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SeedTime

SeedTime Money (Christian Personal Finance)

Ready to master your money?

Hi, I am Bob Lotich, a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF®) and my wife Linda would say that I am a certified money nerd.

I have been writing about personal finance and the fascinating intersection of money and the Bible on this site since 2007 and I am humbled and honored to be able to say that you are one of over 50,000,000 people who have visited our little money website since we began.

I am thank God every day for the impact that we have been able to have in so many lives, but right now my focus is on you!

I want to see you win with money and have the dramatic life change that I have experienced and that so many in our community have as well!

We have been able to help readers like you:

Using various tools like our:

Learn what school never taught you about money

I don’t know about you, but the extent of my financial education from school was learning how to balance a checkbook.

I have no idea why financial education is not a higher priority in most schools, but we are doing our part to help make up for it!

I experiment with my money so you don’t have to.

I have always loved experimenting. As a kid it drove my parents nuts.

  • “What happens if I hammer nails into the arm of the couch”
  • “What happens if I turn the milk jug upside-down without the cap on?”
  • “What happens if I disassemble this cassette tape?
  • And on and on it went.

After learning some incredibly important lessons about nails and gravity, I have now moved on to experimenting with my money.

Some are really practical money tools that I try like:

and others are broader experiments like:

Money isn’t evil, it is a tool

So many Christians seem to be afraid of money because of a few verses about the love of money.

But the fact is that while the Bible says that the love of money is a root of evil, money itself isn’t.

Just like a hammer it can be used to build something for someone, harm someone, or hammer nails into a couch. 😉

Here, we are a community who views money as a tool to change lives, not the source of our status or security. Therefore, since money is a tool, we will be at our best and most effective when we become more skilled with it.  

That’s where we come in.

The SeedTime Mission

We are a community of believers who don’t think that God put us on this earth to spend money like we are in a rap video, but to use it wisely, enjoy it, and to communicate His love via giving.

To give more money, you obviously have to have money.

SeedTime is your go-to resource for practical tips to spend smarter, save more, earn more and Biblical wisdom about how to better manage your money!

What we believe:

  • The world’s approach with money will ultimately fail us, but God’s way leads to joy with money, financial security, and plenty to give generously. (2 Cor 9:8)
  • When financial security inevitably comes, we refuse to let money be our master – but God alone. (Matt 6:24)
  • We model after the first and ultimate giver and give sacrificially – regardless of our current financial situation. (Mark 12:44)
  • We chase after debt-free living as we want to be slaves to Jesus only. (Pro 22:7)
  • We don’t blame others for our circumstances, but look to God as our source and supply. (Phil 4:19)
  • We lift each other up and encourage each other as we fight through the inevitable financial challenges that come in life. (1 Thes 5:11)
  • We desire to see God invade our finances, not to store up treasures for ourselves on earth, but we understand that we are blessed to be a blessing. (Matt 6:19, Psa 67:7)

It all begins with a seed.

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest … will never cease.”

–Genesis 8:22

I’ve always been fascinated by the potential of even the smallest seed.

We seem to take it for granted, but let me remind you that a Sequoia tree (the largest living thing on earth) grows to be hundreds of feet tall and starts with a tiny little seed.

I still remember, like you probably do, being in first-grade planting seeds in a dixie cup and watching the miracle of growth and change.

How have we lost the wonder of something coming to life from something dead and lifeless?

And once sprouted, the amazing simplicity of soil, water, and sun causing growth for decades, centuries, or in the case of the Sequoia, millennia.

Our role is merely to take small & consistent actions to nurture the seed.

What if we could apply this principle to our money?

I remember being on a 7-month sabbatical when I was 20 years old and living in a city where I didn’t know anyone. I was on a spiritual journey that would ultimately lead me to some very practical changes.

I had no savings. I had no money left in my checking account, and my credit card was $264 from being maxed out.

My rent was due that day, and I was worried about needing to buy gas to pick up a couple of friends from the airport who would be staying with me that weekend.

At the worst possible time, my car broke down in front of a minor league ballpark about 30 minutes before game time as hundreds were driving by staring.

I found myself pushing my car to the side of the road as hundreds pulled into the ballpark.

The embarrassment was the last thing on my mind, because I didn’t know how I was going to pay my rent, much less fix my now broken down car with my $264 remaining available credit with Visa.

As I finished pushing my car to the side of the road to get out of the flow of traffic, I climbed in, put my head in my hands and I committed with every ounce of my being to get control of my money.

Looking back, this was when the seed of financial success was planted.

Even though I was terrified and clueless…

about how to get out of the financial mess I found myself in, at least the seed was planted – and by the help and grace of God I was determined to nurture it for as long as it took.

I began reading articles about how to get control of my money and began eliminating foolish money habits I had developed.

And just like the 1st grader with the dixie cup, I began looking for signs of progress the next day only to find nothing.

Just wet dirt.

And the next day – still just wet dirt.

But I bought books, read magazines, watched videos – anything I could to continue nurturing the seed – all while seeing no visible signs of progress.

And to be honest, it took months before I saw the first signs of progress.

That first sign of life for me was…

that I was able to pay my monthly expenses without using a credit card.  I can’t even tell you how excited I was realizing that it might just work.

I kept at it – making as few stupid money decisions as possible.

Side note: financial success is a lot more about minimizing stupid decisions than making really good ones.

And over the months my seed grew from a sprout to a seedling – I watched my net worth go from negative $13K to $0, which was a huge cause for celebration for me.

During the following years we (my wife was now in the picture) paid off over $46K of credit cards, car loans, etc. and have been able to financially support many of our favorite charities like we always dreamed of doing.

And it all started with a tiny seed being planted.

“Do not despise these small beginnings”

–Zechariah 4:10 NLT

Now what?

I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life helping people climb out of messes like I was in and I would love to have the opportunity to help you on your journey.

You can join the 225,000 other email subscribers and get started with our FREE E-Course that will help you better manage your money, pay off debt, save more, and have more to give!

Get the first lesson now just tapping the button below:

Get Started now!

Why we do what we do

I used to think that the only people who could really have an impact in God’s Kingdom were those who were directly involved in ministry.

As I better understand how the body of Christ operates, how we each have a part to play, and that it is the proper working of each part that causes the growth of the body, I have come to better understand my role.

I don’t think I am called to preach, but I can use the gifts that I have been given and watch God use them in miraculous ways.

I may not get to be the hands and the feet directly winning souls each day, but I can use what I have been gifted with and God will use it for His purposes.

In my case, that is helping lead Christians on the financial journey that God has lead me on.

I always wanted to be able to give.

I would see an opportunity to give to an evangelistic outreach, or a ministry that I wanted to support, or helping a family who was in need and I longed in my heart to be able to help.

But because I was broke, I would get so frustrated that I didn’t have the money to be able to give like I wanted.

Sometimes the best I could do was a dollar or two. But, you know what, it was a seed planted. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was kind of like the parable of the talents where I took what I had, “invested it,” and God entrusted me with a little more.

Over the following years, God helped me turn around the financial mess I was in, helped me change my thinking, and changed my heart.

 

I want to use my dollars to rob hell

It is so thrilling to know that we can take a dollar that we have earned and it can translate into someone coming to know Jesus.

We have the opportunity to use our money to fund ministries who are winning souls, and we get to partake in that victory celebration. (John 4:36)

Romans 10:14-15 is the source of our mission.

“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?”

I believe a big part of my call is to use my money to help make sure the evangelists get SENT and to help inspire others to do the same.

And it should come as no surprise, but the more I keep my eyes fixed and focused on God’s Kingdom agenda, He takes care of all my needs – and, I should add, way better than I ever imagined.

Matthew 6:33 sums it up well: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

 

So what does all this mean to you?

Well, whether you realize it or not, as a reader (you are reading this right?) you are part of the SeedTime family. And as family, my team and I are praying for you.

My goal is that for you and the rest of the SeedTime family to experience the same amazing grace and financial transformation that I have in my life. We pray that God would use you in such amazing ways for His purposes and that you would get to use far more of your dollars to help rob hell and fill heaven than you ever dreamed.

 

We have to master our own finances.

After all, if you want to give money, generally you need to have some.

That’s not to say that is the only way to give, but for those of us who want to be funding the preaching of the gospel, having some money to give would be a good thing.

What I and countless other readers have found is that as we step out in faith and prayerfully ask God for help in our finances, that He truly does help in miraculous ways.

But, it almost always takes some action on our part.

Typically when someone prays to God to help them lose 25 lbs, they don’t wake up 25 lbs lighter the next day (although that would be awesome if God did that!).

While we don’t tend to see those supernatural liposuction procedures very often, what I have seen over and over is someone who asks God for help – even if they can’t do it in their own strength – and God shows up as they are walking in faith toward the goal.

I have found that getting out of debt is very similar to losing weight in that regard. I don’t often see people with $50k of debt get it paid off overnight after praying (though it does occasionally happen).

More often it seems God gets excited when we demonstrate our faith in His ability to do the miraculous with our debt by taking practical steps to get it paid off.

But that element of faith – where we say “I know I can’t do this in my own strength, but I know you CAN!” and then choosing to try – in faith – seems to be where the miraculous is often activated.

Getting out of debt is just one example, I have seen God work in my finances through faith with my giving, with career opportunities, my business, and so many other ways as well.

He is working in your finances!

He is such a good father and He cares about our finances – because WE care about them! (Romans 8:32)

He wants to see us thriving and being 10-talent stewards (see the parable of talents) who He can entrust with more.

He wants to see us giving on higher and higher levels because, after all, Jesus himself said that it is more “blessed to give than to receive.”

And I am praying that as we give, those simple acts of generosity (no matter how or where you’re giving), will ultimately be used to rob hell and put more people in Heaven.

That’s what gets me out of bed each morning.

And that is why we do what we do.

 

About Bob Lotich

bob lotich interview

Hi, I am Bob.

I have been working with money (in banking, investments, and debt-reduction) for almost 20 years. For the last 12+ years I have been writing about Biblical personal finance. I have had the opportunity to featured on some world-class websites and magazines like Forbes, The Huffington Post, Yahoo Finance, CBN, Crosswalk, Patheos and others. I have been a full-time author/blogger since 2008 and I love uncovering financial wisdom in the Bible as well as discovering the best ways to help you put more money in your pocket.

My financial journey

I remember wanting to have millions of dollars, so I could spend it all on myself. I remember when I was living off of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese that was purchased on a nearly-maxxed out credit card.

I remember sitting in a broken down car, 1,000 miles from home, with no money, and no one to call for help.

I remember the feeling of hopelessness as I watched my financial life spiral out of control before my eyes.

I remember being so frustrated when I realized my soon-to-be-wife and I needed to rent an apartment instead of buying a house because we couldn’t afford to buy a house.

I remember getting married and looking at our $47,000 of debt and wondering how in the world we would ever pay it off.

I remember laughing at the idea that I could give away a million dollars.

I remember meditating on and clinging to Phillippians 4:19 with all I had.

I remember making sacrifices – like spending no more than $45/week to feed my wife and I – so that we could scrape together just a few bucks to try to pay down debt.

I remember the ironic observation that money doesn’t solve money problems.

I remember calculating our net worth for the first time to discover that it was NEGATIVE $13,843.84

I remember reassuring my wife that all the sacrifices would be worth it eventually – even when I was wondering the same thing myself.

I remember listening to Dave Ramsey and thinking to myself, “I can do this!”

I remember not being able to buy gifts that I longed to and felt social pressure to buy, because we didn’t have the money.

I remember when I had to step out in faith and give beyond my means.

I remember the excitement of paying off my first credit card. We jumped, danced, and shouted for joy at our minuscule first step of progress.

I remember how thrilled I was when I realized that we finally had a positive net worth! A total of $746.07

I remember the day it dawned on me that this Debt Snowball thing really works.

I remember the awkwardness of not being able to go somewhere with all my friends because we couldn’t afford it.

I remember struggling for months to get a budget set up and how I felt on top of the world when I finally got the budget working.

I remember only being able to pump a gallon of gas into the car, because that was all we had until the next paycheck.

I remember praying to God and watching Him do the impossible in our lives.

I remember going out to eat with friends, but not ordering anything because we didn’t have the money in the budget.

I remember paying off our car and receiving the title from the bank and the joy of officially “owning” our car.

I remember starting a home-based business to help us get out of debt faster.

I remember having our transmission go out and trying to figure out how we were going to survive with one car.

I remember seeing my boss break into tears as he told me my department was no longer needed, and being very thankful that I had started an emergency fund.

I remember how comforted I felt by having our financial life in order.

I remember going out to dinner with Linda (an extremely rare occasion) as a celebration for paying off our last credit card.

I remember the thrill of having enough money budgeted to afford Christmas gifts for everyone.

I remember the sweet satisfaction of moving into our house after living in a one-bedroom apartment for 5 years and being able to plop down a 15% down payment on the house.

I remember having my car break down and it NOT being a life-altering problem like it would have been a couple years earlier.

I remember the moment I realized that maybe God could use someone as simple as me to give away millions of dollars over my lifetime.

I remember the day we finally paid off my $17,000 student loan – our last remaining non-mortgage debt.

I remember dreaming of a day like today – debt free, happily married, and living with purpose – and I am thankful that I didn’t stop fighting for it.

 

A few promises you have from me:

  • I will write about my financial successes and failures. There have been a lot of mistakes over the years, so I should always have some stuff to write about!
  • I will write my honest opinions and offer advice to you like you were my friend or little sister.
  • I will tell you what I have done that has worked and what hasn’t.
  • I promise to keep things as simple as possible, making them easy for beginners to digest.
  • I will continue to learn! I fully realize that I have merely scratched the surface with learning about personal finance or even about God. I am passionate about both topics and particularly about how they work together. I really value the opinions of others and love to hear what others have learned. So, always feel free to say hi!
Reading Bible verses

 

What I believe

  • I believe that the Bible is God’s Word and applicable to our everyday lives.
  • I believe that anyone can improve their financial situation.
  • I believe that building a solid financial foundation takes time.
  • I believe that it really is a simple process, but the hardest part is just consistently doing the things we know we should do.
  • I believe when you ask God for wisdom, He really does give it.
  • I believe we reap what we sow.
  • I believe giving is one of the best uses of our time, energy, and money.
  • I believe trying to get rich quick is a waste of time.
  • I believe being in debt is not fun and being out of it is liberating!
  • I believe the best purpose for our money is to build God’s Kingdom and help others.
  • I believe that Jesus is Lord and our lives are infinitely better submitted to His will for our lives.

Our popular articles

 

FAQs

Are you on social media?

Yes! You can find us here:

Can I Get The New Articles Via Email?

Yes, you can have each new article sent to your email inbox. Just visit our subscribe page to get signed up.

Can I Submit A Guest Post?

These days we are no longer accepting guest posts.  But if things change in the future, we will let you know.

How Can I Help Support SeedTime?

  • Pray for us. Our heart’s desire to use what God has entrusted us with to help people. Prayer works, and we could always use more!
  • The next most helpful thing you can do is share our site with friends and family who could be helped by it.
  • If you want to help us financially, you can support us by buying our books or other products and giving them away!
  • Some readers have requested the ability to donate, so we made that available on this support page.

Regardless of how you help, we are forever grateful!!

I Am A Mess Financially – Where Should I Start?

I suggest taking our Getting Started Course, printing off my financial checklist, and Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover.

How can I find out more about Bob?

For more about Bob – probably more than you want to know, check out this page.

What Is Your Policy On Advertising?

SeedTime has grown over the years and now employs 5-7 part-time contractors and me (Bob) full-time. We use advertisements to offset those costs. That said, I always have and will continue to only personally recommend or endorse something if I feel that it would be of value to some of the readers. If I find a product or service that has helped in my financial life, I will let you know about it. If a product or tool isn’t worth it, I will tell you that as well. The purpose of endorsing a product or service is for your benefit, not mine. I will tell you about the best products and services that I find regardless of whether I see any benefit from it. Find out more here. 

We try to monitor the ads that run on the site. Some are from ad networks where we don’t control which ads are shown. We can, however, remove them from the rotation if we are aware of them. If you happen to see any that conflict with what you think should be on the site, please let us know so we can have the network exclude them.

Can I interview you?

Maybe. Unfortunately, I can not accept all interview requests, but when we feel that the interview will reach the right audience I will do my best to make it work. Find out more details on our Press page.

Can I reprint some SeedTime articles?

If you are interested in using any of the articles for your publication, please contact us, and we can likely work something out.

What’s next?

Get started with our FREE E-Course that will help you better manage your money, pay off debt, save more, and have more to give!

Get the first lesson now just tapping the button below:

Get Started now!
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