Money has a way of revealing what we trust.
For some, it reveals fear. For others, it reveals pressure, pride, stress, or the constant feeling of never quite having enough. But when we bring our finances before God, money becomes more than numbers on a spreadsheet. It becomes a stewardship issue.
In this episode of the 2000 Cubit Rule, Mark Rowan sits down with Kevin Talcott, financial coach, speaker, and author of 1-Minute Money. Through Talcott Financial Coaching, Kevin helps people stress less about money, build meaningful wealth, and create a plan for the life they actually want to live.
But Kevin’s passion for financial coaching did not come from having everything figured out from the beginning. It came through a journey of learning, mistakes, loss, humility, and eventually a deeper understanding that everything belongs to God.
Learning Stewardship the Hard Way
Kevin did not grow up in church, and the word “stewardship” did not mean much to him until his early twenties. After coming to faith in Christ, he began to realize that money was not just something to earn, save, spend, or invest. It was something entrusted to him by God.
That realization changed everything.
Kevin had always been good with numbers and had a natural interest in saving, but he admits he did not always know how to manage money well beyond that. Like many people, he had to learn through trial and error.
One of the biggest turning points came after a painful financial mistake involving stock options trading. Kevin described it as a form of gambling. He was betting on an outcome he did not truly understand, hoping for a big return, and the result was a major loss.
In a single day, he lost five figures.
Sitting in that moment, watching the money disappear, Kevin realized something important: his life could not be based on money. His identity could not be tied to the size of his bank account. His money was separate from his soul.
That is a lesson many people need to hear.
Your self-worth is not your net worth.
When Money Becomes a Master
In the conversation, Mark pointed back to the words of Jesus about serving God or mammon. Money is not just a practical issue. It can become a spiritual issue when it takes the place of trust, obedience, or identity.
That is why biblical stewardship matters.
The world often teaches us to chase quick wins, bigger returns, and faster ways to get ahead. But the Kingdom of God teaches us something different. It teaches us to seek first the Kingdom, trust God, walk in wisdom, and remain faithful with what has been placed in our hands.
Kevin’s story is a powerful reminder that financial mistakes are not always about math. Sometimes they are about impatience. Sometimes they are about fear. Sometimes they are about greed. Sometimes they are about trying to force an outcome instead of walking in wisdom.
And in a world where online gambling, risky investing, sports betting, crypto speculation, and get-rich-quick thinking are more accessible than ever, this conversation is timely.
The question is not just, “Can I make money?”
The better question is, “Am I stewarding what God has given me?”
The Bible Has a Lot to Say About Money
Kevin helps clients by walking them through practical steps like budgeting, debt payoff, saving, investing, and planning. But for those who want a biblical foundation, he also points them back to principles found in Scripture.
As Kevin shared, the Bible has a lot to say about money. And much of it comes back to simple, timeless wisdom.
Save. Give. Invest wisely. Avoid squandering. Live below your means. Be faithful with what you have.
Kevin called it “God’s and grandma’s principles around money.” In other words, it is not always complicated, but it does require humility and follow-through.
That is often where people struggle.
Many people earn money, but they do not keep it. They work hard, but they do not have a plan. They want peace, but they do not have accountability. They want freedom, but they keep repeating the same patterns.
This is where financial coaching can be so helpful. A coach does not do the work for you, but a good coach helps you see clearly, make better decisions, and stay accountable to what you said you wanted.
What Your Budget Says About Your Priorities
One of the most challenging parts of the conversation came when Kevin talked about time and money as indicators of priority.
He said, “You show me your calendar, I’ll show you what your priorities are. You show me your budget, I’ll show you what your priorities are.”
That is a hard but helpful thought.
Where our money goes matters. Where our time goes matters. Both reveal something about what we value.
This ties directly into the heart of the 2000 Cubit Rule, making room for God to move in our business, ministry, and life. In Joshua 3:4, the Israelites were told to keep distance between themselves and the ark of the covenant because they had not passed that way before.
That is true for us too.
We do not know the future. We have not walked tomorrow yet. We need God’s wisdom, direction, and presence in every area of life, including our finances.
Making room for God does not always mean stopping everything for hours at a time. Sometimes it looks like pausing before a financial decision. Sometimes it looks like praying before taking a risk. Sometimes it looks like asking for wise counsel instead of moving out of impulse.
Sometimes it looks like choosing stewardship over stress.
The Purpose Behind 1-Minute Money
Kevin’s book, 1-Minute Money, was created to make financial concepts simple and approachable.
The idea started with his weekly newsletter, where he would share short financial insights that could be read in about a minute. Eventually, those ideas became a book filled with short, practical chapters designed to help people learn quickly and apply what they are learning.
Kevin’s goal was not to make finance overwhelming. His goal was to make it understandable.
That matters because many people avoid dealing with money because it feels confusing, intimidating, or dry. But when financial principles are broken down clearly, people can begin to take action.
And action is the key.
As Kevin said in the episode, information without application is nothing. You can read books, watch videos, listen to podcasts, and gather knowledge, but if nothing changes in how you live, spend, save, give, or plan, then the information has not yet become transformation.
Humility Opens the Door to Change
Toward the end of the conversation, Kevin encouraged anyone who feels hopeless about money. His message was simple: there is hope.
But hope often begins with humility.
The people who make progress with their finances are not always the ones who know the most. They are often the ones willing to admit they do not know everything. They are willing to learn. They are willing to ask for help. They are willing to change.
That is true in finances, and it is true in faith.
Mark closed the conversation with a reminder from 1 Peter 5:6: “Humble yourself before the mighty hand of God, and he will exalt you in due time.”
We can humble ourselves, or we can be humbled. Most of us have experienced both. But when we choose humility, we place ourselves in a position to receive wisdom, correction, and grace.
And that is where real growth begins.
Final Thought
Money is not your master.
Money is not your identity.
Money is not your source.
It is something God has entrusted to you. And whether you are in debt, building wealth, recovering from mistakes, learning to budget, or simply trying to become more faithful with what you have, there is hope.
Your self-worth is not your net worth.
You can learn. You can grow. You can steward better. And most importantly, you can invite God into the process.
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