Abrahams Wallet

Mark Parrett and Steven Manuel warm your hearts, and the front of their microphones, as they discuss 401Ks. WARNING: THIS IS A MAJOR BANTER EPISODE, beginning with Mark’s personal updates, then 2 tales of Steven’s brushes with fame (12:15). When they finally address 401Ks (20:15), they talk about what they actually are (a government-sponsored retirement savings program), how to fund them (27:50), how to take money out of them (32:50), then tease the 401K concepts coming next week. 

Is your home based on the unchanging Kingdom, or the swirling whims of a culture gone amok? Is freedom a more important value than Truth? Steven Manuel shares a message from 2015 that feels as applicable today as ever.

Mark Parrett and Steven Manuel discuss budgeting (9:15) and the three aspects of running it in such a way that money is left over at the end of the month: 1. Know What’s Going On (11:35), 2. Make A Plan (26:02), and 3. Execute Faithfully (50:20). Running a budget that serves the family vision, then submitting to it, is a sure way toward abundance!

Steven Manuel talks about himself this week (so you know… get ready for that)… he gives us his religious resume, talks about his ministerial experience (7:25), then goes on a CHURCH RANT about obedience vs. legalism (22:30). Enjoy this all-Stevie episode!

Steven Manuel and Mark Parrett talk (on the road, with road noise thrown in for FREE!) talk about children, including having a vision for them, curating your children’s friendships (10:15), the road trip Steven went on with his daughters (14:45), whether it’s safe or not to let your kids go to summer camp (19:45), monitoring your child’s inputs (27:45), and cross-pollination (32:30). Join us on our road trip as we talk about yours!

Mark Parrett and Steven Manuel give listeners a review of their Texas road trip, then dive into a pretty-darn-rare event: the Mail Bag! (7:40) They field questions like “If I have $200K, am I rich?”, “What Bible should be my next Bible?”, “When do my new kids start earning me tax credits?”, “Should I discipline my children when they don’t hear me?” (31:30), and… others.

Mark Parrett, snug at home in Utah, talks to Steven Manuel, who’s driving south on I-55, about leaving poverty. Mark gives some tips about what to DO when you’re ready to put poverty into your rear view mirror (if you will. Ahem). Steven encourages repentance and prattles on about what he’s eating on his road trip.

Steven Manuel has a conversation with his parents about some basic principles of work, and their stories that illustrate them. How important is working for a father and family leader? Should you do just ANY job, or wait for the PERFECT job? What rights do you have? Does life owe you some opportunities? Sit under the wisdom of the years and learn some truths from Roger and Linda.

Mark Parrett and Steven Manuel have a very good time discussing child tax credit checks (14:00) but surround that with jawing on wide ranging subjects such as summertime golfing, nonalcoholic beer (4:00), Steven’s BBQ fetish (5:00), the Cincy cicada plague of ’21 (13:00), and Steven’s latest rant about his problems with modern Christianity (32:00).

Today, Steven Manuel talks through how to recognize a spirit of poverty... and how to kiss it goodbye, including what to pray and how to start thinking in Biblical paths of prosperity.

Steven Manuel talks with Darren Baldwin about involving your body in prayer (6:00), using The LORD’s Prayer (11:20), slowing down in Bible reading (13:45), busyness as the enemy of God’s Presence (18:45), repentance as a normal part of relationship with God (31:00), and getting past the fear of man in pursuit of God’s heart (40:00).

Steven Manuel and Mark Parrett continue their conversation about poverty (10:30) as Mark reviews the book Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much, by Eldar Shafir and Sendhil Mullainathan. It describes, with research, how “not having enough” impacts people. It makes us stupid, insecure, impulsive, makes us spend money unnecessarily, etc. Mark tells about a dumb purchase he made at Princeton (38:30), dealings with poor tenants (44:30), hamster-wheel living (49:40), and all the gross things that a poverty spirit produces. Here at Abe’s Wallet… we hate poverty (and love PLANNING, which is one of the antidotes to it)!

Steven Manuel and Mark Parrett discuss the Biblical understanding of Poverty (8:00). They see that the Bible says poverty is a problem (16:30), that giving is something the poor can’t much do (27:00), that giving too much is unwise (41:30), and what God’s will is for the righteous (51:15) (hint: NOT poverty!). They waste the last few minutes talking about NBA playoffs (1:02:00). Goobers.

Steven Manuel sits down with Ross Dykstra to discuss his miraculous transformation from insecure stay at home dad to leader of a booming construction business. Ross' story is about God discipling him and his wife into their God-ordained roles, and the joy (and pain) that comes from engaging in that journey of obedience. Steven also can't help himself from gushing about Ross' physique...?

Is it godly to maintain your property? We say yes. Mark and Steven talk about the biblical responsibility of maintenance (8:30), then interview with Blake Staley, owner of Drop Detailing in Salt Lake City, Utah. He talks about his family business and what you and I can do to better care for our cars (33:30), and shares tales of horror from a car detail professional (45:00). Don’t miss the discount code mentioned by Blake for high quality car maintenance supplies!

Mark Parrett and Steven Manuel sit down to discuss the weird wild world of alternative asset class investments, including crypto, gold, and... sneakers? Wondering whether it's smart to dip your financial toe into these volatile waters? Scared of "mission out on the action"? Wondering if it's (a different kind of) gambling (than normal market investing)? Tune in and listen up!

Mark Parrett and Steven Manuel talk about what to do AFTER you’ve turned in your taxes. They review the need to, you know, DO your taxes (9:00), whether tax refunds are a good or bad thing (11:30), when and when not to celebrate with unexpected money (16:00), wise steps to take if you received a big refund (21:10), the “safe harbor” tax provision (25:00), how to maximize standard deductions (29:20), whether or not you need a CPA (40:15)  …and Steven's strange and ignorant fascination with jail time.

"What does this have to do with running my home like a Biblical boss?", you may ax. If you do, you've never been in a home with a baby that won't sleep. WARNING: this episode acts like sleep training a baby is inherently good. If you don't believe that, you won't like this episode--and let's be clear: you are 100% allowed to not share our opinions about this issue... In this ep, Steven Manuel sits down with sleep training expert Samantha Beausejour who talks about the reasons for sleep training (10:20), how it creates a lead-in for discipleship (!) (26:10), and practical help (30:15) including good books to read, setting up the baby’s room, and a sample schedule. Eat! Wake! Sleep! your way to a happy baby home. 

Steven Manuel talks to Mark Douglass about how the Sabbath works in his home: it's beautiful, it's fun, it's communal, and it's worshipful. If you're looking for examples of how the Sabbath can work to the benefit of your home, start here. Of course, the way you do the Sabbath is up to you, but it's always nice to have models. For more of what Mark Douglass is throwing down, get yourself to theViceroyProject.com.

Mark Parrett and Steven Manuel sit down to shoot the bull, then talk about Seasons of Imbalance (12:20), including seasons of unusual work to build capitals (20:50), the fact that family leaders have the freedom to pursue unorthodox goals (35:00), an encouragement to not complain because you don’t have the perfect job or “life balance” situation (42:00), and a scriptural exhortation on the power of investment (49:30). This episode is meant to encourage any family leader in an unusual season, such as raising young children, pursuing education, doing mission work or discipleship training, starting a small business, or specifically working on your marriage. You are not unusual for having these needs, you're not in sin, and you're not alone!