Where God's Wealth Meets God's Wisdom with Johnny McWilliams

There is one topic we've never covered on Radical Abundance, and that's wealth. Today, Coach Johnny McWilliams shares insights on the intersection of God's Wealth and God's Wisdom. And don't miss the free gift below.

Wait until you hear what the first step Coach Johnny says you need to get out of debt and create more abundance in your life. 

Coach Johnny is offering an exclusive offer to the Radical Abundance audience. You can download a free copy of his first book at http://radicalabundance.zeroinfinancial.com/

Guest Bio:
Johnny McWilliams, author of the 4-book series, INTERSECTION—Where God’s Wealth Meets God’s Wisdom, writes with the central message of planning your finances to involve God from the word ‘Go.’

It is not merely a matter of knowing God’s principles in dealing with your finances. It is about making your entire life plan, and hence your finances, centered on God’s purpose for your life.

Johnny came to this place of faith after making some serious money blunders—all because he did not consult his Wealth-Maker. Only when he gave control of his life back to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and began living by the Word, did his financial situation start to turn around and bring such lasting returns that he is now able to teach others.

Founder of Zero In Financial LLC, Johnny guides his students, customers, and clients as they RECOVER from past money mistakes, GROW their present pocketbook position, and ZERO IN on their future financial fortune.

After working as a tax preparer, dissecting the details of credit scoring and reporting, passing various exams and licensure, including Series 7, Series 66, life & health insurance, and real estate broker, Johnny realized the average American’s need for financial coaching, education, and inspiration.

Once Johnny completed ten years of enlistment in the United States Navy, graduated with a Master of Business Administration, worked as a property & casualty insurance consultant, and became certified as a Ramsey Solutions Master Financial Coach, he began guiding individuals and families to Zero In on their financial target.

Transcript

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Welcome to Radical Abundance. I'm your host Teresa Janzen. And today's guest is Johnny McWilliams. He's the founder of Zero in Financial and the author of a four book series called Intersection, where God's Wealth meets God's Wisdom. Welcome Johnny to Radical Abundance. Thank you, Teresa, for having. Well, I'm really excited about our conversation today, and some people may think that it's a long time coming because radical abundance has been on the air for more than a year, and one thing that we have never talked about is actually money, and that's because I don't want people to think about. God's abundance only being financial. But I have to say, I really love the approach that you take because it's not just about God's wealth, which he is the owner of the cattle on a thousand Hills, but it's also about God's wisdom. And so I really appreciate your approach to the topic, and I have to. Everyone that I know who gets really passionate about a topic, and for you that is how people manage their money. They have a story that usually begins with something going wrong. So what is it that caused you to come to this point of writing a four book series about the topic of God's wisdom and wealth? Well, I've definitely been through the school of hard knocks, as they say, and also like Dave Ramsey says, you know, I, I have a PhD in D U N B, so I've done a lot of dumb things and made a lot of mistakes along the way. And, um, you know, I, I grew up in church. I grew up, um, going to church and hearing the Bible and hearing about Jesus and hearing about Christianity, but I wasn't living it really through and through. And so when I went off on my own to college, I did everything wrong and ended up in six figures of debt, doing all the dumb things with money and with the rest of my life. And, uh, it ended up at, at a rock bottom. Foreclosure of, uh, my house, repossession of car bankruptcy, chapter seven, just everything you can imagine. And I sat there in my mess, kinda like the prodigal son, you know, sitting in the pig, mere thinking, how did I get here and why am I here? How do, what can I do differently? And why didn't I know it before? I didn't learn anything about money in, in high school. Through, you know, from my parents per se, over the kitchen table, you know, it's kind of like a taboo topic. Like you don't talk to your kids about money and politics and you know, that sort of stuff. So you had to go out there and learn on your own. So I went out there and started to learn. On my own through every book, every certification I could do, I learned about taxes and worked for tax uh, companies and worked for insurance companies and investment companies. Got my series 7 66, my Real Estate License, on and on, and I found out that the answers that I was looking for really weren't even there. And then I finally ran into God's wisdom and that is how. Had that moment where I really started to understand that God has a lot to say about wealth, and I named it God's wealth means God's wisdom, but God's wealth includes a lot more than money. Well, and I really appreciate that you're, you don't only talk about money, even though that is a big topic for you. And I think it's a fair topic for us as Christians because money is a valuable tool in building the kingdom, and we all need money in order to support our families and live and. Eat occasionally and all those types of things. And God has made the world for us to enjoy it. Um, but it's, our focus can't be all about the money. And like you said, if ignoring God's wisdom put you in six figures of debt. There had to be answers that would get you out of the debt, but people sometimes make a lot of money without following God's wisdom. How is this different? Yeah, I found that out after getting out of debt through my own effort that just having money and, and being on my feet, so to speak, was it even the answer. I still, I wasn't financially healthy. That is the reason why even if you make a lot of money, you say, I don't need any help. Well, do you have the correct mindset? Are you really understanding where wealth comes from, where your health comes from, your talent, your time, all the things that are part of you? Where does all that come from and why? You know, how could I best use it? You are invited to cultivate Christian Creative Symposium January five through seven. It's an online conference designed for creatives just like you. Register today@christiancreativesymposium.com. Well, tell me why is it you wrote a four book series, doesn't this topic fit in, you know, one book? Why a series of books? Yeah, that's a great question. Biblical Faith meets financial strategy. The first edition actually came out a year and a half ago, and it was what I call the foundation for understanding a financial strategy. It really goes down to the root of who you are, who God is, that radical relationship that you have with the Father who loves you and says, I will provide. All your need from my heavily richest, you know, in uh, Philippians and who is this God and do I really have a relationship with him? And do I understand how I need to live in accordance with having a savior and a loving God? And then I move on to another. Step in that process. And that's why it's in another book because then it starts to talk about managing money and really being a good steward, you know? So now you have got the father, you know, as also God, the owner, you know, God created all of us, everything in this world. And it's like, okay, well Lord, if you own it all and you're giving it to me to manage, how should I do that? Um, and then the third book goes into generosity and. Because God is the most generous. He gave his one and only son to begin with, but then he gives us everything we need and he wants us to be just like him. So I really talk about all the ways that you could be generous without even spending a penny, by the way, you can be. Hugely generous without even spending a dime. But then you can also spend money and, and give outrageously. So I have a lot of stories and testimonies of people and ways you can give like never before. Perfect. Perfect For Christmas time coming up and all the holidays and birthdays and weddings and whatnot. So, That's why it split up into three and really it only stops at three because I'm like, okay, if I write everything, I'll have 40 books and I'll never publish anything. So I had to stop somewhere. Okay. Yeah. So it's a three book series and if people listen all the way to the end of the show, I know you have a special gift for them, and at the end we're gonna show, tell them how they can actually get. That first foundational book that you wrote absolutely free. And so hang in there with us, listen all the way to the end, and you're gonna be rewarded for that for sure. So Johnny, I love this topic of generosity that you're talking about, and especially like you said with the Christmas Eves and upon us and things. Why is generosity such an important part of stewardship and, and even creating wealth? How does that even work? Yeah. He is a giver through and through. I mean, God gives, you know, he gave at the beginning Adam and Eve everything in the garden and, and, and told them, you know, everything is yours except is one thing. And, but he gave it all to them. And um, so he wants us and he commands us to be givers just like him. And when you give, it activates that, that spirit of God that's in your life and really, Gives you true joy. I'd have a chapter about happiness in the book, and, and you will find the, the best, the most happiness, um, when you are in that mode of being generous. When you're a scrooge, obviously things can, you know, your health can fail. I mean, we, there's studies among, you know, many, many studies that talk about. Being stingy and being selfish has effects in your life mentally in all kinds of other ways that I am not an expert on. But I do know how financially I've seen people's finances deteriorate just because they held onto it. You know, as they say, a closed fist can't, can't receive anything. So when you are generous, um, God is always faithful to replenish that and. Well, I know that Second Corinthians eight, seven talks about excelling in that grace of giving, and it also in the context of what is happening at that point in time. It talks about that even out of the, um, lack of resources that people had that they were compelled to give. And so generosity is very scale. Whether you have, in your opinion, a little or whether in your opinion, you have a lot. Most of us, when we, if you ask if, do you have a little or a lot, you'll say, I just need a little bit more So a lot of people have that attitude of how much is enough? Well, just a little bit more, then it'll be enough. But giving is very scalable. Regardless of, of what you do have and how have you seen that impact people's finances when they do learn that gift of generosity? Yeah. Like I said, with um, giving, being a part of your monthly, budget, let's say, for lack of better words, meaning your plan, um, and you plan to spin a some, give some, um, as, as long as save giving is that perfect part that actually promotes, um, a lot of the prosperity that happens in your, in your, uh, bank account and in your life, you end up saving even more and being able to spend even more when you give more. And it's one of those mysterious truth. That, um, that generosity yields more in your life because God says, oh, if you are generous with the little, I'm gonna give you even more to be generous. Generous with. Well, you talked about that mysterious element, and one of the things that I find really interesting is that these are universal truths. Have you seen leave that these principles that you teach, they work for both believers and non-believers or., is there a difference in how they work for both believers and non-believers? Yeah, I definitely see that the truth works no matter who you are. Um, you know, if you believe or you don't because God is God. But I also see that as children and those, those that are locked in as, as good stewards, it is exponential. So in the second book I talk about, There's a difference between generosity and giving and obedience and say, tithing. Tithing is returning. And when you're obedient because you believe in, you're an obedient steward, when you are generous with that 90%, it becomes more than the a hundred percent. So it's not like kingdom math, is it the same as is our, our, uh, finite mind can, can really understand. So yeah, I, I do see that it being a believer, you end. Really compounding your ability to give and ability to live. Um, even though it may, it still works no matter who you are. Well, and that idea of the kingdom math somehow being different is, in my opinion, what makes God's abundance radical because it doesn't make sense. It. Work out on any spreadsheet or anything, yet God chooses to do what he chooses to do. And that's where radical abundance, not only of our wealth, but like you talked about, our time, our talents, our I, I even talk about our testimony, the words that you speak, that those things somehow are multiplied and you find a contentment that comes when you have learned to. Hold the material possessions of this world loosely and be generous with the things that you have. I know I, as a missionary, who oftentimes when I'm in the United States, I rely on the generosity of other people. Well, always, not only when I'm in the United States, but when in the United States especially, you know, I rely on other people for a roof over my head and a car to drive and things like. And it's a really different lifestyle than what Americans are oftentimes comfortable with, and Westerners in general because we like to be so independent. But when we learn that grace of giving, then we also learn. That to receive things gracefully as well. And one of the things that I know, Johnny, is that you also give generously, not just by the written word, but also by coaching people. Tell me a little bit about how you are coached Johnny and what that means. Yeah, so I, I talk about having people in your life in the first book as. You need key people in your life. Um, accountability partner, um, coaches and I actually begin about coaching and how. Coaching is something unique. I mean, even in sports, you can see great athletes always talk about the difference that made everything in their career was the coach. They always think the coach, even though they might be naturally talented, they said it was the coaching that really moved the, moved the needle in their life. And so coaching the same way for I'm sure, um, mental coaches and career coaches. I had a health coach in my life, changed my. My body and the way I eat and exercise, and it was because she could speak into my life as someone outside and could see things that I couldn't see for myself. Same thing happens with financial coaching. Um, this is not the same as financial advisor or, or money manager. The coach is someone who can speak into your life and tell you things through love and, and through understanding and really listening and understanding your situation. And be able to not just give you advice, but really help you to see what's going on in your life and your purpose that you are living for God, um, if they're a godly financial coach, and also can help you find the tools and the path that you need. For specific times in your life, you might have an incident or something that's going on where you need to figure out how to handle it. Um, kids going to college or an emergency, you know, estate planning, it, it doesn't matter. They can direct you to the people and the resources you need in that time of your life. It is a very great time, great thing to do in my life to really help people in that. A, as opposed to just being a, a teacher or an author. What I love about this is that you are speaking from a position of experience. You didn't start at zero, you started at negative six figures. That's a lot. And I know that there are people out there today who are in a similar position or maybe, you know, there are people out there in a similar position. I just know it. Someone listening today who says, I don't even know where to begin. What is step one? Not the whole step one, not like the whole book one, but just what can someone do today to start that process? You know, I really talk about that in the book because the book, does it tell you how to budget or how to bring out spreadsheets and calculate things? It's not about that. You really need to begin at square one, which is confessing. Building that relationship with God first. This is, it's not the answer that everybody is expecting. As a matter of fact, at the beginning of the book, I says, don't worry you didn't pick up the wrong book because, um, you need to really, um, know your position as a child of God, first and foremost, because he loves you. He desperately longs to help you if you would just turn to him and bring your problems, bring your mess with you. Um, I, I referred to the prodigal son before and I love how the picture of the father didn't say a word. When the son returned, he just hugged him and. And put a robe on him and threw a party for him and, and, and I'm sure that his life was completely changed from that point forward because it doesn't matter what you've done, it doesn't matter how much big of a mess you've made. Um, you might not even be in debt at all. You could just have a mess with your finances and have no debt. Um, I've seen it and believe me, God, More than answers for you. He has love, joy, peace, and a lot of other great, uh, resources for your life and cha to change everything. Well, what I love about that answer is that it does fit every situation because if you are in a financial mess and sitting there in six figure debt, then. Just doing some magic formula to try to make money isn't gonna get you out of that debt. Likely likelihood is you're gonna keep doing the same behaviors that put you there. But likewise, if you're someone who's sitting there with a seven figure income and you know, two beach houses and you know, a big vacation budget every year, you could still be completely miserable and you still need to take that first. Because you're, you may not be being a good steward of the resources that God has given you either. So I, that's absolutely the place to begin. And one thing that I know, that time of confession and repentance and turning from past behavior, regardless of what it is, it's not just a quick, easy, 32nd prayer. You know, it begins. But really I think there has to be some self examination and some getting real, getting honest and, and really opening up not only with God, but with yourself and, and where you're at. God knows already, but oftentimes we ourselves are living in denial, you know? So Coach Johnny, people who are listening right now maybe can't see the show notes. Tell us quickly how can people get in touch with. You could go to the website, zero in financial.com, and all the contact information and everything about books and, and that stuff is there. So that's the best way. Um, obviously I'm on social media as well. And everywhere. It's zero in Financial on all of the different social media sites. Okay. Zero in financial. Got that. All right. Now you are being generous and giving the all of the listeners a free copy of your first book and that link to that free copy is going to be in the show notes. And I just wanna say thank you for your generosity. I'm getting it for sure. And I'm gonna be checking out all that great information, and I'm sure that all of our listeners are going to be going to that link as well. Give me the name of the first book again. Biblical Faith Meets Financial Strategy. Well, Johnny, I cannot believe it, but our time is up for today. What final words of wisdom can you give us before we go that financial success is not a measurement of your net. It's really your relationship with your maker, your God, your father, your loving savior, Jesus Christ, and all that he does through your life, through the purpose he created you for. Thank you for that. And Johnny, I wish you a radically abundant day. Thank you, Theresa.