Four Money Myths in Tricky Times

Brad:
Welcome everyone to GoMad with Doug and Brad, and not just Doug and Brad, but also Jesse. How are you doing today guys? It is good to be back.

Hey, I want to first of all give a shout out to everyone that shared the last episode that uh sent us uh emails for the special offer that we uh had out there for whatever reviews and everything. I mean you guys listen to keep it up episode I believe. Yeah the last two were definitely our our most listened to episodes.

Thank you guys very much. Hey and keep it up. All right shameless plug Today we're going to be talking about four money myths and what the Bible has to say about those things.

Do you really think we should be talking about money? That's a good way to get in Let me tell you this. Don't do the whole I just went to church and the pastor mentioned giving thing and you're just like quietly trying to slide out of the podcast.

We're not telling you to send us money, all right? That's all there's none of that in here. And the this is great because we are first of all this is releasing on tax day.

Doug:
I that's pretty funny.

Brad:
That's just so we're not talking about you're uh filing taxes either because well it's already too late. Render to Caesar But I I look, we want to acknowledge that this recent stretch, I mean basically if you hear the word tariff, and this is not a political statement, Wait, we're not just talking about tariffs? If you hear the word tariff, you immediately are checking your stocks to see what just happened.

And guess what? I have some stocks. I invested a few years ago and just kind of Enron, right?

Not that it was really cheap. Um so We are there's this show that I watched, uh some it's called King of Queens, and uh if you know Kevin James is a star and people some have said I have a striking resemblance to him. Um There is this interesting.

I can't unsee it now, bro. It's the doppelganger. It's the hunchcraft forehead.

We can't escape. Unforce and not just the forehead. Watch YouTube if you're looking for the so We I'm I'm watching this episode and you know he's investing in stocks for the first time.

Him and his wife decide to invest in stocks. And uh I still remember because it was called Shamini. Uh that was the company.

And he is doing the thing where like every day he is checking the stocks and he is like, you can see him get elated to physically ill depending on the morning. I know. I know.

And and so one morning he's just like, huh. And then he looks like he's gonna throw up. And he and that's where people are at right now.

It is a very serious thing because we know This is retirement stuff. This is investment stuff. This is I'm planning to send my uh child to college with these funds and all these different feelings that people have.

Yeah. So when we're talking today about money, we know it's a stressful season.

Doug:
Yeah.

Brad:
We are there with you. We are not unaffected by these things. And at the same time, I am more grateful than ever. to know that Jesus and the Word of God have things to say about money that help dispel some of the myths out there. And uh so I'm just really grateful that we can dive into a little bit of that today, spend a few minutes talking about that together.

Doug:
I saw on Google somewhere that um that Jesus brought up money more than anything else. I also saw the percentage of times and I can't remember what it is. But it was it was more than others.

And I'm pretty sure it's on professional for me to start looking that up right now but but you but if you're listening you could google it so you could google it after after you listen after so uh uh yeah I mean just be we almost went with Tariff Terror as the podcast. No. Just for clickbait. But it is.

Yeah, exactly. No, but it we know it's a it's a tough season for a lot of people. And and Oh man.

today. I I don't not sure I can say that without spitting on you again. Hold on.

Brad:
Myths before I was like, you know, I'm not gonna say that much today, uh because I

Doug:
Yeah, right. But but there are some things that there's way more than four, but there are things that a lot of people might believe or have heard at least about money that's not exactly the way it is that the word puts it. Uh I was watching uh in the theater, The Chosen, uh the season five. They put them they put 'em in the uh uh

Brad:
i in the theater before it gets to the those came out I hadn't heard.

Doug:
Yeah, exactly. But this of course, very early on, this is Jesus in the temple. Okay. They do a great job and boy do they show it. I mean I mean stuff is he's not only like like uh Turning over tables and letting all the animals out, but like stuff is catching on fire.

Brad:
Great spoiler alert. I didn't know any of this happened. Oh wait, it's in the word of God.

Doug:
Never mind. Um, and so like the ep in the episode the the disciples are completely wide-eyed. They are like, what is going on here?

I remember the uh when I was a kid, I seriously do remember reading this for the first time and being like, where did my real Bible go? What's wait, what's going on here? This wasn't safe Jesus anymore.

This was a a Jesus that cared a whole lot about worship, money, how they collide Um he still does. What was that quote uh from C. S. Lewis? Mr. Beaver says, I'm not gonna say it in his voice, Jesse, like you suggested.

Brad:
But he says about you say it in Mr.

Doug:
Beaver. He did. He did.

Go ahead. No, no. Mr. Beaver says about Oslan, if you remember. He's not safe, but he's good.

And that's a great example of the not always Safe, cuddly Jesus, but the good strong one. So that i I I was talking with dad and dad said, you know what I uh i th if if you were gonna title this segment, it's just this Don't mess with my temple. They were taking the holiest, most sacred thing and saying, This is how I become rich, this is how something I benefit from And I think this is kind of at the heart of our heart disease uh as a church.

So that's what we're talking about. Maybe someone's listening today that's in the same boat I am. I would love to deculture de-enculturate.

That's a word now. That's okay. I would love to de-inculturate myself.

Brad:
I'm using it scrabble and I'm gonna see if it's challenged.

Doug:
I just got I I really want to de-enculturate myself from And s and see what stuff that maybe the cultures made me believe, what does God's will really have to say about it?

Brad:
So I do like where I we're starting here that as we dive into these four myths, I did it. That there is uh this heart behind it that is about worship, the wrong view of money, we see in that story in the temple that the wrong view of money can pollute worship to the point of righteous rage. It can pollute our worship.

Matthew 6. 24. No one can serve two masters.

Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve Both God and money. We'll be talking about the view on money as we go, but you can't serve, you have to choose one of those that you're going to serve.

That's the heart of worship that we're going into all this with.

Doug:
Yeah. And today Still, same exact thing, our how we view money can can kind of sink into our worship And uh and not necessarily please God or it can. So that actually leads us into our first myth today.

The myth that the more you give, the holier you are. The more you give, the holier you are. You go, well, no, that makes sense.

But actually, the more you read about what Jesus is saying about money, the more you realize it's not about amounts, it's about the heart It's all about the heart behind the giving. What is your heart towards your money? Maybe even Calling it your money might be a hard issue.

Oh! Whoa! Hang on!

Hey, oh, mic drop right there! The cattle on a thousand hills. I don't own any cattle.

But he's supposed to own mine too. So it's a matter of the heart. The things Jesus said about money weren't about money itself being an evil, evil thing.

Jesus' concern is when we're we're looking to trusting anything more than him, putting something before him. It just so happens that money is the top culprit. of when that happens.

Um if that's a myth, what's the truth? Well the truth is it's all about the heart. Amen.

It's all about the heart.

Brad:
And that that goes to what we're saying about worship because our giving is supposed to reflect where our heart is and uh where your treasure is there also your heart will be and I think that It's really important that people understand that it's not you look at the widow's mites and the widow's might and you look at the two coins she gives and and the Jesus focuses in on that and says, look, she just gave more. And talk about the people who had the more. How offended.

Well, they had given a big amount of money. Yeah, and how offended they must have been. What how dare you say that I I just gave a ton of money, I'm funding this, I'm giving to the poor, all these things.

And it's not, it's because Jesus wasn't talking about the amount. He was talking about our heart behind it. That's so good.

It's such a heart thing.

Doug:
I was, I was, um Looking into God's word as we were preparing this. And this really hit me. You know that scripture where Paul says the secret to I've learned the secret of being content with a little?

Um, or being content with a lot, whether I'm in need, whether I I've I've got plenty. That's where, right after that. is the scripture we all know, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

So no matter the situation, no matter how much is in the bank The trust isn't in the bank account. The trust is in the God that owns that cattle on a thousand hills. God feels so strongly about this issue being a heart thing.

One of these, if you get a chance, go read in Isaiah chapter one, because God is just railing against the Israelites here, going, You here you are having these banquets, you're bringing all these offerings to me, but you know what? You don't care. about the hurt, about the homeless.

Um uh it's time to plead the case of the widow, he says, uh the the cause of the fatherless. So God says, get your heart right about money, then we can talk about what you're going to bring me as an offering.

Brad:
Jesse, when we were talking a little bit about this, you actually brought up something about Zacchaeus and kind of what's going on in the heart there. Um talk to us, Jesse. Yeah. Yeah.

Jesse:
I was struck by Jesus' response to Zacchaeus after Zacchaeus uh he's convicted by Jesus about how much money he's stolen over the years. And he says, I'm going to give back four times as much. I'm going to make amends.

Um, and Jesus says, salvation has come to this house. And that's surprising because, I mean, no, Jesus, you're saved by grace, through faith, not through by works, right? Not by what we do.

And yet it seems that Jesus is recognizing a fundamental shift. that has happened in Zacchaeus's heart and it and it's shown by his actions with his money, which is something so concrete and tangible and Wow.

Doug:
Well, and that's the first thing that Zachia said's the money thing. So All right.

Brad:
Yeah, go for it. So we kind of we started into it a little bit. We did. In in uh myth number one, but take us there.

Doug:
All right, here we go. So the myth is money is evil. How many times have we heard this?

Doug, the money is the root of all evil. Wait. What?

Wait. What? The love of money.

The truth is let's let's be straight here. I'm gonna go out. I'm just gonna say it Money is awesome.

What? Douglas. Not the love of it.

But let me tell you what. All the things God says we can do to honor him and honor others with money. Um, it's a gift from God, first of all, the Bible says.

It says it's a sign of his blessing, uh, for i especially if you if you're looking for heavenly reward. You take money that you could have spent on yourself, on luxuries and everything, and you put it into helping others that can't always help themselves, so it can be a source of heavenly reward. Jesus even said in Luke 6, this is interesting, he says you can make friends by being generous.

So if you're having a hard time making friends like I have, all through junior high, here's some money. No, share your milk. And your cookies.

Um, and even that you can spread the gospel with money.

Brad:
Uh you remember uh Are you talking about those Million dollar bills that have the gospel on them.

Doug:
For me to make a living, someone who's making a living by sharing the gospel, that's an okay thing. And by the way, it's the church that's making that possible. That he even puts it as, look, I don't need your money, but it's being credited to your heavenly account. When you do that, there's so much that money can do that is great when Here comes a circle back when our heart is right about it.

Brad:
Yeah, uh for us, we Doug and I and our parents uh before us have lived On the mission field with the generosity of of people who have money and and say We want to use this to help others. There's one in particular that comes to mind, a uh friend of yours and mine, Doug, that uh is uh just has one of the biggest hearts. uh forgiving one of the most generous hearts and he will call out the balloon be like so what does the ministry need what do you guys think it's not al always about just kind of the What what can I give him get the write-off for, which I I get that, but he is just like, hey, we want to make sure that you guys are cared for.

And He his heart is in the right place because he is saying, I know that God has given me this to give to others. I know that he has done that. And so that's really where it is.

a heart thing and even if you're someone where what we're not saying in that is that you have to give away everything you get and that if you're making money you can't have nice things. The it's all about what the heart is behind what you have and why you have it. I think what you were saying before, Doug, is so key.

Your money, my money. Well, I gotta check out where my money is at. If we view our stuff that the money has bought.

to make some statement. We're we're we can have nice things. It doesn't mean you have to have the top of the line things, but make sure your heart is right and that you are caring.

for others because that's really what God is you as you mentioned from Isaiah that he is saying take care of these groups of people, care for people, because when you do that you're reflecting the heart of your master, of your savior

Doug:
I I th it's it's easy with money to go to extremes. To say, well, it's it's uh it's uh uh holy thing to be have Live in complete poverty, the poorer you are, the holier you are, or go to the other extreme and and say, Well, if I'm living in God's blessing We've all seen those those guys on TV who are showing off their million dollar watches going, This proves that I'm living in God's blessing. And you can too if you have if you own a ton of stuff and you live luxuriously.

Usually the truth is Somewhere in between there. The Bible says that God loves giving good gifts to his children. I don't know about you, but I've gotten some wonderful gifts.

from my kids, like a Christmas or birthday, and some of them are worth a little bit of money. They I got a Lego set b uh uh uh from Indiana Jones. And and it's worth some money.

And so should I go and say that's nice children, but I'm I'm going to sell it and give No.

Brad:
No, I think you're supposed to give it to your brother. That's right. It's in there.

Doug:
It's somewhere. God might tell you to do that. He might tell you to do that. But the point is that if God loves giving good gifts to his children, don't feel guilty if someone gives you a nice gift. And and you put it on a shelf somewhere saying that's representative of somebody's love for me.

Brad:
Actually, Doug, that triggers a quick memory for me and then I'll uh share myth number three if that uh in a good way. Uh good. So There's uh we are uh, you know, was on the uh lived on a in a native community for a number of years, almost 15 years, never owned a house.

My, you know, Sarah and I were moving uh where we're at now and everything. And so we're buying our first house and God opened some doors for uh just to get a good deal on a good place for our family. And another missionary couple comes and they're doing dinner with us at our house.

And we're telling them some really cool God providences of how he made this possible, you know, different things. And one of them stopped me and said, you know. I love that God has provided this place, but when you're telling me about it, it almost sounds like you're trying to explain away the blessing.

Oh. And I was just like, Oh God gave you because guess what? I did feel guilty.

I felt guilty because we owned a house. I was just like, we we own and and she was just like Make sure you receive that blessing and then share that with others. And so anyway, that is uh that was a big statement too.

Doug:
I love that. I love that. And and you could be listening and and you know it can all Again, extremes legalism is a bad idea with money, and you could it you could take it the wrong way and and and say, well, you're that means you feel like you can hoard money and And and everything.

No, that's not what it is. You gotta be generous. God blesses a generous And we'll get to that.

But don't turn up your nose.

Brad:
Yeah.

Doug:
to a blessing God gives you.

Brad:
Are we ready for another myth? Yeah, so myth number three. Oh yeah, okay.

Myth number three. I'm sorry. When there is a a can we can I go on a short just uh dumb tangent.

There is the Muppet movie. Well the Muppet movie is a wonderful funny movie. That's all I think about when we're talking about money.

Well, no, there is a l character in there who shows up three or four different times And they're like, they're saying, myth, it's a myth. And she pops out and she's like, yes, every time. Saying 'cause they think they're saying myth.

So number three, myth. Um If you're a friend, you'll lend. Oh my goodness.

I'm a little personally, I've been in this situation so many times where someone asks Hey, do you have a few bucks or more? And you're like, well, I really, I kind of don't right now. And then the follow-up question where it is just that turning the screws a little bit and it's like Well, man, I thought we were brothers and you could help.

If you're a friend, you will help someone out. We are not saying that you should never help someone out. In fact, quite the contrary, as we were just saying, you need to give generously.

You need to be able to Give to people. Matthew 5. 42.

Jesus says, give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. The heart though that we read at other places in the Word of God is the fact that if you're going to lend money to someone, You really kind of need to go about it with the heart of I'm going to give this to you. Now you're not saying that to them.

You should go into it with that intention. I learned that kind of the hard way. I was younger, still younger in the faith, and someone really just kinda uh wound up di and it was a time I did not have barely the two nickels to rub together.

And it wound up costing me about three hundred dollars just through money. And I I had made some mistakes at looking back at it. But I my biggest mistake was for a long time I held that as a grudge.

And I was just thinking I'm like oh man Yeah because I was like man here it is I helped this person out and then I'm not getting anything in return. I never got that money back. And what God really spoke to my heart is look, you made a decision to help someone out.

And while it may not be fair, to not get the money back. I I get that. I get that feeling.

I'm not saying that it's right to not get the money back, but it's on my part what how I view that. Am I viewing that as you know what? I made this decision and I'm going to Lend someone the money because the truth is the myth is if you're a friend don't lend, the truth is if you're a friend you'll lend, yeah.

Yeah, don't yes, I don't lend it, give it. Oh. So the truth is Go at it with that heart that I am helping someone out whatever comes back.

Doug:
Yeah, you may end up once again the Bible knows exactly what the Bible is talking about. Um you may end up avoiding some real heartache. If you just say, you know what, I'm just going to give this.

Luke 6 actually says, lend without any expectation of repayment. So this is what I'm hearing here. Again, it it doesn't mean that you can't lend money, but once you make it a loan and not a gift.

You have just invited some real potential heart issues, some problems. So here's what I'm hearing there. To me, I'm hearing even if it's considered alone, don't bring it up again.

If they if they don't pay you back, you don't start holding their feet to the fire. If it's within your power at all when someone says, look, I am I am desperate here. And of you know, people can take advantage, I know that, and I'm not saying that you just anytime someone comes up to you and and you no, you don't want to be taken advantage of.

But look. If a friend or family member actually gets up the the guts to ask, they're probably in a pretty big bind at that point. You say, well, they got themselves into it.

Again. Have wisdom, but but refresh and you yourself will we will be refreshed. Can you imagine someone comes up and says, can you loan me this money?

And you go, no, I can't, but I can give it to you. Uh you'll be refreshed because by the Lord, because you refreshed somebody.

Brad:
On another note, totally unrelated. Doug, can I talk to you after the show? I just for a minute or two.

So here we go. We are into the final myth, and this is a big one. Remember, we're not asking you to click to give at the end of this.

All right. Doug, what is myth number four? All right.

Doug:
So before I say this. Let's make clear that Brad and I, and I'll bet Jesse too, think tithing is awesome. It's a great thing.

You you bring up tithing to a hundred Christians and you are gonna get a lot of different uh well probably just two. Yes, you should. No, you don't have to.

We're we're actually talking about the standard here, the myth. Is that tithing is the standard. And again, again, tithing is great.

But the myth is that tithing is is the standard. The truth Sacrificial is the standard. Generosity is the standard.

Tithing's great, but for a lot of us it should only be the start. You know, I I had uh a preacher uh I was listening to, and uh, and he challenged us. He said, Well, you go, I can't possibly give more than 10% Um and there are some folks where that that is a huge stretch, but I'm telling you, uh the large percentage of believers in this country, including me.

He said, I want you to sit down and make a really hard list. It's gonna be hard, but I want you to write down the things that that You need to survive and then the things that are just nice additions. He said, add them up.

He said, is there any percentage of those things that you don't have to have? And no, you don't have to have Starbucks. I kept trying to convince myself.

No, it's like I must I must have. And uh look, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. This is about generosity.

Back to the heart. It's all about the heart. And whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Uh, you know that whole You can't outgive God thing. Yeah. It's not I don't believe that that's necessarily about, well, you give this certain amount of money, God's giving you that money back, plus

Brad:
In fact, it's really not that. We should make clear that we are we are not folks that you're gonna hear say that if you give a certain amount you're getting A B and C back.

Doug:
But I would say you can't outgive God, but you can't out bless God. Okay? So now He who supplies seed to the sower, back to scripture here, and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

You'll be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion. So get this. Not only can't you outbless God, but you can count on him.

to supply you with everything he has put on your heart to give. A little more scripture here and we'll and and Brad can't wait to hear what you have to say here. Because of the service with which by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel.

This is all from the same uh same area of scripture here. So uh that uh uh uh that that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. So as if refreshing others isn't awesome enough.

Isn't payoff enough. Your generosity is seen by others and makes the gospel even more appealing sounding coming from you because they said this is a guy, this is a girl. that has looked out for others and not just themselves financially.

Brad:
Yeah, I don't have a lot to add on this. Uh i it is I'm not gonna take out a little soapbox or anything here. Um the what I I think growing up Because we had parents that just gave sacrificially and the it wasn't about this.

I mean they tithed and and uh modeled that, right? But it wasn't until later in life that was just kind of the standard that I grew up with And it was later on, and especially in the last few years, I have been in more conversations or around more conversations where it gets brought up the the kind of the argument of well Is the tithe still a thing? Is uh d Jesus came to change things.

He changed the law. He the you know the he abolished this, abolished that. So the tithe isn't really still a thing.

And I'm and I'm listening to people debate back and forth, and another saying, no, it still really is. And without getting into all the details, I the the the word tithe is not mentioned in the New Testament. Guess what?

It is also not abolished in the New Testament. So you you've got to come to grips with some of that. But what gets me with that is Usually the argument is not about giving more than the tithe.

When people are talking about that, it is a good point. You've heard it too, Doug, 2 Corinthians 9. 7.

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. I've heard people sit there and say, well, because of the financial straits of it, I can't give the tithe cheerfully. It's not just saying God's not saying there that we don't give shouldn't give a certain amount.

He's saying we should give it cheerfully. We should we shouldn't give this Just because we have to do it. That's the law.

The law is saying I'm giving only because I have to do it begrudgingly, whatever else. The freedom in Christ is saying that Jesus has blessed me within an abundance, no matter what I have, no matter if I have two coins to put in. Or I've got a whole lot more.

Jesus has blessed me. I love that instead the cannot give God cannot bless God because God is saying, man, I want you to partner with me. I just taught on this a few days ago about just kind of the.

giving back to God to our leadership center students. And those really what was behind it is we get to worship God back to where we started. We get to worship God through this.

We get to partner with him in what he is doing. And uh if you look at the stats, the the church typically gives about three percent, sometimes less. Imagine With everything that happens with that 3%.

Imagine if the body of Christ was giving 10% What would happen? Yeah, what would happen worldwide in so many situations? So it really is about sacrificial as a standard.

Luke 638. Give and it will be given to you not the same way again, not the ROI that we're getting. We just know that good measure, press down, shaking together, running over will be put into your lap for with the measure the heart that you give, it will be measured back to you.

So what is your heart? And as God blesses you with his heart, You can't outbless him. Are you saying that it's all about the heart?

Doug:
I maybe. Just maybe. Just maybe.

Yeah, wherever you are on the tide. Um I love that you brought that scripture up. I was going to bring that up, that each person should give what God has put it in their heart.

to give. There's that heart again. And uh yeah, for for most of us it's probably gonna be more than ten percent.

Brad:
Yep. Uh I would just say that uh as we wrap up kind of our time on these four myths and what the Bible has to say about these. I that when it all comes down to it, that we talk about the heart, we talk about the worship, what we do with our money is really a matter of trust and faith.

Where is our confidence when it comes to money? Do I trust that I'm gonna be able to pay my daughter's college bills and and whatever else or or repair the car because of my job, because of all these different things that are that I'm seeing money from or Do I believe that it is because the Lord is providing for me? You can't buy your way to health and happiness Uh Matthew 6, 25.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? God wants us to trust him, and when we trust him with our finances, when we trust him with how we give and the heart behind our giving, we get to see him show up in some pretty amazing ways.

Doug:
That's that's so good. Uh You brought up the we both have um and I know we'll we'll wrap up here in a second, but uh you brought we both have have a a daughter in college and a few months ago I was certain God was saying to give some money in a certain situation to somebody. And the the payment was coming up.

And I'm not going to tell you, I'll just tell you the college is not super patient with because we're we're on a we're on a monthly thing and if you miss it. You're gonna hear about it. And the threats come.

Not not too late after. But and this is boy, this is not Doug is super holy. I'm just as a personal example.

So I just said hun to Anna, my wife. I'm just like We just need to give this. And I did.

And uh uh this isn't always the way it's gonna happen, but I'm gonna tell you this Two days later, this is gonna sound like one of those uh a movie thing, we actually got a gift from a church that knows of our work that was about double what

Brad:
we gave. Wow.

Doug:
Um that's not always the way God's gonna do it. No. And and Brad and I, Jesse, we're not prosperity uh gospel people, but I will tell you You can't outbless God. If he's telling you to do something, to give to something, and you go, well, I don't know if the math adds up. At the end of the month, obey him and and watch what he does.

Brad:
We have never lacked in all these years. For God's provision. Oh, boy.

And that's what that's what it's about in whatever way that comes, even if it's groceries on the doorstep, as our parents saw stories are endless. I know we got to wrap up here. So we we pray this has been an encouragement to you in what may be a tough financial stretch for you.

Keep honoring God with your finances. Keep giving and trust him because you will see him show up in some big ways. So from Doug and Jesse and myself.

We appreciate you guys tuning in, share this with a friend, and until next time, go man