Podcasts

INYM – The Book, Podcast 6 – Give

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

The message of It’s Not Your Money is one of achieving peace of mind, that sense of peace and joy because all is well. In response to this joy, when we get this peace – we give. We want to give. We can’t help but give!

Now, you might be saying, “Joe, it seems your message is all about giving. I mean, in Podcast 1 you say to put God first in your finances; Podcast 2 talks about stepping out in faith and giving; in Podcast 3 you say that God calls us to give courageously; on Podcast 4 you wondered what the world would look like if we all did give courageously; and again in Podcast 5 you say trust God and give. Give. Give. Give. It sounds like It’s Not Your Money is just about giving money to the church. Is that it?”

Surely, the church needs money to operate. But, this is not about the church getting your money. It is about your giving, however. It is about your willingness to give to God; your willingness to detach from the drive and desire to buy more stuff and spend on doing things that you think will make you happy and feel successful.

Spiritual Wellbeing

Listen – giving is vital to our spiritual wellbeing. It is one of the best expressions of gratitude we can make to God for all the blessings He gives to us. Giving money is one of the strongest statements you can make about your trust in God to provide. Frankly, giving courageously demonstrates a mature faith.

What is keeping you from making such a strong statement, from demonstrating that mature faith? Whatever that is, it could be the root of idolatry. Is it worry that you can’t afford to give on top of all the other demands on your money? Is it concern that you won’t be able to provide for your family? Here’s a tough one – is it pride that if you don’t have certain things, others may think less of you? Turn these over to God! Lay all your issues and concerns at the foot of the cross and there receive God’s love, mercy, and the grace to trust Him and do His will.

Think about it – can you go a single day without spending money? You may not use a credit card or Venmo, but you use resources that cost money. Shouldn’t something so pervasive in our everyday lives be a part of our spiritual life?

Put God first in your finances, trust Him, and give courageously. Achieve peace of mind and have joy by giving. Give to those ministries that do the works of mercy: feeding, clothing, housing, educating, and helping the poor and vulnerable. Of course, this includes the church. Give, and be a part of something grand and majestic, and see if you don’t begin to realize that sense of peace that you truly seek!

Okay – off my soapbox. Thank you for listening. Please share this podcast with your family and friends. Please “like” my Facebook page. And mostly, please give and be at peace!

Till next time – Be Well.

#give #giving #spiritualwellbeing

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First Fruits

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Deuteronomy 26:2and 10 tell us plainly what our financial priority is to be. It says, “You shall take some first fruits of the various products of the soil which you harvest from the land the LORD, your God, is giving you; put them in a basket and go to the place which the LORD, your God, will choose as the dwelling place for his name. Now, therefore, I have brought the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, LORD, have given me.” You shall set them before the LORD, your God, and you shall bow down before the LORD, your God.

There it is – God first. We are to give to God from the first fruits of what He gives to us.

No misconstruing that one. We are to acknowledge that everything comes from God. And in humility and gratitude, we give back to God from our first fruits.

Is God first in your life? In every area of your life? If I looked at your check book would I see evidence of that?

Give to God the first fruits of your income.

Give to God because It’s Not Your Money.

#GodFirst #FirstFruits

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INYM – The Book, Podcast 5 – Trust God

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Hello and welcome to another podcast of It’s Not Your Money: Finding the Peace of Putting God First. The message of It’s Not Your Money is to help you connect your faith-life with your financial life. The first step in that journey is to trust God. You can trust God to provide.

On the last podcast I talked of how when I finally took that step of faith and trusted God enough to start giving courageously, that my life changed for the good. Stressing about money melted away.

That is absolutely true, but I have a confession to make: it didn’t all happen at once. It was more of a progression of steps over time. Let me share with you how that progression went.

The first steps happened when I was in my mid-thirties. Up to that point, I was all about building my career, my family, and my lifestyle. Sure, We went to Mass, I taught CCD, and when the collection basket came by I put some money in. I was doing all I was supposed to be doing – or so I thought.

Remember last cast I mentioned my friend’s testimony on a Stewardship Sunday that nudged me to be more intentional about my giving. I went from giving haphazardly whatever cash was in my pocket – and I never carried too much cash – to writing checks, most weeks, to giving online.

The biggest step came about 15 years ago. Father’s homily challenged us to think about what we are giving in return for all of God’s blessings. I felt a prompting by the Holy Spirit to increase giving by $15 per week. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but it was that nudge that gave me pause. I wasn’t sure I could afford that on top of everything else. You can read the details of that account in the book, but suffice it to say that it came down to trust. Did I trust God to provide, or not.

By the grace of God, I gathered my courage, stepped out in faith, and increased our giving. And what happened???       Nothing happened. We didn’t miss any meals. All the bills got paid. But what really happened was I gained a sense of peace I can not explain. That was the “a-ha” moment for me. That was when I learned that I truly can trust God to provide.

Trust God to provide in your life. Put Him first in every area of your life, including and especially with money. Take the step of faith like I did and see if you, too, don’t begin to realize the sense of peace and happiness you truly want.

Please share this podcast with your family and friends. And please like my FB page. And please get copies of the book to share. Get those at the website itsnotyourmoney.org

Thank you for listening. Till next time, Be Well.

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Cut off your Hand! Pluck out your Eye!

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

To cut off hands and feet and pluck out eyes – as we read about in Mark 9 – sounds extreme. But, think about it in terms of how you spend money pursuing the seemingly innocent little pleasures in life. Let’s consider a few:

Do you go get a cappuccino everyday?
Do you shop for yet another pair of jeans or shoes?
Do you subscribe to a bunch of premium music and movie channels?
Cut them out.

Could spending this way be a hidden obstacle that keeps you from being a better steward? What more could you do for God if you redirected this spending to help the poor?

Give because you are blessed.

Give because It’s Not Your Money

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Give to Everyone!

Published on: by Joe Galloway 1 Comment

How do you react to the person begging on the street? That’s always been a tough one for me. I generally don’t give to the people on the street who ask of me. In high-and-mighty righteousness, I tell them of the shelters, soup kitchens, and food pantries nearby.

Jesus tells us in Luke 6:30 to give to everyone who asks. I need to change my attitude. I need to give directly to the poor and vulnerable, and not just to the food pantry. I need to give because It’s Not My Money!

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