Rob West: There was not a needy person among them. That's how Acts 4:34 describes the early church. Hi, I'm Rob West. The first Christians practiced a remarkable kind of generosity, freely sharing what God had entrusted to them so that needs were met among them. What can their example teach us about living generously today? Dr. Darrell Bock joins us to explore that today, and then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. This is Faith & Finance on American Family Radio, biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
Joining us today is Dr. Darrell Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies and Executive Director of Cultural Engagement for the Hendricks Center at Dallas Theological Seminary. He's also one of the world's foremost scholars on the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. And through decades of teaching and writing, Dr. Bock has helped countless Christians better understand the early church and its vision for faithful living. Dr. Bock, what an absolute pleasure to have you with us on Faith & Finance.
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, it's good to be with you, Rob, and I'm looking forward to the conversation.
Rob West: We are as well. Dr. Bock, money and possessions receive, of course, considerable attention throughout Luke's Gospel. I want to start there. Why is generosity such an important theme for Luke, and how does that theme carry from the ministry of Jesus into the life of the church in Acts?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, the use of resources to encourage one another and to show the bountifulness of the creation is really an important theme in Scripture, and in Luke in particular. And so, what I tell my students is that Luke tells people to hold what they own with loose hands, that what they are—they're actually stewards of the resources that God gives them. They aren't owners in the technical sense of that term. And so, how we manage our resources to serve others, which is part of serving that we're called to be as Christians in every area, what we do with our resources is but one example of that.
Rob West: I love that idea of loose hands. I think you're exactly right. It's that posture of an open palm that reflects the idea that we own nothing, but we are responsible for everything entrusted to us. Now, Acts 2 places this remarkable display of generosity immediately after Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit. What does that placement tell us about the relationship between spiritual transformation and the way believers handle their possessions?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, the main thing that happens with the coming of the Spirit and the seeking of God's forgiveness is that an arrow that's basically been pointed towards me and my agenda in my life—you know, the old commercial that says, "You deserve a break today," where you are the focus and the center of the universe—that arrow gets pushed up and out. It gets pushed up towards God and out towards others. And the same attitude then is reflected in the way we have resources. The resources that we have aren't just for me. It's not even just for my family, but it's for people around us and the people that God brings us into relationship with. And the early church saw itself as an extended family. All brothers and sisters in Christ. And so, the extended family needed care, and when there were needs, the extended family had those needs met by the family members who were able to provide them.
Rob West: It's a powerful picture. Now, some readers, Dr. Bock, have looked at Acts 2 and 4 and wondered whether the early church abandoned private ownership altogether. What details in the text help us understand the voluntary nature of their generosity?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, interestingly enough, the interesting passage in this regard is Acts 5, when Ananias and Sapphira are judged with death by God for lying about the fact that they gave everything when they held some stuff back. And in the midst of that, Peter says, as the judgment is coming down, "You had the right to hold back to this. The lie wasn't found in your doing that. Your lie is found in saying you gave everything when you didn't." And so, that makes it very, very clear that what we're dealing with is not an obligatory giving over, but a voluntary giving over, which actually shows how wonderful the attitude in the early church was, because no one had to force them into caring for other people. They did it naturally. They did it out of their own generous heart.
Rob West: I love it. Well, we're going to continue to unpack this just around the corner, the remarkable generosity of the early church that flowed from a deeper reality that they were united in Christ. We're talking today with Dr. Darrell Bock. He's Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies and Executive Director of Cultural Engagement for the Hendricks Center at Dallas Theological Seminary. Much more just around the corner on what the early church can teach us about generosity. This is Faith & Finance on American Family Radio. We'll be right back.
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Rob West: Powerful idea in Acts 4:34: "There was not a needy person among them." And this described the generosity of the early church. What a treat today to have Dr. Darrell Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at the Dallas Theological Seminary. And we talked before the break about this picture of generosity that we see in the book of Acts. Dr. Bock, you've noted in your work that the Greek verbs Luke uses suggest an ongoing pattern. Believers were selling possessions and giving whatever needs arose. How does that change the picture from everyone liquidating everything at once to a community continually responding to one another?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, it shows—how can I say this?—it shows some reflection and discernment about how to go about doing this, the fact that they didn't sell everything all at once, but that they took their time doing it. You know, the example I like to use, I like to contrast what Jesus says to the rich ruler when He tells him to sell everything, and contrast that with Zacchaeus, who said he sold half of what he had, and he ends up being commended for the fact that he's generous and holds his possessions with loose hands. And so I'm saying the requirement isn't to sell everything. The requirement is to be generous with the resources God gives you in a wise way, and in a way that allows you to be generous and to continue to be generous. Because once you sell everything and give it all away, you're on the other end of the spectrum, you're going to need help, as opposed to being able to provide it. So, it's a very, very important idea that says that you manage this exercise. And the fact that it's voluntary is also important. That what we're actually gauging, what we see by the way the early church does this, is the nature of their heart. And it isn't that they're forced into doing it, they must do it. It is that they choose to do it, and their heart is inclined to do it, which says something about their character.
Rob West: Yeah, what a great insight. Now, Acts 4 says the believers were, quote, "one in heart and soul," end quote, before describing how they shared their resources. So, how are relational unity and financial generosity connected? And can we practice the generosity of Acts without first recovering that sense of Christian community?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, the sense of Christian community comes from actually deeply believing that you're connected to other people that you are engaged with. So whether you're thinking about this in the context of your own congregation or whatever Christian community you operate in, the idea is that I see the people seated next to me on Sunday—if I can use a picture—as family. And so, you know, we sometimes go around in church and call someone a brother or sister, but in this case, it's meant. And because it's meant, that means that I care for needs that I become aware of as they arise within that community. And that's what was happening. And so this generous spirit was a part of what was being asked for. You know, it's interesting in Luke, when John the Baptist is preaching on repenting, and you think, "Well, he's going to say something about our relationship to God." And the crowd asks, "Well, what must we do to bring, you know, fruit worthy of repentance?" when that's the exhortation John gives. And he turns around and he says, "If someone needs a shirt and you are able to provide it, provide it." That's the answer. I mean, he doesn't talk about the relationship to God at all. He talks about how we're dealing and caring for other people, which is also reflected in the Great Commandment, because the Great Commandment links our love for God and our love for our neighbor. And Jesus takes two commands and says, "These actually belong together."
Rob West: Yeah, that is so good. Now, let's go back to Acts 4:34 for a second. We said there was this statement in there that says, "There was not a needy person among them." So, what should we understand by that statement? Is the goal that every believer have the same amount, or that no genuine need exist within the community?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, I guess the best commentary on this is in 1 Timothy 6, which is actually a chapter that has a lot to say about resources. In fact, it's the most condensed chapter in the entire Bible on this topic. And it basically says—Paul talks about, "If we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content." So we're talking about the ability to be provided with basic needs: food and shelter. And if you have food and shelter, if you have a place to, you know, lay your head down at night and you're able to feed yourself from day to day, you're supposed to be content with that. Everything else is luxury. And so, in that sense, that's how I think when it says people's needs are being taken care of, no one's homeless and no one's going hungry.
Rob West: Yes. Dr. Bock, Luke presents Barnabas as a positive example of generosity, and then immediately gives us Ananias and Sapphira as a tragic contrast. What does that comparison teach us about generosity and honesty and motives, and the temptation to appear more generous than we truly are?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, it is—it's exactly that. It is the appearance of being something you aren't that Ananias and Sapphira run into, and that brings judgment. Whereas Barnabas is commended. And it's this voluntary nature of what it is that Barnabas is doing that's so commendable and is so worthy of imitation. And that imitation is important, even though it's descriptive, because it's being praised as something worth doing. And so Barnabas is being lifted up as a positive example. This is how to engage with the resources that you have, this is the attitude to have towards them. Ananias and Sapphira, who misrepresent how generous they are, that is something to be avoided.
Rob West: Yes, well said. Acts is describing what happened, rather than issuing a direct command that every Christian sell property. But you've cautioned against using the phrase "descriptive, not prescriptive" to drain the passage of its force. So how should we let this example then challenge us without turning it into some kind of formula?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, it's the nature of narrative oftentimes to tell a story in which it brings forward something to be commended, rather than issuing a command. But the point is, the point of telling the story and issuing the example is, it's an example to be followed. It's an example that is lifted up and saying, "That's the direction you should be going. This is the way your heart should be inclined." And so it's supposed to be something to be embraced, as opposed to being, "Well, how can I end up not doing this?" That's not the point. The point is, no, Barnabas is commended, the early church is commended for its generosity, because we are supposed to be a generous people.
Rob West: Yeah. Let's bring this into the here and now. What might the spirit of Acts 2 and 4 look like in the local church today? Are we primarily talking about benevolence funds, or does Luke envision something more relational—believers knowing one another well enough to recognize needs and then respond personally?
Dr. Darrell Bock: I think it's very much the latter. It is having an awareness of what's going on to be able to meet needs. You don't even need to have to go through your church to help somebody if you know they have need, that kind of thing. There's just an orientation towards your neighbor that reflects the Great Commandment, which is to love your neighbor as yourself. And so if I'm doing that, you know, most of us spend a lot of time thinking about our own well-being. The text is saying, let's think about the well-being of others like we think about our own well-being.
Rob West: Would you leave us with one practical question we can take away from Acts 2 and 4 that perhaps we should ask about what God has entrusted to us?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, I think the question is, given the resources that I have and the way in which God may have blessed me in life, what can I do to bless someone else who may not be as fortunate as I am? And so it just produces a heart attitude, and that heart attitude has, as we've said, holding your possessions with open hands.
Rob West: Well said. Folks, the remarkable generosity of the early church flowed from a deeper reality: they were united in Christ. And we believe true generosity still begins there, with hearts transformed by the gospel and surrendered lives to God's purposes. Dr. Bock, thanks for your time today.
Dr. Darrell Bock: My pleasure.
Rob West: That's Dr. Darrell Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. All right, a quick break, and then back with your questions. 800-525-7000, call right now. We'll be right back.
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Rob West: Great to have you with us today on Faith & Finance here on American Family Radio. I'm Rob West. Well, our lines are open. We've got some time to take your questions today: 800-525-7000. What a delightful conversation with Dr. Bach today. But now we want to turn the conversation to whatever you're thinking about in your financial life because here's what we recognize: what is most of most concern to you is what passes through your hands. And so, as you give, save, and spend, we want to help you do that under the lordship of Christ, recognizing He owns it all, we're stewards, and we want to be faithful. That's the measure. What does faithfulness look like with what I have today? Not when the stock portfolio gets to a certain level, not when I get that next raise, not when maybe prices come back down. What does faithfulness look like today so that I can move forward with confidence, knowing I'm pursuing what the Lord has for me in this area of money management, understanding the principles we see in Scripture, applying them to our lives, but really, in a constant conversation with the Lord to say, "Lord, what would You have me to do with Your money? Not what should I do with my money, Lord, what would You have me to do with what You've entrusted to me?"
So, whatever that conversation is you'd like to have today—preparing the next steward, getting out of debt, when to take Social Security, how to approach this stock market—we'd love to hear from you: 800-525-7000. Again, that number: 800-525-7000. You can call right now; we'll get to as many questions as we can.
In the news today, President Donald Trump has announced that nearly 1 million Americans enrolled in the Affordable Care health plans will receive a $500 refund check beginning in October. The refunds will be available in 30 states that use the federally operated ACA marketplace. According to the White House, the approximately 500 million in payments will come from surplus user fees collected from insurers participating in the federal exchange. The administration says these fees ultimately contributed to consumers' insurance costs. The refunds will primarily go to middle-income households that don't currently receive federal assistance to lower their monthly premiums, although some lower-income enrollees may also qualify. The announcement comes as many ACA participants are paying higher premiums following the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits at the end of 2025. Health policy analysts cited by CNBC said that while the $500 payments may provide some relief, they could offset only a portion of the additional annual costs facing some households. Eligible states include Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas, among others. States operating their own ACA marketplace are not included in the refund program. The White House says eligible Americans will begin receiving the $500 checks in October. So, that's really, hopefully, some welcome news if you're finding yourself in that ACA marketplace faced by increasing premiums. Hopefully, this will give you just a bit of relief.
All right, we want to dive into your questions today. Again, that number: 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. You can call right now. Let's go down to Georgia. Roy, how can I help you?
Roy: Hey, y'all. I don't want to mention the name of the ministry, but it's a ministry that I feel really, really used of God. And a friend of mine was living down there in that area in Florida. And I said, "Hey, why don't you go by that church?" And he said, "Well, I would, but I don't like it because the requirement of membership is to give 10%. And I always give—I tithe myself, you know, but I didn't know that a church would reg—reg—I don't know how you say—require it, you know, to be a member."
Rob West: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a great question, you know. And I think at the end of the day, our giving is between us and the Lord, and so we need to take that to Him in prayer. Obviously, you know, many churches will look at your giving record and typically there's not a 10% requirement. Typically, to be in leadership, often to serve in the church, maybe to be a deacon or to serve in some other capacity, they will have an evaluation of regular and consistent giving to the church. But, you know, I'm not familiar with cases where they're actually looking to meet a certain percentage threshold. Often that's just, are you a consistent giver to the church of any amount, frankly? And if so, then that would often meet that requirement. Do you believe this goes beyond that?
Roy: Ah, well, I mean, I think we need to always be in a giving spirit and stuff, you know, from my heart. Because like you say, we're just—we're just, uh... The money is not ours, you know. God lets us have a certain percentage of it, and then we give, you know, back to Him. But everything we have belongs to Him. My pastor kind of told me one day, he says, "You know..." He said, "Well, you always tithe," and I was glad he said that. And he said, "There's a lot of our members don't really do it, but I'm—I'm not going to sit there, you know... But they—they get the consequences from not doing it, see?"
Rob West: Yeah. Yeah. That's right. Well, here's the bottom line. I mean, I think Christians should absolutely be generous. I mean, you can't look through the counsel of Scripture and not see this idea that God intends His blessings to flow through His people. John Maxwell says we should be rivers, not reservoirs. So, God's provision shouldn't stop with us, and we should give from the very beginning, not the leftovers. But New Testament giving doesn't prescribe 10% as the required amount for Christians. Under the Mosaic Covenant, Israel's tithes were a part of a broader system. The New Testament and its giving is described as willing, proportionate, and cheerful. It even says in 2 Corinthians 9, "not reluctant or under compulsion." We also see it characterized by sacrificial giving. But remember, Paul says a gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what one does not have. So, how does that intersect with the local church? Well, I think they can establish membership expectations including an expectation around generosity and stewardship. But I think requiring exactly 10% risks elevating a particular interpretation of giving to the level of a biblical command. And if that's causing people not to attend, I'd want to understand a bit more about exactly what's happening. Hey, stay on the line, Roy. Let's talk a bit more. We'll be right back.
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Rob West: Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance here on American Family Radio. Coming up in our next segment, we check in with Sean Spurrier live on the ground in Mexico at one of the Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls shoe distributions. You know this month, all month long, we're asking you to partner with us here at FaithFi to fund 1,000 shoes and socks to be placed on the feet of a child in some part of the world that doesn't have access to shoes. And that's a barrier to them going to school. It often leads to footborne illness. And so we're asking you to help $15 at a time to provide a pair of shoes and socks and the cost to transport them with us as we partner with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. We're on our way to that $1,000 goal. We're not there yet. If you'd like to be a part of it, just go to giveshoestoday.org. That's giveshoestoday.org. Every $15 funds a pair of shoes, socks, and the cost to transport them. And keep in mind, not only are these kids getting a new pair of shoes, they're going to be presented the gospel. They're going to receive the dignity and the worth found in somebody seeing them and the Lord seeing them and being able to understand the good news of Jesus, how he's paid the penalty for their sins. And then the child along with their family are going to be connected back to a local church or a Buckner Hope Center there on the ground in that part of the world. It's just an amazing ministry. And here in the back-to-school month in the United States, where so many of us are buying new shoes for our kids, here's an opportunity to add $15 and cover a pair of shoes that is far more impactful in another part of the world than it is here. Again, that website: giveshoestoday.org. Sean Spurrier with us in the next segment on the ground in Mexico. It'll be great to check in with Sean.
In the meantime, we're taking your questions. We've got some lines open. If you've got a question today, something happening in your financial life, we'd love to hear about it: 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000.
What a treat to talk to Roy a moment ago. He and I had a chance to visit a bit more off the air, and I encouraged him to encourage his friend to have a conversation with the church's leadership. If there's a misunderstanding or perhaps there's something that's unclear—in this case, he felt like his understanding is that if you're not giving at a specific 10% level, then you're not able to be a member. Well, ask for an opportunity to meet with church leadership. Ask for them to clarify what that rule is, and then let's talk about where in Scripture they believe that 10% specifically should be a condition of membership. It can be done graciously and gracefully, but lead to hopefully better understanding.
You know, as we think about giving often—and I was a part of an event last night in Orlando, I'm actually still here at the moment. If you've read The Common Good magazine, just a phenomenal publication by Made to Flourish, they had something called The Common Table, which is a gathering of 40 Christ-followers where there's a topic, a great meal at a great restaurant, and just meeting new people and talking about things that are life-giving and God-honoring. And the conversation last night with the editor, Aaron Klein Handberry, and myself—he interviewed me around the intersection of faith and finance. And I was able to share some thoughts, and then we all went to our seats and just met some new people and had a great conversation around how we think about money through the lens of Scripture and how our faith impacts that.
And one of the questions we talked about that I think relates back to what Roy was asking is: What is the purpose of wealth? What is it for? And you know, I think there's many opportunities because we know that money, wealth, is both a danger and an opportunity, and it's closely connected to our hearts. But I think perhaps the clearest answer to that question, "What is wealth for?", comes from Ephesians 4:28: "Let the thief steal no longer, instead let him work, do honest work with his hands, so that..."
Now, based on most Christian teaching around money, you might think that what comes after "so that" is "so that he can provide for his family." That's not what it says. It says, "so that he can share with someone in need."
So perhaps the clearest, most applicable answer to that question of "What is the purpose of wealth?" is for us to give, is for us to meet the needs around us. Now, if we look at the full counsel of Scripture, we see that it's much more than that—that money is in fact an opportunity both to provide for our families, to enjoy appropriately, to give, to invest, to do a whole lot of things. We look at Boaz, and we see how he used his resources with margin and generosity to love and serve his neighbors on the fringes of his land. We see Joseph saving a fifth of everything that came in during the season of abundance to serve the people in the season of famine. So, there are a number of very appropriate ways to use money. We just need to be on our guard, because we know it's also dangerous if we're not careful. It can compete with our hearts, and we just need to be on our guard. Hopefully, that's something for you to think about.
All right, let's dive into some questions. Tina is calling from Texas. Tina, go right ahead.
Tina: Yes. I wanted to find out—I have $15,000 in a CD, and I want to pull it out and see about putting it in like an Edward Jones or Merrill Lynch. What is a good idea for me to do with the $15,000?
Rob West: Yeah. What is the purpose of this money, Tina? Does it have a time horizon associated with how you expect to use it?
Tina: Well, I'm 62, and I want to try to see if it'll—if I can get it to grow any.
Rob West: Okay. Is this money you could say, not touch for 10 years or more, potentially?
Tina: Yeah, I would say yes.
Rob West: Okay, great. And how would you feel about moving it beyond something that's on the most conservative end of the spectrum, like a CD or a money market, into let's say a mutual fund that has both stocks and bonds? Would you be open to that?
Tina: Yes.
Rob West: Okay. Yeah, so I think that's a great opportunity for you. Perhaps one of the faith-based investing mutual funds from our friends at Timothy Plan, or Eventide, or GuideStone, or Eventide could be a great way for you to have a balanced fund—exchange-traded fund, perhaps—that is in the stock and bond markets, so a mix of both asset classes.
But the key would be that you don't plan to touch it. Because here's what we don't know: We don't know where the market's headed in the next 1 month, or 6 months, or even a year. You know, could we hit a recession here? I mean, we've got plenty of things going on geopolitically around the world with the Middle East, and Iran, and oil. We've got a whole host of issues. We've got a market that's been red-hot, led by tech and AI; there's some questions around that in the near term. So, you know, could we see a 20-30% decline in the market? We could, at any point, frankly, regardless of today's circumstances. And so that's why we stay diversified, meaning you would not want to own one company or a couple of companies—you'd want to own hundreds of companies in a basket, which is where the idea of an exchange-traded fund comes from. It's a basket of investments. And you would want to have a long time horizon, because for that stock portion of that investment, if the market was down 20 or 30%, you wouldn't want to have to sell it and get access to your $15,000; you'd want to be able to let it come back. Which, regardless of the situation in the past—1929, 1987, the dot-com bubble burst, the Great Recession of '08—all of those have recovered and moved to higher highs. And so the key is time and diversification.
With that said, let me just make sure: Do you have, separate from this $15,000, what I call an emergency fund?
Tina: No, I don't.
Rob West: Okay. So I think for that reason, even though you're saying, "You know, I probably can just not touch this and leave it alone," I really would be hesitant on you investing this. I would much rather you take this money, and when the CD comes due so you don't pay any penalties, I'd just put it in a high-yield savings account. Perhaps with our friends at AdelFi Christian Banking—you could go to faithfi.com/banking. They're paying 4% on their money market. But you really need something that's safe and liquid that you can tap into if the unexpected comes. Thanks for your call.
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Rob West: Welcome back to Faith & Finance on American Family Radio. We're joined now by Sean 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. Sean is joining us today from Oaxaca, Mexico, where he and his team are on the ground distributing shoes and serving children and families. And Sean, it is great to have you with us from Mexico.
Sean Spurrier: Good morning. So glad to be with you all today.
Rob West: Now, Sean, 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?
Sean Spurrier: Yeah, absolutely. So we're we're in a in a little city, little town right outside of Oaxaca. So we're about 45 minutes outside of the town, the city of Oaxaca. Today we're 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. 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. 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, Sean, at this point that they're getting a new pair of shoes today?
Sean 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. 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.
Sean Spurrier: Yeah, you know, in this specific area that we're in today, I was just communicating with our team about this. This is an area where, 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 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. Food and water is is scarce here. Water sources that are clean are hard to come by. Many of these families don't have the income for three square meals a day the way that that you and I do. And so we're really kind of struggling in this particular community with really all their infrastructure needs. And Buckner is able to to come alongside even elementary schools that are not run by Buckner, like we're at this morning, and encourage them and and provide 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. But yeah, we're we're struggling with some real infrastructure issues here, all across the board.
Rob West: Mm, yeah. Sean, 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.
Sean Spurrier: Yeah. We, you know, globally, and we've we've discussed this before, but but shoes provide access to education. I'm looking at a couple hundred students right now as we speak who who are are able to attend the school that we're at right now because of the provision of shoes. We're in an area like I said, where where there's some real economic struggles, some real poverty. And that education is vital to their rising above poverty. And so shoes lower barriers to that education. You know, we're we're in an area, too, where there are plenty of opportunities for footborne illnesses if you don't have adequate shoes. And we're providing health in that way. And then, in addition, Buckner is helping to make sure that they have access to any medical services that they need here. But we're also able to come alongside families, encourage them, plug them into the Buckner Family Hope Center ministries. So it's it's so much more than a pair of shoes. That's really the start of the relationship. But but it is a real need here, to be certain.
Rob West: Mm, there's no question about it. And Sean, 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.
Sean Spurrier: You know, this is this is one of the easiest things. I I love it. You know, a gift of $15 will provide a pair of shoes and socks for a child and will get them to the child. And so, you know, you can serve 10 children with a $150. 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 we're privileged to be able to come alongside these families and do it. All you have to do is go to giveshoestoday.org, and you can serve children directly right there through the gift of shoes.
Rob West: That's exactly right. Folks, we're doing this all month long, but this month will come and go. And so if you'd like to be a part of helping us reach this goal here at FaithFi with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, just head to giveshoestoday.org, giveshoestoday.org. And as as Sean said, $15 will put a pair of new shoes and socks 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, Sean, you've alluded to this. 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?
Sean Spurrier: Yeah. So these children just showed up a little bit ago, some of them coming from the neighborhood, some of them coming from the school that they were already at this morning. And as we as we speak right now, I'm watching them hear a gospel presentation. And one of the ways that we're we're connecting that to the whole event here is 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, 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, that Jesus gave us an example of that, but B, and more importantly, that the greatest act of service that he provided for us was coming on our behalf, dying for us, raising again, 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 just having fun playing games. There are STEM stations where they're, you know, working with their minds and and they're learning new little STEM activities. And then we've got the shoe distribution area, where they receive their shoes. We also are able to 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 to just kind of fellowship with them and their families before we head out to our our next stop. And so it's just a really joyful, fun time. But we're trying to be very intentional with the opportunity we have in each one of these stations. And again, we don't know what doors these pairs of shoes will open 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 it's a fun day, it's an exciting day. You may hear the laughter and the clapping behind me. We're just getting started. But yeah, it's a really intentional set of rotations, kind of in a Vacation Bible School setup, if you can imagine that, where we're getting to serve these kids in a variety of ways.
Rob West: I love it. We're talking with Sean Spurrier with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. 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, throughout the month between you and FaithFi 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 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, Sean, and then we'll let you get to the shoe distribution. But 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?
Sean Spurrier: 100%. We have a Family Hope Center, which is a community-based program providing after-school care, economic strengthening, spiritual care, and so many other things to help families rise above poverty, achieve sustainability, 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 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, FaithFi listeners, to help provide shoes for 1,000 children. And you're hearing the voice of Sean 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. Sean, thanks so much for 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.
Sean Spurrier: Rob, we're so grateful for you as well. Thanks for having me on today.
Rob West: That's Sean Spurrier, Director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, joining us live from Oaxaca, Mexico. Well, that's going to do it for us today. It's been a joy to be with you and to help tackle your financial questions using the wisdom from God's Word. A big thanks to my team, Devin, Patty, Taylor, and all of the team members here at FaithFi. I couldn't do this without them. And before we go, let me mention one more time our partnership with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. Throughout September, we're hoping to supply shoes for 1,000 children around the world. You can join us in making a difference today at giveshoestoday.org. We'll see you next time.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family Association or American Family Radio.
Rob West: There was not a needy person among them. That's how Acts 4:34 describes the early church. Hi, I'm Rob West. The first Christians practiced a remarkable kind of generosity, freely sharing what God had entrusted to them so that needs were met among them. What can their example teach us about living generously today? Dr. Darrell Bock joins us to explore that today, and then it's on to your calls at 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. This is Faith & Finance on American Family Radio, biblical wisdom for your financial decisions.
Joining us today is Dr. Darrell Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies and Executive Director of Cultural Engagement for the Hendricks Center at Dallas Theological Seminary. He's also one of the world's foremost scholars on the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. And through decades of teaching and writing, Dr. Bock has helped countless Christians better understand the early church and its vision for faithful living. Dr. Bock, what an absolute pleasure to have you with us on Faith & Finance.
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, it's good to be with you, Rob, and I'm looking forward to the conversation.
Rob West: We are as well. Dr. Bock, money and possessions receive, of course, considerable attention throughout Luke's Gospel. I want to start there. Why is generosity such an important theme for Luke, and how does that theme carry from the ministry of Jesus into the life of the church in Acts?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, the use of resources to encourage one another and to show the bountifulness of the creation is really an important theme in Scripture, and in Luke in particular. And so, what I tell my students is that Luke tells people to hold what they own with loose hands, that what they are—they're actually stewards of the resources that God gives them. They aren't owners in the technical sense of that term. And so, how we manage our resources to serve others, which is part of serving that we're called to be as Christians in every area, what we do with our resources is but one example of that.
Rob West: I love that idea of loose hands. I think you're exactly right. It's that posture of an open palm that reflects the idea that we own nothing, but we are responsible for everything entrusted to us. Now, Acts 2 places this remarkable display of generosity immediately after Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit. What does that placement tell us about the relationship between spiritual transformation and the way believers handle their possessions?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, the main thing that happens with the coming of the Spirit and the seeking of God's forgiveness is that an arrow that's basically been pointed towards me and my agenda in my life—you know, the old commercial that says, "You deserve a break today," where you are the focus and the center of the universe—that arrow gets pushed up and out. It gets pushed up towards God and out towards others. And the same attitude then is reflected in the way we have resources. The resources that we have aren't just for me. It's not even just for my family, but it's for people around us and the people that God brings us into relationship with. And the early church saw itself as an extended family. All brothers and sisters in Christ. And so, the extended family needed care, and when there were needs, the extended family had those needs met by the family members who were able to provide them.
Rob West: It's a powerful picture. Now, some readers, Dr. Bock, have looked at Acts 2 and 4 and wondered whether the early church abandoned private ownership altogether. What details in the text help us understand the voluntary nature of their generosity?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, interestingly enough, the interesting passage in this regard is Acts 5, when Ananias and Sapphira are judged with death by God for lying about the fact that they gave everything when they held some stuff back. And in the midst of that, Peter says, as the judgment is coming down, "You had the right to hold back to this. The lie wasn't found in your doing that. Your lie is found in saying you gave everything when you didn't." And so, that makes it very, very clear that what we're dealing with is not an obligatory giving over, but a voluntary giving over, which actually shows how wonderful the attitude in the early church was, because no one had to force them into caring for other people. They did it naturally. They did it out of their own generous heart.
Rob West: I love it. Well, we're going to continue to unpack this just around the corner, the remarkable generosity of the early church that flowed from a deeper reality that they were united in Christ. We're talking today with Dr. Darrell Bock. He's Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies and Executive Director of Cultural Engagement for the Hendricks Center at Dallas Theological Seminary. Much more just around the corner on what the early church can teach us about generosity. This is Faith & Finance on American Family Radio. We'll be right back.
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Rob West: Powerful idea in Acts 4:34: "There was not a needy person among them." And this described the generosity of the early church. What a treat today to have Dr. Darrell Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at the Dallas Theological Seminary. And we talked before the break about this picture of generosity that we see in the book of Acts. Dr. Bock, you've noted in your work that the Greek verbs Luke uses suggest an ongoing pattern. Believers were selling possessions and giving whatever needs arose. How does that change the picture from everyone liquidating everything at once to a community continually responding to one another?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, it shows—how can I say this?—it shows some reflection and discernment about how to go about doing this, the fact that they didn't sell everything all at once, but that they took their time doing it. You know, the example I like to use, I like to contrast what Jesus says to the rich ruler when He tells him to sell everything, and contrast that with Zacchaeus, who said he sold half of what he had, and he ends up being commended for the fact that he's generous and holds his possessions with loose hands. And so I'm saying the requirement isn't to sell everything. The requirement is to be generous with the resources God gives you in a wise way, and in a way that allows you to be generous and to continue to be generous. Because once you sell everything and give it all away, you're on the other end of the spectrum, you're going to need help, as opposed to being able to provide it. So, it's a very, very important idea that says that you manage this exercise. And the fact that it's voluntary is also important. That what we're actually gauging, what we see by the way the early church does this, is the nature of their heart. And it isn't that they're forced into doing it, they must do it. It is that they choose to do it, and their heart is inclined to do it, which says something about their character.
Rob West: Yeah, what a great insight. Now, Acts 4 says the believers were, quote, "one in heart and soul," end quote, before describing how they shared their resources. So, how are relational unity and financial generosity connected? And can we practice the generosity of Acts without first recovering that sense of Christian community?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, the sense of Christian community comes from actually deeply believing that you're connected to other people that you are engaged with. So whether you're thinking about this in the context of your own congregation or whatever Christian community you operate in, the idea is that I see the people seated next to me on Sunday—if I can use a picture—as family. And so, you know, we sometimes go around in church and call someone a brother or sister, but in this case, it's meant. And because it's meant, that means that I care for needs that I become aware of as they arise within that community. And that's what was happening. And so this generous spirit was a part of what was being asked for. You know, it's interesting in Luke, when John the Baptist is preaching on repenting, and you think, "Well, he's going to say something about our relationship to God." And the crowd asks, "Well, what must we do to bring, you know, fruit worthy of repentance?" when that's the exhortation John gives. And he turns around and he says, "If someone needs a shirt and you are able to provide it, provide it." That's the answer. I mean, he doesn't talk about the relationship to God at all. He talks about how we're dealing and caring for other people, which is also reflected in the Great Commandment, because the Great Commandment links our love for God and our love for our neighbor. And Jesus takes two commands and says, "These actually belong together."
Rob West: Yeah, that is so good. Now, let's go back to Acts 4:34 for a second. We said there was this statement in there that says, "There was not a needy person among them." So, what should we understand by that statement? Is the goal that every believer have the same amount, or that no genuine need exist within the community?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, I guess the best commentary on this is in 1 Timothy 6, which is actually a chapter that has a lot to say about resources. In fact, it's the most condensed chapter in the entire Bible on this topic. And it basically says—Paul talks about, "If we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content." So we're talking about the ability to be provided with basic needs: food and shelter. And if you have food and shelter, if you have a place to, you know, lay your head down at night and you're able to feed yourself from day to day, you're supposed to be content with that. Everything else is luxury. And so, in that sense, that's how I think when it says people's needs are being taken care of, no one's homeless and no one's going hungry.
Rob West: Yes. Dr. Bock, Luke presents Barnabas as a positive example of generosity, and then immediately gives us Ananias and Sapphira as a tragic contrast. What does that comparison teach us about generosity and honesty and motives, and the temptation to appear more generous than we truly are?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, it is—it's exactly that. It is the appearance of being something you aren't that Ananias and Sapphira run into, and that brings judgment. Whereas Barnabas is commended. And it's this voluntary nature of what it is that Barnabas is doing that's so commendable and is so worthy of imitation. And that imitation is important, even though it's descriptive, because it's being praised as something worth doing. And so Barnabas is being lifted up as a positive example. This is how to engage with the resources that you have, this is the attitude to have towards them. Ananias and Sapphira, who misrepresent how generous they are, that is something to be avoided.
Rob West: Yes, well said. Acts is describing what happened, rather than issuing a direct command that every Christian sell property. But you've cautioned against using the phrase "descriptive, not prescriptive" to drain the passage of its force. So how should we let this example then challenge us without turning it into some kind of formula?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, it's the nature of narrative oftentimes to tell a story in which it brings forward something to be commended, rather than issuing a command. But the point is, the point of telling the story and issuing the example is, it's an example to be followed. It's an example that is lifted up and saying, "That's the direction you should be going. This is the way your heart should be inclined." And so it's supposed to be something to be embraced, as opposed to being, "Well, how can I end up not doing this?" That's not the point. The point is, no, Barnabas is commended, the early church is commended for its generosity, because we are supposed to be a generous people.
Rob West: Yeah. Let's bring this into the here and now. What might the spirit of Acts 2 and 4 look like in the local church today? Are we primarily talking about benevolence funds, or does Luke envision something more relational—believers knowing one another well enough to recognize needs and then respond personally?
Dr. Darrell Bock: I think it's very much the latter. It is having an awareness of what's going on to be able to meet needs. You don't even need to have to go through your church to help somebody if you know they have need, that kind of thing. There's just an orientation towards your neighbor that reflects the Great Commandment, which is to love your neighbor as yourself. And so if I'm doing that, you know, most of us spend a lot of time thinking about our own well-being. The text is saying, let's think about the well-being of others like we think about our own well-being.
Rob West: Would you leave us with one practical question we can take away from Acts 2 and 4 that perhaps we should ask about what God has entrusted to us?
Dr. Darrell Bock: Well, I think the question is, given the resources that I have and the way in which God may have blessed me in life, what can I do to bless someone else who may not be as fortunate as I am? And so it just produces a heart attitude, and that heart attitude has, as we've said, holding your possessions with open hands.
Rob West: Well said. Folks, the remarkable generosity of the early church flowed from a deeper reality: they were united in Christ. And we believe true generosity still begins there, with hearts transformed by the gospel and surrendered lives to God's purposes. Dr. Bock, thanks for your time today.
Dr. Darrell Bock: My pleasure.
Rob West: That's Dr. Darrell Bock, Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. All right, a quick break, and then back with your questions. 800-525-7000, call right now. We'll be right back.
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Rob West: Great to have you with us today on Faith & Finance here on American Family Radio. I'm Rob West. Well, our lines are open. We've got some time to take your questions today: 800-525-7000. What a delightful conversation with Dr. Bach today. But now we want to turn the conversation to whatever you're thinking about in your financial life because here's what we recognize: what is most of most concern to you is what passes through your hands. And so, as you give, save, and spend, we want to help you do that under the lordship of Christ, recognizing He owns it all, we're stewards, and we want to be faithful. That's the measure. What does faithfulness look like with what I have today? Not when the stock portfolio gets to a certain level, not when I get that next raise, not when maybe prices come back down. What does faithfulness look like today so that I can move forward with confidence, knowing I'm pursuing what the Lord has for me in this area of money management, understanding the principles we see in Scripture, applying them to our lives, but really, in a constant conversation with the Lord to say, "Lord, what would You have me to do with Your money? Not what should I do with my money, Lord, what would You have me to do with what You've entrusted to me?"
So, whatever that conversation is you'd like to have today—preparing the next steward, getting out of debt, when to take Social Security, how to approach this stock market—we'd love to hear from you: 800-525-7000. Again, that number: 800-525-7000. You can call right now; we'll get to as many questions as we can.
In the news today, President Donald Trump has announced that nearly 1 million Americans enrolled in the Affordable Care health plans will receive a $500 refund check beginning in October. The refunds will be available in 30 states that use the federally operated ACA marketplace. According to the White House, the approximately 500 million in payments will come from surplus user fees collected from insurers participating in the federal exchange. The administration says these fees ultimately contributed to consumers' insurance costs. The refunds will primarily go to middle-income households that don't currently receive federal assistance to lower their monthly premiums, although some lower-income enrollees may also qualify. The announcement comes as many ACA participants are paying higher premiums following the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits at the end of 2025. Health policy analysts cited by CNBC said that while the $500 payments may provide some relief, they could offset only a portion of the additional annual costs facing some households. Eligible states include Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas, among others. States operating their own ACA marketplace are not included in the refund program. The White House says eligible Americans will begin receiving the $500 checks in October. So, that's really, hopefully, some welcome news if you're finding yourself in that ACA marketplace faced by increasing premiums. Hopefully, this will give you just a bit of relief.
All right, we want to dive into your questions today. Again, that number: 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. You can call right now. Let's go down to Georgia. Roy, how can I help you?
Roy: Hey, y'all. I don't want to mention the name of the ministry, but it's a ministry that I feel really, really used of God. And a friend of mine was living down there in that area in Florida. And I said, "Hey, why don't you go by that church?" And he said, "Well, I would, but I don't like it because the requirement of membership is to give 10%. And I always give—I tithe myself, you know, but I didn't know that a church would reg—reg—I don't know how you say—require it, you know, to be a member."
Rob West: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's a great question, you know. And I think at the end of the day, our giving is between us and the Lord, and so we need to take that to Him in prayer. Obviously, you know, many churches will look at your giving record and typically there's not a 10% requirement. Typically, to be in leadership, often to serve in the church, maybe to be a deacon or to serve in some other capacity, they will have an evaluation of regular and consistent giving to the church. But, you know, I'm not familiar with cases where they're actually looking to meet a certain percentage threshold. Often that's just, are you a consistent giver to the church of any amount, frankly? And if so, then that would often meet that requirement. Do you believe this goes beyond that?
Roy: Ah, well, I mean, I think we need to always be in a giving spirit and stuff, you know, from my heart. Because like you say, we're just—we're just, uh... The money is not ours, you know. God lets us have a certain percentage of it, and then we give, you know, back to Him. But everything we have belongs to Him. My pastor kind of told me one day, he says, "You know..." He said, "Well, you always tithe," and I was glad he said that. And he said, "There's a lot of our members don't really do it, but I'm—I'm not going to sit there, you know... But they—they get the consequences from not doing it, see?"
Rob West: Yeah. Yeah. That's right. Well, here's the bottom line. I mean, I think Christians should absolutely be generous. I mean, you can't look through the counsel of Scripture and not see this idea that God intends His blessings to flow through His people. John Maxwell says we should be rivers, not reservoirs. So, God's provision shouldn't stop with us, and we should give from the very beginning, not the leftovers. But New Testament giving doesn't prescribe 10% as the required amount for Christians. Under the Mosaic Covenant, Israel's tithes were a part of a broader system. The New Testament and its giving is described as willing, proportionate, and cheerful. It even says in 2 Corinthians 9, "not reluctant or under compulsion." We also see it characterized by sacrificial giving. But remember, Paul says a gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what one does not have. So, how does that intersect with the local church? Well, I think they can establish membership expectations including an expectation around generosity and stewardship. But I think requiring exactly 10% risks elevating a particular interpretation of giving to the level of a biblical command. And if that's causing people not to attend, I'd want to understand a bit more about exactly what's happening. Hey, stay on the line, Roy. Let's talk a bit more. We'll be right back.
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Rob West: Great to have you with us today on Faith and Finance here on American Family Radio. Coming up in our next segment, we check in with Sean Spurrier live on the ground in Mexico at one of the Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls shoe distributions. You know this month, all month long, we're asking you to partner with us here at FaithFi to fund 1,000 shoes and socks to be placed on the feet of a child in some part of the world that doesn't have access to shoes. And that's a barrier to them going to school. It often leads to footborne illness. And so we're asking you to help $15 at a time to provide a pair of shoes and socks and the cost to transport them with us as we partner with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. We're on our way to that $1,000 goal. We're not there yet. If you'd like to be a part of it, just go to giveshoestoday.org. That's giveshoestoday.org. Every $15 funds a pair of shoes, socks, and the cost to transport them. And keep in mind, not only are these kids getting a new pair of shoes, they're going to be presented the gospel. They're going to receive the dignity and the worth found in somebody seeing them and the Lord seeing them and being able to understand the good news of Jesus, how he's paid the penalty for their sins. And then the child along with their family are going to be connected back to a local church or a Buckner Hope Center there on the ground in that part of the world. It's just an amazing ministry. And here in the back-to-school month in the United States, where so many of us are buying new shoes for our kids, here's an opportunity to add $15 and cover a pair of shoes that is far more impactful in another part of the world than it is here. Again, that website: giveshoestoday.org. Sean Spurrier with us in the next segment on the ground in Mexico. It'll be great to check in with Sean.
In the meantime, we're taking your questions. We've got some lines open. If you've got a question today, something happening in your financial life, we'd love to hear about it: 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000.
What a treat to talk to Roy a moment ago. He and I had a chance to visit a bit more off the air, and I encouraged him to encourage his friend to have a conversation with the church's leadership. If there's a misunderstanding or perhaps there's something that's unclear—in this case, he felt like his understanding is that if you're not giving at a specific 10% level, then you're not able to be a member. Well, ask for an opportunity to meet with church leadership. Ask for them to clarify what that rule is, and then let's talk about where in Scripture they believe that 10% specifically should be a condition of membership. It can be done graciously and gracefully, but lead to hopefully better understanding.
You know, as we think about giving often—and I was a part of an event last night in Orlando, I'm actually still here at the moment. If you've read The Common Good magazine, just a phenomenal publication by Made to Flourish, they had something called The Common Table, which is a gathering of 40 Christ-followers where there's a topic, a great meal at a great restaurant, and just meeting new people and talking about things that are life-giving and God-honoring. And the conversation last night with the editor, Aaron Klein Handberry, and myself—he interviewed me around the intersection of faith and finance. And I was able to share some thoughts, and then we all went to our seats and just met some new people and had a great conversation around how we think about money through the lens of Scripture and how our faith impacts that.
And one of the questions we talked about that I think relates back to what Roy was asking is: What is the purpose of wealth? What is it for? And you know, I think there's many opportunities because we know that money, wealth, is both a danger and an opportunity, and it's closely connected to our hearts. But I think perhaps the clearest answer to that question, "What is wealth for?", comes from Ephesians 4:28: "Let the thief steal no longer, instead let him work, do honest work with his hands, so that..."
Now, based on most Christian teaching around money, you might think that what comes after "so that" is "so that he can provide for his family." That's not what it says. It says, "so that he can share with someone in need."
So perhaps the clearest, most applicable answer to that question of "What is the purpose of wealth?" is for us to give, is for us to meet the needs around us. Now, if we look at the full counsel of Scripture, we see that it's much more than that—that money is in fact an opportunity both to provide for our families, to enjoy appropriately, to give, to invest, to do a whole lot of things. We look at Boaz, and we see how he used his resources with margin and generosity to love and serve his neighbors on the fringes of his land. We see Joseph saving a fifth of everything that came in during the season of abundance to serve the people in the season of famine. So, there are a number of very appropriate ways to use money. We just need to be on our guard, because we know it's also dangerous if we're not careful. It can compete with our hearts, and we just need to be on our guard. Hopefully, that's something for you to think about.
All right, let's dive into some questions. Tina is calling from Texas. Tina, go right ahead.
Tina: Yes. I wanted to find out—I have $15,000 in a CD, and I want to pull it out and see about putting it in like an Edward Jones or Merrill Lynch. What is a good idea for me to do with the $15,000?
Rob West: Yeah. What is the purpose of this money, Tina? Does it have a time horizon associated with how you expect to use it?
Tina: Well, I'm 62, and I want to try to see if it'll—if I can get it to grow any.
Rob West: Okay. Is this money you could say, not touch for 10 years or more, potentially?
Tina: Yeah, I would say yes.
Rob West: Okay, great. And how would you feel about moving it beyond something that's on the most conservative end of the spectrum, like a CD or a money market, into let's say a mutual fund that has both stocks and bonds? Would you be open to that?
Tina: Yes.
Rob West: Okay. Yeah, so I think that's a great opportunity for you. Perhaps one of the faith-based investing mutual funds from our friends at Timothy Plan, or Eventide, or GuideStone, or Eventide could be a great way for you to have a balanced fund—exchange-traded fund, perhaps—that is in the stock and bond markets, so a mix of both asset classes.
But the key would be that you don't plan to touch it. Because here's what we don't know: We don't know where the market's headed in the next 1 month, or 6 months, or even a year. You know, could we hit a recession here? I mean, we've got plenty of things going on geopolitically around the world with the Middle East, and Iran, and oil. We've got a whole host of issues. We've got a market that's been red-hot, led by tech and AI; there's some questions around that in the near term. So, you know, could we see a 20-30% decline in the market? We could, at any point, frankly, regardless of today's circumstances. And so that's why we stay diversified, meaning you would not want to own one company or a couple of companies—you'd want to own hundreds of companies in a basket, which is where the idea of an exchange-traded fund comes from. It's a basket of investments. And you would want to have a long time horizon, because for that stock portion of that investment, if the market was down 20 or 30%, you wouldn't want to have to sell it and get access to your $15,000; you'd want to be able to let it come back. Which, regardless of the situation in the past—1929, 1987, the dot-com bubble burst, the Great Recession of '08—all of those have recovered and moved to higher highs. And so the key is time and diversification.
With that said, let me just make sure: Do you have, separate from this $15,000, what I call an emergency fund?
Tina: No, I don't.
Rob West: Okay. So I think for that reason, even though you're saying, "You know, I probably can just not touch this and leave it alone," I really would be hesitant on you investing this. I would much rather you take this money, and when the CD comes due so you don't pay any penalties, I'd just put it in a high-yield savings account. Perhaps with our friends at AdelFi Christian Banking—you could go to faithfi.com/banking. They're paying 4% on their money market. But you really need something that's safe and liquid that you can tap into if the unexpected comes. Thanks for your call.
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Rob West: Welcome back to Faith & Finance on American Family Radio. We're joined now by Sean 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. Sean is joining us today from Oaxaca, Mexico, where he and his team are on the ground distributing shoes and serving children and families. And Sean, it is great to have you with us from Mexico.
Sean Spurrier: Good morning. So glad to be with you all today.
Rob West: Now, Sean, 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?
Sean Spurrier: Yeah, absolutely. So we're we're in a in a little city, little town right outside of Oaxaca. So we're about 45 minutes outside of the town, the city of Oaxaca. Today we're 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. 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. 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, Sean, at this point that they're getting a new pair of shoes today?
Sean 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. 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.
Sean Spurrier: Yeah, you know, in this specific area that we're in today, I was just communicating with our team about this. This is an area where, 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 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. Food and water is is scarce here. Water sources that are clean are hard to come by. Many of these families don't have the income for three square meals a day the way that that you and I do. And so we're really kind of struggling in this particular community with really all their infrastructure needs. And Buckner is able to to come alongside even elementary schools that are not run by Buckner, like we're at this morning, and encourage them and and provide 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. But yeah, we're we're struggling with some real infrastructure issues here, all across the board.
Rob West: Mm, yeah. Sean, 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.
Sean Spurrier: Yeah. We, you know, globally, and we've we've discussed this before, but but shoes provide access to education. I'm looking at a couple hundred students right now as we speak who who are are able to attend the school that we're at right now because of the provision of shoes. We're in an area like I said, where where there's some real economic struggles, some real poverty. And that education is vital to their rising above poverty. And so shoes lower barriers to that education. You know, we're we're in an area, too, where there are plenty of opportunities for footborne illnesses if you don't have adequate shoes. And we're providing health in that way. And then, in addition, Buckner is helping to make sure that they have access to any medical services that they need here. But we're also able to come alongside families, encourage them, plug them into the Buckner Family Hope Center ministries. So it's it's so much more than a pair of shoes. That's really the start of the relationship. But but it is a real need here, to be certain.
Rob West: Mm, there's no question about it. And Sean, 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.
Sean Spurrier: You know, this is this is one of the easiest things. I I love it. You know, a gift of $15 will provide a pair of shoes and socks for a child and will get them to the child. And so, you know, you can serve 10 children with a $150. 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 we're privileged to be able to come alongside these families and do it. All you have to do is go to giveshoestoday.org, and you can serve children directly right there through the gift of shoes.
Rob West: That's exactly right. Folks, we're doing this all month long, but this month will come and go. And so if you'd like to be a part of helping us reach this goal here at FaithFi with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, just head to giveshoestoday.org, giveshoestoday.org. And as as Sean said, $15 will put a pair of new shoes and socks 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, Sean, you've alluded to this. 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?
Sean Spurrier: Yeah. So these children just showed up a little bit ago, some of them coming from the neighborhood, some of them coming from the school that they were already at this morning. And as we as we speak right now, I'm watching them hear a gospel presentation. And one of the ways that we're we're connecting that to the whole event here is 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, 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, that Jesus gave us an example of that, but B, and more importantly, that the greatest act of service that he provided for us was coming on our behalf, dying for us, raising again, 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 just having fun playing games. There are STEM stations where they're, you know, working with their minds and and they're learning new little STEM activities. And then we've got the shoe distribution area, where they receive their shoes. We also are able to 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 to just kind of fellowship with them and their families before we head out to our our next stop. And so it's just a really joyful, fun time. But we're trying to be very intentional with the opportunity we have in each one of these stations. And again, we don't know what doors these pairs of shoes will open 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 it's a fun day, it's an exciting day. You may hear the laughter and the clapping behind me. We're just getting started. But yeah, it's a really intentional set of rotations, kind of in a Vacation Bible School setup, if you can imagine that, where we're getting to serve these kids in a variety of ways.
Rob West: I love it. We're talking with Sean Spurrier with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. 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, throughout the month between you and FaithFi 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 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, Sean, and then we'll let you get to the shoe distribution. But 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?
Sean Spurrier: 100%. We have a Family Hope Center, which is a community-based program providing after-school care, economic strengthening, spiritual care, and so many other things to help families rise above poverty, achieve sustainability, 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 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, FaithFi listeners, to help provide shoes for 1,000 children. And you're hearing the voice of Sean 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. Sean, thanks so much for 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.
Sean Spurrier: Rob, we're so grateful for you as well. Thanks for having me on today.
Rob West: That's Sean Spurrier, Director of Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls, joining us live from Oaxaca, Mexico. Well, that's going to do it for us today. It's been a joy to be with you and to help tackle your financial questions using the wisdom from God's Word. A big thanks to my team, Devin, Patty, Taylor, and all of the team members here at FaithFi. I couldn't do this without them. And before we go, let me mention one more time our partnership with Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. Throughout September, we're hoping to supply shoes for 1,000 children around the world. You can join us in making a difference today at giveshoestoday.org. We'll see you next time.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family Association or American Family Radio.
The first Christians practiced a remarkable kind of generosity—freely sharing what God had entrusted to them so that needs were met among them. What can their example teach us about living generously today? On this Faith & Finance on AFR, Rob West and Dr. Darrell Bock explain. Then, it’s on to calls.
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Become a Great Commission Partner TODAY to help AFR transform culture by rebuilding the family. When you donate today, you’ll get access to:
