Abrahams Wallet

Thinking through all the decisions to be made, conversations to have... and passwords to gather. Have you thought about what you'll do when one of your parents die? Probably not. Let us help.

I know I know I know - Dave Ramsey told you never to have a credit card. And for some of you that's sage advice, but if you're managing your budget like a boss and don't have any consumer debt in your life, we think there's some treats in store for you simply by taking advantage of the amazing free stuff credit card companies are willing to hand out in attempt to snare you. Because you're running your home like a Biblical boss, we know you'll skirt the snare and run away with the goodies - so in this episode Mark and Steven discuss their favorite credit cards.

Want to teach your kids how to earn and steward financial resources? In this episode we talk through some steps our friend Seth Spading has taken to apprentice his kids - earning them cash, but perhaps more importantly exposing them to many different trades and skills at a young age. We also talk to Mark's daughter about a project that she undertook this summer and how she ended up as a 9 year old general contractor.

Steven Manuel talks to Jeff Davenport about talking with little ones (5-9 year olds) about divorce. Should we shield our children from the harsh realities of this fallen world? How long? How do we teach them Biblical fundamentals? When do we start introducing talk about the breaking of God's laws (i.e., divorce), and how? Tune in as old friends kick around a subject every Christian parent will eventually face.

In this episode Mark sat down with his buddy Murray who has been through just about every car buying scenario there is, and learned a thing or two in the process. Murray went from reactive, fear-based decision making to the shrewd use of debt and careful research as he evolved from car buying novice to auto financing expert. Learn from Murray and avoid some of the pits into which he fell!

Steven Manuel offers a counter-intuitive perspective on the decision to prefer the livelihood of a business over the comfort or support of an individual. Referencing his days as a hair salon owner, he offers a short lesson in how a business, much like a ministry, is a platform for good works and Kingdom expression. And if that is the case... then the business must be protected!

What should you do when your weekly rhythm runs into a roadblock? This week Mark and Steven discuss how to react when your regularly scheduled Sabbath runs into a conflict or an opportunity. Should you say no to anything different on these set aside days, or is there a way to make your rhythms flexible enough without sacrificing their important place as guide rails for your family?

Dads, you have a narrow window of time in which you can tie the heartstrings of your children. Did you know you need to win their hearts in that window? Most dads don't know that they need to be hard at work ingratiating themselves to their children RIGHT NOW. In this pod we discuss the why and the how, with guest Seth Spading.

We made it - the finish line for our Build Wealth Like an Ant series. Last week we sung the praises of plain old stocks and bonds (aka 'boring investments') and this week we talk about where to put them once you get your hands on a few of those suckers.

Steven and Mark sat down to tell the end-to-end story of the formation of their business, Outpost Advisors. In this episode we talk through the ways in which Abraham's Wallet served as the catalyst for a new venture, describe why we're hiring more people to grow this company and finally reassure you that Abraham's Wallet will always be a free and evolving resource for you family-building, multigenerationally-minded studs.

In part 4 we sing the praises of good ol' boring stocks and bonds. No matter how you plan to build and steward the resources that you've been entrusted with, we think that this investment class is worth a good look. There are not many other assets that require so little of your direct efforts in order to grow, and stocks and bonds can provide a fantastic foundation for other wealth-building efforts you might undertake later in life.

Could we be more excited to answer some listener emails right on the air? Nay. In this episode we hit questions about work, mortgages, tithing, generosity, our content and we even talk about meeting up with listeners in person. Give it a listen then write us your own listener email by sending your thoughts to mark@abrahamswallet.com.

Lately I’ve run into more and more talk from companies who will use language of family (which makes my skin crawl), even religion, to convince employees to sacrifice everything at the altar of profits, which they will disguise with language about vision, culture, inclusivity or whatever they think will adequately mask their true intentions. Some companies, I’m convinced, will do this unintentionally because they have drunk their own Kool-Aid at the highest levels. They really believe that the company doesn’t exist to make profits but to, say, “Improve life.” Some, as you'll see in this episode, do it with very clear (can we say evil?) intentions.

What is the most important ingredient to wealth building once you've been wise enough to go out an earn some money? TIME! And it doesn't matter if you're investing in stocks and bonds, or start a business. In fact, you starting a business with a solid business plan and two years’ worth of living expenses in the bank will terrify your competitors far more than any degree of hustle or clever social marketing that you might come up with.

Do you really want to start building “an enormous arsenal of resources”? Well you’re going to need some dry powder to get that ball rolling, and the way that most of you young bucks are going to accumulate that will be to find a J.O.B.  And I’m not talking about a 6-month side hustle. The Normal and Unsexy Job is very out-of-fashion right now, but allow us to vaunt the security that health insurance and a regular paycheck can provide to a young family builder in the early season of their journey. It is not insignificant.

Mark and Steven recorded this short chat on the topic of weekly rhythms and how they provide rails for our households when it comes to our work, parenting, spiritual lives and even our finances.

Goday, we’re going to talk about one specific part of your calling, which is: expressing the heart of the Father. You might already know this, but you’re God’s ambassador. That means, if I may just quote the Bible instead of paraphrasing, that God is making His appeal through you. He intends to use you–your gifts, your personality, your relationships, your career, your money–to explain to the world what He’s like, and make His Name glorious in all the platforms you occupy. One of those platforms, as I’ve said exhaustively in this series, is your money. Money is influence and power and possibility–and the Master wants all of yours, thank you very much. 

You wanna run your home and dough like a Biblical boss? Well you need some brothers around you to do that well. And anyone who has been around churchworld for long knows that the standard programming (let's have coffee and talk about our feelings) feels not so nourishing to the male soul. In this episode, Steven lays out his step-by-step guide for how to create a men's group that will challenge and grow you along with 3-6 of your best buddies.

From this point on, I’m going to act like living out the administration of the Kingdom is YOUR problem, and that you’ll answer straight to God on what His Kingdom looks like in your locale.  (As if, you know, God was making His appeal straight through you…) So please do not interrupt today’s diatribe with “but my church/religious organization…”  I’m not talking about them; I’m talking about YOU.  Flex your muscles, boys.  I’ll remind you that a Big Packet of Money will go through your hands this year, and what happens with it is ENTIRELY UP TO YOU. That’s power. I’m going to assume from this point that you understand, based on your thorough digestion of Part 2 of this series, that giving to your community of faith is Quite Important and that we can proceed from there.  So let’s do it.

Giving is one of the great blessings God bestows upon His sons. According to Hebrews 2:10, God is in the process of “bringing many sons to glory”… that wonderful process (which concludes with our being entrusted with the Father’s business, a la the Psalm 2-based affirmation of Jesus when He was baptized) trains us in awesome Kingdom skills. But WHERE are we to put that giving dough? To what should we be giving? Here we go....