In this episode of our Faithfully Funded series, we take a closer look at cash, generosity, and the heart behind giving. We talk about how money in our hands becomes a tool — not just for meeting needs, but for reflecting the character of God. Together, we explore what it means to give freely, why generosity is deeply connected to trust, and how living open-handed can reshape the way we think about financial security. This episode is all about shifting from a mindset of holding tightly to one of faithfully releasing what God has placed in our care.

Biblical Rooting:

2 Corinthians 9:7

"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Show Resources:

The Bible (NET Version)

The Two Sides of Every Dollar, (Miller)

https://tinyurl.com/MMillerAmazon

God & Money, (Cortines & Baumer)

All the Teachings of Jesus, (Lockyer)

Managing God's Money, (Alcorn)

Neither Poverty Nor Riches (Blomberg)

Simple Money, Rich Life (Lotich)

Money, Possessions, and Eternity (Alcorn)

(Please note: We may share links to external resources for your convenience. However, this does not imply full endorsement of the entire site, author, or organization. The views expressed may differ from our own.)

Your Support Matters:

This podcast is a branch of Stepping Forward Ministries, a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to using the unwavering truths of God’s Word to teach, equip, and empower people to step forward in their relationship with Christ. One of the ways we fulfill this mission is through this podcast! To learn more about us, visit www.steppingfwd.org.

Want to connect, support, or take a step of faith? Whether you have a story to share, want to sponsor our podcast, support the mission, or learn how to follow Jesus—we’d love to hear from you. Let’s put faith into action together!

👉 Click here to connect with us. Don’t forget to add us on your social media accounts! You can find us at @steppingfwdministries across all platforms!

Disclaimer:

Southern Soul Chats and Stepping Forward Ministries are not a church, pastoral authority, or licensed counseling service. While we aim to equip and encourage you through biblical truth and personal testimonies, all content shared is for spiritual encouragement and educational purposes only. By listening, you acknowledge that you engage with this content voluntarily and accept full responsibility for how you apply it in your life.

In this episode of our Faithfully Funded series, we explore one of the most important questions of the season: Where does your first thought about money come from? Together, we look at how our earliest experiences, family influences, and unspoken beliefs shape the way we view money today. We also discuss why money itself isn’t relational, but people are — and how understanding that difference helps us approach finances with wisdom, purpose, and freedom. This conversation sets the stage for key concepts we’ll be diving into all season long, giving you a clearer foundation for understanding your money story and how God invites you to steward your resources well.

Biblical Rooting:

Proverbs 3:9

"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce."

Show Resources:

The Bible (NET)

The Two Sides of Every Dollar, Miller

https://tinyurl.com/MMillerAmazon

God & Money, Cortines & Baumer

All the Teachings of Jesus, Lockyer

Managing God's Money, Alcorn

Margin, Swenson

(Please note: We may share links to external resources for your convenience. However, this does not imply full endorsement of the entire site, author, or organization. The views expressed may differ from our own.)

Your Support Matters:

This podcast is a branch of Stepping Forward Ministries, a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to using the unwavering truths of God’s Word to teach, equip, and empower people to step forward in their relationship with Christ. One of the ways we fulfill this mission is through this podcast! To learn more about us, visit www.steppingfwd.org.

Want to connect, support, or take a step of faith? Whether you have a story to share, want to sponsor our podcast, support the mission, or learn how to follow Jesus—we’d love to hear from you. Let’s put faith into action together!

👉 Click here to connect with us. Don’t forget to add us on your social media accounts! You can find us at @steppingfwdministries across all platforms!

Disclaimer:

Southern Soul Chats and Stepping Forward Ministries are not a church, pastoral authority, or licensed counseling service. While we aim to equip and encourage you through biblical truth and personal testimonies, all content shared is for spiritual encouragement and educational purposes only. By listening, you acknowledge that you engage with this content voluntarily and accept full responsibility for how you apply it in your life.

Welcome to our new season…. Faithfully Funded! In this first episode, we’re excited to introduce our co-host, Matt Miller. Matt opens the season by sharing his personal story and the heart behind why he’s passionate about biblical stewardship, financial clarity, and living generously with what God has placed in our hands.

This season is all about practical, relatable, and real conversations on financial integrity, wise decision-making, and how we can honor God through the resources He’s entrusted to us. We’re diving into themes like financial equity, faithful responsibility, and spiritual alignment when it comes to money.

Matt’s journey sets the tone beautifully, reminding us that stewardship isn’t about the size of our bank account—it's about the posture of our heart.

Tune in and join us as we step into a season of faith, finances, and freedom.

Biblical Rooting:

1 Corinthians 4:2

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”

Show Resources:

The Bible (NET)

The Two Sides of Every Dollar, Miller

https://tinyurl.com/MMillerAmazon

God & Money, Cortines & Baumer

All the Teachings of Jesus, Lockyer

Managing God's Money, Alcorn

(Please note: We may share links to external resources for your convenience. However, this does not imply full endorsement of the entire site, author, or organization. The views expressed may differ from our own.)

Your Support Matters:

This podcast is a branch of Stepping Forward Ministries, a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to using the unwavering truths of God’s Word to teach, equip, and empower people to step forward in their relationship with Christ. One of the ways we fulfill this mission is through this podcast! To learn more about us, visit www.steppingfwd.org.

Want to connect, support, or take a step of faith? Whether you have a story to share, want to sponsor our podcast, support the mission, or learn how to follow Jesus—we’d love to hear from you. Let’s put faith into action together!

👉 Click here to connect with us. Don’t forget to add us on your social media accounts! You can find us at @steppingfwdministries across all platforms!

Disclaimer:

Southern Soul Chats and Stepping Forward Ministries are not a church, pastoral authority, or licensed counseling service. While we aim to equip and encourage you through biblical truth and personal testimonies, all content shared is for spiritual encouragement and educational purposes only. By listening, you acknowledge that you engage with this content voluntarily and accept full responsibility for how you apply it in your life.

We’ve reached the end of such a rich season together! Dr. Tate returns to help us look back at what we’ve learned, celebrate the stories we’ve shared, and remind us of the tools we now carry with us. He also shares more about the amazing work happening at Truett Seminary.Throughout this season, we’ve walked together through The Interpretive Journey, learning not just what Scripture says but how to rightly understand it. Here’s a quick recap of the five steps:1. Grasping the Text in Their Town – What did the passage mean to the original audience?2. Measuring the River to Cross – What differences exist between the biblical audience and us today?3. Crossing the Principalizing Bridge – What’s the timeless theological principle in the text?4. Consulting the Biblical Map – How does this principle fit with the rest of Scripture?5. Grasping the Text in Our Town – How should we live out this truth in our lives today?It’s been such a joy to walk this road with you. I’d love to hear from you—are you using the Interpretive Journey in your own study? What is God revealing to you through His Word? Reach out via our Social Media and tag us! This season may be wrapping up, but the journey of knowing God through Scripture never ends. Happy New Years, see ya’ll in 2026!Biblical Rooting: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105Show Resources:(Please note: We may share links to external resources for your convenience. However, this does not imply full endorsement of the entire site, author, or organization. The views expressed may differ from our own.)Your Support Matters:This podcast is a branch of Stepping Forward Ministries, a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to using the unwavering truths of God’s Word to teach, equip, and empower people to step forward in their relationship with Christ. One of the ways we fulfill this mission is through this podcast! To learn more about us, visit www.steppingfwd.org.Want to connect, support, or take a step of faith? Whether you have a story to share, want to sponsor our podcast, support the mission, or learn how to follow Jesus—we’d love to hear from you. Let’s put faith into action together!👉 Click here to connect with us. Don’t forget to add us on your social media accounts! You can find us at @steppingfwdministries across all platforms!Disclaimer:Southern Soul Chats and Stepping Forward Ministries are not a church, pastoral authority, or licensed counseling service. While we aim to equip and encourage you through biblical truth and personal testimonies, all content shared is for spiritual encouragement and educational purposes only. By listening, you acknowledge that you engage with this content voluntarily and accept full responsibility for how you apply it in your life.

This week, Dr. Shivery, professor at Truett Seminary, joins us to tackle a challenging question: what do we do when there seems to be confusion in Scripture?She takes us into the Gospel of Mark and its abrupt ending, showing how passages like this can leave readers with questions—and helps us faithfully engage with these moments.Along the way, Dr. Shivery walks us through all the steps of the Journey and shares her insight on how to study the Bible with depth and confidence.If you’ve ever wrestled with difficult or confusing passages, this episode is for you.Biblical Rooting: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” — 2 Timothy 3:16 Show Resources: (Please note: We may share links to external resources for your convenience. However, this does not imply full endorsement of the entire site, author, or organization. The views expressed may differ from our own.) Your Support Matters:This podcast is a branch of Stepping Forward Ministries, a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to using the unwavering truths of God’s Word to teach, equip, and empower people to step forward in their relationship with Christ. One of the ways we fulfill this mission is through this podcast! To learn more about us, visit www.steppingfwd.org.Want to connect, support, or take a step of faith? Whether you have a story to share, want to sponsor our podcast, support the mission, or learn how to follow Jesus—we’d love to hear from you. Let’s put faith into action together!👉 Click here to connect with us. Don’t forget to add us on your social media accounts! You can find us at @steppingfwdministries across all platforms!Disclaimer:Southern Soul Chats and Stepping Forward Ministries are not a church, pastoral authority, or licensed counseling service. While we aim to equip and encourage you through biblical truth and personal testimonies, all content shared is for spiritual encouragement and educational purposes only. By listening, you acknowledge that you engage with this content voluntarily and accept full responsibility for how you apply it in your life.

This week I’m joined again by Dr.Hopkins, professor at Truett Seminary, as we open up 1 John 2 and talk aboutwhat it really means to “not love theworld.”

So often this passage is misused ormisapplied—but when we step into the text faithfully, we discover something farricher and deeper for our lives today.

We’ll also continue along theInterpretive Journey, moving into the 5th and final step: grasping the text inour town.This is where Scripture comes off the page and into our daily lives,shaping how we live as God’s people here and now.

Biblical Rooting:

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. Ifanyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” —1 John 2:15

Show Resources:

(Please note: We may share links toexternal resources for your convenience. However, this does not imply fullendorsement of the entire site, author, or organization. The views expressedmay differ from our own.)

Your Support Matters:

Thispodcast is a branch of Stepping Forward Ministries, a Houston-based 501(c)(3)nonprofit dedicated to using the unwavering truths of God’s Word to teach,equip, and empower people to step forward in their relationship with Christ.One of the ways we fulfill this mission is through this podcast! To learn moreabout us, visit www.steppingfwd.org.

Wantto connect, support, or take a step of faith? Whether you have a story toshare, want to sponsor our podcast, support the mission, or learn how to followJesus—we’d love to hear from you. Let’s put faith into action together!

👉Click here to connect with us. Don’t forget to add us on your socialmedia accounts! You can find us at @steppingfwdministries across all platforms!

Disclaimer:

SouthernSoul Chats and Stepping Forward Ministries are not a church, pastoralauthority, or licensed counseling service. While we aim to equip and encourageyou through biblical truth and personal testimonies, all content shared is forspiritual encouragement and educational purposes only. By listening, youacknowledge that you engage with this content voluntarily and accept fullresponsibility for how you apply it in your life.

What a blast to sit down with another Alabama native! Dr. Gardner, Professor at Truett Seminary, joins me to explore Philemon and dive into all things Scripture and God. In this episode, we take a fresh look at applying Scripture thoughtfully to real-life situations, ethics, and relationships—showing that the Bible is far from outdated.

Dr. Gardner provides a thorough overview of Philemon, helping listeners understand its message, context, and how to live it out today. This conversation is packed with insight, encouragement, and a reminder of the enduring relevance of God’s Word.

Biblical Rooting:

"And I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ." - Philemon 1:6 (ESV)

Show Resources:

(Please note: We may share links to external resources for your convenience. However, this does not imply full endorsement of the entire site, author, or organization. The views expressed may differ from our own.)

Your Support Matters:

This podcast is a branch of Stepping Forward Ministries, a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to using the unwavering truths of God’s Word to teach, equip, and empower people to step forward in their relationship with Christ. One of the ways we fulfill this mission is through this podcast! To learn more about us, visit www.steppingfwd.org.

Want to connect, support, or take a step of faith? Whether you have a story to share, want to sponsor our podcast, support the mission, or learn how to follow Jesus—we’d love to hear from you. Let’s put faith into action together!

👉 Click here to connect with us. Don’t forget to add us on your social media accounts! You can find us at @steppingfwdministries across all platforms!

Disclaimer:

Southern Soul Chats and Stepping Forward Ministries are not a church, pastoral authority, or licensed counseling service. While we aim to equip and encourage you through biblical truth and personal testimonies, all content shared is for spiritual encouragement and educational purposes only. By listening, you acknowledge that you engage with this content voluntarily and accept full responsibility for how you apply it in your life.

This week on Out of Context, I’m joined by Dr. Tucker, Professor at Truett Seminary, as we take a close look at the book of Malachi. We explore how this often-misinterpreted text speaks to God’s people about tithing, community, and living out the Kingdom of God.

Dr. Tucker helps us unpack the historical and cultural context of Malachi, showing how its message goes far beyond a simple checklist of giving. Together, we discuss how God calls His people into a life that reflects His Kingdom here on earth—through generosity, relational community, and faithful obedience.

We’ll also be moving into Step 3 of the Interpretive Journey, continuing to learn how to faithfully bridge God’s Word from its original context into our lives today.

This episode will equip you to read Malachi with fresh insight and see how God’s principles can shape how we live, give, and love in our communities.

Biblical Rooting:

"Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." Malachi 3:10 (ESV)

Show Resources:

(Please note: We may share links to external resources for your convenience. However, this does not imply full endorsement of the entire site, author, or organization. The views expressed may differ from our own.)

Your Support Matters:

This podcast is a branch of Stepping Forward Ministries, a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to using the unwavering truths of God’s Word to teach, equip, and empower people to step forward in their relationship with Christ. One of the ways we fulfill this mission is through this podcast! To learn more about us, visit www.steppingfwd.org.

Want to connect, support, or take a step of faith? Whether you have a story to share, want to sponsor our podcast, support the mission, or learn how to follow Jesus—we’d love to hear from you. Let’s put faith into action together!

👉 Click here to connect with us. Don’t forget to add us on your social media accounts! You can find us at @steppingfwdministries across all platforms!

Disclaimer:

Southern Soul Chats and Stepping Forward Ministries are not a church, pastoral authority, or licensed counseling service. While we aim to equip and encourage you through biblical truth and personal testimonies, all content shared is for spiritual encouragement and educational purposes only. By listening, you acknowledge that you engage with this content voluntarily and accept full responsibility for how you apply it in your life.