Wimpy, Benjamin Franklin & Superman. What do they have in common? They were all part of the instruction in a seven-week course recently offered by Dr. Richard (Rick) J. Goossen on "Seven Steps to Developing Financial Wisdom."

There are biblically based eternal principles that provide the building blocks of financial wisdom. A bedrock is that "You cannot effectively live your calling, and achieve your meaning in life, without a foundation of financial wisdom." 

A biblical foundation allows people to handle their present challenges and opportunities as economic dynamics change over time. In the course, students learned about core concepts such as stewardship and contentment. Five ways to spend money were discussed: live, give, pay taxes, pay debt, and grow. A core message is that "God owns it all" and that we are stewards of the resources he has entrusted to us.

The objective of the course offered through Willingdon Church in Burnaby, BC, was to help each person develop consistent money habits to produce a lifetime of fruit.

All seven PowerPoint Presentation decks are available HERE.

Wimpy, part of the world of Popeye the sailor man, was famous for saying, "I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today!" No indication about the rate of interest or the quality of the burger.

Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the US, has the following saying attributed to him: "a penny saved is a penny earned." Start the wonders of compounding to work in your favour, even on a small scale.

Superman was referenced in relation to kryptonite, the substance which weakened his superpowers. The class was asked,  "What's your kryptonite, keeping you from developing your financial wisdom?"

The course was based on a framework provided by the Ron Blue Institute, which delivers biblically-based financial wisdom via thought leadership and content through church, professional, consumer, and academic channels. Their model is to teaching principles and processes (how to fish), instead of prescriptions (giving a fish).

Ron Blue of Indianapolis, IN, has been the leading financial planner in the Christian community for decades. He will be speaking at the ELO Forum Toronto on December 4th, 2024 (click HERE for more information).