SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich

Do Christians have to tithe? If you've searched for an answer, you've probably found people yelling at you from both sides: one camp says you're cursed if you don't give 10%, and the other says tithing was Old Testament law and you don't owe anything. I've spent 20 years studying this, and I want to walk you through where I've landed and why. We get into the day I watched a guest preacher call two men to the altar for not tithing, the guilt Linda carried for ten years over a gift she felt God led her to give, what Abram, the Law of Moses, and the cross each tell us about the tithe, why I think about tithing the same way I think about the Sabbath, and the $75 garage sale laptop that changed how I see giving. If you've been burned by a sermon or you're just confused about whether any of this still applies to you, I think the way out is better than you think. And if you want to keep growing in generosity, Linda and I wrote down the 14 things we did to be able to give away $1 million by our 40th birthdays. You can grab the checklist free here: https://seedtime.com/GIVE1M   Here's a little of what we cover in this episode: The sermon that gave me my first picture of tithing, and why so many people carry baggage about it The two versions of tithing shame: the loud one from the pulpit and the one that lives in your head Why the posture of your giving matters to God Where tithing first shows up in the Bible and what the Old Testament actually required What Galatians 3:13 has to do with the idea that you're cursed if you don't tithe Why I believe the New Testament raises the bar on generosity The Sabbath comparison that finally made tithing click for me The $75 laptop that made giving more fun than receiving for the first time The day in a field when I felt God invite us to give our age as a percentage of our income, and why I don't see it as a formula Where I've landed after 20 years, in five points One simple step to take this week, and a prayer for anyone who has been hurt by tithing shame Bible Verses Mentioned: Genesis 1 and 2 Genesis 14:18-20 Genesis 28:20-22 Matthew 19:21 Acts 2:44-45 Acts 4:32-35 Acts 20:35 2 Corinthians 9:7 Galatians 3:13 Resources Mentioned: True Financial Freedom, our six-week course for churches and small groups: https://seedtime.com/true Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting. Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions. Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.

If God is going to do what He wants anyway, why pray? My guest today, Matt Smallbone, is a pastor in downtown Nashville, and for most of his thirty years as a Christian that question kept him from praying much at all. He'd read every book on prayer. He'd handed the whole thing back to God and called it theology. Then he ran an experiment. The Lord's Prayer, all six parts, every day, for a year. In this conversation we get into what that year taught him about God's sovereignty and unanswered prayer, why he believes most unanswered prayers go unanswered for one reason (and why he also believes God says yes to every prayer we would pray if we knew what He knows), what "give us this day our daily bread" meant when his family lived on $150 a week, why he says forgiveness has actually become easy, and how he and Linda kept praying through the loss of a baby. If prayer has ever felt boring, awkward, or like it just isn't working, this conversation is for you. If you enjoyed this conversation, definitely check out Matt's new book, The Prayer Experiment. The whole year-long experiment is in there: https://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Experiment-Realigns-Everything-Thoughts/dp/0310372739   Here's a little of what we cover in this episode: Why Matt believes almost nobody actually feels good at prayer, even pastors The one line in the Lord's Prayer Matt had been praying wrong his whole life Why forgiveness has actually gotten easy for Matt (yes, actually easy) What it was like praying for "daily bread" on $150 a week as a brand new immigrant The day Matt believes God told him to triple what he was giving How Matt and Linda kept praying through the pain of losing a baby Why Matt still struggles to spend money, even after a financial windfall   Bible Verses Mentioned: Matthew 6:9-13 Matthew 6:26 Matthew 6:34 Matthew 18:21-22 Luke 12:16-21 Luke 16:10   Resources Mentioned: The Prayer Experiment by Matt Smallbone Disclaimer Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting. Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions. Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.

Most of us measure our money by how the month feels, and that's a lot like trying to lose 20 pounds by checking how tight your sweatpants are. In this live workshop, Linda and I walk you through the one number that actually tells you whether you're getting ahead, why we stopped calling it net worth, and what Proverbs 27:23 has to do with it. We get into why so many of us avoid looking at our finances, the two scoreboards that keep people anxious no matter how they're doing, our own first number (-$13,843) and where it was one year later, a 10-minute exercise to find your number, the four financial stages and what to do in each one, and your questions about money leaks, setting an enough number, giving when money is tight, and paying for kids in college. Not sure which of the four stages you're in? Take our short stage quiz (10 questions, about two minutes) and you'll get next steps for right where you are: https://seedtime.com/stage   Timestamps 0:00 Cold open and intro 0:42 Seeing your whole financial picture on one page 1:47 Proverbs 27:23 and why God wants you to know your number 3:18 Why so many of us avoid looking 6:26 Step 1: Face the number 8:52 Visibility vs. discipline 10:50 Step 2: Swap the scoreboard 11:33 Your strength or God's strength 17:41 Why debt and net worth make bad scoreboards 20:30 Assets under management (AUM) 23:41 Step 3: Mark the starting line 24:28 Our first number: -$13,843 26:46 Where we were one year later 29:09 Find your number (live exercise) 36:55 The four financial stages 42:20 Stage 1: Surviving 45:50 Stage 2: Stable 49:21 Stage 3: Secure 51:35 Stage 4: Surplus   Here's a little of what we cover in this episode: Why so many of us avoid looking at our finances, and what Proverbs 27:23 says about it The weight loss lesson that explains why most of us need more visibility with money, not more willpower Why debt and net worth both make lousy scoreboards What "assets under management" means and why the name matters Our first number (-$13,843) and where it was one year later How to find your number in about 10 minutes The four financial stages: Surviving, Stable, Secure, and Surplus The couple who thought they spent $200 a month eating out (it was $800) What an enough number is and how to set one Whether to give when you're in survival mode   Bible Verses Mentioned: Proverbs 27:23 Genesis 13:2 Psalm 46:1 1 Corinthians 14:33 2 Kings 4:1-7 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 2 Kings 4:42-44 John 6:1-13 Proverbs 3:6 2 Corinthians 12:9 Exodus 14:10-22 Acts 8:39-40 Matthew 25:14-30 1 Kings 17:8-16   Resources Mentioned: AUM Spreadsheet AUM Printable Worksheet Financial Stage Quiz Simple Money, Rich Life (free book, just cover shipping) 30 Days of Prayer for Your Finances Mission Driven Millionaire True Financial Freedom   Disclaimer: Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting. Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions. Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.

"I'll give more when I make more." Most of us have prayed some version of that. My guest today is a business owner who realized he had been living it. Colby Jenkins can easily afford to give. And one day he noticed he hadn't heard God prompt him to give in a very long time. What God told him about why almost made him cry. In this conversation we get into the two money tests almost every Christian faces (the vision test when you have less, and the obedience test when you finally have more), why "one more layer of security first" is the prayer that keeps us stuck, what your bank statement already says about your real vision for money, why God can go silent about your finances and what that silence might mean, and the one question Colby asks himself to tell whether a plan is from God or just from him. Nothing here is a formula. It's a conversation about obedience, and about what it looks like to become a conduit instead of a vault. We wrote down the 14 things we did to be able to give away $1 million by our 40th birthdays. It's free at: https://seedtime.com/GIVE1M   Here's a little of what we cover in this episode: The two tests almost every Christian faces with money, and why most of us only pass one Why "I'll give more when I have more" rarely turns out to be true What happens in your heart the moment money starts to feel safe The line from a late night conversation with ChatGPT that Colby ended up preaching from Why hearing God's voice about money can get harder, not easier, once you have more of it The real gap in most churches when it comes to discipling people who have real wealth The story behind the first paycheck Colby and his wife decided to give away, no matter who was watching   Bible Verses Mentioned: Matthew 6:19-20 Proverbs 29:18 Deuteronomy 8:18 Romans 1 2 Chronicles 16:9 Psalm 51:11   Resources Mentioned: Simple Money, Rich Life    Disclaimer: Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting. Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions. Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.

You can be totally at peace with God, doing everything right, and still not get the thing you've been praying for. That one hit me hard. Annie F. Downs sat down with me and Linda to talk about her new book, Don't Let That Hold You Back. She's the host of the That Sounds Fun podcast, and she just got engaged after decades of being single. We talked about the idea that if you just get content enough, God will finally hand you what you want. She says that's not how it works, not even close. We got into what the Bible actually means by abundant life, and why the enemy's real target isn't your bank account, it's your dreams. We talked about her "board of directors," the people she lets speak into her biggest decisions instead of just asking ChatGPT. And we talked about why our company shuts down for three whole months every summer, fully paid, and what that has to do with a verse about letting a field rest. This one covers faith, waiting, money, and what it looks like to stop letting fear make your decisions for you. If you enjoyed this, we'd love to send you a free copy of our book. You just cover shipping. It has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Amazon. Grab it at: seedtime.com/free.   What We Cover Here's a little of what we cover in this episode: Why Annie says the church stole something from every single person sitting in the pews The oddly specific bedding advice she gives every single woman (and why it matters more than you'd think) Why she thinks ChatGPT is a bad replacement for your own "board of directors" The difference between something that's stolen, killed, and destroyed, and why it changes how you should pray about it Why our company takes a fully paid, three month break every single summer The three step process Annie uses to test whether a dream is actually from God Why "just get content" is terrible advice if you actually want something to change   Bible Verses Mentioned John 10:10 Matthew 7:7 Exodus 23 or Leviticus 25 (sabbath year) John 16:33 Ecclesiastes 3:11 Proverbs 14:4 Proverbs 11 or 15 (multitude of counselors) 2 Corinthians 2:15   Resources Mentioned Don't Let That Hold You Back by Annie F. Downs   Disclaimer Obligatory legal disclaimer: I'm a financial educator, not your financial advisor, investment advisor, tax pro, or lawyer. This channel is for general education, not personalized advice, and nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to buy, sell, or use any specific investment, account, or financial product. I'm just sharing what I'm doing, what I'm learning, and what I find interesting. Markets can be humbling. Investing involves risk, including the risk of losing money, and my results are personal, may not be typical, and are not guaranteed. Do your own research, use wisdom, and talk with a qualified professional before making financial decisions. Some links are to our resources and some are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That helps keep the lights on around here, so thanks for the support.