Financial Coaching for Kingdom Men

  There is a specific weight that comes with overwhelming debt. It’s the sound of the phone ringing from an unknown number. It’s the pit in your stomach when you check the mailbox. It’s the tension that sits at the dinner table between a husband and wife. As a financial coach, I have sat across the table from many people who feel that the walls are closing in. I was recently asked by a faithful couple if it was right for Christians to file bankruptcy.  As I was contemplating this question and praying I was surprised at the response I got.  The song, “He Paid a Debt He Did Not Owe, I Owed a Debt I could not Pay” started running through my head.  Considering the Year of Jubilee, Old testament laws about issuing loans, The Lord’s Prayer, and the story of the dishonest manager among others, we as Christians are intimately familiar with someone else paying our debt.  Both spiritual and financial debts.   The Bible is clear that when something is borrowed it...

  We often tell ourselves we "need" things to survive. But for most of us living in modern society, our "needs" are actually "wants" in disguise. When we label a luxury as a necessity, we give ourselves emotional permission to overspend. This creates a mask that hides the truth: your financial stress isn't caused by a lack of income, but by a lack of priority. If you want to reach financial freedom, you have to be willing to unmask your habits and call them what they really are. The Big Three: Food, Cars, and Schools These are the areas where the line between "need" and "want" gets blurred most often. Food: You need calories to live. You want the convenience of DoorDash, the atmosphere of a steakhouse, or the premium branding of organic-only grocery stores. If you are in debt, "eating out" is a want you cannot afford. Vehicles: You need reliable transportation to get to work. You want the heated leather seats, the upgr...

I recently sat down with Samantha, a talented professional here in Idaho. She had just been offered a new role with a local organization, and on the surface, it looked like a great win: $20 per hour. But as we looked closer, the "fine print" surfaced. They wanted to hire her as an independent contractor (1099) rather than a traditional employee (W-2). That meant no benefits, no health insurance, and—most importantly— no tax withholding. Samantha is focusing more on her money these days and wanted to know, “H ow much of that $20 is actually mine? And how do I make sure the IRS doesn't come knocking next April?” Her question is wise. For the 1099 worker, "gross pay" is an illusion. Without a system, you aren't just earning an income; you are accruing a debt. The 15.3% "Surprise" When you’re a W-2 employee, your boss pays half of your Social Security and Medicare taxes. When you’re self-employed, you are the boss. That means you’re responsible for th...