility and curiosit...

In today's episode of the One Degree podcast, I discuss a recent LinkedIn article about my CRM software, Wealthbox, adding a new AI note-taking feature. While it sounds efficient, I'm skeptical about its impact on innovation. I explore the necessary balance between creative energy and structured processes in business. Using examples like PowerPoint versus tools like Beautiful.ai, I emphasize the importance of flexibility and innova...

Today, I'm excited to share insights from my recent conversation with Marcus Schaller on his podcast, Attract Your Ideal Clients. Marcus and I dove deep into the concept of selling as an act of generosity. From rethinking sales not as a pushy transaction but as a service to others, to Marcus' profound idea: 'Selling is an act of generosity.' Join me as I unpack how this perspective shift is helping me and could help you too. We'll ...