How Faith Shapes Every Financial Decision with Afton Phillips

Dec 11, 2025

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Faith shapes every part of life—not only what we believe, but how we spend, save, invest, and give. Every financial decision reveals something about what we value, trust, and treasure most. That’s why conversations about money are never just about budgets or balances; they’re deeply spiritual.

Today, Afton Phillips, our Head of Content at FaithFi, joins the show to talk about how our faith reshapes the way we steward God’s resources. This conversation grew out of our upcoming 21-day devotional, Our Ultimate Treasure, and the themes behind it.

The Heart Behind the New Devotional

Afton has been shaping this project from its earliest concept to its final pages. She shared that when she first joined FaithFi, she longed for a place where people could revisit core biblical principles—not simply hear them once, but reflect on them deeply.

“Money isn’t just about math,” Afton said. “It’s really about our hearts.”

The devotional walks readers through foundational truths:

God owns it all.
Money issues are heart issues.
Our financial lives are deeply connected to our spiritual formation.

If that’s true, then what we need isn’t a formula—it’s space with God. Scripture. Prayer. Reflection. This devotional is designed to help readers slow down long enough to allow God to reshape how they see and handle money.

Redefining Success: What We Surrender, Not What We Store

One of the early themes in Our Ultimate Treasure is the truth that God doesn’t measure success by what we store up, but by what we surrender.

We’re all tempted to believe that just a little more—more savings, more security, more achievement—will finally bring peace. But no amount of accumulation ever delivers the rest our souls crave.

True biblical success is about formation more than finances.

Are we growing in Christlikeness?
Are the fruits of the Spirit becoming more evident in our lives?
Are we learning to let go of fear, control, and comfort so God can shape us?

When surrender becomes the lens, money stops being a monument to ourselves and becomes a tool for becoming more like Jesus.

Restoring Purpose in Our Work

Another key section of the devotional explores a truth we often forget: work is not a curse—it’s a calling.

From the very beginning, God designed work as something good. Not something we merely do to earn or survive, but something through which we participate in His redemptive mission.

Your desk, job site, classroom, or kitchen table isn’t just a workplace—it’s holy ground. Your work is one of the primary arenas where God shapes your character and blesses others through you.

Why Margin Matters for Faithful Stewardship

Margin is one of the most important threads running through the entire devotional.

Afton put it simply:

“Margin creates space for God to move.”

When we max out:

our money
our time
our energy

We leave no room to listen, pause, or respond to God’s leading.

Margin isn’t restrictive. It’s freeing. It enables generosity, rest, trust, and wise decision-making. It’s one of the clearest marks of faithful stewardship.

The Power of Wise Counsel

Money can feel personal—sometimes even private. But Scripture is clear: we’re not meant to navigate finances alone.

Every day, callers to our program remind us how many people long for guidance, encouragement, and clarity. That’s why we devoted an entire day in the devotional to seeking wise counsel.

Afton shared:

“When we invite wise counsel into our lives, we begin to see things we might have missed.”

That’s also why Certified Kingdom Advisors (CKA) exist—to help believers apply biblical principles to their real-life financial situations. You can find one at FindaCKA.com.

Generosity Rooted in Grace, Not Guilt

If there’s a single thread that runs through the whole devotional, it’s generosity.

But not guilt-driven generosity. Grace-driven generosity.

We give because God has first given to us—lavishly, sacrificially, joyfully. When we understand His grace, generosity becomes something we get to do, not something we feel pressured into.

Every act of giving becomes an act of worship.

A Devotional Designed for Reflection, Beauty, and Formation

One of the most unique aspects of Our Ultimate Treasure is its built-in rhythm of reflection.

Each day includes:

Scripture
A devotional
Guided reflection questions
A written prayer
Beautiful, thoughtful imagery

The artwork itself invites contemplation. Everyday images—like a simple desk—are visually transformed to reflect biblical truth, reminding readers that God reshapes the way we see everything, even our work and money.

This devotional was designed not just to be read, but to be experienced.

Finishing with What Truly Lasts: Eternal Rewards

The final day draws us back to what matters most: our ultimate treasure is Christ Himself.

Earthly wealth fades. Opportunities change. Seasons shift. But our life in Christ—His presence, His love, His Kingdom—endures forever. Afton summed it up beautifully:

“What are we investing in that will matter in a thousand years? That’s eternal treasure.”

Experience Our Ultimate Treasure

If you’d like to journey through this 21-day devotional yourself, we would love to send it to you as part of the FaithFi Partner Program.

With a monthly gift of $35 or a one-time gift of $400, you’ll receive year-long benefits, including early access to studies, devotionals, and our Faithful Steward magazine.

You can learn more at FaithFi.com/Partner.

On Today’s Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:

I have Roth and traditional IRAs, plus taxable investments with large capital gains. My advisor suggested direct indexing last year, so I opened a small-cap account. It’s up slightly overall but includes about a 19% loss I could use to offset gains. I also give appreciated stock to charity, but I need some funds for living expenses. My question is: Is direct indexing a biblically sound strategy, or is it problematic in any way? And how do you tell the brokerage which companies you don’t want to own? Do you specify which types of businesses to exclude?

Resources Mentioned:

Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every workday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God’s resources.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.