The 3 Money Tests God Gives Every Christian (And Why Most of Us Are Failing)

Apr 3, 2026

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Have you ever wondered why financial breakthrough feels so close yet so far? Bob and Linda Lotich reveal that God is constantly testing us with money—and most of us don't even realize it's happening. In this eye-opening conversation, they break down the three distinct money tests every believer faces, how to identify which one you're in right now, and what God is trying to teach you through it. What You'll Learn: The Three Tests -

The Struggling Test - When you have less than you think you need
The Surplus Test - When extra money comes your way
The Stable Test - When nothing has changed for years

Key Insights:

Why the habits you build in struggle carry you into surplus
The George Mueller story that will transform how you pray about provision
How to know if you're in a "rest season" or need to take action
Why stability might be the sneakiest test of all
The practical "50/50 rule" for handling raises and windfalls
How to create your own "stack of stones" to remember God's faithfulness

Powerful Quotes: "The habits that we build in the struggle are the habits that carry us into the surplus time." - Bob "We've just been through this too many times." - Bob (during a financial crisis moment) "What do I need to do the job that God's asked me to do? And then the rest of it can just go." - Linda "It's an open book test and you have the teacher who wants to give you the answers." - Bob Biblical Foundations:

Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)
The Rich Fool (Luke 12)
George Mueller's radical faith
Israelites and the manna
James 1:2-5 on trials and wisdom

Action Steps:

Identify which test you're in right now - Are you struggling, experiencing surplus, or in a stable season?
Create your modern "stack of stones" - Write down a timeline of how God has provided for you in the past
Do a self-evaluation - How are you handling your current test?
Ask God for wisdom - Is this a season to rest or a season to take action?
Set up structures for surplus - Consider implementing the "50/50 rule" for future raises

The Bottom Line: You don't have to pass these tests perfectly—none of us do. But God is using money to teach you to trust Him more deeply, steward more faithfully, and expand your belief in what He can do. The question isn't whether you're being tested. The question is: Do you recognize the test? Scripture References:

Matthew 25:14-30 (Parable of the Talents)
Luke 12 (The Rich Fool)
James 1:2-5 (Consider it all joy)
Proverbs (multiple references to saving and wisdom)
Genesis 8:22 (Seedtime and harvest)

Resources Mentioned:

Simple Money, Rich Life by Bob Lotich - seedtime.com/smrl
George Mueller's autobiography - https://www.georgemuller.org/uploads/4/8/6/5/48652749/the-autobiography-of-george-muller.pdf
True Financial Freedom course - seedtime.com/tff
Mission-Driven Millionaire program - seedtime.com/mdm

Ready to grow what God's given you? Get your free copy of Simple Money, Rich Life at seedtime.com/podcast Have a question about which test you're in? Share it in the comments below or email us at hello@seedtime.com

Watch this episode on our SeedTime Money Podcast YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/sMnrFh6o2Ls)!

If you haven't checked out our best-selling book Simple Money, Rich Life (https://seedtime.com/smrl/), we think you'll love it. It was named the 2022 Book of the Year by ICFH and has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Amazon, and is best described as "a money book for people who don't read money books."

You can take it for a test drive for FREE at https://SeedTime.com/sample where you can download chapter 1 of the audiobook, grab the 1st 2 chapters of the ebook version, and even get the 5-week book study companion guide.