Hey, can I ask you something personal?

Have you ever sat there looking at your bank account and felt this wave of

panic, like, where did all the money go?

You thought you were being careful, but somehow it's gone.

It feels like trying to walk through fog with no flashlight.

And if that's where you are right now, I see you.

I want you to know you're not alone.

I've been there too.

Welcome back to Financially Confident Christian.

I'm Ralph Estep Jr. I'm really glad you're here today.

This show is about more than money.

It's about helping you break that cycle of financial shame and walk in confidence,

the confidence that God wants for you.

We're in a series right now on dealing with the stress

that comes from money worries.

I mean, real stress.

I. Sleepless nights, silent prayers, that heavy pit in your stomach.

Yesterday we took a brave first step together.

We looked at just one number, honestly, and if you did

that, I'm proud of you today.

We're going one step further because clarity doesn't come

from looking at just one part.

It comes from seeing the full picture.

Now, before I walk you through this process, lemme tell you something.

Real years ago I was running a business, managing a household, trying to do it all.

And guess what?

I was failing.

I had no idea where my money was going.

I was making decisions out of fear.

I was making decisions outta confusion.

One night I just sat down with just a legal pad and started writing.

I wrote down my income, I wrote down my expenses.

I wrote down all my debts, and lemme just tell you right now, I didn't

like what I saw, but for the first time I saw it, and lemme just tell

you, that night changed everything.

maybe right now you're thinking, I don't even know what I make after taxes.

I don't know how much debt I have.

It all just feels overwhelming.

That uncertainty, that fog right there, that's what's really keeping

you stuck because you can't move forward if you don't know where

you are right at this moment.

And listen, that's not your fault.

You are never taught how to do this clearly, but I've got

great news that changes today.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs chapter 21, verse five, it says this, the

plans of the diligent lead to profit, as surely as haste leads to poverty.

What a beautiful verse, but what does it really say?

See, God is not asking us to be perfect.

He's just not.

He knows we're not going to be.

He's inviting us to be faithful.

To be faithful with what we have, to be faithful in seeking clarity and

to be faithful in creating a plan.

And this step we're about to take isn't about control, it's about stewardship.

So let me give you that path to clarity.

Here's what I want you to do, and I want you to do it right now.

Don't overthink it.

Don't wait until it feels easy.

Just follow me.

It's not complicated.

Step one, I want you to just grab a pen and paper or open a blank document

on your phone or on your computer.

That's the easiest first step.

Second step I want you to do is I want you to write down your income every

source after taxes, if you know it, and if it varies, be conservative.

Add it all up.

That's your monthly income.

Step three, I want you to write down your expenses, your fixed

bills first, those things like rent or a mortgage or utilities or

loan payments and subscriptions.

Then I want you to estimate that variable spending things like

groceries and gas and dining out.

Anything else you regularly spend on.

Step four, simple thing here.

I want you to list your debts.

Write down your credit cards, your loans, anything you owe.

And don't worry about it being perfect.

I just want you to get it down.

That's it.

You're not building a full budget yet.

You're just creating a snapshot, a map of your current reality.

And now you're asking Ralph, why does this matter?

Well, let me tell you why it matters.

When I did this the first time, I felt two things and lemme

just be very honest with you.

The first thing I felt was fear.

I was seeing the truth, and man, that scared me.

But the second thing I felt was relief.

'cause I finally knew where I stood.

And I believe you'll feel that relief too.

Yes, you might feel some fear at the beginning, but I truly believe

that you're gonna feel that relief too because here's the thing.

Clarity is the first step to finding peace.

'cause you can't plan a journey to financial confidence without

knowing your starting point.

And this one action today.

This can truly help you break through the fog.

Well, let's pause and pray right now.

Father God, you are not a God of confusion, but you are a God of peace.

We just thank you for calling us to be stewards of what you've entrusted to us.

And Lord, for the person listening right now, you know their fears.

You know their stress, you know their struggle.

Lord, we just ask that you would give them courage to write down what's real.

Replace confusion with clarity.

Replace fear with peace.

And guide them with your wisdom as they take this next step.

And we ask this in the powerful name of Jesus.

Amen.

And if this feels hard, I get it, but I promise you something,

taking this step is worth it.

You're not behind, you're not broken.

You're just at the beginning of a new chapter, and I'm here for it.

I'm here with you.

If this episode spoke to you, I wanna give you something that can help you even more.

For the first 100 listeners who go to financially confident

christian.com/master, I'm giving away my book, mastering Your Finances for free.

It's short, it's simple, and we'll help you keep going on this

journey towards financial peace.

I encourage you to go get that.

Now, tomorrow we're gonna talk about the most powerful tool to take control of

your money, and that's creating a budget.

But listen, it's not the kind that feels restrictive.

I'm gonna tell you right now, this is the budget that will give you freedom.

So I don't want you to miss it.

And listen, I believe in you.

I don't believe in you because you've got it all figured out.

I never had it all figured out.

But because you're showing up and you're doing the work.

You're clearing the fog, you're stepping into peace.

And let me just tell you something, friend.

God is right there with you.

so let's keep this going together.

Stay financially savvy, let's keep working to be financially confident Christians,

I just wanna encourage you today.

God bless you, and I'll see you tomorrow.

You have a great day today.