Rob West: Proverbs 27:23 says, "Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds." Hi, I'm Rob West. We may not be in an agrarian society, but that proverb still applies today. Faithful stewardship requires attention. If we don't know what we have and where it's going, we can't manage it with biblical wisdom. Today, we'll look at the best practices of budgeting and why it's about far more than numbers. Then we'll take your calls at 800-525-7000. This is Faith & Finance on American Family Radio, biblical wisdom for your financial journey.

A budget is simply a plan for managing what God has entrusted to you. It's not meant to be a burden or a source of shame. It's a tool for faithfulness. As stewards, we recognize that everything belongs to the Lord. That means our income, our savings, our spending, and our giving all fall under His care and purposes. So, budgeting begins with a spiritual question before it becomes a financial one: "Lord, how would You have me manage what You've provided?" That question changes the purpose of a budget. We're not just trying to make the numbers work; we're asking whether our financial decisions reflect what we truly value. A budget helps reveal patterns. It shows whether our money is drifting toward impulse, comfort, and accumulation, or whether it's being directed toward generosity, provision, responsibility, and contentment. So, what are some best practices?

Well, first, start with giving. Scripture never treats generosity as an afterthought. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul writes, "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." A budget allows us to be intentional rather than reactive. Instead of giving only if something is left over, we prayerfully decide in advance how we want to participate in God's work.

Second, know your true income. For someone with a fixed paycheck, that may be fairly simple. You can build your monthly plan around predictable take-home pay. But for those with variable income—business owners, commission workers, freelancers, seasonal workers, or hourly employees—the process takes a little more care. If your income changes month to month, build your budget around a conservative baseline. Look back over the last 6 to 12 months and identify your lower-income months. Then build your core expenses around that number, not your best month, but a realistic minimum. When higher-income months come, intentionally allocate the extra dollars: build savings, pay down debt, catch up on future expenses, or increase generosity.

Third, give every dollar a job. That doesn't mean every dollar is spent; saving is a job, giving is a job, paying bills is a job. Preparing for future car repairs, insurance premiums, school expenses, medical needs, or Christmas is a job. The goal is not restriction; the goal is direction.

Fourth, plan for irregular expenses. Many budgets fail because they only include monthly bills. But life includes non-monthly expenses: car maintenance, home repairs, gifts, travel, school costs, medical needs, and annual renewals. These are not emergencies if we know they're coming. A wise budget sets aside small amounts over time so that predictable expenses don't become financial surprises.

Fifth, build margin. Margin is the space between income and outcome. Without it, even a small disruption can create stress. With it, we're better positioned to respond with wisdom when needs arise. Margin can also create room for generosity. Ephesians 4:28 says we are to work honestly so that we may have something to share with anyone in need. Budgeting helps us live with that kind of readiness.

Sixth, review and adjust. A budget is not a one-time document; it's a regular conversation with the Lord, with your spouse if you're married, and with reality. Some months need adjustment. Some categories may be unrealistic. The goal isn't perfection; the goal is faithfulness. And that's where budgeting becomes part of our spiritual formation. It teaches us to see continually how God has provided. It trains us to say no for the sake of a greater yes. It helps us practice contentment in a culture of constant comparison. It gives us a framework for generosity before money gets absorbed by lesser things.

So, if you're ready to take that next step, we'd love to help. The FaithFi app is the leading Christian budgeting app that integrates your faith with practical financial management, helping you steward God's money God's way. It's more than a budgeting tool; it's a biblical stewardship ecosystem that addresses not only the numbers, but also the heart behind them. Join 80,000 believers pursuing faithful stewardship and start your 30-day free trial today at faithfi.com/app. That's faithfi.com/app. All right, back with your questions after this. Stick around.

David Wollen: For your walk with Jesus, I'm David Wollen with Haven Today, inviting you to anchor your day in God's word. We live in turbulent times. Wars rage on, economies rise and fall, personal struggles weigh heavily on our hearts. Some days we can hardly keep our own lives in order, much less understand the world around us. But there is good news: we are not in control, and we don't have to be. Our lives are in the hands of a God who is both all-powerful and all-loving. In Psalm 75:3, God says, "When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm." So what a comfort it is to know that God is holding everything together, even when it feels like everything is falling apart. He is our strength. Get more daily encouragement for your walk with Jesus at haventoday.org.

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Rob West: Thanks for joining us today on Faith & Finance, here on American Family Radio. I'm Rob West. Well, in just a moment, we'll begin taking your calls and questions. So now would be a great time for you to call 800-525-7000. Again, that number: 800-525-7000. We'd love to dive into your questions today, help you think about them in light of biblical wisdom.

Perhaps you're waking up today thinking about that debt that just doesn't seem to go away. You're trying to cut back spending, you're trying to send something beyond the payment, but you just don't seem like you're making any progress. Well, let's think about maybe the best way to go about that. For others, it's just that they can't get that budget to balance. Maybe you're on a variable income, or you're just struggling to make ends meet. We'd love to give you some ideas on that. Perhaps you're at the other end of the spectrum: you have a bit more than you need, and you're wondering how much is enough, how do I give wisely, how do I manage this required minimum distribution in my IRA that I don't need?

All of these opportunities and more are available when you call 800-525-7000. We'd love to wrestle through them with you, give you our best counsel, encourage you along the way, and above all else, send you back to God's word and mind those principles and passages. By the way, 2,300 of them. How do we know? Fun little story: Howard Dayton, who was the former host of this program, when he was just a new believer, was in a men's Bible study and they decided to take on this task of figuring out what the Bible had to say about money. And so, they decided they bought two Bibles specifically for this purpose, and they were going to go through, and every time they came across a passage that related to money or possessions, they'd take their scissors and cut them out, and they were going to stack them up by category and then count them when they were done. And, yeah, this was before AI and back in the '70s and '80s. And, you know, Howard was a new believer, so when his friend said, "You take the Old Testament, I'll take the New," he didn't understand the implications of that.

Nevertheless, several months later, they had their number, and it was 2,350 verses in God's word that deal with money, and possessions, and our hearts, and, you know, how we handle and view God's money. And when you kind of bucket those passages out, you see plenty of them that deal with wise principles around money management, you know, around this idea that we need to have margin, and we shouldn't co-sign, and that debt is dangerous, and that giving is better than receiving, and kind of all these ideas, principles, if you will, around money management. You also see plenty around money and our hearts, that we can't serve God and mammon, the spirit of money, and that the love of money is the root of all evil, and that in the parable of the sower, if something's going to choke out God's word from bearing fruit in our lives—30, 60, 100-fold—it's going to be the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things.

And so we have plenty of passages on wise money management principles; we have other passages around our hearts and how we need to be on our guard as we view and handle money. You put all that together, God has a lot to say on this subject, and I firmly believe it's not because He wants something from us. Frankly, He doesn't need anything. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills; He owns us; He owns everything in the world. And so, therefore, everything we have ultimately belongs to Him. What He wants is our hearts, and He's asking us to be stewards—household managers, if you will—of what He has entrusted to us.

So then, it changes the admonition or the question from, "What should I do with my money?" to, "What should I do, God, with Your money?" And perhaps an extension of that is, "What is the next faithful decision?" Because here's the reality: the way we handle money is one of those true tests of what's going on in our hearts. You know, there's a connection between our wallet and our heart that's in some ways hard to describe. It's really that most tangible expression on a daily basis of what we value, and where we place our trust, and what our fears are. It gets worked out through our financial decisions, which means at its core, money management is spiritual formation. Perhaps we've missed looking at it through that lens.

And so each day on this program, we want to come alongside you, cheer you on, point you back to God's word, but also give you some wise counsel and advice. So if you have a question today, we'll begin taking these calls here in just a second. Call right now: 800-525-7000. Any financial question today, 800-525-7000. We'd love to hear from you and be able to tackle what you're wrestling with today.

By the way, the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 opening up sharply, the S&P 500 at open rising immediately to a new record. We're closing in on 7,800 on the S&P 500. There's a 5-day rally going on on the Iran optimism—could we see a full opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which would allow oil prices to come down dramatically and hopefully lead to a permanent resolution to this conflict, this war that's been going on? In addition to that, really strong earnings. You know, this has been a consistent theme that we've seen over the previous quarters. It's continuing as new earnings are coming out. Just a lot of really robust economic activity going on here domestically. We're leading the world. We're certainly seeing some strength externally, but really, it's a U.S. story, for all intents and purposes, just in terms of the overall health of our economy. So a lot going on there, which does present challenges for people who have been on the sideline: "When do I enter this market?" Perhaps that's your question: 800-525-7000 is the number to call, and we'll look forward to taking your questions.

In the news today, financial secrecy is a common strain in American relationships. That's according to a 2025 Bankrate survey. The report found that 40% of U.S. adults have committed some form of financial infidelity against their partner—40%. The most common example was spending more than a spouse or partner would approve of; that was reported by a third of the respondents. Other forms included secret debt, undisclosed credit cards, and hidden checking or savings accounts. While one concealed purchase may seem small and insignificant, repeated secrecy can weaken trust and leave couples pursuing competing priorities without realizing it. I don't think there's room for any of it, whether it's small or not. Financial disunity often begins before a major argument. It can grow through avoided conversations, unspoken expectations, and private decisions that gradually separate two people who are meant to plan together.

Oneness begins when couples stop viewing money primarily as "yours and mine" and start seeing it as something entrusted to them to steward together. That doesn't require identical spending habits or a single account, doesn't mean we all have to conform to each other's habits and even hobbies, but it does require honesty, shared priorities, and mutual responsibility. Keep in mind, you know, the budget is not designed to be limiting; it's really just to give you a roadmap. And it can reflect each of you individually. You're unique individuals with unique interests, and desires, and hobbies. Well, we can reflect that in the budget. The goal is, are we moving in the same direction toward what God has for us as a married couple? Are we seeking unity and oneness, which is God's heart for biblical marriage, and are our finances supporting that? If not, what changes do we need to make? You see, when couples make financial decisions together, money becomes less of a dividing line and more of a tool they can manage faithfully toward God's purposes.

One of the ways we do that is having regular what we call money dates: the opportunity to come together and say, "Hey, let's look back over the last month. We're not going to point fingers, we just need to look and say, 'What happened? Where do we need to make course corrections as we move forward? What changes are coming that we didn't see a month ago that we can now see today?'" It can be healthy, it can be unifying, it can be God-honoring. Think about that.

Hey, we're going to take a quick break. When we come back, David in West Virginia, coming your way. Call right now: 800-525-7000. We'll be right back.

Announcer: One of the greatest concentrations of young people, and one of the most fertile missionary fields, is the community of students in public schools. And we have a way to reach them. It's Truth for Youth Bible Week with Revival Fires International. I'm so happy that my friend gave me the Truth for Youth Bible. Visit tfy.org anytime or call 800-733-4737 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to order or donate. It's Truth for Youth Bible Week with American Family Radio.

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Rob West: Thanks for joining us today on Faith and Finance, here on American Family Radio. Coming up in our final segment, it's Truth for Youth Bible Week. Tim Todd will be by; we'll be talking about how we're doing and how you can jump on board. Maybe you're new to AFR and you've not been familiar with our work with Revival Fires International in the past. Well, we're going to tell you about it. That's coming up in our next segment—an amazing opportunity to put God's Word in the hands of young people as we start a new school year. That's coming up in our final segment. In the meantime, we're taking your calls and questions. We've got a few lines open; we're ready for you. Call right now: 800-525-7000. That's 800-525-7000. Let's go out to West Virginia. David, how can I help you?

David: Okay. Well, I didn't think I'd get through. I would have written some notes down, and I was driving, so anyway. My wife and I are considering—we have a home, it's paid for, probably worth 100, 100 and a quarter, live in rural West Virginia. But we were considering the reverse mortgage. She had mentioned it to me, and one of my kids—my kids are all stable financially, and they said, one of them said, "Why don't you just get a reverse mortgage and enjoy the rest of your life a little more?" So, that's kind of where I'm at. We didn't know if that—and also, when you get through with that, I'd like to talk to you about the charitable giving and so forth, how that works.

Rob West: Okay. Yeah, very good. Well, it's a great question here, David, and I think you're hitting on something that a lot of people who look to a reverse mortgage—what we call officially a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, which is the federally insured reverse mortgage available to homeowners today, as long as you're at least 62, so you would qualify, and that's really the only type of mortgage of this kind that I would consider, what's called a HECM. But this can be a great tool, primarily because of what you described, and that is we have a lot of Americans who get to this season of life, they haven't saved quite as much as they would have liked to, maybe they have a mortgage, maybe they don't, but they're living kind of right up to the edge on a fixed income that doesn't really give them any margin. And yet, they've got this pretty significant asset under their feet called their home equity. They want to stay in their home, maybe because it meets the needs they have as aging adults, or maybe because they need to do some work to it, and that further underscores the need to tap into some of that home equity to make it so that it is conducive to an aging adult, for you to stay there, you know, for as long as you can. And their kids, to your point, you know, are financially stable. And although they'll certainly be grateful for what you pass along to them, they don't want the home, it would get sold, and they'd much rather, you know, prefer that you have some flexibility, some margin, some extra funds that you could enjoy in this season of life, than they would getting 100% of the equity out of the house after your passing. And if there was a balance on that reverse mortgage because the payment is optional and the house was sold, then they'd be glad to be able to pay off that mortgage and then, you know, take whatever is coming their way from the balance, plus whatever else you leave behind. So, that's really kind of the big idea. Most people get it not as a monthly check, although that is an option; most people get it as a line of credit. And so they have the ability to tap in to maintain the home, to make improvements, to take a trip, you know, for some annual spending maybe that doesn't fit nicely into the monthly spending plan. And again, because there's no payment required, whatever you borrow grows over time with interest and fees, but so does your home, because remember your home is appreciating, too. And so a lot of people find that, you know, at the end of the day, you know, yes, there's a balance that has to be satisfied, just like a forward mortgage, at your passing or when you move out, but, you know, there's still quite a bit of equity left that can be passed along to heirs or to ministry. But let me stop there, David, and get any specific questions you have on that.

David: Okay. The money that now—you don't per se give us a check for the amount of the house. It goes, and there are other fees involved, is that correct?

Rob West: That's right. Right up front, because this is a non-recourse loan, which just simply means you nor your heirs will owe more than the home's value when it's sold. So, let's say worst-case scenario your house declined in value—doesn't happen very often, but let's say it did. And let's say you borrowed as much as you could, which might be, you know, 50 or 60% of the home's value, maybe 70% as you age. And let's say with interest that grew, and your home value plummeted, the FHA is coming in and saying, "We're going to cover the difference if at any point your home is not worth as much as the loan." And in order for them to do that, they're going to charge you 2% right up front as a fee. And then there's other fees, and then of course interest, which is pretty consistent with whatever the prevailing interest rates of the day are. Now, do they write you a lump sum check? They could, most people don't do that though. Most people, again, get either a line of credit that they have available to them, or they get, you know, some mailbox money—essentially a check every month. And usually, you know, you have available to you up to somewhere between 40 and 60% of the home's equity depending on your age.

David: Yeah, and we would not want to do that. I think the line of credit absolutely sounds like the wise, the wise choice. But now, with that money that that is there, you know, the line of credit, with the money that is there, is it going to be drawing interest during that time?

Rob West: No, it's going to be accruing interest, meaning so just like any mortgage—this happens to be reverse, which means that you don't have to make a payment; forward mortgage, you do make a payment—but there's a cost to those funds being available to you once you draw them out, and it's, you know, that balance that you owe is growing with interest. Now, there's not interest added to it while it's sitting there as an unused line of credit, but they're not crediting you interest, either. But remember, that equity that's in your home is not earning interest right now. All you're enjoying is the appreciation of the value of your home, but you're not earning interest on it, and that would be true with the line of credit as well.

David: Okay. Okay, so now you can connect me with the proper people to that are reputable to do this?

Rob West: I'd be happy to. Yeah, we have a long-time partner here at sponsor of Faith and Finance called Movement Mortgage. The gentleman who leads the team there, the reverse team at Movement, is a Christ-follower, he's written a book on this topic, he joins us on the program regularly—his name is Harlan Accola. Let's do this, David: hang on the line, I'm going to get your information, I'm going to send you a copy of Harlan's book as our gift to you, and then our team will get you connected so you can answer all of your questions. But David, it sounds like you're thinking through this well, and I concur, this could be a great option for you. God bless you, my friend. Thanks for calling today. Sherry, coming your way right after the break. The number: 800-525-7000. Call with your financial questions, we'll be right back.

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Announcer: One of the greatest concentrations of young people, and one of the most fertile missionary fields, is the community of students in public schools. And we have a way to reach them. It's Truth for Youth Bible Week with Revival Fires International. I'm so happy that my friend gave me the Truth for Youth Bible. Visit tfy.org anytime or call 800-733-4737 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to order or donate. It's Truth for Youth Bible Week with American Family Radio.

Announcer: We are grateful for support from Movement Mortgage, who provides residential home loans and reverse mortgage options in all 50 states. Guided by a mission to love and value people, Movement seeks to help individuals and families make informed financial decisions, from buying a home to planning for retirement. More information is available at faithfi.com/movement. Movement Mortgage, LLC supports equal housing opportunity. NMLS number 39179. For licensing information, visit nmlsconsumeraccess.org.

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Rob West: Thanks for joining us today on Faith and Finance, here on American Family Radio. I'm Rob West. We've got lines open: 800-525-7000. Call with your financial questions. It's National Truth for Youth Bible Week here on AFR. Uh, you can help us give away thousands of free Bibles to young people across America. Tim Todd stopping by in the next segment uh to talk about this incredible work on the part of AFR and Revival Fires International. You won't want to miss it. We want to put as many as 65,000 Bibles in the hands of teens as we start back to school. We are well on our way, but we could use your help in that. Again, that's coming up in the next segment. Uh Sherry, we'll be coming your way in just a moment, but uh David, I know you had a follow-up question. Go ahead, sir.

David: Yes, sir. I did. It was just, I know nothing about the charitable annuity, so uh I just like to know how that works, how much you give, what's a good, you know?

Rob West: Yes, sir. Uh I'm so glad you asked about this. This is a great tool, and American Family Association, the AFA Foundation, is in my mind one of the best at providing these tools because it gives you an opportunity to support, in this case, although you can do it with others, to support the work of AFA while also receiving guaranteed income for life. So let me kind of break it down for you. A charitable gift annuity is really a simple agreement between you and a qualified charity. You make a gift, often cash, but it could be appreciated stock, to, in this case, AFA, and in return, AFA agrees to pay you a fixed income for the rest of your life. And then when you pass away, whatever remains goes to support AFA's mission, the culture-transforming work. Uh some of the key benefits are, I mentioned that guaranteed lifetime income, those payments. Secondly, you'll receive an immediate charitable income tax deduction for part of your gift, and AFA can run that illustration and tell you exactly how much based on your age and how much you're putting in. And remember, we're not talking necessarily, although it could be, hundreds of thousands of dollars. This could be $20,000, $30,000, $40,000, $50,000. It's really up to you and how much you have to put into the CGA and how much income you're looking to receive. Um if you donate appreciated assets, you also may be able to reduce and spread out the capital gains taxes, which is another benefit. And then at the end of the day, it's great because at your death, it's a way with that income for life and with that tax incentive of the deduction, you then have money that's available, whatever's left, to support the work of the ministry. So it's really a great way to combine a charitable gift and a lifetime paycheck. You bless a ministry you care about, and then when God calls you home, the remaining funds continue supporting the ministry. But give me your your questions on that, David. Anything else?

David: Well, that that was kind of it. Just per se, you know, I was just talking to you about a reverse mortgage. If I did that and then turned around and put, say, $50,000 in the charitable gift annuity, you know, I'm just curious as to how how that would function there.

Rob West: Mm. Yeah. Uh so you're talking about uh so pulling it out of the reverse mortgage from the line of credit uh and then turning around and putting it into the CGA, the the proceeds from that reverse mortgage?

David: Right.

Rob West: Yeah. Yeah, I mean it could be uh a legitimate strategy. I would want to look at that pretty closely. Um essentially, you know, that would provide otherwise illiquid home equity, the charitable gift annuity would provide that guaranteed lifetime income, so it it converts the home equity into income without selling the home, um it supports your favorite charity, and, you know, provides that charitable income tax deduction. Um, you know, of course, the reverse mortgage balance is going to grow over time, uh the CGA is irrevocable, so you wouldn't be able to get that principal back, um, you know, and you're taking on two separate financial products kind of by combining them. Um, you know, it would only make sense if the charitable giving is really a genuine objective and you're not doing this simply as an investment strategy. But if it is, um, you know, then I think it certainly could be something worth looking at, and Harlan and his team could could help you think through the implications of that.

David: Okay, that's the that's the same uh same guy you talked to me about with the book. Okay.

Rob West: Yes, sir. Yep.

David: Okay. All right. That'll get me started.

Rob West: All right. Thank you, David. I appreciate your heart for supporting the Lord's work and for uh being a faithful steward of God's resources. If I can help further along the way, please reach out. Uh let's go to uh Iowa. Sherry, go ahead.

Sherry: Hi. Hi. Um I'm trying to help my mom. She's 87, almost, and she's got a revocable trust. Her house is in there. We're putting her life insurance in there because the life insurance needs to pay off her um home equity line of credit, eventually. So my question is she has a car. What do we do with the car?

Rob West: Yeah. Generally, uh most estate planning attorneys do not recommend titling a personal vehicle in a revocable living trust. The reason being, it it really creates some unnecessary administrative and insurance complications, and it provides very little additional benefit. Um, you know, many states have a simple transfer on death uh document that you can use to make sure that it transfers outside of probate if that's your concern. Um you could also take advantage of the small estate procedures if there's not a whole lot else there, specifically for vehicles. But it complicates the DMV paperwork and the insurance, and really the value of a of a vehicle, especially as it depreciates over time, just doesn't justify the added complexity.

Sherry: Right. So do I do the transfer on death now? Like she would do that now on her car title?

Rob West: Yes, exactly, if it's available. Uh so that would be a a great option uh to put it in place now rather than waiting, and, you know, if if the owner passed away, um then it would, you know, allow that to pass directly to the chosen beneficiary, um and and then you could bypass the the trust and the estate altogether.

Sherry: Who are the chosen beneficiaries then? Like, she's got three daughters, so we That just makes it I don't understand like how to who to put it to.

Rob West: Yeah. Well, so that would be just like any financial account, um you would name the beneficiaries, and you can have multiple beneficiaries. So essentially, what you would say is, um "I want to name my three daughters equal shares, 33 and a third percent each," or different percentages. Um but that allows for, you know, the the efficient transfer of any asset, whether it's a retirement account with a beneficiary, or a checking or savings account, or a car, uh to be able to pass, you know, efficiently. It also could run through, you know, the estate process, through the probate process, which again, if everything is handled or or most things are handled through the trust, um then there wouldn't be a whole lot left, you know, that that would need to run through probate, so it could be done, you know, on a very simple uh basis, which which would make it, you know, not very complicated at all. But if your state allowed the TOD on the car, then she could just name uh you all equally, and then the car would be sold and the proceeds would be split uh according to the equal shares.

Sherry: So your advice is, if Iowa has a TOD, do it; otherwise, let it go through probate. Those would be the two best options, cleanest, easiest options?

Rob West: Exactly, yes. Just because, you know, it's a relatively small asset. If the goal is simply to pass it directly to heirs and avoid probate, then the TOD is going to be the simplest tool, and just given the value of the car and some of the complexities it will create with the DMV and insurance, I just don't think it's worth you, you know, going through the hassle of trying to re-title it in the name of the trust. The TOD would accomplish it uh exactly the way you want. Thanks for your call, Sherry. We appreciate you being on the program. God bless you. We'll be right back.

Announcer: Are you completely sold out to God? Here's Pastor Jeff Schreve with From His Heart Ministries. God knows if your heart is wholly devoted to Him or not. Now, wouldn't it be cool and exciting if you had a heart that's passionate, that's in love and on fire for Jesus Christ.  Learn how to give Him your all and gain everything that really matters. Join Pastor Jeff Schreve on From His Heart weeknights at six Central, here on American Family Radio.

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Rob West: So glad you're with us today on Faith & Finance. Well, it's National Truth for Youth Bible Week, something we look forward to all year long. Tim Todd's with us. He's President of Revival Fires International. He's a good friend of ours here at American Family Radio. And Tim, I was driving in this morning, and there was big yellow buses everywhere, which means there's a huge opportunity right now to get God's word in the hands of young people. Isn't that right?

Tim Todd: Yes, it is, Rob. Good to hear your voice, and good to be on the program with you. And yes, you have masses of young people that are going back to school this week, and we want to arm them with the weapon of God's Word and make a spiritual impact in their lives.

Rob West: Yeah, that's exactly right. And we can't do it without the amazing AFR listeners. Tim, we're going to talk about the opportunity here, but I don't want to miss the call to action. If somebody's hearing your voice and saying, "Oh yeah, I've been waiting for this, count me in," what do they do right now? And what is the ask of them today?

Tim Todd: What they do... Rob, what we're doing is we are providing one Bible per teenager per household to give them away in school. So if it's a parent or a grandparent of a teenager ages 13 to 18 years old in their home, they say, "Hey, I want to help you get the Word of God into school." Our goal is 65,000 this year, and we are right now, Rob, at 19,800 as of last night. So it's awesome. And if they will call, we'll give them a free Bible. The number they call—even the call is free—they can call right now. We've got 10 phone lines open, and they can call 800-733-4737. Again, that number is 800-733-4737. And if they want to go online, Rob, they can go to tfy.org. tfy.org.

Rob West: Excellent. And I'm so excited. We've set a goal this year to get 65,000 Bibles in the hands of teens, and when you call 800-733-4737 or go to tfy.org, you can help us reach that goal. We're going to put that Bible in the hands of your son or daughter or grandkids, the teens in your home, and they can take that to school as long as they commit to putting that in the hands of a friend this school year. Now, Tim, somebody may be listening and saying, "Wait a minute, I didn't think you could distribute Bibles at school. How does that work?"

Tim Todd: Well, it's awesome, Rob, because bold Christian teenagers have the right to give Bibles away on campus during non-instructional time. And a good friend of mine that is the president of Liberty Counsel in Orlando, Florida, Mat Staver...

Rob West: Yeah.

Tim Todd: ...he put together the 10 Students' Legal Rights on Public School Campus that we display on the back cover of the Truth for Youth Bible, and we put number four in bold because it says that the young people legally do have the right to give Bibles away in school during non-instructional time. So between class, before school, after school, at lunch hour, young people are going on their school campuses with Truth for Youth Bibles, which is an amazing Bible. It's made especially for young people with those graphic novels in the front section, and then the whole New Testament. But they are going on campus and just saying, "Hey, I've got something I want to give you," and they give these Bibles away as a gift to a friend that they know that is perhaps not serving the Lord, maybe they're on drugs or alcohol, or dealing with depression or other things like that. And it is amazing when you shine the light of the Gospel in the school systems, what God is doing in the lives of those young people.

Rob West: And there's a Spanish version available, isn't that right?

Tim Todd: That's correct, that's correct. And you know, those comics, Rob, deal with things like sexual purity, drugs, drunkenness, peer pressure. Young people are struggling with these things: cutting, sexting, bullying, suicide. We deal with the truth about abortion. It's amazing how many teenagers, especially in the liberal school districts, Rob, the schools, many of them aren't even contacting the parents, and they're encouraging young ladies that get pregnant outside of marriage to have an abortion. It just blows me away what we, God's people, have allowed the devil to get away with on our school campuses. And the teaching of evolution, we've got a comic that deals with that. And so, it's got all of these—100 pages of short stories, and we put the plan of salvation in each one of those comic stories as well. And one of them deals with witchcraft as well, sorcery. Our young people are dabbling in areas and they're confused about their gender and things like that. So we deal with all of these subjects, we put these Bibles into the hands of Christian teenagers, they give them to their friends that are struggling with these things, and so they find Jesus and then God delivers them from these things. We don't want them to be delivered and find Jesus; the focus is not just to get the Word of God in school, but for these young people that don't know Jesus, that are struggling, to say, "Hey, here's Jesus Christ, this is the solution to the problem," and then from that, God is delivering those young people as well.

Rob West: Tim, we know God's Word will not return void, and only heaven will tell us how many came to trust Christ as a result of finding the truth in the Truth for Youth Bible, the Gospel. But based on what we know over the last 25 years, give us a sense of how many Bibles have been distributed, and those that have come to Christ that we know of.

Tim Todd: Yes. We've distributed, just in the past 25 years in the campaign with American Family Radio—and we could not do it without God's people and without AFR, I mean this has just opened a massive door—we've given away, Rob, more than 1 million, and we've received decision cards from more than 30,000 young people that have given their heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. And when Jesus healed the 10, one came back to thank Him. So we say 30,000, but there's no telling how many those 30,000 represent that we don't know about. And so, we're so thankful for what God is doing. I believe we're just scratching the surface. I believe if we want to reach America, if we want to bring America back to God, we have to reach a generation of young people. They're being lied to in many of these schools in the classroom, and we kicked God out in 1962 and 1963, and the devil moved in because God's people sat back—97% of our nation believed in God, only 3% didn't in 1962 and 1963. So really, what needs to happen, we need to kick the devil out of our schools by getting God back in our schools.

Rob West: Amen, brother. Listen, if you're listening today, folks, and you don't have a teen in your home, but you'd like to help support this work and cover the cost of these Bibles that can be distributed to young people, you can join us in that work as well when you go to the website tfy.org, or here's the number to call: 800-733-4737 to make your gift, or to request a Bible for a teen in your home. Tim, we're so thankful for our partnership, and thanks for your time today, sir.

Tim Todd: We appreciate you, Rob, and thank you so much, and God bless you and Faith & Finance.

Rob West: Thank you, sir. We'll talk to you real soon. That's Tim Todd, President of Revival Fires International. Again, that number: 800-733-4737. Quickly to Ohio. Constance, I want to get your call in before the end of the program. Go ahead.

Constance: Oh, yes, hi. I'd like to know—I have annuities and stocks, and I wonder if I could donate that to my church and avoid capital income tax for that year?

Rob West: Yeah, absolutely. Appreciated stock is an excellent asset, Constance, to fund a charitable gift annuity. So, you would get a charitable income tax deduction, you could reduce and spread out—which is helpful because by not realizing it all at once, it helps with not raising your taxable income up to a level that could have other implications—but it could also reduce the capital gains tax as well, compared to selling the stock yourself. And then you get that guaranteed lifetime income from, in this case, American Family Association. So yes, absolutely. Don't sell the stock and then fund the CGA; fund the charitable gift annuity with the appreciated stock, and there's an added benefit on top of the income tax deduction and the lifetime income.

Constance: Well, do I have to have an IRA to do that?

Rob West: No, ma'am. You do not. Where are these stocks? Are they in a taxable account currently, is that right?

Constance: Well, they're with Charles Schwab, that's all I know.

Rob West: Yes. So if you connect with the team—Jessica, or Chelsea, or Riley—at the AFA Foundation, you can go to afafoundation.net. That's afafoundation.net. They'll talk you through exactly what you need to know to be able to do this. But essentially, they would create the charitable gift annuity for you, you would transfer the gift of appreciated stock to deposit in your charitable gift annuity, and then that would start the tax deduction and the lifetime income. And before you do all of that, they could run the illustration and tell you how much income you would receive. So again, just go to afafoundation.net to get more information, or you can call 800-326-4543, extension 345. If you missed that, hang on the line and the team will give you that number, because I know that's a lot of digits I just threw at you. But bottom line, Constance, this is a great idea. It's a great way to fund a charitable gift annuity, and using appreciated stock will give you even more benefit. So stay on the line, the team will help you. Thomas, let's see if we can get you scheduled for tomorrow's broadcast. I apologize we didn't get to your question today. Folks, so thankful to have you along. We covered a lot of ground. I hope you got something out of today's broadcast that you can apply to your situation, hope you found something encouraging. That was certainly our goal. If you want to support the work here at Faith & Finance, just go to faithfi.com/give. Make a one-time gift or become a partner. That's faithfi.com/give. Big thanks to my team today: Patty, Devin, Taylor, and everybody here at Faith & Finance. See you tomorrow!

Announcer: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family Association or American Family Radio.

Proverbs 27:23 says, “Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds.” We may not be in an agrarian society, but that Proverb still applies: faithful stewardship requires attention. To manage our resources biblically, we must know what we have and how we spend. On this Faith & Finance on AFR, Rob West explores budgeting best practices. Discover why planning is about more than numbers. Then, it’s on to calls. 

(00:00) Rob West gives budgeting tips for stewardship
(08:30) Rob West highlights what the Bible says about money
(13:28) Dow Jones and S&P 500 updates
(14:43) In the News: Report on marital financial secrecy
(21:13) Caller David: Retired, house is paid for. Hia children have suggested he consider a reverse mortgage
(31:58) Rob West continues his conversation with David discussing charitable gift annuities
(36:18) Caller Sherri: Advice for managing a revocable trust for her mother
(42:10) Rob West is joined by Tim Todd of Revival Fires International to present the opportunity to get Bibles into the hands of students during Truth for Youth Bible Week on AFR
(50:58) Caller Constance: Can stocks be used to establish a charitable gift annuity