Faith & Finance - The Long-Term Impact of Generous Lives with Sharon Epps

29/10/2025 24 min
Faith & Finance - The Long-Term Impact of Generous Lives with Sharon Epps

Listen "Faith & Finance - The Long-Term Impact of Generous Lives with Sharon Epps"

Episode Synopsis

The most generous people give something money can’t buy—their time, their presence, and their love.Generosity reaches far beyond finances. It shapes hearts, strengthens families, and builds communities of grace. Today, Sharon Epps joins us to talk about the long-term impact of generous living.Sharon Epps is the President of Kingdom Advisors, FaithFi’s parent organization. Kingdom Advisors serves the broad Christian financial industry by educating and equipping professionals to integrate biblical wisdom and financial expertise.A Simple Question That Changes EverythingIf you’ve ever wondered what true generosity looks like, it’s often simpler—and closer to home—than we think. Generosity isn’t measured by dollar amounts or estate plans; it’s written on the faces and in the actions of people who live with open hearts.In fact, if you ask someone a simple question like this, you will move their hearts more than you know:“Think about the most generous person you know. What do they look like? What’s their countenance? Their posture?”Take a moment to picture them. Chances are, their face lights up your mind’s eye. They’re probably joyful, peaceful, genuine—and not necessarily wealthy. That’s because generosity is about heart, not income. It’s about presence, not possessions.When we make generosity personal, it changes us. We stop thinking in abstract ideas and start remembering real people who gave freely of themselves—and in doing so, reflected the heart of Christ.When this question is asked, the answers are often the same: a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle—someone who gave of themselves through love, laughter, and listening. These aren’t people who built foundations or donated millions. They modeled generosity through steady love and consistency.That’s what long-term generosity looks like. It starts at home and grows outward.Redefining Long-Term ImpactWhen we hear “long-term impact,” our minds often jump to wills, trusts, or endowments. Those are important tools, but they’re not the whole story. True long-term impact happens when we invest our lives, not just our assets.Every day, we have the chance to sow generosity through acts of service, hospitality, and encouragement. These simple seeds—when planted faithfully—bear fruit that outlasts any financial gift because they grow in people’s hearts.If you long to leave a legacy of generosity, start small.Serve one person this week. Ask God to show you where you can listen, encourage, or help.Be steady and intentional. Generosity grows through daily habits, not grand gestures.Practice generosity with time and words. The way you invest relationally today can change someone’s tomorrow.Over time, those small acts of faithfulness will shape the kind of life others remember as generous.Generosity is most powerful when it’s shared. Families that give together cultivate hearts that reflect God’s heart. Take your children with you when you serve at a food pantry. Let them see generosity in action. Talk about giving not as an obligation but as a joyful response to God’s grace.A Practical Tool for GivingOne practical way to make giving intentional is through a donor-advised fund—or what our friends at the National Christian Foundation call a Giving Fund. It’s like a charitable checking account where you can deposit money now and prayerfully decide later how to di

More episodes of the podcast WDAC Podcasts