The Faithful Steward

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

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

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

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

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

Is the pursuit of financial freedom a good thing or a bad thing? It depends on your definition. The world's definition and the Biblical definition are very different. In the eyes of the world, financial freedom means being free to spend on whatever we want without worrying. This tends to take one of two forms: either spending recklessly (like the Prodigal Son) or accumulating obsessively to get to the point where we can take life easy (like the Rich Fool in Luke 12). The problem is that both of these definitions are actually slavery. In the first case, the one who thinks he is free is really only digging a deeper financial hole. In the second case, the one who focuses on the accumulation of wealth actually enslaves himself to money. Neither of these people is free to serve God. The Bible defines financial freedom differently. Christians see financial freedom in terms of stewardship - an attitude that everything comes from God and belongs to him. This is what enables believers to live without worry (Matthew 6:25-33). And it's what protects them from falling into the trap of pursuing wealth (1 Timothy 6:9-10). Join us as podcast host James Lenhoff shows us how to pursue true financial freedom. To learn more, check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org Contact James at: [email protected] You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel.

Each quarter, we discuss the key financial rhythm of a quarterly stewardship check-in. This is where we look at where we are financially versus where we planned to be and identify areas where adjustments might need to be made. Quarterly check-ins are an important rhythm because they give us a longer view than monthly Spending Plan reviews and help us to understand trends. And the mid-year check-in is important because there's still time in the year to make the adjustments we need to make if we can identify them. Check out our mid-year podcast episode from last year for details. But often we find that quarter after quarter, year after year, we seem to encounter the same scenarios and never actually make progress in our stewardship goals. Perhaps we overspend on summer vacation and build up some credit card debt as a result. Maybe we allow our lifestyle to creep up year after year to meet increased income levels. Perhaps we find the same challenges with retiring debt or building up savings; maybe year after year we say we want to be more generous but we just don't get there. Identifying these patterns is an important exercise in growing in our stewardship. Once we've identified them, it's possible to figure out what it would take to get "unstuck". Podcast host James Lenhoff leads us to prayerfully think through these larger patterns and identify some potential trade-offs that might help us pursue faithful stewardship. To learn more, check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org Contact James at: [email protected] You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel.

This episode concludes our 3-part series on the Enneagram and Stewardship by looking at the "gut" grouping - the three Enneagram types motivated by anger. These three types include: The Challenger or Activist (type 8), who focuses anger outward.  These are the big personalities, who tend to take over a conversation and dominate a room. They're not constantly expressing anger, but when they do, it's loud and domineering. The Peacemaker (type 9), who tends to mask anger by focusing on harmony. These are the people who readily see others' points of view but struggle to express their own ideas. They would rather live with situations that frustrate them than risk conflict in dealing with them. The Reformer or Perfectionist (type 1), who turns anger inward. Reformers tend toward judgmentalism, and often they are most judgmental of themselves. They want things to be exactly right and will tend to control decision-making. From a stewardship perspective, each of these types struggles with collaboration. The 8s and the 1s will both tend to try to dominate decision-making, while the 9s withdraw and keep their thoughts and ideas to themselves. In a marriage, this can make for one-sided decision making and can lead to blind spots. Podcast host James Lenhoff helps us understand this triad of Enneagram types, highlighting the stewardship implications and showing us what it looks like to move toward health for each type. For more information on the Enneagram, see enneagraminstitute.com. To learn more, check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org Contact James at: [email protected] You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel.

Last time, we began our 3-part series on the Enneagram and Stewardship by looking at the "heart" grouping - the three Enneagram types motivated by shame. This episode, we're looking at the "head" grouping - the three types that are motivated primarily by fear: The Investigator (type 5) deals with fear by focusing inward, withdrawing from people. This person tends to come across as an introvert, preferring to process emotions internally rather than externally. The Loyalist (type 6) deals with fear through planning and control. This person cares deeply about relationships, but more from an aspect of protecting and providing for them than enjoying them. The Enthusiast (type 7) deals with fear externally. Shunning introspection, this person is often the extravert, enjoying people and new experiences and chasing after the next shiny object. From a stewardship perspective, each of these types grapples with the idea of ownership vs. stewardship. The fear motivator leads people to seek security. Each of these types does that in a different way, but all can move toward health by recognizing that God is in control and that we are stewards of his possessions. He is the one taking care of us, and as we rest in him, he replaces fear with peace and enables each of these types to move toward health in their own way. Podcast host James Lenhoff helps us understand this triad of Enneagram types, emphasizing the stewardship implications and showing us what it looks like to move toward health for each type. (If you're wondering, James is a 7!) For more information on the Enneagram, see enneagraminstitute.com. To learn more, check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org Contact James at: [email protected] You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel.

This episode begins a 3-part series on the Enneagram, a popular personality profile tool. The Enneagram identifies nine different personality types in three groupings and we'll tackle one grouping each episode. What's different about the Enneagram from most other personality tests is that it acknowledges that within each personality type, there are healthy and unhealthy traits. People of any personality type are on a spectrum from unhealthy to healthy, and the explanations identify ways to move more toward the healthy end of the spectrum for each type. We'll look at what these personality types tend to mean for stewardship, and how to move toward healthier stewardship within each personality type. This week's grouping is characterized by responses to shame and focuses on the heart. We all have a certain amount of shame and we respond to it in different ways; but for people in this grouping, the response to shame is a driver in their lives. We'll look at the three "shame-driven" personality types: The Helper (type 2), who deals with shame through external relationships; The Achiever (type 3), who deals with shame by masking it with success; The Individualist (type 4), who deals with shame by insisting on uniqueness. Podcast host James Lenhoff helps us understand this triad of Enneagram types, emphasizing the stewardship implications and showing us what it looks like to move toward health for each type. For more information on the Enneagram, see enneagraminstitute.com. To learn more, check out www.GoodSenseMovement.org Contact James at: [email protected] You can see the full video of this podcast episode on our YouTube channel.