Rob West: What does it mean to honor God with your investments? Hi, I'm Rob West. Christians often think of stewardship in terms of giving, saving, and spending. But what about the companies we own through our portfolios? Today Harry Pearson joins us to talk about his own stewardship journey, the legacy of values we pass on to the next generation, and how biblical convictions can shape the way we invest. And then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000. This is Faith & Finance on American Family Radio. Biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
What a privilege to welcome back my friend Harry Pearson, founder and CEO of One Ascend, a family of companies equipping advisors and investors with faith-aligned solutions for planning, investing, and giving, helping them align their financial lives with their biblical values. One Ascend is also a valued underwriter of this program, and Harry, what a treat to have you here today.
Harry Pearson: Thanks Rob, it's good to be with you, buddy.
Rob West: Harry, I want to start with your own story. I've had the privilege of having a front-row seat to watch what God has done in your life over the last number of years, and I know many Christians grow up learning about generosity, but don't always connect their faith to the rest of their financial lives. And that was true for you as well, right?
Harry Pearson: Yes, it was. Yes, my parents did a great job of modeling generosity and teaching me to tithe early, you know, for every dollar I earned, a dime went in the offering plate. But they never really taught me how to connect the dots between faith and the rest of my financial life. And that didn't actually happen until my very first Kingdom Advisors conference 18 years ago. You know, I went in a little resistant, honestly, but that's where I felt God give me permission to align my work with the faith he'd already planted in my heart. And Colossians 3:23 says work as unto the Lord, not unto men. And once that landed, it became a lens for time, talent, and treasure. Am I doing this for him, or am I doing this for the applause of men? And since he owns it all, how do I align what I do and what I have with what he's actually calling me to do?
Rob West: Mm, yeah. That's so true. And once we understand that as Christ-followers, then we quickly start to think about preparing the next steward. You make an important distinction, Harry, between passing along our valuables and passing along our values. Talk about that.
Harry Pearson: Yeah, you know, we spend a lot of time planning what valuables we'll leave our kids financially, but not nearly enough on the values that we'll leave them. I love the saying, "Don't focus on leaving a legacy, focus on living out a legacy." You know, and more is caught than taught. We know that. When it comes to the values that we leave, there's nothing more important than time and how we use it to model loving God and loving our neighbor. Kids learn generosity by watching it, not by hearing it. And so let them see you give, let them see you serve, and bring them into the decision of where and why. That's a gift that keeps on giving.
Rob West: Sure does. Let's take this stewardship principle into investing. Many Christians may not realize that their faith can shape not only how they give and spend, but also how they invest. What does that look like?
Harry Pearson: Well, I love that. If God owns it all, then shouldn't we consider asking the owner how he wants to invest his capital? You know, would he want us to invest in things that cause harm or in things that bring blessing? You know, a lot of times we just put money in a mutual fund and, and really have no idea what we own. So one of the first questions is, do you know what you own? A lot of investors don't, and some end up owning things that conflict with their convictions and sometimes we're actually profiting from things that we're completely against. Well, the great news is there is a better way. And at One Ascend, we work through three steps. We eliminate companies that cause harm. We evaluate the rest very carefully for the very best investments. And then we elevate businesses that are truly having a positive impact. And we can help you with a free audit of your portfolio to see if the investments that you steward are in alignment with what you and he value most.
Rob West: Well, Harry, I know One Ascend has been doing this for nearly a decade now, and as you look back, what have you learned about faith-based investing that you didn't fully appreciate when you started?
Harry Pearson: Well, early on, the worry was that values-aligned investing meant sacrificing returns. Course, that's aged out. The space has matured, the track records are longer. What I didn't fully appreciate is how much of this is about investor behavior. You know, having your principles settled ahead of time keeps you disciplined when markets get hard. It's not just about avoiding harm; the real opportunity is finding excellent businesses that bless customers, bless employees, and communities, and helping move from knowing and believing to actually doing.
Rob West: Mm, that is well said. Well, Harry, I so appreciate your time today, and we're grateful for our partnership with One Ascend.
Harry Pearson: Yeah, great to be with you, Rob.
Rob West: Folks, One Ascend helps advisors and investors align their financial lives with their biblical values. Check it out today at oneascend.com/faithfi. We'll be right back.
SEGMENT 2
Rob West: Great to have you with us today on Faith & Finance here on American Family Radio. I'm Rob West. Well, really looking forward to taking your calls and questions today when you call 800-525-7000. That number: 800-525-7000. Whatever you're considering today in your financial life as you live, give, owe, and grow God's money, we'd love to chat about it.
Here's the reality: there's 2,350 verses in God's Word that deal with money and possessions. Some of those dealing with our heart posture—how we need to think about money; others dealing with wise principles. I was just over breakfast this morning talking about, "What are some of those principles that are now commonly accepted on, let's say, Wall Street at the highest levels of finance that have their roots in biblical wisdom?" Well, the first one that comes to mind for me is Ecclesiastes 11:2—the whole idea of diversification, that we're to spread our risk, not put all of our eggs in one basket. Well, that goes right back to God's Word. We see that in Scripture. That's where that idea comes from; somebody on Wall Street didn't create that. It has its roots in biblical wisdom.
Well, so many of the ideas that we hold fast to in our financial lives come from God's Word. Well, you would expect that, right? And so we want to mine the Scriptures and understand those wise principles. We want to understand what our heart posture should be as we handle God's money—that it can be a rival for our hearts, that if something's going to derail or dethrone God from His rightful place in first position of our lives, it's most often going to be money and the things that money can buy.
And yet Paul said to Timothy, "Don't put your hope in the uncertainty of riches," right? Riches are uncertain. What's certain? Well, God is certain. So He becomes our ultimate treasure; we're stewards or managers; money is a tool. Once we have that in its proper order, then we begin to apply wise principles as we manage our spending day-to-day, which, by the way, money is more than math—it's a mirror. It tells and reflects what's truly important to us. And so it's a way for us to evaluate our spiritual formation. The late Larry Burkett would often say, "The way we handle money is one of the clearest indicators into what's happening in our lives spiritually."
And so we spend. We save as well; that has its roots in biblical wisdom. You see that in the story of Boaz; you see that in the story of Joseph where he took a fifth—20%—of everything that came in during those years of abundance, which set them up for that famine that was to follow. That's a biblical principle. So as you're trying to save and invest, we'd love to help you do that. I'm sure you have questions.
Perhaps for you, you have some debt, and you're trying to think about how you dump that debt. Well, listen, borrowing is not a sin, but there are some rules we like to follow. We want to make sure the economic return is greater than the economic cost, that we have spousal unity, that we're counting the cost and we can actually afford it. You know, there are some principles there, but perhaps from an unforeseen event or maybe just lifestyle creep, you accumulated some credit card debt, and you're just wondering, "How do I get out from under that?" Maybe it's student loans. We'd love to help with that.
Perhaps for you, it's giving wisely. You can't read God's Word without seeing clearly in Scripture: God intends blessings to flow through His people. We're to be rivers, not reservoirs. God's provision shouldn't stop with us; it should flow through us. Generosity is clear from the very beginning. You know, as early as God's covenant with Abraham, remember, he was blessed to be a blessing to all nations. That's this idea of God's provision flowing through God's people. It's clearly not from what's left over. It's this idea that we're to give systematically and proportionally; we're to give joyfully—remember, God loves that cheerful giver, not reluctantly or under compulsion. We're also to give sacrificially; we see that on full display with the widow and her mites.
So, whatever you're dealing with today, we'd love to chat about it. We've got some lines open, and we'll begin to take your phone calls here in just a moment. So call right now: 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. We'd love to hear from you today; the team is standing by.
All right, in the news today: the U.S. Department of Education, excuse me, has opened the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, otherwise known as the FAFSA, ahead of its expected October 1 launch, which is tomorrow. Now, the FAFSA is, of course, the gateway to federal financial aid, including grants, work-study programs, and student loans. Many states and colleges also use the information to determine their own financial aid packages. Experts say some families should complete the form as early as possible because some aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis or comes from programs with limited funding, so once it's gone, it's gone.
So filing early may be especially important this year as families navigate changes to Pell Grant eligibility and new limits on federal borrowing for college and graduate school. Financial aid remains a major part of how families pay for college. About 74% of students and families submitted the FAFSA for the '25–'26 school year, the one we're in or just completed. And if college is in your family's future, I don't want you to wait. Complete that FAFSA early.
I've got a couple of students heading off next year to college. They just started their senior year—my girls that are twins—and so we're right in that zone of getting ready to apply for colleges. In fact, it's already started; the first few applications went out a couple of weeks ago, and we've got a few more going next week. And so it's that season, right? And if you're in that as well, don't miss the FAFSA. Get that in early, explore the grants, look for scholarships, and know your funding options before turning to debt.
You know, we find so many people just default to debt when it's not necessary. There are other ways to pay for college. Remember, you can do a work-study program, or students can work during the summer and bring some funds in that could be applied. I offset part of the cost of my own college as a resident assistant. My junior and senior year, I covered my room and board just by being available to the students on the hall in which I lived. It was great, and just an awesome opportunity to help cut down that cost of attendance.
But often we don't look for those opportunities, especially scholarships. Growing up in a single-parent home, my wife's mom made it clear early on that she was going to have to find college funding sources apart from the family. And so she worked hard in school, but she ended up getting $150,000 in scholarships. Now, they applied for every scholarship known to man, but it was very effective. And, you know, there may be even some local scholarships that you're not aware of. So don't miss that, whether that's getting a book on Amazon to really scour the scholarships that might be unique to the career path your student is choosing, or maybe something locally from a utility—whatever it might be, just make sure you exhaust every one of those opportunities before you default to debt.
Now, if you are going to borrow, one of the keys there is to make sure that you're only borrowing what you believe you can reasonably pay back in, I'll say, 10 years or less. I think that's just a good rule of thumb for you to look at as you're thinking about how much to borrow. And that's a function of what the job path will ultimately produce for an entry-level worker. So I think you need to look at this career path that your student is after—or maybe your student does this on his or her own—and say, "Okay, what can I reasonably expect for the first decade, and does that match with my ability to fund my lifestyle, but also be on a trajectory to pay this debt back within a decade?" If not, maybe I need to pull back and reconsider.
Now, better yet, we don't borrow anything, but if you have to borrow something, let's try to limit it to something that could be paid back in a reasonable time period. All right, we're going to take a quick break here. When we come back, we're going to dive into your questions. We've got lines open; the calls are starting to come in, but we've got room for you. Any financial question: 800-525-7000. Call right now; we'll be right back.
SEGMENT 3
Rob West: Thanks for joining us today on Faith & Finance here on American Family Radio. We've got lines open; we're taking your questions today at 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. We'd love to hear from you with any financial questions today—whether it's your spending, your credit score, your debt repayment, or your giving, call right now: 800-525-7000. Let's head to those phones. We're going to begin today in Texas. Jesse, go ahead.
Jesse: Um, yes. Hello, sir. Um, so, I've spent my life, a lot of my life on drugs and messed up, and I'm just now, you know, starting my walk with God. I'm at this place called Discipleship Unlimited. And, um, I'm trying to figure out how to manage my money, and build my credit, and get it together, because I start school soon. And the place I'm staying, I pay $250 a month, but I need to know how to manage that money and pay for school, because by the time I graduate, I want to be able to get my my own place and stuff. And I know it's silly because I'm 41 years old, but, um, I was never learned and taught to manage my money, you know?
Rob West: Mm, yes. Yes. Well, Jesse, first of all, I'm just so grateful that you're getting the help you need. It takes tremendous humility and courage, and I applaud you for taking those steps. I'm also absolutely thrilled to hear that you've become part of God's family through faith in Christ. There's a freedom and a joy in knowing Him that nothing else can ultimately provide. When God becomes our greatest treasure, we begin to discover that so many of the things that we've looked to for satisfaction—whether drugs, or money, or something else—were never designed to carry the weight of our deepest desires. You know, our friend Peerce Taylor Hibbs has pointed out that money can be especially powerful because it can become a gateway to almost anything else that we think we want. And that's one reason Scripture warns us that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil; we see that in God's Word in 1 Timothy 6.
So, we'd love to come alongside you in this next chapter. Um, I want to connect you with a Certified Christian Financial Counselor. And, um, I'm going to have that person contact you, Jesse, if that would be okay and you're interested. And we're going to pay for it, so it's not going to cost you anything. Um, but this person is going to come alongside to encourage you, to pray with you, to help you learn the mechanics of managing God's money, setting up a spending plan with whatever you have coming in—however little amount you have—let's prioritize how you use that to cover your expenses.
Um, you know, typically what I would say to somebody who's just trying to get started is you've got to begin by—and this is what the counselor will do with you—figuring out exactly what money is coming in. And then we list out our essential monthly expenses. So we start with housing or program costs, and food, and transportation, and insurance or medical needs, and required debt payments. And then we open a basic checking account. We create a very basic spending plan. We start to build a very small emergency fund. We're not worrying about investing; we're trying to get $10 or $20 into savings, and then $100, and then $200, and then on from there. And that's going to reduce the need to borrow when something unexpected happens. And then we kind of move, you know, forward from there.
But these are the kinds of things that this counselor will work with you on if you're open to it, and I think get you moving in the right direction, but also teach you some of these wise principles of managing money God's way along the way. And, um, I'd also love to send you a copy of Howard Dayton's book, Your Money Counts. It'll give you just kind of a nice biblical overview of money management, and we'll send that as our gift to you. But how does all of that sound?
Jesse: That sounds so wonderful. God bless you so much!
Rob West: Well, Jesse, I'm so encouraged by your call today, and I'm so excited on this path that you're on. And listen, we're going to be praying for you. I'm going to ask the Faith & Finance community to be praying for you—that God would be near to you, that He would give you courage and fortitude, that you would be able to stay in this program and continue to walk this road. I know it's a difficult road, um, but we're going to pray against the evil one having any part in tempting you back into a lifestyle that you've come out of. And we're going to trust that the Lord is going to just journey with you and move you to a place of health in the days ahead.
So listen, you stay on the line; my team is going to get your information. We're going to send you that book, Your Money Counts. We're also going to get you connected with a Certified Christian Financial Counselor. And, um, just promise me that you'll call me back once you get to a better place financially and let's celebrate, okay?
Jesse: I promise. Thank you so much!
Rob West: All right, hold the line, Jesse. Lord bless you. Let's go to Kentucky. Hi Anna, how can I help?
Anna: Hello. Um, I am selling a piece of property, and I would like advice on what to do with this money that I'm getting. Um, what to do with it immediately. I haven't decided for sure what I'll be using it for, but I would like to have quite a bit of it available for whatever I might decide to do in the near future.
Rob West: Okay.
Anna: I didn't want to tie it up to where I could not get to it, because a year or so ago I had put some money in investment, and then I unknowingly decided to take a few thousand dollars out, and I had to wait a year before I could get it. So I don't want to get into that position again, because I might be helping one of my daughters put a down payment on a house, and I don't know when that will be coming up.
Rob West: Yeah. Yeah, very good. Well, I appreciate this question, Anna, because you're exactly right. We want to emphasize safety, liquidity—which is your ability to get to the money—and not rushing into anything. At 79 and recently widowed—and I'm sorry to hear of your husband's passing—you know, especially given your uncertainty around how you're ultimately going to use it, you don't want to make any kind of long-term investment decision that would cause this money to be tied up.
So we're going to want to place this money or park it somewhere that's safe and liquid. Um, one great option would be our friends at AdelFi Christian Banking. Um, it's the largest Christian credit union in the country. You can go to faithfi.com/banking, and I'll give you the information off the air if you want. They're doing 4% right now on their money market, and it's insured up to the—the 4% is up to $100,000. But stay on the line; we'll talk a bit more and I'll give you some next steps even beyond that. We'll be right back.
SEGMENT 4
Rob West: Thanks for joining us today on Faith & Finance here on American Family Radio. We've got lines open; we'd love to hear from you at 800-525-7000. Any financial question. 800-525-7000. Let me also mention before we head back to talk to Anna here for just a moment, this is the last day of our campaign, our partnership with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. Remember our goal was to put 1,000 pairs of shoes and socks on the feet of a child in a desperate situation in some part of the world where a pair of shoes is the difference between this child being able to go to school, prevent footborne illness, also to be able to hear the love of Jesus as they're presented this pair of shoes and find their worth and identity in Christ as they're blessed by these shoe distribution campaigns. And you can be a part of that; every $15 is going to cover the cost of a pair of shoes, socks, and the cost to transport it there. We're going to be joined by Sean Spurrier in the final segment today. He's on the ground in Mexico at one of these shoe distribution sites, so he'll give you a firsthand experience as to what's going on at these shoe distributions so you understand what you're a part of. But if you'd like to help us reach our goal, again today's the last day—still about 100 shoes away—every $15 given will help us get there. Just go to giveshuestoday.org, that's giveshuestoday.org and let's finish strong.
Alright, before the break we were talking to Anna in Kentucky. She's 79, a widow, selling a property today, actually, and wants to make sure the money is liquid and safe. She's not quite sure what she wants to do with it. And so I was saying before the break, Anna, that the key is safety, liquidity, and not rushing into anything. I would get this into a high-yield savings account that has insurance, whether that's FDIC insurance or private insurance. I would be with either. Typically that's up to 250,000 per depositor, per bank, and per ownership category. And so you may need to spread it out if it's more than 250,000, but there's no reason you shouldn't be able to get 4% or more on this money with insurance and complete liquidity while you're deciding what's next.
And it could be that if you're planning to use this, let's say in the next three years, maybe we just leave it there or we could put it into some CDs, certificates of deposit. Maybe even with staggered maturities. So a lot of times we do what's called a CD ladder where you'll put maybe a third of it in a 6-month CD, a third in 12 months, a third in 18 months, and then every 6 months, you know, 33% of it is coming due and you've got full access to it.
Now, you may need complete liquidity, and if so, then you wouldn't want to put it in a CD. But these are the kinds of things that give you the safety and at least a reasonable rate of return, especially while interest rates are elevated, but also give you the liquidity you need. But does that all make sense?
Anna: Yes, very good.
Rob West: Okay. If you want to connect with our friends at AdelFi Christian Banking, you know, more and more of our listeners are wanting to align their values with their banking partner, and that's where AdelFi can be a great one. They're the biggest and the oldest in this space. If you're comfortable on the internet, you could go to faithfi.com/banking. They're offering 4% on their money market and up to $400 bonus for FaithFi listeners. Or you could use a local bank or credit union. And if you want our team to give you the phone number rather than going on the internet, you could just hold the line after the call. But in either case, I think that's your next step. And then take your time, figure out what you want to do next, and once you've decided how you want to allocate the proceeds long-term, call me back and we'll talk about how to think about positioning the money in light of those goals and decisions that you've made, okay?
Anna: Okay. And yeah, I would like the phone number for the AdelFi...
Rob West: Yes, AdelFi Christian Banking. Sure, so hang on the line, my team will grab that number and give it to you, and call anytime. Lord bless you, Anna. Congrats on selling this house.
Let's go to Ohio. Hi Linda, go ahead.
Linda: Hi, this is Linda from Ohio, and I have a question for you. I'm 75, my husband's 79. We recently paid off our mortgage, then we had to have all the electric sockets and stuff replaced in our home, which came to like $5,400. Then we have a credit bill, and I wondered if it is best for us to go with a home equity loan or line of credit or a reverse mortgage to put this on and pay them off.
Rob West: Yes. Yeah, very good. Yeah, so, I mean you could use either option. It ultimately comes down to whether you have the cash flow to comfortably afford a new monthly payment in your retirement income. And if you did and you continued to keep your home in a position where you owned it free and clear, then the home equity line of credit would be your option.
Now, you're going to add the monthly payment. It keeps your debt from growing, because you're going to move from borrowing this money to a position where you're moving back toward being debt-free. The closing costs are a little bit lower, but it does add that monthly payment, which needs to be able to comfortably fit in your budget.
If not, if you're saying, "You know what, we really need to be able to do these repairs and we want to take care of the credit card debt, and we feel like we're just squeezed generally with the fixed income that we have, we plan to stay in this home, and therefore a line of credit in a reverse mortgage would give you a payment that's optional." So you'd be able to pull the money for these needed repairs and perhaps future repairs, or maybe you all want to take a trip or something like that, and you'd want to be able to tap into some of that home equity, but you'd never have a monthly payment unless you wanted to pay it back.
There's a little higher cost with that, and obviously whatever you borrow would grow with interest over time, but your home would continue to appreciate as well. And what many people in their fourth quarter of life are finding is that they haven't saved quite as much as they wanted to for retirement, they feel squeezed, like they just don't have enough money, but they're sitting on massive home equity, it's their biggest asset. So being able to tap into that without adding a monthly payment is often a game-changer in this season of life. And if that's you, I think that's where the reverse mortgage could fit. But give me your thoughts on all that.
Linda: I personally, I don't like the idea of putting another lien—might as well say it's like a lien on your home since we worked hard to get it paid off.
Rob West: It is. Absolutely.
Linda: Yeah. And we would be able to combine those and we couldn't make a payment since we don't have the home payment anymore, we could make take on another payment.
Rob West: Okay. Yeah, so then I think the home equity line of credit is your best option, because you can afford the monthly payment, there's going to be lower closing costs, you're going to need the income and credit qualification, so you're going to have to have a good credit score, documented income. But then it would give you an opportunity to get that amount borrowed, uh, paid back, get back to a place of being debt-free. And as long as the line is open, which is generally 5 or 10 years, you could continue to borrow against it and then pay it back if you needed some more money in the future, but you'd ultimately be back to this place that it sounds like you really value, which is being, you know, free and clear.
Linda: Right. Yes, we have, we have, um, one car loan, but that'll be paid off in June or July next summer. So we that's about it that we're paying out, you know, other than our ties and your your normal electric and all that. But we would have enough to to make the payment. I just didn't want to I'm always lery after I paid a home off about putting anything back on it.
Rob West: Yeah, I totally understand that. Well, there are some great options right now with some banks that are doing, uh, no closing costs with very attractive rates. So Bank of America is one, uh, they've got a 5.5% introductory rate, it will go up to about eight based on the current rates and it'll be variable, but they're doing no closing costs right now. Another one is Third Federal is doing no closing costs right now and, um, they're at rates right around 7%. So you could check with your local bank or credit union, but Third Federal and Bank of America would be two that offer no closing costs on that heloc. Thanks for your call, we'll be right back.
SEGMENT 5
Rob West: Welcome back to Faith & Finance on American Family Radio. We're joined now by Shawn Spurrier with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, a ministry we're partnering with throughout September to help provide new shoes and socks for 1,000 children around the world. Now, for many of these children, a good pair of shoes can mean greater protection from injury and disease, greater dignity, and even greater access to education. Shawn is joining us today from Oaxaca, Mexico, where he and his team are on the ground distributing shoes and serving children and families. And Shawn, it is great to have you with us from Mexico.
Shawn Spurrier: Good morning, so glad to be with you all today.
Rob West: Now, Shawn, you just arrived at your first shoe distribution, I know just a few moments ago. I'd love for you to set the scene for us, tell us where you are, and what are you seeing and experiencing around you right now?
Shawn Spurrier: Yeah, absolutely. So we're we're in a in a little city, a little town right outside of Oaxaca. So we're about 45 minutes outside of the town, the city of Oaxaca. Um, today we're going to be working at an elementary school in the town, and then later today we'll be at our Family Hope Center in the same city. And we're we're going to be working with a couple hundred children this morning, providing Vacation Bible School and STEM activities, communicating the gospel to them, providing new shoes. Um, and right now, just as we speak, I'm looking at kids who've just come out of their classes. They're just thrilled and excited, you may even hear them behind me, to be a part of the events today. Um, it's it's going to be a really sweet morning.
Rob West: Oh, that's incredible. I wish I was there. I'm going to have to get down there at some point. But do they know yet, Shawn, at this point that they're getting a new pair of shoes today?
Shawn Spurrier: They do, and I can see them eagerly peering over from each from each rotation that they're a part of. I can see each one of them kind of eagerly peering over as they walk by. Um, so I think they're I think they're really excited.
Rob West: Oh, that's amazing. Well, we want to talk a little bit more about what happens with the shoe distribution, and I want you to kind of talk us through what you're going to experience today. But first, I know you're in a beautiful part of Mexico there. I also know that families there face significant poverty. So just give us a sense of what daily life is like for these families.
Shawn Spurrier: Yeah, you know, in this specific area that we're in today, I was just communicating with our team about this. Um, this is an area where, um, you know, like you said, it's gorgeous. I'm standing, I'm surrounded by mountains right now, in one of the most beautiful landscapes you'll ever see. But we're we're working with children today whose families uh just really struggle on on some of the basics. Public health is is really suffering here. They have lack of access to medical doctors and dentists and hospitals. Um, food and water is is scarcer. Uh, water sources that are clean are hard to come by. Many of these families don't have the income for um three square meals a day, the way that the that you and I do. And um and so we're really kind of struggling in this particular community with really all their infrastructural needs. Um, and Buckner is able to to come alongside um, even elementary schools that are not our uh run by Buckner, like where we're at this morning, um, and encourage them, and and provide um some of that some of that infrastructure, some of those resources, so that these kids can actually come to school here with confidence and learn, and be healthy. Um, but uh yeah, we're we're we're struggling with some real um infrastructure issues here, uh all across the board.
Rob West: Mm, yeah. Shawn, for most of us here in the United States, shoes are such an ordinary part of everyday life that it can be hard to imagine going without them. Help us appreciate the difference a good pair of shoes can make in a child's life there where you're at.
Shawn Spurrier: Yeah. We, you know, globally, and we've we've discussed this before, but but shoes provide access to education. Um, I'm looking at a couple hundred students right now as we speak who um who are are able to attend the school that we're at right now because of the provision of shoes. Um, we're in an area, like I said, where um where there's some real economic struggles, some real poverty, and and that education is vital to their rising above poverty. And so shoes lower barriers to that education. Um, you know, we're we're in an area too where there are are plenty of opportunities for footborne illnesses if you don't have adequate shoes, and we're promoting health in that way. And additionally, Buckner is helping to make sure that they have access to any medical um services that they need here. Um, but we're also able to come alongside families, encourage them, plug them into the Buckner Family Hope Center ministries. Um, so it's it's so much more than a pair of shoes. That's really the start of the relationship. Um, but but it is a real need here, uh to be certain.
Rob West: Mm, there's no question about it. And Shawn, we're going to get into a few more of the details in our short time with you this morning. But for somebody who's listening right now and saying, "I'm in. I absolutely want to help put a pair of shoes or maybe several pairs of shoes on a child in that part of the world so they can attend school and be protected from footborne illness, but also so you can share the gospel with them," give us a sense of what kind of gift makes that possible and where they go to do it.
Shawn Spurrier: You know, this is this is one of the easiest things. I I love it. You know, a a gift of $15 will provide a pair of shoes and socks for a child, and we'll get them to the child. Um, and so, you know, you can serve 10 children with $150. Um, you know, maybe I'm biased, but it's rare that you have an opportunity to impact the lives of that many children and open up that many doors with that accessible of a gift. And so we're um we're privileged to be able to come alongside these families and do it. Um, all you have to do is go to giveshoestoday.org, um, and you can serve children directly right there through the gift of shoes.
Rob West: Yeah, that's exactly right. Folks, we've been doing this all month long, but September has come and gone. So if you'd like to be a part of reaching this goal here at Faith Fi, today is the final day to give. Just head to giveshoestoday.org, giveshoestoday.org, and as uh as Shawn said, $15 will put a pair of new shoes and socks uh on the feet of a child in some part of the world where it is much needed, and it will cover the cost of the transportation to get the shoes to the ground. Our goal is 1,000 children served. Maybe we can go well beyond that, but you can be a part right now, giveshoestoday.org. All right, Shawn, you've alluded to this. Uh, you've seen the kids coming out of the classroom, they know they're going to get the shoes today. But I want you to take us inside one of these shoe distributions for a moment. When a child arrives, what does that experience look like from start to finish?
Shawn Spurrier: Yeah, so we these children just showed up a little bit ago, some of them coming from the neighborhood, some of them coming from the from the school that they were already at this morning. Um, and as we as we speak right now, I'm watching them uh hear a gospel presentation. And one of the ways that we're we're connecting that to the whole event here is um we're we're telling the story of Jesus washing his disciples' feet. One of the things that we'll get to do today when we're providing these shoes for these children is mirror Christ in that way by kneeling in front of them and washing their feet, um and letting know them know that they're cared and they're loved for, they're not forgotten. But what we're trying to communicate in this message this morning before all the stations start is that A, we can serve others as well, um that Jesus gave us an example of that, but B, and more importantly, that the greatest act of service um that he provided for us was coming on our behalf, dying for us, raising again, and and and forgiving us and saving us from our sins. So we have an opportunity to communicate the gospel right off the bat to these children. Then they're going to move into their stations. We've got recreation stations where they're going to be uh just having fun playing games. There's STEM stations where they're, uh you know, working with their minds and and their their learning new little uh STEM activities. Um, and then uh we've got the shoe distribution area where they receive their shoes. We also are able to uh provide gospel bracelets for them, where they're making the gospel bracelets and hearing the story once again. Every aspect of the work that we're doing this week, the gospel is interwoven into it. And then we'll have time to just kind of fellowship with them and their families uh before we head out to our next stop. And so it's just a really joyful, uh fun time, but we're we try to be very intentional with the opportunity we have in each one of these stations. Um, and again, we we don't know what doors these pairs of shoes will open um for for these kids individually. We don't know every story that they're going to go into, but we do know that the Lord uses this for a lot of a lot of life change. So uh it's a fun day, it's an exciting day. You may hear the laughter and the clapping behind me. Um, we're just getting started. But uh yeah, it's a really um intentional set of rotations, kind of in a Vacation Bible School setup, um if you can imagine that, where we're we're getting to serve these kids in a variety of ways.
Rob West: I love it. We're talking with Shawn Spurrier with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. Uh, he's on the ground. In fact, he just got to their first distribution site in Oaxaca, Mexico, and he and his team will be distributing shoes and serving children and families. Folks, our goal this month, uh throughout the month between you and Faith Fi and Buckner, is to have enough given to put the shoes and socks on the feet of 1,000 children in some part of the world where shoes are much needed. Every $15 given will help us um be able to provide one pair of shoes and socks and the cost to get the shoes to the distribution site. Go to giveshoestoday.org. Now, we've got just about a minute and a half left, Shawn, and then we'll let you get to the shoe distribution. But um, you've mentioned a couple of times the Buckner Family Hope Center. Give us just a quick overview of this aspect of it, because I love that your team's not just in and out, you're there and committed to that community, right?
Shawn Spurrier: 100%. Our We have a Family Hope Center, which is a community-based program providing after-school care and economic strengthening, spiritual care, um and so many other things to help families rise above poverty, achieve sustainability, and and know their worth and understand the gospel. That is a program that we've got here 365 days a year. This school is actually a beneficiary, they've asked us to come in and help them, um uh provide resources. And so this is not just a drop shoes off and leave thing. This is really the entry to some long-term relationships that the Lord uses to to really provide some some real transformation.
Rob West: Incredible. Folks, throughout the month of September, we're inviting you, Faith Fi listeners, to help provide shoes for 1,000 children, and you're hearing the voice of Shawn Spurrier, he's on the ground, this is the kind of shoe distribution that will be taking place as they deliver your shoes when you make a gift of $15 today to provide a new pair of shoes and socks for one child plus the cost of the transportation. Just go to giveshoestoday.org. Shawn, thanks so much for uh taking the time to be with us today and giving us a glimpse of the work you and the Buckner team are doing there in Oaxaca. We're so grateful for you and our partnership.
Shawn Spurrier: Rob, we're so grateful for you as well. Thanks for having me on today.
Rob West: That's Shawn Spurrier, Director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, joining us live from Oaxaca, Mexico. Well, we've covered a lot of ground today, and it's been my privilege to come alongside you to help you sort through the financial situations in your life, pointing you to the wisdom only found in God's Word. A big thanks to my team today: DevIn, Patty, Taylor, and all of the team members here at Faith Fi. I certainly couldn't do this without them. Uh, before we go, just a quick reminder, today is the final day to join us in partnering with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls to help supply shoes for 1,000 children around the world. You can make your gift today at giveshoestoday.org. We'll see you next time.
Rob West: What does it mean to honor God with your investments? Hi, I'm Rob West. Christians often think of stewardship in terms of giving, saving, and spending. But what about the companies we own through our portfolios? Today Harry Pearson joins us to talk about his own stewardship journey, the legacy of values we pass on to the next generation, and how biblical convictions can shape the way we invest. And then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000. This is Faith & Finance on American Family Radio. Biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
What a privilege to welcome back my friend Harry Pearson, founder and CEO of One Ascend, a family of companies equipping advisors and investors with faith-aligned solutions for planning, investing, and giving, helping them align their financial lives with their biblical values. One Ascend is also a valued underwriter of this program, and Harry, what a treat to have you here today.
Harry Pearson: Thanks Rob, it's good to be with you, buddy.
Rob West: Harry, I want to start with your own story. I've had the privilege of having a front-row seat to watch what God has done in your life over the last number of years, and I know many Christians grow up learning about generosity, but don't always connect their faith to the rest of their financial lives. And that was true for you as well, right?
Harry Pearson: Yes, it was. Yes, my parents did a great job of modeling generosity and teaching me to tithe early, you know, for every dollar I earned, a dime went in the offering plate. But they never really taught me how to connect the dots between faith and the rest of my financial life. And that didn't actually happen until my very first Kingdom Advisors conference 18 years ago. You know, I went in a little resistant, honestly, but that's where I felt God give me permission to align my work with the faith he'd already planted in my heart. And Colossians 3:23 says work as unto the Lord, not unto men. And once that landed, it became a lens for time, talent, and treasure. Am I doing this for him, or am I doing this for the applause of men? And since he owns it all, how do I align what I do and what I have with what he's actually calling me to do?
Rob West: Mm, yeah. That's so true. And once we understand that as Christ-followers, then we quickly start to think about preparing the next steward. You make an important distinction, Harry, between passing along our valuables and passing along our values. Talk about that.
Harry Pearson: Yeah, you know, we spend a lot of time planning what valuables we'll leave our kids financially, but not nearly enough on the values that we'll leave them. I love the saying, "Don't focus on leaving a legacy, focus on living out a legacy." You know, and more is caught than taught. We know that. When it comes to the values that we leave, there's nothing more important than time and how we use it to model loving God and loving our neighbor. Kids learn generosity by watching it, not by hearing it. And so let them see you give, let them see you serve, and bring them into the decision of where and why. That's a gift that keeps on giving.
Rob West: Sure does. Let's take this stewardship principle into investing. Many Christians may not realize that their faith can shape not only how they give and spend, but also how they invest. What does that look like?
Harry Pearson: Well, I love that. If God owns it all, then shouldn't we consider asking the owner how he wants to invest his capital? You know, would he want us to invest in things that cause harm or in things that bring blessing? You know, a lot of times we just put money in a mutual fund and, and really have no idea what we own. So one of the first questions is, do you know what you own? A lot of investors don't, and some end up owning things that conflict with their convictions and sometimes we're actually profiting from things that we're completely against. Well, the great news is there is a better way. And at One Ascend, we work through three steps. We eliminate companies that cause harm. We evaluate the rest very carefully for the very best investments. And then we elevate businesses that are truly having a positive impact. And we can help you with a free audit of your portfolio to see if the investments that you steward are in alignment with what you and he value most.
Rob West: Well, Harry, I know One Ascend has been doing this for nearly a decade now, and as you look back, what have you learned about faith-based investing that you didn't fully appreciate when you started?
Harry Pearson: Well, early on, the worry was that values-aligned investing meant sacrificing returns. Course, that's aged out. The space has matured, the track records are longer. What I didn't fully appreciate is how much of this is about investor behavior. You know, having your principles settled ahead of time keeps you disciplined when markets get hard. It's not just about avoiding harm; the real opportunity is finding excellent businesses that bless customers, bless employees, and communities, and helping move from knowing and believing to actually doing.
Rob West: Mm, that is well said. Well, Harry, I so appreciate your time today, and we're grateful for our partnership with One Ascend.
Harry Pearson: Yeah, great to be with you, Rob.
Rob West: Folks, One Ascend helps advisors and investors align their financial lives with their biblical values. Check it out today at oneascend.com/faithfi. We'll be right back.
SEGMENT 2
Rob West: Great to have you with us today on Faith & Finance here on American Family Radio. I'm Rob West. Well, really looking forward to taking your calls and questions today when you call 800-525-7000. That number: 800-525-7000. Whatever you're considering today in your financial life as you live, give, owe, and grow God's money, we'd love to chat about it.
Here's the reality: there's 2,350 verses in God's Word that deal with money and possessions. Some of those dealing with our heart posture—how we need to think about money; others dealing with wise principles. I was just over breakfast this morning talking about, "What are some of those principles that are now commonly accepted on, let's say, Wall Street at the highest levels of finance that have their roots in biblical wisdom?" Well, the first one that comes to mind for me is Ecclesiastes 11:2—the whole idea of diversification, that we're to spread our risk, not put all of our eggs in one basket. Well, that goes right back to God's Word. We see that in Scripture. That's where that idea comes from; somebody on Wall Street didn't create that. It has its roots in biblical wisdom.
Well, so many of the ideas that we hold fast to in our financial lives come from God's Word. Well, you would expect that, right? And so we want to mine the Scriptures and understand those wise principles. We want to understand what our heart posture should be as we handle God's money—that it can be a rival for our hearts, that if something's going to derail or dethrone God from His rightful place in first position of our lives, it's most often going to be money and the things that money can buy.
And yet Paul said to Timothy, "Don't put your hope in the uncertainty of riches," right? Riches are uncertain. What's certain? Well, God is certain. So He becomes our ultimate treasure; we're stewards or managers; money is a tool. Once we have that in its proper order, then we begin to apply wise principles as we manage our spending day-to-day, which, by the way, money is more than math—it's a mirror. It tells and reflects what's truly important to us. And so it's a way for us to evaluate our spiritual formation. The late Larry Burkett would often say, "The way we handle money is one of the clearest indicators into what's happening in our lives spiritually."
And so we spend. We save as well; that has its roots in biblical wisdom. You see that in the story of Boaz; you see that in the story of Joseph where he took a fifth—20%—of everything that came in during those years of abundance, which set them up for that famine that was to follow. That's a biblical principle. So as you're trying to save and invest, we'd love to help you do that. I'm sure you have questions.
Perhaps for you, you have some debt, and you're trying to think about how you dump that debt. Well, listen, borrowing is not a sin, but there are some rules we like to follow. We want to make sure the economic return is greater than the economic cost, that we have spousal unity, that we're counting the cost and we can actually afford it. You know, there are some principles there, but perhaps from an unforeseen event or maybe just lifestyle creep, you accumulated some credit card debt, and you're just wondering, "How do I get out from under that?" Maybe it's student loans. We'd love to help with that.
Perhaps for you, it's giving wisely. You can't read God's Word without seeing clearly in Scripture: God intends blessings to flow through His people. We're to be rivers, not reservoirs. God's provision shouldn't stop with us; it should flow through us. Generosity is clear from the very beginning. You know, as early as God's covenant with Abraham, remember, he was blessed to be a blessing to all nations. That's this idea of God's provision flowing through God's people. It's clearly not from what's left over. It's this idea that we're to give systematically and proportionally; we're to give joyfully—remember, God loves that cheerful giver, not reluctantly or under compulsion. We're also to give sacrificially; we see that on full display with the widow and her mites.
So, whatever you're dealing with today, we'd love to chat about it. We've got some lines open, and we'll begin to take your phone calls here in just a moment. So call right now: 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. We'd love to hear from you today; the team is standing by.
All right, in the news today: the U.S. Department of Education, excuse me, has opened the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, otherwise known as the FAFSA, ahead of its expected October 1 launch, which is tomorrow. Now, the FAFSA is, of course, the gateway to federal financial aid, including grants, work-study programs, and student loans. Many states and colleges also use the information to determine their own financial aid packages. Experts say some families should complete the form as early as possible because some aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis or comes from programs with limited funding, so once it's gone, it's gone.
So filing early may be especially important this year as families navigate changes to Pell Grant eligibility and new limits on federal borrowing for college and graduate school. Financial aid remains a major part of how families pay for college. About 74% of students and families submitted the FAFSA for the '25–'26 school year, the one we're in or just completed. And if college is in your family's future, I don't want you to wait. Complete that FAFSA early.
I've got a couple of students heading off next year to college. They just started their senior year—my girls that are twins—and so we're right in that zone of getting ready to apply for colleges. In fact, it's already started; the first few applications went out a couple of weeks ago, and we've got a few more going next week. And so it's that season, right? And if you're in that as well, don't miss the FAFSA. Get that in early, explore the grants, look for scholarships, and know your funding options before turning to debt.
You know, we find so many people just default to debt when it's not necessary. There are other ways to pay for college. Remember, you can do a work-study program, or students can work during the summer and bring some funds in that could be applied. I offset part of the cost of my own college as a resident assistant. My junior and senior year, I covered my room and board just by being available to the students on the hall in which I lived. It was great, and just an awesome opportunity to help cut down that cost of attendance.
But often we don't look for those opportunities, especially scholarships. Growing up in a single-parent home, my wife's mom made it clear early on that she was going to have to find college funding sources apart from the family. And so she worked hard in school, but she ended up getting $150,000 in scholarships. Now, they applied for every scholarship known to man, but it was very effective. And, you know, there may be even some local scholarships that you're not aware of. So don't miss that, whether that's getting a book on Amazon to really scour the scholarships that might be unique to the career path your student is choosing, or maybe something locally from a utility—whatever it might be, just make sure you exhaust every one of those opportunities before you default to debt.
Now, if you are going to borrow, one of the keys there is to make sure that you're only borrowing what you believe you can reasonably pay back in, I'll say, 10 years or less. I think that's just a good rule of thumb for you to look at as you're thinking about how much to borrow. And that's a function of what the job path will ultimately produce for an entry-level worker. So I think you need to look at this career path that your student is after—or maybe your student does this on his or her own—and say, "Okay, what can I reasonably expect for the first decade, and does that match with my ability to fund my lifestyle, but also be on a trajectory to pay this debt back within a decade?" If not, maybe I need to pull back and reconsider.
Now, better yet, we don't borrow anything, but if you have to borrow something, let's try to limit it to something that could be paid back in a reasonable time period. All right, we're going to take a quick break here. When we come back, we're going to dive into your questions. We've got lines open; the calls are starting to come in, but we've got room for you. Any financial question: 800-525-7000. Call right now; we'll be right back.
SEGMENT 3
Rob West: Thanks for joining us today on Faith & Finance here on American Family Radio. We've got lines open; we're taking your questions today at 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. We'd love to hear from you with any financial questions today—whether it's your spending, your credit score, your debt repayment, or your giving, call right now: 800-525-7000. Let's head to those phones. We're going to begin today in Texas. Jesse, go ahead.
Jesse: Um, yes. Hello, sir. Um, so, I've spent my life, a lot of my life on drugs and messed up, and I'm just now, you know, starting my walk with God. I'm at this place called Discipleship Unlimited. And, um, I'm trying to figure out how to manage my money, and build my credit, and get it together, because I start school soon. And the place I'm staying, I pay $250 a month, but I need to know how to manage that money and pay for school, because by the time I graduate, I want to be able to get my my own place and stuff. And I know it's silly because I'm 41 years old, but, um, I was never learned and taught to manage my money, you know?
Rob West: Mm, yes. Yes. Well, Jesse, first of all, I'm just so grateful that you're getting the help you need. It takes tremendous humility and courage, and I applaud you for taking those steps. I'm also absolutely thrilled to hear that you've become part of God's family through faith in Christ. There's a freedom and a joy in knowing Him that nothing else can ultimately provide. When God becomes our greatest treasure, we begin to discover that so many of the things that we've looked to for satisfaction—whether drugs, or money, or something else—were never designed to carry the weight of our deepest desires. You know, our friend Peerce Taylor Hibbs has pointed out that money can be especially powerful because it can become a gateway to almost anything else that we think we want. And that's one reason Scripture warns us that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil; we see that in God's Word in 1 Timothy 6.
So, we'd love to come alongside you in this next chapter. Um, I want to connect you with a Certified Christian Financial Counselor. And, um, I'm going to have that person contact you, Jesse, if that would be okay and you're interested. And we're going to pay for it, so it's not going to cost you anything. Um, but this person is going to come alongside to encourage you, to pray with you, to help you learn the mechanics of managing God's money, setting up a spending plan with whatever you have coming in—however little amount you have—let's prioritize how you use that to cover your expenses.
Um, you know, typically what I would say to somebody who's just trying to get started is you've got to begin by—and this is what the counselor will do with you—figuring out exactly what money is coming in. And then we list out our essential monthly expenses. So we start with housing or program costs, and food, and transportation, and insurance or medical needs, and required debt payments. And then we open a basic checking account. We create a very basic spending plan. We start to build a very small emergency fund. We're not worrying about investing; we're trying to get $10 or $20 into savings, and then $100, and then $200, and then on from there. And that's going to reduce the need to borrow when something unexpected happens. And then we kind of move, you know, forward from there.
But these are the kinds of things that this counselor will work with you on if you're open to it, and I think get you moving in the right direction, but also teach you some of these wise principles of managing money God's way along the way. And, um, I'd also love to send you a copy of Howard Dayton's book, Your Money Counts. It'll give you just kind of a nice biblical overview of money management, and we'll send that as our gift to you. But how does all of that sound?
Jesse: That sounds so wonderful. God bless you so much!
Rob West: Well, Jesse, I'm so encouraged by your call today, and I'm so excited on this path that you're on. And listen, we're going to be praying for you. I'm going to ask the Faith & Finance community to be praying for you—that God would be near to you, that He would give you courage and fortitude, that you would be able to stay in this program and continue to walk this road. I know it's a difficult road, um, but we're going to pray against the evil one having any part in tempting you back into a lifestyle that you've come out of. And we're going to trust that the Lord is going to just journey with you and move you to a place of health in the days ahead.
So listen, you stay on the line; my team is going to get your information. We're going to send you that book, Your Money Counts. We're also going to get you connected with a Certified Christian Financial Counselor. And, um, just promise me that you'll call me back once you get to a better place financially and let's celebrate, okay?
Jesse: I promise. Thank you so much!
Rob West: All right, hold the line, Jesse. Lord bless you. Let's go to Kentucky. Hi Anna, how can I help?
Anna: Hello. Um, I am selling a piece of property, and I would like advice on what to do with this money that I'm getting. Um, what to do with it immediately. I haven't decided for sure what I'll be using it for, but I would like to have quite a bit of it available for whatever I might decide to do in the near future.
Rob West: Okay.
Anna: I didn't want to tie it up to where I could not get to it, because a year or so ago I had put some money in investment, and then I unknowingly decided to take a few thousand dollars out, and I had to wait a year before I could get it. So I don't want to get into that position again, because I might be helping one of my daughters put a down payment on a house, and I don't know when that will be coming up.
Rob West: Yeah. Yeah, very good. Well, I appreciate this question, Anna, because you're exactly right. We want to emphasize safety, liquidity—which is your ability to get to the money—and not rushing into anything. At 79 and recently widowed—and I'm sorry to hear of your husband's passing—you know, especially given your uncertainty around how you're ultimately going to use it, you don't want to make any kind of long-term investment decision that would cause this money to be tied up.
So we're going to want to place this money or park it somewhere that's safe and liquid. Um, one great option would be our friends at AdelFi Christian Banking. Um, it's the largest Christian credit union in the country. You can go to faithfi.com/banking, and I'll give you the information off the air if you want. They're doing 4% right now on their money market, and it's insured up to the—the 4% is up to $100,000. But stay on the line; we'll talk a bit more and I'll give you some next steps even beyond that. We'll be right back.
SEGMENT 4
Rob West: Thanks for joining us today on Faith & Finance here on American Family Radio. We've got lines open; we'd love to hear from you at 800-525-7000. Any financial question. 800-525-7000. Let me also mention before we head back to talk to Anna here for just a moment, this is the last day of our campaign, our partnership with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. Remember our goal was to put 1,000 pairs of shoes and socks on the feet of a child in a desperate situation in some part of the world where a pair of shoes is the difference between this child being able to go to school, prevent footborne illness, also to be able to hear the love of Jesus as they're presented this pair of shoes and find their worth and identity in Christ as they're blessed by these shoe distribution campaigns. And you can be a part of that; every $15 is going to cover the cost of a pair of shoes, socks, and the cost to transport it there. We're going to be joined by Sean Spurrier in the final segment today. He's on the ground in Mexico at one of these shoe distribution sites, so he'll give you a firsthand experience as to what's going on at these shoe distributions so you understand what you're a part of. But if you'd like to help us reach our goal, again today's the last day—still about 100 shoes away—every $15 given will help us get there. Just go to giveshuestoday.org, that's giveshuestoday.org and let's finish strong.
Alright, before the break we were talking to Anna in Kentucky. She's 79, a widow, selling a property today, actually, and wants to make sure the money is liquid and safe. She's not quite sure what she wants to do with it. And so I was saying before the break, Anna, that the key is safety, liquidity, and not rushing into anything. I would get this into a high-yield savings account that has insurance, whether that's FDIC insurance or private insurance. I would be with either. Typically that's up to 250,000 per depositor, per bank, and per ownership category. And so you may need to spread it out if it's more than 250,000, but there's no reason you shouldn't be able to get 4% or more on this money with insurance and complete liquidity while you're deciding what's next.
And it could be that if you're planning to use this, let's say in the next three years, maybe we just leave it there or we could put it into some CDs, certificates of deposit. Maybe even with staggered maturities. So a lot of times we do what's called a CD ladder where you'll put maybe a third of it in a 6-month CD, a third in 12 months, a third in 18 months, and then every 6 months, you know, 33% of it is coming due and you've got full access to it.
Now, you may need complete liquidity, and if so, then you wouldn't want to put it in a CD. But these are the kinds of things that give you the safety and at least a reasonable rate of return, especially while interest rates are elevated, but also give you the liquidity you need. But does that all make sense?
Anna: Yes, very good.
Rob West: Okay. If you want to connect with our friends at AdelFi Christian Banking, you know, more and more of our listeners are wanting to align their values with their banking partner, and that's where AdelFi can be a great one. They're the biggest and the oldest in this space. If you're comfortable on the internet, you could go to faithfi.com/banking. They're offering 4% on their money market and up to $400 bonus for FaithFi listeners. Or you could use a local bank or credit union. And if you want our team to give you the phone number rather than going on the internet, you could just hold the line after the call. But in either case, I think that's your next step. And then take your time, figure out what you want to do next, and once you've decided how you want to allocate the proceeds long-term, call me back and we'll talk about how to think about positioning the money in light of those goals and decisions that you've made, okay?
Anna: Okay. And yeah, I would like the phone number for the AdelFi...
Rob West: Yes, AdelFi Christian Banking. Sure, so hang on the line, my team will grab that number and give it to you, and call anytime. Lord bless you, Anna. Congrats on selling this house.
Let's go to Ohio. Hi Linda, go ahead.
Linda: Hi, this is Linda from Ohio, and I have a question for you. I'm 75, my husband's 79. We recently paid off our mortgage, then we had to have all the electric sockets and stuff replaced in our home, which came to like $5,400. Then we have a credit bill, and I wondered if it is best for us to go with a home equity loan or line of credit or a reverse mortgage to put this on and pay them off.
Rob West: Yes. Yeah, very good. Yeah, so, I mean you could use either option. It ultimately comes down to whether you have the cash flow to comfortably afford a new monthly payment in your retirement income. And if you did and you continued to keep your home in a position where you owned it free and clear, then the home equity line of credit would be your option.
Now, you're going to add the monthly payment. It keeps your debt from growing, because you're going to move from borrowing this money to a position where you're moving back toward being debt-free. The closing costs are a little bit lower, but it does add that monthly payment, which needs to be able to comfortably fit in your budget.
If not, if you're saying, "You know what, we really need to be able to do these repairs and we want to take care of the credit card debt, and we feel like we're just squeezed generally with the fixed income that we have, we plan to stay in this home, and therefore a line of credit in a reverse mortgage would give you a payment that's optional." So you'd be able to pull the money for these needed repairs and perhaps future repairs, or maybe you all want to take a trip or something like that, and you'd want to be able to tap into some of that home equity, but you'd never have a monthly payment unless you wanted to pay it back.
There's a little higher cost with that, and obviously whatever you borrow would grow with interest over time, but your home would continue to appreciate as well. And what many people in their fourth quarter of life are finding is that they haven't saved quite as much as they wanted to for retirement, they feel squeezed, like they just don't have enough money, but they're sitting on massive home equity, it's their biggest asset. So being able to tap into that without adding a monthly payment is often a game-changer in this season of life. And if that's you, I think that's where the reverse mortgage could fit. But give me your thoughts on all that.
Linda: I personally, I don't like the idea of putting another lien—might as well say it's like a lien on your home since we worked hard to get it paid off.
Rob West: It is. Absolutely.
Linda: Yeah. And we would be able to combine those and we couldn't make a payment since we don't have the home payment anymore, we could make take on another payment.
Rob West: Okay. Yeah, so then I think the home equity line of credit is your best option, because you can afford the monthly payment, there's going to be lower closing costs, you're going to need the income and credit qualification, so you're going to have to have a good credit score, documented income. But then it would give you an opportunity to get that amount borrowed, uh, paid back, get back to a place of being debt-free. And as long as the line is open, which is generally 5 or 10 years, you could continue to borrow against it and then pay it back if you needed some more money in the future, but you'd ultimately be back to this place that it sounds like you really value, which is being, you know, free and clear.
Linda: Right. Yes, we have, we have, um, one car loan, but that'll be paid off in June or July next summer. So we that's about it that we're paying out, you know, other than our ties and your your normal electric and all that. But we would have enough to to make the payment. I just didn't want to I'm always lery after I paid a home off about putting anything back on it.
Rob West: Yeah, I totally understand that. Well, there are some great options right now with some banks that are doing, uh, no closing costs with very attractive rates. So Bank of America is one, uh, they've got a 5.5% introductory rate, it will go up to about eight based on the current rates and it'll be variable, but they're doing no closing costs right now. Another one is Third Federal is doing no closing costs right now and, um, they're at rates right around 7%. So you could check with your local bank or credit union, but Third Federal and Bank of America would be two that offer no closing costs on that heloc. Thanks for your call, we'll be right back.
SEGMENT 5
Rob West: Welcome back to Faith & Finance on American Family Radio. We're joined now by Shawn Spurrier with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, a ministry we're partnering with throughout September to help provide new shoes and socks for 1,000 children around the world. Now, for many of these children, a good pair of shoes can mean greater protection from injury and disease, greater dignity, and even greater access to education. Shawn is joining us today from Oaxaca, Mexico, where he and his team are on the ground distributing shoes and serving children and families. And Shawn, it is great to have you with us from Mexico.
Shawn Spurrier: Good morning, so glad to be with you all today.
Rob West: Now, Shawn, you just arrived at your first shoe distribution, I know just a few moments ago. I'd love for you to set the scene for us, tell us where you are, and what are you seeing and experiencing around you right now?
Shawn Spurrier: Yeah, absolutely. So we're we're in a in a little city, a little town right outside of Oaxaca. So we're about 45 minutes outside of the town, the city of Oaxaca. Um, today we're going to be working at an elementary school in the town, and then later today we'll be at our Family Hope Center in the same city. And we're we're going to be working with a couple hundred children this morning, providing Vacation Bible School and STEM activities, communicating the gospel to them, providing new shoes. Um, and right now, just as we speak, I'm looking at kids who've just come out of their classes. They're just thrilled and excited, you may even hear them behind me, to be a part of the events today. Um, it's it's going to be a really sweet morning.
Rob West: Oh, that's incredible. I wish I was there. I'm going to have to get down there at some point. But do they know yet, Shawn, at this point that they're getting a new pair of shoes today?
Shawn Spurrier: They do, and I can see them eagerly peering over from each from each rotation that they're a part of. I can see each one of them kind of eagerly peering over as they walk by. Um, so I think they're I think they're really excited.
Rob West: Oh, that's amazing. Well, we want to talk a little bit more about what happens with the shoe distribution, and I want you to kind of talk us through what you're going to experience today. But first, I know you're in a beautiful part of Mexico there. I also know that families there face significant poverty. So just give us a sense of what daily life is like for these families.
Shawn Spurrier: Yeah, you know, in this specific area that we're in today, I was just communicating with our team about this. Um, this is an area where, um, you know, like you said, it's gorgeous. I'm standing, I'm surrounded by mountains right now, in one of the most beautiful landscapes you'll ever see. But we're we're working with children today whose families uh just really struggle on on some of the basics. Public health is is really suffering here. They have lack of access to medical doctors and dentists and hospitals. Um, food and water is is scarcer. Uh, water sources that are clean are hard to come by. Many of these families don't have the income for um three square meals a day, the way that the that you and I do. And um and so we're really kind of struggling in this particular community with really all their infrastructural needs. Um, and Buckner is able to to come alongside um, even elementary schools that are not our uh run by Buckner, like where we're at this morning, um, and encourage them, and and provide um some of that some of that infrastructure, some of those resources, so that these kids can actually come to school here with confidence and learn, and be healthy. Um, but uh yeah, we're we're we're struggling with some real um infrastructure issues here, uh all across the board.
Rob West: Mm, yeah. Shawn, for most of us here in the United States, shoes are such an ordinary part of everyday life that it can be hard to imagine going without them. Help us appreciate the difference a good pair of shoes can make in a child's life there where you're at.
Shawn Spurrier: Yeah. We, you know, globally, and we've we've discussed this before, but but shoes provide access to education. Um, I'm looking at a couple hundred students right now as we speak who um who are are able to attend the school that we're at right now because of the provision of shoes. Um, we're in an area, like I said, where um where there's some real economic struggles, some real poverty, and and that education is vital to their rising above poverty. And so shoes lower barriers to that education. Um, you know, we're we're in an area too where there are are plenty of opportunities for footborne illnesses if you don't have adequate shoes, and we're promoting health in that way. And additionally, Buckner is helping to make sure that they have access to any medical um services that they need here. Um, but we're also able to come alongside families, encourage them, plug them into the Buckner Family Hope Center ministries. Um, so it's it's so much more than a pair of shoes. That's really the start of the relationship. Um, but but it is a real need here, uh to be certain.
Rob West: Mm, there's no question about it. And Shawn, we're going to get into a few more of the details in our short time with you this morning. But for somebody who's listening right now and saying, "I'm in. I absolutely want to help put a pair of shoes or maybe several pairs of shoes on a child in that part of the world so they can attend school and be protected from footborne illness, but also so you can share the gospel with them," give us a sense of what kind of gift makes that possible and where they go to do it.
Shawn Spurrier: You know, this is this is one of the easiest things. I I love it. You know, a a gift of $15 will provide a pair of shoes and socks for a child, and we'll get them to the child. Um, and so, you know, you can serve 10 children with $150. Um, you know, maybe I'm biased, but it's rare that you have an opportunity to impact the lives of that many children and open up that many doors with that accessible of a gift. And so we're um we're privileged to be able to come alongside these families and do it. Um, all you have to do is go to giveshoestoday.org, um, and you can serve children directly right there through the gift of shoes.
Rob West: Yeah, that's exactly right. Folks, we've been doing this all month long, but September has come and gone. So if you'd like to be a part of reaching this goal here at Faith Fi, today is the final day to give. Just head to giveshoestoday.org, giveshoestoday.org, and as uh as Shawn said, $15 will put a pair of new shoes and socks uh on the feet of a child in some part of the world where it is much needed, and it will cover the cost of the transportation to get the shoes to the ground. Our goal is 1,000 children served. Maybe we can go well beyond that, but you can be a part right now, giveshoestoday.org. All right, Shawn, you've alluded to this. Uh, you've seen the kids coming out of the classroom, they know they're going to get the shoes today. But I want you to take us inside one of these shoe distributions for a moment. When a child arrives, what does that experience look like from start to finish?
Shawn Spurrier: Yeah, so we these children just showed up a little bit ago, some of them coming from the neighborhood, some of them coming from the from the school that they were already at this morning. Um, and as we as we speak right now, I'm watching them uh hear a gospel presentation. And one of the ways that we're we're connecting that to the whole event here is um we're we're telling the story of Jesus washing his disciples' feet. One of the things that we'll get to do today when we're providing these shoes for these children is mirror Christ in that way by kneeling in front of them and washing their feet, um and letting know them know that they're cared and they're loved for, they're not forgotten. But what we're trying to communicate in this message this morning before all the stations start is that A, we can serve others as well, um that Jesus gave us an example of that, but B, and more importantly, that the greatest act of service um that he provided for us was coming on our behalf, dying for us, raising again, and and and forgiving us and saving us from our sins. So we have an opportunity to communicate the gospel right off the bat to these children. Then they're going to move into their stations. We've got recreation stations where they're going to be uh just having fun playing games. There's STEM stations where they're, uh you know, working with their minds and and their their learning new little uh STEM activities. Um, and then uh we've got the shoe distribution area where they receive their shoes. We also are able to uh provide gospel bracelets for them, where they're making the gospel bracelets and hearing the story once again. Every aspect of the work that we're doing this week, the gospel is interwoven into it. And then we'll have time to just kind of fellowship with them and their families uh before we head out to our next stop. And so it's just a really joyful, uh fun time, but we're we try to be very intentional with the opportunity we have in each one of these stations. Um, and again, we we don't know what doors these pairs of shoes will open um for for these kids individually. We don't know every story that they're going to go into, but we do know that the Lord uses this for a lot of a lot of life change. So uh it's a fun day, it's an exciting day. You may hear the laughter and the clapping behind me. Um, we're just getting started. But uh yeah, it's a really um intentional set of rotations, kind of in a Vacation Bible School setup, um if you can imagine that, where we're we're getting to serve these kids in a variety of ways.
Rob West: I love it. We're talking with Shawn Spurrier with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. Uh, he's on the ground. In fact, he just got to their first distribution site in Oaxaca, Mexico, and he and his team will be distributing shoes and serving children and families. Folks, our goal this month, uh throughout the month between you and Faith Fi and Buckner, is to have enough given to put the shoes and socks on the feet of 1,000 children in some part of the world where shoes are much needed. Every $15 given will help us um be able to provide one pair of shoes and socks and the cost to get the shoes to the distribution site. Go to giveshoestoday.org. Now, we've got just about a minute and a half left, Shawn, and then we'll let you get to the shoe distribution. But um, you've mentioned a couple of times the Buckner Family Hope Center. Give us just a quick overview of this aspect of it, because I love that your team's not just in and out, you're there and committed to that community, right?
Shawn Spurrier: 100%. Our We have a Family Hope Center, which is a community-based program providing after-school care and economic strengthening, spiritual care, um and so many other things to help families rise above poverty, achieve sustainability, and and know their worth and understand the gospel. That is a program that we've got here 365 days a year. This school is actually a beneficiary, they've asked us to come in and help them, um uh provide resources. And so this is not just a drop shoes off and leave thing. This is really the entry to some long-term relationships that the Lord uses to to really provide some some real transformation.
Rob West: Incredible. Folks, throughout the month of September, we're inviting you, Faith Fi listeners, to help provide shoes for 1,000 children, and you're hearing the voice of Shawn Spurrier, he's on the ground, this is the kind of shoe distribution that will be taking place as they deliver your shoes when you make a gift of $15 today to provide a new pair of shoes and socks for one child plus the cost of the transportation. Just go to giveshoestoday.org. Shawn, thanks so much for uh taking the time to be with us today and giving us a glimpse of the work you and the Buckner team are doing there in Oaxaca. We're so grateful for you and our partnership.
Shawn Spurrier: Rob, we're so grateful for you as well. Thanks for having me on today.
Rob West: That's Shawn Spurrier, Director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, joining us live from Oaxaca, Mexico. Well, we've covered a lot of ground today, and it's been my privilege to come alongside you to help you sort through the financial situations in your life, pointing you to the wisdom only found in God's Word. A big thanks to my team today: DevIn, Patty, Taylor, and all of the team members here at Faith Fi. I certainly couldn't do this without them. Uh, before we go, just a quick reminder, today is the final day to join us in partnering with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls to help supply shoes for 1,000 children around the world. You can make your gift today at giveshoestoday.org. We'll see you next time.
What does it mean to honor God with your investments? On this Faith & Finance on AFR, Harry Pearson joins Rob West to talk about his personal stewardship journey, the legacy of values we pass to the next generation, and how biblical convictions can shape the way we invest. Then, it’s on to calls.
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