Becoming a Young CEO Blog

Pray, Plan, Pursue, Process: Growing a Biblical mindset about money

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 14:15:04 GMT

Growing a Biblical mindset about money

Our shared dream - for you to become a young CEO - is not something that will happen overnight.

We do believe it’s possible.

We’ve seen it time and time again. And we want to let you in on a little secret: There’s a pattern.

Every time a young person becomes a CEO, meets success, and makes their dreams come true - their steps can be backtracked to the pattern. It’s subtle, hidden, and hard to see at first. But once you have that “aha” moment, you’ll never unsee it. The pattern will stick with you for life!

For young leaders to build businesses and build hearts that honor God they need to pray honestly, plan wisely, pursue courageously, and process faithfully.

Step 1: Pray

Timmy had a great idea for his first business - he’d done the market research, established that there is a need, and prepared as well as he thought was possible. But on day 1, despite all of that, nobody showed up. Confused and frustrated, Timmy kept on, but with each passing day his heart felt heavier and heavier. “Why is this not working out? I’ve done everything right,” he sighed in front of his laptop one late night. Timmy didn’t realize it but his grandma had walked into the room a few minutes ago. She was quietly watching him struggle in front of his screen, patiently waiting for him to notice her for a nugget of wisdom she wished to share. Slamming his laptop closed, Timmy eventually looked up and saw his grandma standing there. He blushed, embarrassed and still upset by his apparent failure. He knew his grandma would have something to say to him so he walked up to her and melted into her embrace. “What’s your wisdom, today, nana?” he asked. His grandma smiled. Then she said the words that changed Timmy’s course forever: “We don’t make plans and then ask God to bless them. We ask God what His plans are and He blesses us when we do those.”

Before we sell, build, lead, or create, we must first pray. Prayer keeps our hearts aligned with God’s will. It reminds us that we are never leading alone and that true wisdom comes from above. When young CEOs learn to pray first, they learn to listen, trust, and seek God’s direction in every decision — big or small.

Step 2: Plan

Next, we plan. Planning honors God because it shows responsibility and intention. God is a God of order, vision, and purpose. When we write down our goals, organize our ideas, and prepare our steps, we are partnering with Him to bring our dreams to life with clarity and confidence.

Some young people fall into the trap of thinking organization just isn’t their thing. The truth is that personality or natural tendencies don’t say as much about us as our Maker does.

God says you were made in His image. He’s not a haphazard, last-minute, hasty God. That is not His character. He is careful, intentional, and precise.

Did you know that administration is a gift from God? It’s listed among the other spiritual gifts in the New Testament. This is great news because it means you can pray and ask God to give you the ability to plan, organize, and prepare well. He can do it!

Step 3: Pursue

Then, we pursue. Faith without action is incomplete. God calls us to be brave, to step forward even when we feel unsure, and to use our gifts with boldness. Pursuing our goals teaches perseverance, resilience, and trust — knowing that even when challenges arise, God is strengthening us for what’s ahead.

So often we want to start here, but here’s the challenge:

Instead of pursuing an idea right away, write it down
In fact, write down all your ideas
Commit to pausing on every idea for at least one week
As the time goes on, you might prioritize some ideas over others
Scratch out (eliminate) the ideas that are no longer the best
This simple practice teaches the value of pausing before you pursue!

Step 4: Process

Finally, we process. Growth doesn’t happen overnight. Every lesson, mistake, success, and setback is part of God’s refining work. Processing teaches patience and reflection. It helps young CEOs learn from their experiences, improve their skills, and recognize how God is shaping them through every step of the journey.

Practical ways to process:

Schedule a quarterly time of reflection on your calendar
Page back in your diary / calendar and assess what your time went towards
Process other facets: people, finances, systems
Utilize some reflection questions to prompt deeper thought, like:
- What is one new skill I can develop that fits in with what I’m already doing?
- What was the highlight, low light, and one random thing that happened?
- Consider your setbacks: What characteristic did this develop in you?
Before you jump to the next thing, pause and ask God for a word/verse/vision for the next quarter: “God, what do You want to do next?”

Recap the 4 P’s Secret Pathway to Success

The pathway to success is paved with 4 P’s:
Pray, Plan, Pursue, & Process

God’s Way is not just about business. It is about character, courage, stewardship, and learning how to walk boldly in what God has already placed inside you.

May all that you touch turn to gold!

14 CEO’s from the Bible and their lessons about money

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:00:16 GMT

In this quick-paced article, we will run through fourteen (14) Bible characters who acted like inspirational CEO’s.

Before the word CEO existed, God was already raising leaders, planners, builders, and stewards. Each of these people holds some valuable wisdom and insight for us, so we won’t miss the opportunity to learn what they have to teach us. Let’s jump right in:

#1 Joseph, the faithful steward

First up is Joseph. He was in charge of managing all the food and supplies for Egypt. What started out as a horror story (his brothers sold him into slavery), quickly turned around because of Joseph’s careful organization, planning, and leadership. God rewarded Joseph with opportunities of influence because he was faithful with little. Later on, Joseph got the perfect chance to give his brothers the payback they deserved, yet he showed them mercy and offered forgiveness.

#2 Moses, chosen by God to lead

When God’s people, the Israelites, needed saving, God chose a very special someone to lead them to safety. His name was Moses, a Hebrew boy adopted by the Pharaoh’s daughter. At the burning bush, Moses received the massive task of leading millions of Israelites out of Egypt. From the get-go, Moses was brave enough to ask for help and his brother, Aaron, joined his team. We can learn delegation, leadership, and problem-solving from Moses.

#3 Nehemiah, the project planner

Nehemiah is an example of a prayerful leader, filled with courage to do God’s will. Upon hearing of the state that Jerusalem was in, Nehemiah’s passion burned bright. He prayed and God gave him very precise instructions for how the repair project was going to work. Nehemiah teaches us about project planning, teamwork, and focus that leads to success with a widespread impact.

#4 Solomon, the wise leader

When Solomon (David’s son) had the opportunity to ask ANYTHING of God, he asked for… wisdom. Solomon’s wisdom surpassed that of anyone who’d ever lived. His God-given insight helped with decision-making, money management, trade relationships, and even building projects.

#5 Bezalel, creatively gifted

God’s giftings to CEO’s are not only with numbers and spreadsheets. The Bible is clear that God also cares about beauty and aesthetics. Bezalel led the craftsmen building the tabernacle. From him we can learn about quality control, creativity, and craftsmanship. Bezalel’s creative gifts were used for God’s glory and infused with purpose when he allowed God to use him.

#6 Noah, the obedient builder

Many leaders are called to long obedience in the same direction. When Noah was tasked with building the ark, he faced humiliation from others who didn’t understand his God-given mission. Noah teaches us about perseverance, endurance, and following instructions. Ultimately, obedience leads to protection.

#7 Abraham, receiver of God’s promises

Father Abraham managed land, livestock, and many workers. His life story teaches us about negotiation and trust. Abraham’s big decisions were guided by his unshakable faith in God. Leaders like Abraham receive callings that surpass them and stretch over generations.

#8 The Proverbs 31 Woman, a picture of success

Chapter 31 of the Book of Proverbs tells us about a wise woman. She ran businesses, cared for her family, and worked hard. We can learn entrepreneurship, budgeting, and leadership from her. Balance is another helpful key seen in her example, for she managed both her household and her businesses.

#9 Peter, the fisherman

Peter, a fisherman by profession, when called to be a disciple of Jesus shows us resilience. In a moment of weakness, Peter denied Jesus before His crucifixion. Yet after the resurrection, Jesus approaches Peter when he’s out fishing, leading the miraculous catch of fish “on the other side”. Peter followed Jesus’ exact instructions and was restored on the very same day.

#10 Paul, the tentmaker

Instead of being a financial burden to the Early Church, Paul worked as a tent-maker whenever he needed to subsidise his income. Paul’s missionary journeys coupled with this job shows impressive time management and commitment. He could’ve sat back and given up, but Paul chose to use his existing skills to support God’s work. He was self-employed as far as we know.

#11 Lydia, businesswoman and church mother

Lydia was so successful in her business selling a luxury purple fabric in the days of the Early Church, that she could open her home as a gathering place for the first ever church in Europe. Lydia’s marketing, networking, and using business as a tool to bless others are impressive.

#12 Matthew, the tax collector

Jesus’ disciples lived ordinary lives before He called them. Luke was a doctor, a few of them were fishermen, and Matthew was a tax collector. Jesus Himself did carpentry in His father’s workshop. Matthew was a faithful and honest worker in his serious profession as a tax collector. Compare this to Judas’ accounting responsibility, which was found failing when he took a bribe for information which led to Jesus’ arrest.

#13 Barnabas, the generous giver

Acts 4 tells us about Barnabas, a committed believer, who sold a field and gave its proceeds to the Early Church. Barnabas’ giving grew his impact. He was well-known for his encouragement to and support of the early missionary efforts of Paul and others. Giving money to help others is an important aspect of doing finances the Kingdom way.

#14 Jesus, visionary leader

It has been said that Jesus Christ was the most famous person to ever live. He carefully built His team of disciples and led them with great attention to their needs. Despite being firm on the vision, Jesus embodied servant leadership and often taught that the greatest leaders serve others. From Him, we can learn to be the kind of leaders who wash the feet of the people we lead.

Affirmation and Prayer

Affirmation: God used leaders in the Bible, and He can use me too!

Dear God, You have always chosen to work through people. Thank You for making me a part of Your great plans and purposes in the world. Help me to identify my role to play, so that my work, life, and finances may be used for Your glory alone. Amen.

What does the Bible say about Money?

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:00:10 GMT

Sometimes we expect the Bible to be quiet on matters of money and finances

Pastors are scared to preach about the touchy subject of money, yet the Bible is packed with truth about it. Some people estimate that the majority of Jesus’ teachings was about money!

The Bible is filled with wisdom and insights about lots of areas of life for young people - health, rest, work, family, relationships, and - yes - even money.

A Biblical View of Finances

However you want to look at it, nobody can deny that money matters. We need it to survive in this world we live in. Nothing is free these days and each one of us needs to pay for even our basic needs like a place to stay, clothing, food and water. As we’re growing up and expected to leave our parents’ care, this reality becomes even more true.

Yet the Bible’s opinion on matters of money is a bit… different. Where the world tells us to save and invest our earnings; the Bible encourages radical generosity. Where the world’s advice is “get lots of money to be successful/happy”; the Bible says “true success/happiness is found in God alone”.

God’s way is upside-down; in His economy less is more.

The Bible doesn’t see money as the end goal

1 Timothy 6:10-11: For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
Hebrews 13:5: Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Also read our article ‘Whose Money is it Anyway’ to go even deeper with this idea.

Be generous first, then you’ll always have enough

Luke 6:38: Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.
Proverbs 3:9-10: Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.

Rely on God more than you rely on money

Philippians 4:19: And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 9:8: And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

Using money to care for others

1 Timothy 5:8: But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.
Proverbs 13:22: Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.

Bible verses about debts / credit

Proverbs 22:7: Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.
Romans 13:8: Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law

A Testimony about Using Money God’s Way

As newlyweds in our early 20’s, my husband and I had to scrape our cents together. I worked for the church on a very small salary, so we basically had to survive on my husband’s income for our whole household. We budgeted, worked out cheap meals, shopped for groceries with a calculator in hand, and even tithed to the church. Yet, we couldn’t shake the feeling that we didn’t have enough.

A week turned into a month, and soon we settled into our new life together. Coming out of our bubble, we slowly started to invite friends over for meals. In our apartment, we set the table (even though we only owned 4 plates) as nicely as we could. For the meals, we did simple - and cheap - things like pastas or snack platters.

Then something amazing happened. It was as if our generosity with the little that we had paved the way for God’s abundant blessings. We’d faithfully cook dinner, using up the very last things in our fridge, and then our guests would show up with a side or dessert that meant we had leftovers for the next few days.

Abundance became a key in the way we do life and live out our faith. We don’t talk about what we lack, complaining about it, feeling sorry for ourselves - We would rather spend our energy wondering how we can bless people, glorify God with what we do have.

What’s that in your hand?

There’s a well-known story in the Bible about Moses standing before God Himself at the burning bush. This is when God sends Moses to save God’s people, the Israelites, and lead them into the wilderness to learn to live His way.

But before any of that happens, Moses protests at the burning bush. He tells God, ‘You must be mistaken. It can’t be me. I’m not able to do it. It’s too hard.’ And God doesn’t yell at Moses or get mad, He simply asks Moses 5 words: “What’s that in your hand?”

Moses must have looked down, noticing he’s still clinging onto his ol’ trusty shepherd’s staff. A tool that Moses knew well but that he didn’t think much of. Later on, Moses would see the staff itself turn into a snake, touch the river’s water and watch it turn to blood, hit a stone to produce a spring of water, and even split the sea with it.

Today God is asking you and me the same question that He asked Moses at that pivotal moment: “What is in your hand? What is in your fridge? What is in your phone? What is in your bank account? What do you have and how can you use it for My Glory?”

“Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much”
- Luke 16:10

What does the Bible say about Money?

Whose Money is it Anyway?

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 14:00:11 GMT

The world’s message is clear: “Earn more. Get rich. Build something for yourself.”

Even our schools and social systems are designed according to the blueprint of capitalism and materialism. Since we’re young, we are taught to view ourselves as machines having to work, to earn, to spend, to feel something…

Yet there’s a different way of viewing all of this. It’s a hidden perspective, forgotten in the dusty ancient pages of Scripture. That is the way of Jesus.

In the Bible’s perspective, your sole purpose is not to build yourself up, get rich, be famous, or have lots of social media followers; your purpose is to glorify God. But the Bible isn’t silent on matters of money, no. It’s just that the money or riches are never ours to begin with.

Is the Money Yours or God’s?

“Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants.”
– Benjamin Franklin

If God is the creator of the world we see around us; then it all belongs to Him. All the trees, mountains, valleys, animals, rocks, and even the oceans.

Now, let’s take a diamond for example. Diamonds have a lot of value in our societies and it’s often seen as a sign of true wealth. Yet a diamond is found deep underground in soil that belongs to… (you guessed it) God!

Or, consider a superyacht or a beautiful home. It is built from materials taken from the earth - each element in its purest form is from God’s creation.

At the start of it all, God planted a Garden in Eden where He placed Adam and Eve. He gave them the task to be stewards of the Earth - to subdue it and rule over it, but also to cultivate it and care for it. We are all workers in God’s Garden, creating like our Creator, making beautiful things from the raw materials He gives us daily.

It all belongs to Him - not your boss or your parents or yourself. It’s all His.

Scriptures about God’s Riches and Abundance

Deuteronomy 10:14
(God:) “Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it .”

Psalm 50:10-12
(God:) “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine .”

Psalm 95:3-5
(David:) “For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth ; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.”

Haggai 2:8
(God:) “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine .”

Leviticus 25:23
(God:) “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine .”

Chronicles 29:11
(David:) “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours . Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.”

Revelation 4:11
(The elders:) “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things , and by your will they existed and were created.”

Ecclesiastes 5:19
(Solomon:) “Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.”

Ephesians 3:8-9
(Paul:) “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ , and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things.”

Colossians 1:16-17
(Paul:) “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things were created through him and for him . And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Understanding God’s riches even helps us to understand the Good News message of Jesus in a new light:

2 Corinthians 8:9
(Paul:) “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich , yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”

What do we do with God’s money?

At the start of this article we contemplated the world’s message of earning more, getting rich, and building something for yourself. That is in stark contrast to the Scriptures we just read, right? Which leaves the question: What do we do now? There’s an anonymous quote that puts it well:

“If you have more than you need
build a longer table
not a taller fence.”

In other words, you are blessed to be a blessing. Read our blog post on Generosity next to dive deeper into how you can use God’s money for His glory.

What does Stewardship mean?

Mon, 04 May 2026 23:27:08 GMT

Stewardship is a big word and can seem kind of intimidating.

In this article we’ll explore the meaning of stewardship according to the Bible and what that means for us today. To begin, imagine this:

You get a summer job at a local ice cream shop during school holidays. The pay isn’t amazing, but it helps and at least it’s something to put on your resume. While your friends are getting tanned, swimming in the ocean, and living the carefree life; your hands are sticky, the customers are rude, and your manager is confusing.

One day, the manager announces that he’s leaving for a holiday. “Not you too”, you think but wisely hide your frustration. To your surprise the manager throws the keys your way and as he walks out of the door, he shouts: “Shop’s in your hands now. I’ll be back at the end of summer. You’re the manager now.”

A definition for Stewardship

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, stewardship can be defined as “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care”. That’s a mouthful. It basically means that you are taking care of something that belongs to someone else. You are a steward.

Like the ice-cream shop example we started with, you are left in control. Stewardship, therefore, goes hand-in-hand with things like responsibility, oversight, and care. A steward is not hasty, wasteful, or destructive.

Steward VS Reward

In the Bible, there’s a similar story:

Matthew 25:14-29 tells us about a master who leaves his servants to take care of things while he’s gone. He leaves one servant 5 bags of money, another only 2, and yet another only 1 bag of money. The first two servants invest the money, work with it, and it increases, but not so the 1-bag-man. Afraid to disappoint his master, he hides the money in a hole in the ground and anxiously awaits his master’s return.

“Sometimes when we don’t have as much as others,
we have the urge to hide away and wait,
but when we start with what we have
it will increase and grow into greatness.”

Let’s pick up the story in verse 19: “After a long time the master came home. He asked the servants what they did with his money. The servant who got five bags brought that amount and five more bags of money to the master. The servant said, ‘Master, you trusted me to care for five bags of money. So I used them to earn five more.’”

It was the same for the servant who invested the two bags of money, but to the servant who buried the single bag, the master said:

‘You should have put my money in the bank. Then, when I came home, I would get my money back. And I would also get the interest that my money earned.’ So the master told his other servants, ‘Take the one bag of money from that servant and give it to the servant who has ten bags. Everyone who uses what they have will get more. They will have much more than they need. But people who do not use what they have will have everything taken away from them.’

If you take the word ‘steward’ and remove the first two letters, replace it with an ‘r’, you get the word ‘reward’. The master in the story rewarded those who understood stewardship, so this is important for us to understand as well.

Being a Steward of God

God calls each one of us to stewardship. Whatever God gave you, it is your job to make it grow. The way you multiply it is by working with it.

Even if you might not have a lot of money, there are resources that you do have.

Perhaps you have a lot of TIME in this season of your life and you could volunteer at a local non-profit to serve your community.
Maybe you have a great TALENT in sports, music, gardening, math, or reading that you could use to share with other people.
All of us have SKILLS - even knowing how to tie your shoelaces, read, or write is a useful tool that could change somebody’s life.

If you still believe you have nothing to share, your testimony is something you get to steward as well. As Psalm 66:16 encourages us to say: “Come and I will tell you what He has done for me.”

Stewardship of Money

If you think about it: Everything that is yours is really God’s.

Luke 16:10-11 reminds us powerfully, “Whoever can be trusted with small things can also be trusted with big things. Whoever is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in big things too. If you cannot be trusted with worldly riches, you will not be trusted with the true riches.”

Becoming a Young CEO is about more than a solid business plan and a good fundraising strategy. If you want to make it and enter the rewards that God has for you, you must first learn the very basics of stewardship. Memorize them. Practice them. Watch them work.

What does it mean to be a Steward?

In summary, you are a steward if you are put in charge of something and left to oversee something (this next part’s crucial) - something that belongs to someone else. You are not an owner, just a person looking after one of the owners’ belongings.

According to the Bible each one of us is a steward of certain resources that God entrusted us with - time, talents, skills, and money. How we look after our money matters to us because it matters to God.