Biola University
The Bible talks more about money than almost any other topic — which may come as a surprise to some, based on the way many Christians spend, hoard, waste or worry about their finances.
Dr. Shane Enete has seen the disconnect up close. As a finance professor and investing expert, Enete has spent much of his career trying to help people unlearn bad habits and develop a wise, biblically based approach to money.
“Ever since I was in high school, I’ve noticed a divide between the language of money and the language of faith,” said Enete, an associate professor of finance in Biola’s Crowell School of Business. “I want to help build a bridge so that people can see managing their daily finances not as a source of worry, but as an opportunity for deeper, more meaningful worship.”
Now, after years of working with college students, investors and institutions, Enete’s latest project has a new audience in focus: kids.
Over the past year, Enete has rolled out The Money Storybook Bible, a free podcast and activity book designed to help families have kid-friendly conversations about work, saving, spending, debt and generosity. In each of the podcast’s 24 episodes, Enete reads a creative retelling of a Bible story to his own two elementary-aged children, drawing out practical lessons about what it means to honor God with money.
“I’ve been asked by parents to create a financial literacy resource, and it’s clear there’s a real need for a biblically grounded way to teach kids about money,” Enete said. “As I thought about how to do that, it struck me that I don’t actually have to come up with something new; the Bible has already done the work. Money is the second most discussed topic in Scripture, and from Genesis to Revelation there are countless stories that can capture children’s imaginations while helping parents and kids learn vital lessons about money.”
Each episode of the podcast runs about 10 minutes, making them ideal for family devotions or the drive to school. Meanwhile, the accompanying activity book — available as a free PDF — includes follow-up discussion questions and fun, hands-on activities that give kids an opportunity to earn badges and a “Bible & Money Certificate.”
Enete said he’s been encouraged by the response so far, to the point that he’s working on a proposal to develop the project into a physical storybook.
The Money Storybook Bible project is just the latest of many free or low-cost resources that Enete has developed to help Christians of all of ages with their money. His recent book, Whole Heart Finances: A Jesus-Centered Way to Manage Your Money with Joy, includes a free companion curriculum for churches and small groups — available on his website, wholeheartfinances.com. And his “Basic Money Management” and “Personal Financial Planning” courses are available for $24.99 each on Biola LEARN (learn.biola.edu), featuring video lessons and downloadable course packs.
“My deepest concern is helping people draw near to Jesus,” Enete said. “The top anxiety among Americans is worrying about money. Because money is a matter of the heart, financial anxiety can be a sign that we’re not fully loving Jesus with our whole hearts; and that distance keeps us from drawing closer to him. I hope my work helps equip people to love Jesus with their financial lives.”
FAMILY DRAMA
Of the podcast’s 24 episodes, Enete’s favorite might be episode 8, “True Riches,” based on Ecclesiastes 5, in which he and his kids act out a story in dramatic fashion. “They got super into their roles,” Enete said. “I play a silly King Solomon who is trying to give his words of wisdom about money to a group of kids, and my kids play two of his friends who keep interrupting him. My kids and I had a blast recording it.”
