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Faith & Finance

Faith & Finance

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Faith & Finance is a daily radio ministry of FaithFi, hosted by Rob West, CEO of Kingdom Advisors. At FaithFi, we help you integrate your faith and financial decisions for the glory of God. Our vision is that every Christian would see God as their ultimate treasure. Join Rob and expert guests as they give biblical wisdom for your financial journey and provide practical answers to your pressing financial questions. From budgeting and debt management to investing and stewardship, Faith & Finance equips listeners with insights to handle money wisely and live generously for God's Kingdom. Listen now or ask your question live by calling 800-525-7000 each weekday from 10-11 a.m. ET on American Family Radio and 4-5 p.m. ET on Moody Radio. You can learn more at FaithFi.com.Copyright 2023-2025 FaithFi: Faith & Finance Cristianismo Economía Espiritualidad Finanzas Personales Ministerio y Evangelismo
Episodios
  • Our Ultimate Treasure: Work as Worship

    Our Ultimate Treasure: Work as Worship
    Mar 18 2026
    Theologian Dorothy Sayers once wrote, “Work is not primarily a thing one does to live, but the thing one lives to do.” That statement may feel surprising in a culture where work is often viewed as a burden to escape rather than a calling to embrace. Yet Scripture offers a very different vision. From the beginning of the Bible to the end, work is not treated as a necessary evil but as a sacred calling woven into what it means to bear God’s image. When we understand this truth, it transforms how we see our daily responsibilities—whether they happen in an office, a home, a classroom, or a retirement community. Work Was God’s Design From the Beginning Many people assume work began as part of the curse after sin entered the world. But Scripture tells a different story. In Genesis 2:15, before the fall, God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden “to work it and keep it.” Work was not punishment—it was purpose. God commissioned humanity to cultivate creation, steward its resources, and reflect His creativity and order. Work was a gift before it became difficult. And according to Scripture, it will be a gift again in the new creation. Revelation 22:5 describes God’s people reigning with Christ—not in idleness, but in joyful responsibility and stewardship. Work Reflects the Image of God Our faith is not limited to explicitly spiritual activities. It also includes the everyday tasks we carry out with excellence, integrity, and love. A remarkable example appears in Exodus 31. When God instructed Israel to build the tabernacle, He filled a man named Bezalel with the Spirit of God—granting him skill, intelligence, knowledge, and craftsmanship to design and construct the dwelling place of God’s presence. Think about that. The first person in Scripture explicitly described as being filled with the Spirit was not a prophet or a king. It was a craftsman. Bezalel’s calling reminds us that work done for God’s glory—whether building, designing, teaching, or managing—is an act of worship. There Are No Ordinary Jobs in God’s Kingdom This truth reshapes how we think about our own work. Whether you’re grading papers late into the night, running spreadsheets in an office, raising young children at home, or serving at a food pantry during retirement, your work reflects God’s character and care for the world. The apostle Paul writes in Colossians 3:23–24: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men… You are serving the Lord Christ.” In God’s Kingdom, there are no ordinary jobs—only ordinary moments given extraordinary meaning when offered to Christ. Why Work Often Feels Frustrating Of course, work doesn’t always feel joyful. After sin entered the world, work itself was not removed; it simply became more difficult. In Genesis 3, God describes how thorns and thistles would frustrate human labor, symbolizing inefficiency, fatigue, and resistance. We still work, but now we work with friction. Yet the gospel does not erase work. It redeems it. Through Christ, our labor becomes part of God’s restoration project—blessing others, advancing good, and bringing glory to Him. Work Shapes Who We Become One of the most countercultural truths in Scripture is that work is not primarily about income. It’s about formation. Work shapes us into people who reflect Christ. It teaches diligence, humility, perseverance, love for our neighbor, and dependence on the Spirit. That’s why work matters before retirement—and after it. While the nature of our work may change over time, the calling to steward our lives for God’s purposes never disappears. The Kingdom of God has no unemployment line. It has stewards, servants, and image-bearers. Your Everyday Work Is Kingdom Work Here’s the encouraging truth: when we offer our work to God, He delights in it. The spreadsheets. The dishes. The carpentry. The caregiving. The counseling. The volunteering. None of it is wasted when it is done unto the Lord. Your everyday work is Kingdom work. So perhaps the invitation today is simple: don’t just go to work—worship at work. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you serve not for applause or promotion, but for the pleasure of the King. Because ultimately, what matters most is not the job you have, but the God you serve through it. Go Deeper: Our Ultimate Treasure This vision of work as worship is something we explore more deeply in my devotional, Our Ultimate Treasure: A 21-Day Journey to Faithful Stewardship. The devotional helps readers see every part of life—including work, money, and daily responsibilities—through the lens of Scripture and God’s greater purposes. You can order an individual copy or place a bulk order for your church or small group at FaithFi.com/Shop. On Today’s Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions: I’ve been struggling with credit card payments for a couple of years. After hearing you mention Christian Credit Counselors, I called them, and they reduced my ...
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    25 m
  • Corporate Charitable Gift Matching with Will Lofland

    Corporate Charitable Gift Matching with Will Lofland
    Mar 17 2026
    What if your generosity could be multiplied—without giving another dollar? Corporate matching gift programs distribute billions of dollars every year, helping nonprofits expand their impact. Yet many believers are surprised to learn that some faith-based ministries don’t qualify for these funds. Understanding how these programs work—and why fairness in charitable giving policies matters—can help unlock greater Kingdom impact. Today on Faith & Finance, we spoke with Will Lofland, Managing Director of Faith-Based Investing at GuideStone Funds, about how these programs function and why advocacy in this area matters for ministries and donors alike. Billions in Potential Generosity Corporate matching programs are more common than many people realize. According to Lofland, about 65% of Fortune 500 companies offer charitable gift-matching programs, which distribute roughly $2.86 billion each year. These programs allow companies to match the donations their employees make to qualified nonprofit organizations—often doubling the impact of a gift. But there’s another surprising statistic: between $4 and $7 billion in potential matching funds go unclaimed annually. In many cases, employees simply don’t know the benefit exists or forget to submit the required matching forms. When these programs are used properly, they create an incredible opportunity for generosity to multiply. When Faith-Based Ministries Are Excluded Unfortunately, not every nonprofit qualifies for these corporate matching programs. Many companies have policies that unintentionally—or sometimes explicitly—exclude religious organizations. These restrictions can appear in several forms. Some programs prohibit gifts that support “religious purposes” or “religious activities.” Others maintain internal lists of organizations that do not qualify. The result is that many churches and Christian ministries—organizations that provide food assistance, disaster relief, counseling, education, and global missions—can be excluded from receiving matching funds. This limits believers' ability to maximize the impact of their generosity when supporting ministries they care deeply about. Engaging Companies with Grace and Clarity This is where thoughtful engagement becomes important. GuideStone Funds invests in many companies through its portfolios, and that position allows their team to communicate directly with corporate leadership. Lofland explained that their approach begins with respect and understanding. Rather than assuming bad intentions, they approach these conversations with a constructive spirit—seeking to understand the goals of the company’s charitable programs and highlighting the unintended consequences of certain restrictions. Often, companies simply haven’t considered how their policies affect religious organizations. One recent example shows how effective this kind of engagement can be. GuideStone met with leadership at Boeing, an aerospace company that previously restricted matching gifts for religious purposes. After discussions with the company, Boeing reviewed its policy and ultimately expanded its matching program to include religious organizations. That change opened the door for access to hundreds of millions of dollars in potential matching funds each year. It’s a powerful example of how thoughtful dialogue can help remove barriers and create new opportunities for generosity. Expanding Kingdom Impact At the heart of this effort is a simple goal: strengthening the work of churches and ministries around the world. Matching programs allow believers working in every profession—engineering, finance, healthcare, education, and more—to extend the impact of their generosity. Even if their vocation isn’t ministry, these programs allow them to invest more deeply in the ministries they support. When companies remove unnecessary restrictions, it helps unlock a significant wave of generosity that can support gospel-centered work in communities across the country and around the world. If your employer offers a charitable matching program, it’s worth taking a few minutes to check whether your gifts qualify for a match. You may be able to double—or even triple—the impact of your giving with just a simple form. And when companies ensure that faith-based ministries are treated fairly alongside other nonprofits, it creates a more equitable system that allows generosity to flow freely toward the causes employees care about most. To learn more about GuideStone’s approach to investing guided by biblical values, visit: GuidestoneFunds.com/Faith. On Today’s Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions: My wife and I are both around 59–60. She’s retired and has about $450,000 in her TSP that we haven’t touched. I’m retired from the state but now working a federal job with a smaller TSP. Since she’s now eligible to draw from hers, we’re wondering what the best option is—taking a lump sum and paying the...
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    25 m
  • What Money Can’t Do—and What It Can with Dr. Russell James III

    What Money Can’t Do—and What It Can with Dr. Russell James III
    Mar 16 2026
    Money has a remarkable ability to shape our emotions. In a single week, it can make us anxious, fearful, generous, or joyful. But Scripture reminds us that money—despite the power we often assign to it—cannot ultimately provide what we most want. On today’s episode of Faith & Finance, we spoke with Dr. Russell James III, the CH Foundation Chair of Personal Financial Planning and Charitable Giving at Texas Tech University and author of A Christian’s Guide to Joyful Wealth Management. He helped us explore a foundational question: If money cannot give us security or control, what is it actually for? The One Thing Money Can’t Do Dr. James begins where the Apostle Paul begins—in 1 Timothy 6. Paul reminds believers of a simple but transformative reality: we cannot take wealth with us when we die. “Money is temporary,” Dr. James explained. “Eventually, every one of us will lose it. The only real question is how.” That truth reframes everything about financial decision-making. If wealth cannot follow us beyond this life, then we are not owners in the ultimate sense—we are stewards. And that reality isn’t merely a theological concept; it’s also biological. Eventually, every dollar we possess will pass to someone else. Thinking about money this way changes the conversation. Instead of asking, “How can I keep this?” we begin asking, “How should I use what God has entrusted to me while I have it?” The Four Ways People Manage Wealth According to Dr. James, Scripture points to four common approaches to handling wealth: 1. Binge Spending wealth recklessly in pursuit of pleasure—like Solomon’s experiments in Ecclesiastes or the prodigal son in Luke 15. 2. Bury Hoarding wealth, protecting it carefully but never truly using it. 3. Toil Working relentlessly to accumulate more and more wealth, even when basic needs are already met. 4. Enjoy Receiving God’s provision with gratitude and using it for good. The first three approaches share a common problem: they ultimately lead to the same outcome—dying with unused or misused wealth. The fourth option—enjoyment—points us toward something better. The Hidden Role of Fear in Our Finances One of the most powerful forces shaping financial behavior is fear. Dr. James noted that many stewardship conversations focus on avoiding overspending. While that’s important, Jesus often warned about the opposite problem—hoarding wealth out of fear. In both the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30) and the Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11–27), the servant who buried what he was given offered the same explanation: “I was afraid.” Fear narrows our focus to worst-case scenarios. It tempts us to seek control through accumulation rather than trusting God as our provider. And yet Scripture reminds us that wealth cannot offer the control we hope for. It is always uncertain and ultimately temporary. The Biblical Vision of Enjoyment One of the most surprising teachings in Scripture is that God intends us to enjoy what He provides. In 1 Timothy 6:17, Paul writes that God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” But biblical enjoyment is not indulgence. Dr. James explained that true enjoyment comes when we put resources to work for good purposes. In the very next verse, Paul describes what that looks like: “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.” —1 Timothy 6:18 In other words, enjoyment is found not in self-indulgence but in participating in God’s purposes. The Power of Generosity Generosity plays a central role in joyful stewardship. When believers share resources within the community of faith, it strengthens relationships, builds trust, and points others toward God’s goodness. Dr. James highlighted an interesting biblical distinction between two types of giving: Almsgiving—helping those in need, which Jesus instructs should be done privately (Matthew 6:3–4).Community sharing—supporting the fellowship of believers and ministry, which the New Testament often celebrates publicly (2 Corinthians 8–9). Understanding these distinctions helps believers see how generosity can both honor humility and inspire others. A Legacy That Lasts When people think about legacy, they often think about money passed to heirs. But Scripture points to something deeper. Financial wealth is uncertain. It can disappear through market shifts, poor decisions, or changing circumstances. But good works endure. Paul describes generosity as “storing up treasure…as a firm foundation for the coming age” (1 Timothy 6:19). The example of a life lived in faithfulness can shape generations far more powerfully than any financial inheritance. Paul’s instruction in 1 Timothy 6:19 calls believers to “take hold of the life that is truly life.” According to Dr. James, joyful stewardship allows us to do exactly that. When we release fear and trust God’s provision: Gratitude replaces anxietyGenerosity ...
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