When people ask what I do for a living, the easiest answer is “financial planner.”

But that description never quite captures what actually happens in the work.

Yes, there’s investment planning, tax strategy, and retirement projections. Sometimes there’s even the occasional trade execution. But a surprising amount of the work is something deeper and harder to name:

Helping people form a philosophy of money.

Most of us inherit our ideas about money without realizing it. Culture, media, peers, and the financial system itself quietly shape our assumptions about wealth, success, lifestyle, and retirement. Over time, those assumptions become the foundation for how we earn, spend, save, and give.

In this episode, we explore a bigger question: What is the “good life”?

Drawing from ideas in Jonathan Pennington’s book Jesus the Great Philosopher, we look at how ancient philosophy was originally about the pursuit of human flourishing—the search for wisdom and the good life.

For Christians, that conversation leads somewhere specific. If Jesus truly shows us what the good life is, then our financial decisions aren’t separate from discipleship. They’re part of it.

We’ll also discuss a practical exercise called financial finish lines, a simple way to think more intentionally about lifestyle, spending, and what “enough” might look like.

Because money is never neutral.

Over time, it quietly shapes our habits, our priorities, and ultimately our hearts.

Resources mentioned

Finish Line Pledge tool:https://www.finishlinepledge.com/advisors/

Book referenced:Jesus the Great Philosopher — Jonathan T. Pennington

When the Bible talks about debt, it’s rarely about interest rates or payment schedules. It’s almost always about something deeper.

In this episode, we explore what Scripture actually teaches about borrowing and lending through three recurring themes: presumption, power dynamics, and posture.

We walk through Proverbs’ strong warnings against guaranteeing someone else’s debt, unpack why predatory lending is ultimately a misuse of power, and wrestle with the surprising truth that Scripture does affirm lending—but only when it flows from generosity, mercy, and trust rather than control.

This is the upside-down economy of the Kingdom. An invitation to steward money in a way that reflects the heart of a God who is kind, merciful, and generous—even to the ungrateful.

The One Degree Podcast is brought to you by Openhanded Wealth, LLC, a registered investment adviser in Holly Springs, GA, serving Christian families and small business owners. This content is educational only and should not be taken as financial, tax, or legal advice.

“whatever gifts I have received from God, may I use them to serve others, as a faithful steward of God’s varied grace." — 1 Peter 4: 10

🌐openhandedwealth.com/podcast

In this episode, we explore a timeless metaphor from St. Bernard of Clairvaux about living as reservoirs rather than canals—filling ourselves first before giving from overflow.

We discuss the intersection of biblical generosity, financial wisdom, and the uncomfortable truth that sometimes faithful stewardship means adjusting our giving.

Through client stories and scriptural reflection, we examine what it means to give wisely in changing seasons, why limits are part of God's design, and how provision has never been our responsibility to bear alone.