Barnabas Foundation Blog

Let’s pretend for a moment that Ananias and Sapphira were honest about their intentions from the beginning and—following God’s leading—decided to give a portion of their real estate to ministry. Today, they would have had a variety of smart, ethical and tax-wise giving solutions to accomplish this.

Talk about a harsh penalty! Nowadays—depending on the severity and consequences of the lie—perjury under oath can earn you imprisonment, hefty fines, and a permanent criminal record. But for the early Christian couple Ananias and Sapphira, their deceit cost them everything.

Practical, Spirit-Led Giving Through the Stewards Fund In a time of financial hardship, God’s truth never seemed so clear. It was early in 2008, and Andrea was participating in a course on the biblical view of money. She could feel God working in her heart, leading her toward something new. By fall of that year, the stock market crashed, and years of personal investments were seemingly gone.

The “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law on July 4, 2025, dominated the nation’s headlines in the several weeks preceding and following its passage. But how does it impact your charitable giving? Among various items related to spending and other issues, the bill included a few tax provisions that may affect you. Here are three key takeaways related to charitable giving.

Q: I’d like to give a portion of my estate to charity. Do I really need to put this in my will, or can I just share my intentions with my children?

Many parents assume they should create a will or trust that gives every child or grandchild the same amount, distributed in the same way. However… Estate plans based on equality often lead to unhelpful results, sometimes doing more harm than good.

The 1994 classic film Forrest Gump tells the story of a simple man with extraordinary insight. Throughout the movie, Forrest shares several profound truths, many of which begin with some variation of, “My mama said…”. In fact, Forrest quotes his mama 10 times, including the most famous instance: “My mama always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.’” The ways in which Forrest views and experiences the world are primarily based on what he’s learned from his mama. For good or for bad, the same is true for all of us.

In a recent conversation with one of our clients, he reminded me of these words of Solomon: “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity,” and “There is no remembrance of former things.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2b, 11a, ESV) Much of what we chase after and accumulate is of little or no eternal value. Even in our estate planning, we can get so caught up in the transfer of assets that we miss seeing the bigger picture.