Why you can't actually "get rich quick" (with Mark Batterson)
SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich
Release Date: 11/29/2025
Why I think God hates our money system (and what to do about it)
SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich
Is our money system actually working against faithful stewardship? In this episode, Bob and Linda tackle a conversation almost no one in the church is having—but one every Christian steward needs to understand. Bob opens with a shocking reality: $100 in 1971 now buys about $12 worth of stuff. Same number. Far less value. So what happened? From there, the conversation zooms out to explore inflation, fiat currency, and why Scripture repeatedly condemns unequal weights and measures. Is our modern money system quietly violating biblical principles—and if so, what...
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Your Budget Is Not a Jail Cell—It’s a Spiritual Warfare Plan
SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich
When money is tight, a budget can feel like punishment. Like proof you messed up… or worse, proof your faith is weak. But what if that’s backwards? In this episode, Bob and Linda flip the script and show why a budget isn’t evidence of failure—it’s evidence of faith in action. Drawing from Scripture, psychology, and real-life stories, they unpack why budgeting is actually a weapon God gives us in seasons of financial pressure. If you’ve ever thought, “If God would just fix this, why do I need a spreadsheet?”—this conversation is for you. ...
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You're Meaner to Yourself Than God Is to You (w/ Earl McClellan)
SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich
Get Your Spirit Back: Breaking Free from the Lies Holding You Back - with Pastor Earl McClellan What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t your circumstances… but the lies you’ve believed about yourself? In this powerful, deeply honest conversation, Bob & Linda sit down with Pastor Earl McClellan, lead pastor of Shoreline City Church and author of Get Your Spirit Back, to talk about negative self-talk, fear, calling, identity, and what it really looks like to walk by faith when you’re scared. This isn’t a hype-up, “just believe harder”...
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Does a Church Salary Always Corrupt Pastors? (This Guy Says Yes)
SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich
A viral clip claims something shocking: any pastor who gets paid by a church will eventually be corrupted by money. It’s a bold accusation — and honestly, harder to dismiss than you might think. In this episode, Bob and Linda watch the clip, slow it down, and wrestle with the real tension underneath the claim. Is the modern church system broken? Does money inevitably compromise spiritual leadership? Or is this another example of painting faithful people with too broad a brush? This conversation isn’t defensive or dismissive. It’s thoughtful, biblical,...
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We Tithed Our Way Into Homelessness (And God Used It)
SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich
What if obedience doesn’t lead to the breakthrough you expected? Andy and Serena Ryan did “the right things.” They took a biblical money course. They committed to tithing. They tried to steward their finances faithfully. And then everything fell apart. They lost income. Fell behind on rent. Needed food pantries and church assistance. And eventually—after months of praying for a miracle—they packed up their family and moved into an RV in someone else’s backyard. This episode isn’t a prosperity story. It’s a surrender story. In one of the most...
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Why Your Stuff Might Be Blocking Your Blessings (with Joshua Becker)
SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich
Most Christians agree that materialism is bad… but few of us have ever connected the clutter in our garages to the condition of our hearts. In this episode, Bob sits down with Joshua Becker (author of Uncluttered Faith and founder of BecomingMinimalist.com) to explore a provocative idea: what if consumerism isn’t just a money issue—but a spiritual one? Joshua makes the case that the things we own—and the things we want—may be quietly choking out our fruitfulness, distracting us from God’s best, and stealing time, energy, and joy we didn’t realize we were...
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God Is Warning Us About AI (And Most Christians Aren't Listening)
SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich
Is God Warning Us About AI? The Biblical Case for Preparing Now! Before every major disruption in Scripture—famine, flood, exile—God warned His people first. Those who listened didn’t just survive… they thrived. So what if we’re living in one of those moments right now? In this episode, Bob and Linda wrestle with a question many Christians are quietly asking: What does the rise of AI mean for our work, our finances, and our faith—and how should God’s people respond? This isn’t fear-based. It’s faith-filled preparation. From Joseph...
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A Dishwasher Spent 10 Years With the Ultra Rich (Here’s What He Learned)
SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich
What if wealth isn’t about luck, connections, or hustle—but about how you think? In today’s episode, we unpack a fascinating story of a 17-year-old dishwasher who spent a decade working inside a high-end country club alongside ultra-wealthy members. What he learned completely dismantled common assumptions about rich people—and surprisingly, many of his lessons line up directly with Scripture. Bob and Linda walk through 7 mindset shifts that separate people who grow wealth from those who stay stuck, and why renewing your mind around money may be the most biblical...
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The Bible's Hidden Habits for Financial Success
SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich
In this episode, Bob and Linda unpack spiritual habits found in Scripture that quietly shape financial outcomes—habits that have nothing to do with spreadsheets or hustle culture, but everything to do with becoming the kind of person money can be trusted with. These aren’t the usual “Christian money tips.” They’re deeper. And once you see them, you can’t unsee them. 🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode Bob and Linda walk through 7 overlooked spiritual disciplines that directly affect how we earn, spend, save, and steward money: Why...
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Even after spiritual abuse, THIS is why I still tithe
SeedTime with Bob and Linda Lotich
Spiritual abuse around money almost made us stop giving altogether. We’ve seen manipulation from the pulpit. We’ve witnessed leaders mishandle funds. We’ve felt the tension between honoring God and distrusting institutions. And yet… we still tithe. In this episode, Bob and Linda have an honest, nuanced conversation about why they chose not to let other people’s failures steal something God wanted to use for their freedom. This is not a legalistic defense of tithing. It’s a heart-level conversation about obedience, trust, healing, and...
info_outlinePastor and bestselling author Mark Batterson joins Bob to unpack one of the most misunderstood principles of growth: the way breakthroughs actually happen—gradually, then suddenly.
From Warren Buffett’s compounding to Jim Carrey’s famed $10M check, to the long arc of ministry, writing, generosity, and family life, this conversation is a hopeful reset for anyone who feels “behind.”
In This Episode
- Why most “overnight success” stories take decades
- What 95-year-olds say they would do differently (and how it should change our lives today)
- The “25-year time machine” mindset that makes ordinary moments priceless
- Why young adults often underestimate what God can do in 10–20 years
- How Mark pastors a church with seven properties and zero debt — and the long-term mindset behind it
- Turning your church “inside out”: how NCC generates $2M/year through marketplace engagement
- The hidden power of giving goals (and the difference between getting vs. giving goals)
- The surprising truth about Buffett’s wealth: it’s not returns… it’s time
- Mark’s take on grand gestures, faith steps, and why God honors long obedience
- Bob’s story of writing a 5-year giving goal that seemed impossible—and what God did
- What to do when your dream is taking way longer than you thought
Key Quotes
- “You’ll overestimate what you can do in two years and underestimate what God can do in ten.” —Mark Batterson
- “Faith is taking the first step before God reveals the second.” —Mark Batterson
- “The greatest risk is taking no risks.” —Mark Batterson
- “We decided to do a ten-year book launch. Let’s give it a decade and see if it’s any good.” —Bob Lotich
Timestamps
00:00 — Why get-rich-quick thinking never works
01:00 — Introducing Mark Batterson & the story behind Gradually, Then Suddenly
02:00 — What 95-year-olds regret most
04:00 — The “25-year time machine” for parenting and life
05:00 — Why we plan vacations better than our futures
07:00 — The power of long-range thinking (and why it’s so rare)
08:00 — Why most people quit right before the breakthrough
10:00 — Bob’s 10-year book launch strategy
12:00 — Early results vs. long obedience
14:00 — The myth of the fast start: Circle Maker sales + slow beginnings
16:00 — Teaching a generation to love “gradually”
19:00 — Mark’s 29-year pastoral journey and miraculous property story
21:00 — Why NCC’s venue generates $2M/year
24:00 — What church leaders can learn from marketplace strategy
28:00 — Jim Carrey’s $10M check and the power of a grand gesture
29:00 — Bob’s five-year giving goal that changed everything
32:00 — How giving goals open doors for God to move
34:00 — What to do with dreams that are taking too long
35:00 — Closing encouragement + where to get the book
Resources & Links
- Mark Batterson’s new book: Gradually, Then Suddenly
- The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson
- Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
- Perennial Seller by Ryan Holiday
If You Enjoyed This Episode
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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.”
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