{"id":305746,"date":"2020-02-11T06:00:05","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T11:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/work-and-money\/"},"modified":"2020-02-11T06:00:05","modified_gmt":"2020-02-11T11:00:05","slug":"work-and-money","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/work-and-money\/","title":{"rendered":"Work and Money"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are today&#8217;s college students ready to face the responsibilities of adulthood? Pastor Jonathan &#8220;JP&#8221; Pokluda says &#8220;No.&#8221; Pokluda wasn&#8217;t either. Coming to Christ, however, changed his perspective and his goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2020-02-11.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:29:02","filesize":"26.58M","filesize_raw":"27872935","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2850,2814,2855],"tags":[4155],"podcast_series":[8338],"cwp_profile":[9594],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-305746","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-character-development","category-releasing-your-child","category-teens","tag-adulting","podcast_series-welcome-to-adulting","cwp_profile-jp-pokluda","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/305746\/work-and-money","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/305746\/work-and-money","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"jz7nVnFiiT\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/work-and-money\/\">Work and Money<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/work-and-money\/embed\/#?secret=jz7nVnFiiT\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Work and Money&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"jz7nVnFiiT\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Are today's college students ready to face the responsibilities of adulthood? Pastor Jonathan \"JP\" Pokluda says \"No.\" Pokluda wasn't either. Coming to Christ, however, changed his perspective and his goals.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2020-02-11.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Pastor JP Pokluda says until people start thinking rightly\/thinking biblically about money and work and family life and balance\u2014how all of that fits together\u2014they really haven\u2019t grown up. He knows a little bit about this from his own experience. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> I think I was chasing the wrong things. I wanted to be a millionaire before I was 30 because that meant freedom. When I found freedom in Christ in the middle of that journey\u2014ended up giving my life to Jesus\u2014understanding God had created me for a purpose\u2014Ephesians 2:10: \u201cFor we are God\u2019s workmanship created in Christ to do good works which He\u2019s prepared in advance for us to do.\u201d As I began to walk through those works, then I saw my work differently: \u201cHey; it\u2019s not about me trying to make as much money as possible but about me doing a good job as an act of worship.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Tuesday, February 11<sup>th<\/sup>. Our hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson; I\u2019m Bob Lepine. You can find us online at FamilyLifeToday.com. A part of growing up and becoming an adult is learning how to think with wisdom about work, and life, and money, and how all of that fits together. We\u2019ll talk more about that today with JP Pokluda. Stay with us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. I remember the last couple of years our kids were in college. During their junior and senior years, we would start having these conversations. I would just say, \u201cYou know, it\u2019s coming don\u2019t you?\u201d They would say, \u201cWhat\u2019s coming?\u201d I would say, \u201cCell phone bills are coming to <em>your<\/em> address pretty soon, and car insurance bills are coming to <em>your<\/em> address.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I told you what I did at my sons\u2019 weddings. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes; this was kind of embarrassing. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes; I\u2019m the dad, but I\u2019m also the pastor. There is my son, and there is my new daughter-in-law. At every wedding, somewhere in the middle, I would go, \u201cOh, by the way\u201d\u2014I\u2019d pull out a car insurance bill and say\u2014\u201cHere you go, son. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s all yours.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave: \u201c<\/strong>Look at this thing,\u201d Like, \u201c$700?!\u201d \u201cYes, that\u2019s every six months, dude. Enjoy! [Laughter] Welcome to adulting.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> That\u2019s the subject we\u2019re talking about this week. We\u2019ve got JP Pokluda joining us today. JP, welcome back. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> Hey; thanks for having me, guys. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> JP is the pastor at Harris Creek Church in Waco, Texas, and has just written a book called <em>Welcome to Adulting: Navigating Faith, Friendship, Finances, and the Future<\/em>. When we talk about adulting\u2014and that\u2019s the subject of this book\u2014you\u2019re talking about really stepping into adult responsibilities; and that includes keeping a job, paying the bills, and being responsible for what it means to navigate life. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAre the average kids\u2014who are coming out of college, or out of the military, or whatever they\u2019ve done post-high school\u2014are they ready to step in and have jobs that can support them and that they can make life work from? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> I won\u2019t answer that, you know, from my opinion. I would say the studies are saying, \u201cNo\u201d; the supervisors are saying, \u201cNo.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI met with a guy this week; he was just like: \u201cHey; would you\u2014I would love to talk about, you know, the future and what I\u2019m going to do and just get your advice.\u201d I sat down; and I said: \u201cHey; so what are your skills? What do you feel like you run a five-minute mile in?\u201d\u2014meaning: \u201cWhat are you better at than most people?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe said, \u201cI\u2019m really good at managing others and just kind of like telling people what to do; and I think\/so I would love to look at something in management.\u201d [Laughter] I just was like, \u201cYes, you and every other\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> \u2014\u201cGeneration Z\/Millennial, for sure.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think all of us feel that way. We forsake the reality of the 10,000 hours that Malcolm Gladwell talks about the \u201cpushing through the grind\u201d\/the becoming an expert after it gets difficult. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think, right now, we do something until it\u2019s hard; and when it\u2019s hard, it must be wrong. So we try something else until it\u2019s difficult\/and then we do that until it\u2019s difficult, and then we try something else. We jump around; and we never really, you know, become an expert in anything. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> You had quite a journey in the adulting in the workplace. I mean, as I read your book, you had all these different jobs before you were a follower of Christ. When you\u2019re a follower of Christ, it\u2019s like your whole perspective on work and career\u2014you have a whole\/several chapters on it\u2014changed. Talk about that: what\u2019s working like a boss mean? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> I think, with a perspective of faith\u2014understanding that God created you to be in right relationship with Him\u2014an aspect of that is work. We see work before the Fall. I mean, Adam and Eve worked before they brought sin into the world; so work is good. It\u2019s not bad; it just became\u2014after sin in Genesis 3\u2014it became difficult. He [God] says, \u201cHey; you\u2019re going to work the ground, and it\u2019s going to fight against you.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat that tells me, then, is, when my work is difficult, it doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m doing the wrong thing. It means that I live in a fallen world, and I need to keep being an ambassador of Jesus wherever I\u2019m at. The gospel has always moved forward on work. Titus, Chapter 2, verse 10\u2014he says, \u201cWe work to make the teachings of Jesus, our Savior, attractive.\u201d I think this is something that is lost. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tEveryone is trying to figure out what they are passionate about. That\u2019s the big question today: \u201cWell, what am I passionate about? What did God make me to do?\u201d This is something that our great, great grandparents never really asked; you know? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> That\u2019s true; yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> They just worked the fields because they needed to eat, and they never took Myers-Briggs, or Enneagram, or StrengthsFinder, or DiSC, or Birkman, or whatever to figure out, \u201cOkay; did God make me to work the fields?\u201d They said: \u201cNo; I\u2019ve got to eat, so I\u2019m going to work the fields; and I\u2019m going to pray for rain. Hopefully, there\u2019s a harvest.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tToday, we have more tools than we have ever had; and we are asking this question: \u201cOkay; what am I passionate about?\u201d The problem with that is, when that\u2019s not there, a lot of times, we can be left despairing. We\u2019ll try something, and we realize that we are not passionate about it anymore. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat\u2019s my story: I went to school for art because I loved art; but I learned, through that process, that I didn\u2019t like doing other people\u2019s art. I didn\u2019t like doing art for money; I just liked art. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Well, JP, what did it look like in <em>your<\/em> life? How did God transform this for you, because you were bouncing from job to job? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> I think I was chasing the wrong things. I wanted to be a millionaire before I was 30. I wanted to get as much money as I possibly could because that meant freedom for me. When I found freedom in Christ in the middle of that journey\u2014ended up giving my life to Jesus\u2014understanding that God had created me for a purpose\u2014Ephesians 2:10: \u201cFor we are God\u2019s workmanship created in Christ to do good works which He\u2019s prepared in advance for us to do.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAs I began to walk through those works, then I saw my work differently: \u201cIt\u2019s not about me trying to make as much money as possible, but about me doing a good job as an act of worship: about me building relationships for the purpose of sharing the gospel, about me transforming an area as an ambassador of a kingdom that is not seen yet.\u201d When I got that\/when that purpose fell into place, everything about how I worked changed. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think that work is important in what it allows us to do. It\u2019s important in that it allows us to represent God. It\u2019s important in that it allows to advance the gospel. It\u2019s important in that it allows us to be generous with others\u2014that it allows us to provide for our family. It is a big rock, and it needs to be there. We all have to\u2014I would say an important aspect of being a follower of Jesus Christ is to have a good work ethic. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat I see in this generation that is coming up is this chasing their passions\u2014to go back to that. The problem with us following our passions is the one thing that\u2019s true of our passions is they\u2019ve always changed. They\u2019ve led us in and out of relationships; they\u2019ve led us in and out of majors; they\u2019ve led us in and out of colleges\/in and out of schools\u2014in and out of all kinds of different aspects of relationships in our life, especially the corporate ones. We get into a job until, you know, we no longer feel passionate about it; then we jump to something else; then we jump to something else; then we jump to something else. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSpeaking of art, you know, one time, I started a painting. It was going to be a man in a boat. I remember it was going to be a man in a boat, and it was kind of a blue and white painting. As I was doing the man in the boat, I thought: \u201cYou know what? I think it really needs to be a lake and a tree.\u201d I drew the lake, and a tree, and the field. I was like, \u201cYou know, I think this is going to be more Van Gogh: <em>Starry Night<\/em> kind of thing.\u201d [Laughter] When I was all \u201cdone,\u201d\u2014I\u2019ll say when I was like, \u201cOkay; I\u2019m tired of this painting,\u201d\u2014it was really just a sloppy mess. I mean, it was just a mixture of colors; you couldn\u2019t make out anything. I had started over too many times. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tLikewise, I think for the average 20-something\u2014when you start something and you stop, and you start something else and you stop, and you start something else\u2014you get to this place, where you\u2019re just like: \u201cMan, my life just feels like a sloppy mess. I really need some direction.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tA lot of times, what has to happen\u2014and with our work ethic\u2014is it has to be bonded to commitment; you know? And not commitment to something bad\u2014certainly, not commitment to something evil\u2014but just to say: \u201cHey; I\u2019m really going to press through the grind here. I\u2019m going to lower my shoulder; when things get hard, I\u2019m going to keep doing the best job that I can to honor those that I work for.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThere is so much in the Scriptures\u2014Colossians 3; I referenced Titus 2 earlier; \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t1 Corinthians 13\u2014there is so much in the Scripture about\u2014Romans 13\u2014there is so much about honoring those in authority over us. I think that\u2019s been lost on a generation that we forget that: we want to go in as the boss; we want to go in as the owner of the company\/as the manager; and not really just say, \u201cOkay; thank you so much for compensating me to do that.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br>That\u2019s the other thing we forget\u2014is we want work to be like a hobby. You don\u2019t get paid to do hobbies; you know? They know that what you are doing is difficult; that\u2019s why they give you a paycheck in exchange for doing it, because it\u2019s hard. These are some important lessons. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> I think those are good lessons to teach our kids, too, when they are little. I mean, I would harp on Colossians 3:23: \u201cWhatever you do, do your work heartily for the Lord rather than for men.\u201d I mean, kids are complaining about chores\/about doing jobs; but I think to say: \u201cThis honors God,\u201d and \u201cWhen you see it through to the end\u201d\u2014even though they are grumbling and complaining, they do have this sense of satisfaction\u2014\u201c\u2018I have completed something.\u2019\u201d But it is hard to stay on that because kids, especially teenagers, are grumbling. They are like: \u201cThis is stupid,\u201d \u201cThis is dumb\u201d; but I think it\u2019s important to persevere through that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Well, it would be interesting to know, from you, JP, if you\u2019re telling me, \u201cDon\u2019t follow my passions; don\u2019t follow my heart.\u201d I know you\u2019re not exactly saying that; but there is a sense, when I\u2019m 20\/25, I\u2019ve been told my whole life: \u201cFollow your passion,\u201d\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014\u201cDo what you\u2019re made to do.\u201d Yet, you\u2019re saying, \u201cThat can actually lead to some bad places.\u201d What would you say to follow then? \u201cWhat do I go after? How do I go after it?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> I want to be explicit. I think it\u2019s bad advice\u2014and not completely altogether bad advice\u2014because God\/He made us emotional beings. When we delight in Him, He often gives us our passions; but what I see in Proverbs 4:23\u2014it says, above all else, \u201cGuard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Everything you do flows from it.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI would say, \u201cDon\u2019t follow your heart, but <em>inform<\/em> your heart.\u201d Your heart is like a bloodhound. It\u2019s going to chase what you feed it. If you feed it materialism, if you feed it the love of money, if you feed it particular things, it\u2019s going to chase that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI would say: \u201cHey; stop. Before you follow your heart, inform your heart.\u201d That starts, first, with trusting in Jesus Christ and then beginning to feed it a healthy diet of God\u2019s Word and His desires. When you trust in Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit. I would say, \u201cHe\u2019s good to follow.\u201d When you have God\u2019s Word, I would say, \u201cThat\u2019s good to follow.\u201d When you begin to live in that\/when you live in the Scriptures and you surround yourself with God\u2019s people, then you start to understand God\u2019s desires; you start to see God\u2019s will. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn Romans 12:1-2, it says: \u201cDo not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God\u2019s will is.\u201d I think our renewing our mind around: \u201cOkay; prayer, the discipline of spending time in God\u2019s Word, spending time with God\u2019s people\u201d\u2014at that point, we\u2019re starting to get something to follow. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI liken it to like a GPS; right?\u2014the navigation system. We follow a GPS; and you would never follow a GPS, though, before you put in the address\/before you tell it where you want to go. A friend of mine\u2014he\u2019s over strategy for a billion-dollar hedge fund\u2014he says, \u201cStrategy is as simple as knowing where you want to be, knowing where you are at, and formulating a plan to get there.\u201d With that GPS: first, I want to gather my group; I want to pray; then I want to seek the Scriptures. That\u2019s a good GPS\u2014group, prayer, Scriptures. With that in place, then I can know where I\u2019m going to go. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You said\/you asked the question: \u201cWhat\u2019s your five-minute mile?\u201d to know: \u201cWhat am I good at? How has God wired me? What do I bring that other people can\u2019t bring?\u201d\u2014and then\u2014\u201cHow can I use that for the glory of God? How can I use that to advance His kingdom?\u201d That may be that you are a doctor at a hospital; that may be that you are an accountant at a bookkeeping firm; that may be that you are teacher in a public school; because advancing the kingdom is not something that we do only in a church context. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> It\u2019s something we do every place God takes us; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> Even more <em>out<\/em> of a church context. I mean, that\u2019s the thing\u2014I would just say for every follower of Jesus out there: \u201cDo not think in terms of: \u2018Well, there are people in ministry, and there [are] people in the secular world.\u2019 Every Christian is in ministry. Your two greatest are your home and your work environment\/your professional environment. Those are <em>incredible<\/em> opportunities to display Christ.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes; I think, as we\u2019re thinking about young people moving into adulting, when you move from a place\u2014where your main driver is, \u201cWhat is going to be pleasing to me today?\u201d\u2014and instead ask the question: \u201cWhat can I contribute to the world?\u201d \u201cWhat can I contribute to people around me?\u201d \u201cHow can I have an impact in the lives of people around me?\u201d\u2014that\u2019s a bigger priority than whether I end the day, going, \u201cOh, that was a nice day.\u201d No; \u201cWas it a productive day? Was it a day where you contributed something to the world around you?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to ask you about money before we run out of time here. I read an article in the <em>New York Times<\/em>\u2014this was back last year\u2014they had profiled five families from across the country; and here was the thesis: \u201cA middle class income today is what you can barely get by on.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThey had people in one city; they were making $70,000\u2014parents, two kids\u2014and they were outlining their budget on $70,000; they could barely get by. I look, \u201cWhy can they barely get by with $70,000?\u201d Well, $1,200 a month is going to student loans; and then there was $700 a month going to pay off credit card bills. All of a sudden, I could see, \u201cWell, they are barely getting by because they made a bunch of choices that, instead of paying it forward, they are now paying it backward for the life they used to live.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHow do we help\u2014and I\u2019m not trying to minimize the financial challenges that are very real for 20-somethings in our world today, because they are facing some headwinds\u2014how do we help them get to a place, in managing money, where they go, \u201cI can do this; I can navigate life in this area\u201d? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> Well, you started talking about debt. Now, you know the Scripture says that a borrower is slave to the lender. I think you\u2019re seeing that family live in that reality. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI saw another study that\u2014it\u2019s interesting you referenced $70,000\u2014because I saw another study that just said that money can\u2019t buy happiness past $70,000\u2014that there is, marginally, you may be able to experience some greater joy up to that number\u2014but that somebody who makes $70,000 has the same level of contentment as somebody who makes $700 million. That intrigued me that I read that recently. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think, one, teaching young people that: \u201cHey; this is not going to be the source of your happiness. It is a source of generosity.\u201d At a very young age, teaching them to give generously, not just in the context of even a tithe. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWeston is my seven-year-old. We left this party the other day, and he got some sunglasses. As we were walking out, a guy was parking cars; and it was really bright. He handed him his sunglasses\u2014he goes: \u201cHere you go. You can have these.\u201d We just celebrated that, as a family\/said: \u201cWes, I <em>love<\/em> the way you hold things loosely. Do you know why God gave you those sunglasses today?\u2014because they were a gift to you. He gave them so that you could give them to him.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI said: \u201cThat\u2019s going to be the most fun you have had today\u2014was giving away that pair of sunglasses. It was more fun to give them than, even, to receive them,\u201d which we say is trite and clich\u00e9; but I think we have to <em>teach<\/em> them that that\u2019s reality. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen, what you reference, is to live under your means; you know?\u2014to spend less than you make. You can do that: it\u2019s hard; it\u2019s challenging. I don\u2019t want to make light of someone else\u2019s problems; it\u2019s very difficult when there is not a lot\/when you\u2019re not making much; but you\u2019ve just got to keep thinking, \u201cOkay; how can I live below my means?\u201d It may mean, you know, not eating out. It may mean some monotony in your routine. It may mean not having a $50 gym membership or whatever; but as much as you are able\u2014and I would have other people in your life, speak into this\u2014live <em>below<\/em> your means. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMy first job was in retail. I remember when they called me and they said, \u201cHey; we would like for you to come on.\u201d I said, \u201cGreat.\u201d \u201cAnd we\u2019re going to pay you $23,000 a year.\u201d My best friend was there, and I got off that phone. We hugged, and I wept. [Laughter] I asked him, \u201cMatt, where am I going to put all this money?\u201d I learned quickly that that wasn\u2019t the case, that I could spend that rather quickly. [Laughter] Yes; but I did\u2014I had to live below my means, which means I didn\u2019t get to live where I wanted to; I didn\u2019t get to drive what I wanted to; I didn\u2019t get to dress how I wanted to; I didn\u2019t get to <em>buy<\/em> what I wanted to. I had to live beneath that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Life was still okay; wasn\u2019t it? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> I mean, the sun still came up the next day; and everything was fine. You know what it did, more than anything? It probably kept me out of some trouble. I think, as you do that and you learn those soft skills early, it\u2019s going to set you up for a better life. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I think it\u2019s so key as, we think about being parents\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014with young kids or even older kids. I\u2019m looking at your chapter title: \u201cMoney: It\u2019s Not All about the Benjamins.\u201d What are we saying to our kids by how we live? Is it about the Benjamins, or is there a contentment they see in mom and dad and even a generosity? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI can remember when my oldest, who is 33 now, was in high school. I sat him down; and I said, \u201cCJ, I want you to see the check I write every month to the church.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Back then, it was a check\u2014now, it\u2019s digital\u2014but it was actually a written check. He about died! He was like, \u201cThat\u2019s like\u2026\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m like: \u201cYes; that\u2019s about the same as our mortgage. It\u2019s actually a little more than our mortgage.\u201d He\u2019s like, \u201cWhy would you do that?!\u201d because he knew exactly\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u201cI could have a car!\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u201cI could have a car if you didn\u2019t do this.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Air Jordans\u2014you name it. But it was\/but I want\u2014again, it wasn\u2019t like, \u201cHey; I\u2019m bragging,\u201d\u2014it was just like, \u201cThese are the kinds of decisions you, make because it isn\u2019t all about the Benjamins.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> It feels like the older generation is so disappointed in the younger generation. I spent a lot of time kind of mediating these conversations between the older generation and Millennials or Gen Z. I would just say: \u201cBut you taught them that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> \u201cThey are not going to learn from what you say: \u2018Oh, money\u2019s not important.\u2019 They\u2019re going to learn from what you <em>do<\/em>\u2014that is the teacher. If you\u2019re saying, \u201cHey; church is important; faith is important,\u201d\u2014and they don\u2019t see you invest in that\u2014then that\u2019s\u2014they\u2019re smarter than you think. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP: <\/strong>\u201cThe situation that they are in, and what they\u2019ve learned, they learned from <em>you<\/em>\u2014you! You\u2019ve got to remember that\u2014they are always watching; they are always learning.\u201d Now, they are sitting in that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> There were countless times I would be at the grocery store, and I just felt God leading me\/the Spirit leading me to pay for someone\u2019s groceries. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes; she would come home and tell me that. I\u2019m like: \u201cWhoa, whoa, wait. What?!\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes; our boys would be with [me]; and they\u2019d be like, \u201cOh, Mom, wait until you tell dad!\u201d [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> But they learned a lesson; didn\u2019t they? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> They did, I think\u2014hopefully. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> There would be women in the grocery line, in tears, because Ann walked up behind them and said, \u201cI\u2019ve got it,\u201d and having no idea they had a <em>real<\/em> need\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Wow. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> \u2014and God provided an angel in Ann. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> Here is my advice. Let your kids watch you be financially irresponsible\u2014and what I mean by that\u2014that\u2019s a soundbite; don\u2019t clip that\u2014what I mean by that is: \u201cLet them see you be generous in a way that doesn\u2019t make sense.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> That\u2019s when they are going to see your faith. When they see you help somebody as a priority\u2014that you love your neighbor as you love yourself, that you care for those around you, that you identify needs and you meet those needs\u2014that is going to <em>teach<\/em> them what your real priorities are. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> One time, when money was tight, Ann did that. I was in the car, waiting for her. Finally, I\u2019m like, \u201cWhere in the world?!\u201d I come in; I realize she paid for some lady in front of her. I literally said to her: \u201cHow much?\u2014how much did you pay?!\u201d because I was not happy. I don\u2019t know\u2014$100\/$150. I went nuts! \u201cAre you kidding me?! That woman just raked you. She saw you coming.\u201d I came in, and I had that attitude in the kitchen. The boys were looking at me. I\u2019m seeing myself in the mirror; I\u2019m like, \u201cThis is a <em>terrible<\/em> model.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut it was all\u2014like I was afraid: \u201cWhy would you do that when moneys tight?\u201d I literally, in the next five minutes, opened the mail. There is a check there for a speaking gig I did that I did for free; they decided they wanted to pay me\u2014months ago. I get this check; it\u2019s a couple grand. The boys looked at me\/just looking, just like, \u201cThere it is again.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> And I said, \u201cSee, God always provides.\u201d [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>JP:<\/strong> God\u2019s just watching your back, Ann. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> I know. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I think what we model is vital; but I also think, for a mom and dad to sit with a teenager or somebody in college and say: \u201cLet\u2019s, together, go through this book, <em>Welcome to Adulting<\/em>,\u201d and \u201cLet\u2019s just have conversations about each of these chapters. We\u2019ll get together once a week. I\u2019ll buy dinner,\u201d \u201c\u2026I\u2019ll buy coffee,\u201d \u201cI\u2019ll\u2026\u201d\u2014bribe them with something, whatever it takes to bribe them with. Then just go through a chapter a week and say: \u201cWhat did you think about that? Did you have any questions about that?\u201d Or tell your stories of where you blew it so that they can learn from you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ve got copies of JP\u2019s book, <em>Welcome to Adulting: Navigating Faith, Friendship, Finances, and the Future<\/em>. Go to FamilyLifeToday.com to order a copy or call 1-800-FL-TODAY. Again, our website is FamilyLifeToday.com. You can order the book by calling 1-800-358-6329\u2014that\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d Again, the title of JP\u2019s book is <em>Welcome to Adulting: Navigating Faith, Friendship, Finances, and the Future<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, our objective every day, here on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>, is to equip you\/to provide you with practical biblical help and hope and guidance in areas related to marriage and family. We want to see your marriages thrive. We want to see your families doing well, and all of that is anchored in what the Bible has to say about building a strong marriage relationship. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ve recognized, over the years, that there are certain areas that are key when it comes to marital health. Our team has put together an assessment. You can go online at FamilyLifeToday.com, answer a couple dozen questions, and the answers you provide will point to those areas in your marriage that are strong and stable and those areas in your marriage that could use some work. In those areas, where you may need a little help, we can provide some help: some articles, some podcasts you can listen to, resources that are available. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAgain, this is a part of our mission, here, at FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>. It all starts with taking the assessment. Go to FamilyLifeToday.com; look for the \u201cLove That Lasts\u201d icon\u2014click on that\u2014and take the marriage health assessment. Again, our website is FamilyLifeToday.com. The assessment is free, and it\u2019s a great way to do a checkup on your marriage. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, tomorrow, we\u2019re going to talk about relationships, and engagement, and marriage, and how that connects to adulting\u2014moving from childhood into adulthood. JP Pokluda is going to join us, again, tomorrow. We hope you can be here as well. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our hosts, Dave and Ann Wilson, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas; a Cru<sup>\u00ae <\/sup>Ministry. Help for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2020 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/305746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=305746"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=305746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=305746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=305746"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=305746"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=305746"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=305746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}