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Everyone wants to go from good to great. Almost nobody wants to do what it actually takes. In this one, Garrett puts David in the hot seat on the gap between average and elite. David opens with a confession: at twelve he was a top-five diver in the state of Maryland... and quit because of a Speedo. From there it gets practical fast. Why "more content" is the easy answer and "less, better" is the right one. Why the number one differentiator in business is embarrassingly simple: do what you say you're going to do. Why your favorite "overnight success" spent ten years in the dark. And why David killed a fully-built acquisition campaign and turned down $5–8K a month in rent because God said no... three days before his family's Instagram accidentally did two million views. The thread underneath all of it: we are part of His plan. He is not part of ours. In this episode: The diving career that died over a Speedo (and what wasted gifting teaches you)Gary Vee's 100 pieces of content a day — and the 20 years nobody countsThe Kerux pledge: why returning phone calls is a spiritual disciplineCopy the greats first, have opinions later: David's 10-year apprenticeship rule"We are part of His plan. He is not part of ours."God said no: the acquisition campaign, the empty 3,000 sq ft, and the accidental viral weekSuffering, a COVID hospital bed, and the moment every metric fadesInputs over outcomes: shooting 79 by not caring, and why Phelps' 23 golds couldn't do it Timestamped Chapters: 00:00 Two babies on the way, one question: what separates average from elite?01:56 David's confession: top-five diver in Maryland at 12... quit over a Speedo03:35 Is it okay to be average? Gifting, the body of Christ, and your actual lane05:45 "I was relentlessly seeking being the most successful person I knew"08:10 Worldly excellent vs. godly excellent: the Gary Vee math nobody does10:01 The Kerux pledge: why returning every call is the whole brand12:49 Study the greats: Tiger's swing at 120fps, and David's 10-year copy-first rule15:13 The overnight success myth: MrBeast, Ryan Trahan, and six invisible years17:59 "We are part of His plan. He is not part of ours."18:48 God said no: a killed acquisition campaign, $8K/month turned down... then 2M views24:20 Suffering: the only road from head to heart (and David's COVID hospital bed)30:28 Inputs over outcomes: shooting 79, public speaking reps, and Atomic Habits SEO tags christian entrepreneur, excellence, average to elite, faith and business, Gary Vee content strategy, overnight success myth, Atomic Habits, doing less better, christian wealth management, Kerux, David Laut Pull quotes "More is easy. Doing less better is much harder.""Doing what you say you're going to do is probably the number one differentiator in business. Because it sounds easy and it's not.""We are part of His plan. He is not part of ours.""Start taking things away. Serve fewer clients until you can serve every one of them perfectly. Then start adding.""You can be the greatest at something on earth. But if it doesn't matter in heaven, it's irrelevant."

Nick coaches the minds of MLB players, PGA pros, NFL guys, and business leaders. And the first thing he tells the pros might be the last thing you'd expect from a performance coach: "God does not care about your baseball career. Zero. He only cares about your heart. That doesn't mean He won't use your career to transform it." How does a pastor's kid end up here? Through his own suffering — and he tells the whole story. The double life: quarterback, point guard, good grades on one side; drugs from eighth grade on the other. The secret daily Xanax and opiate habit nobody knew about. And the vacation to Mexico where he prayed one of the most human prayers ever prayed: Lord, change me on this trip. Press the button in my mind that makes the addiction go away. No one has to know. God answered the prayer — with a withdrawal seizure, a Mexican hospital, his three-months-pregnant wife in tears on the floor, and a drive straight from the border to Betty Ford. "His ways are not our ways. I wanted the button pressed. He brought it all into the light. And I finally felt free." From there, a conversation that will not stay in your head — because that's literally its thesis: why intellectual knowledge doesn't transform anybody ("better a warrior of the mind than a librarian of the mind"), why the ultimate version of you only exists in the land of uncertainty, why God shares everything with us except His glory, what "pray for humility, expect to get humiliated" has looked like in Nick's year and a half of wilderness, the Michelangelo problem (chipping away everything that isn't you hurts, because you're the rock), and why Philippians 4:13 — the verse written on half the cleats in professional sports — means almost the opposite of how athletes use it.It ends with a handmade gift and the best metaphor of the season: how a mollusk turns an irritant into a pearl, one layer of grace at a time. Connect your faith and your finances → KERUXHQ.com Chapters: 00:00 — Meet Nick: mental performance coach to MLB, PGA, and NFL players — "I got here through my own suffering" 02:27 — Pastor's kid, double life: quarterback and good grades on one side, drugs from eighth grade on the other 04:15 — The Mexico trip: a secret addiction, a desperate prayer ("just press the button"), a seizure — and freedom 06:23 — Sober but struggling: the mental health crash, leaving teaching, and building a coaching career from books 14:37 — Head vs. heart: "God does not care about your baseball career. Zero. He cares about your heart." 18:33 — How truth moves 18 inches: risk, stepping out of the boat, and the client who couldn't answer "where are you risking?" 21:59 — "The ultimate version of you only exists in the land of uncertainty" — and why God shares everything but His glory 24:38 — Hot seat: David's fear of the stage, the Sac State talk, and how to tell the Spirit's nudge from pride 32:07 — Nick's wilderness season: "pray for humility, expect to get humiliated" — and the Michelangelo problem 38:44 — The destination is never fulfilling 42:46 — The verse on every cleat: what Philippians 4:13 actually means 45:28 — Closing: ruthlessly keep your word to yourself, integrity as workability — and the parable of the pearl

Quick test: what is money the root of? If you said "all evil," you just misquoted the Bible — and you're in good company, because David did too, for years. The verse says the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). And that one-word difference is the whole episode. Connect your faith and your finances → KERUXHQ.com Chapters 00:05 — Welcome: earthly success to eternal significance 05:37 — VERSE 1 — Matthew 6:24: "No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money." 12:07 — VERSE 2 — Luke 16:10–11: "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much." 18:36 — VERSE 3 — Matthew 6:19–21: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 26:15 — VERSE 4 — Luke 12:15–21: the rich fool 29:22 — VERSE 5 — Mark 8:36: "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" 33:48 — Outro: KERUXHQ.com + the Faith Forward framework

Scott Hanson co-founded Hanson McClain in 1993 with two sublet offices, one desk, and one assistant. It became Allworth Financial — over $40 billion under management as of the morning we filmed. He's hosted Money Matters for 31 years, run ultramarathons, raised four kids (two by adoption), and he's celebrating his 60th birthday by running 60 miles around Lake Folsom. By any scoreboard our industry keeps, he's in the hall of fame. So listen to what he says near the end of this conversation: "If you'd told me ten years ago that I wouldn't feel completely secure at the financial number I have now, I would have thought you were crazy. And I still feel like this could all be gone."In between: the phone-company pension play that launched the firm, the tree business he bought at 19 with no cash ("if you just show up on time, that's half of it"), and the story David can't stop thinking about — newlywed Scott, $7,000 in credit card debt, an empty living room, being asked to pledge $50,000 to his church's capital campaign. He prayed. He committed. God opened the floodgates — and a couple of years ago, the Hansons made a single gift 100 times that size. Plus the conversation from nine years ago that David never forgot: "If you were a cellist, would your friends tell you to quit practicing? Maybe God wants you to be the best financial advisor in the world." Connect your faith and your finances → KERUXHQ.com

Three months. Eight platforms. Three cameras (finally figured out). About 500 followers. And a plan to build a five-show media network anyway. In this behind-the-scenes episode, David and Garrett pull back the curtain on the David Laut Show itself: where it started ("follow me as I follow Christ — in business"), what's actually working on each platform, and the honest math of building an audience in 2026 — including Garrett's favorite finance YouTube channel with 700,000 subscribers… that started posting in 2006. Then the vision: why the show is becoming one channel of something bigger under Kerux — a market-outlook show, a technical financial-planning show, a big-family channel, and a "Proverbs 31 women" show led by the women on the team — modeled on the media-network playbook that took firms like Ritholtz Wealth and Root Financial from a few hundred million to billions under management. But the heart of the episode is slower than the strategy: Acts 1, where Jesus gives the disciples the biggest mission in history — and then tells them to wait. David gets honest about the difference between asking God to bless your plans and joining what God is already doing, why 7-going-on-8 kids taught him that hard doesn't mean bad, and the season of elimination he's in right now — cutting busyness, status-chasing, and alcohol — so that nothing separates him from the love of God. Plus: shout-outs to two friends whose accounts just went viral, the LinkedIn algorithm shift working in small creators' favor, and why the Jesus Christ Show was, regrettably, taken. Oh, and my friend Chris O'Brien!! We want your feedback — comment, or DM David on LinkedIn or Instagram.Connect your faith and your finances → KERUXHQ.com

Lee Fields is one of the most sought-after live audio engineers on the planet. He's toured the world, built and sold the most successful tech education platform the church space has ever seen, led worship production across twelve campuses of one of America's fastest-growing churches — and turned down an invitation to play Augusta National (there's a story, and he's not telling all of it).And at the bottom of all that success, he found a question most people in ministry never let themselves ask: was I ever actually saved — or was my faith attached to a church staff employee handbook? Connect your faith and your finances → KERUXHQ.comTimestamped Chapters:00:00 Welcome to the David Laut Show00:17 Lee Fields + the top-three golf courses question01:10 The Augusta National invitation he didn't take02:10 Peachtree on a perfect October Thursday + Tobacco Road03:20 David's three: Banff Springs, the Shores, Martis Camp04:30 The real topic: elite at your craft AND built for eternity05:15 Maryville, TN: trailer park, addiction at home, a mom who's a saint06:30 A's on tests, F's on homework — and a college career of Halo07:30 Church as the fabric of Southern life08:30 Cut from the team → marching band → turning down a UT bass scholarship09:45 "Fields, go figure out how to use this stuff" — the PA system gift11:00 Hours from taking the electrician job — the family cycle he refused12:30 The phone rings: Disciple, 200314:00 $20 a show, $5 food money: $4,400 for 200+ days on the road15:15 Sony, 3,000-seat rooms, and finding a safe place to make every mistake16:45 Scottie Scheffler has a coach: how the elite actually train18:00 Pots-and-pans drums, student-loan studio gear, hunting discomfort daily19:30 "I don't ever want to wake up and go to work"20:15 The Toy Story claw: rescued the morning after his lowest night21:45 Divine intervention AND partnership — the choices still mattered22:45 Married at 23 → first tech guy at a Knoxville church23:45 2007: Church Production Magazine, the "virtual pastor," Twitter, #CTDRT25:30 "Where was faith in all this?" — what 26-year-old Lee would've said26:15 The call west: 11 years, 12 campuses, executive worship pastor27:45 Hotel-ballroom conferences are useless → mixing consoles in a circle29:15 Saddleback 2016 → 30 events worldwide → 10,000 subscribers → the sale31:00 Tailwinds and timing: the leapfrog pattern of Lee's career31:50 2022: selling the business and a divorce in the same season33:30 The confession: "I'm not sure I was actually saved"34:30 Faith attached to the employee handbook, not the Bible35:45 "There is no ladder, bro"36:45 "When God decided what He thought about you, He didn't call a meeting"38:00 "You know what we didn't talk about today? Church."39:00 Is Sunday imperative? Church as plan A — and the shame trap41:15 The 10,000-hours math: you can't master a relationship in 90 minutes a week42:15 The Mona Lisa on the wall: "I thought I owned it — now I need it to survive"43:15 Scarcity trauma: trailer park to a million-dollar zip code44:30 "I feel like a three-year-old Christian"45:15 The engineer who can't stop mixing: wanting the worship band to be bad46:15 "Thank you for not distracting me"47:00 The fundamentals: praying daily is still hard — and that's normal47:45 Don't hire the Christian roofer + the freedom of nothing to hide48:58 Outro: KERUXHQ.com + the Faith Forward framework

Whispers aren't loud. Lamps aren't bright. So why do we expect hearing God's voice to be easy? In this episode, David and Garrett break the most-asked question in the Christian life into three parts: how to actually hear God's voice, how to discern whether it's really Him, and how to respond once you know it is. David shares the moment it became real for him — stretched out on a vibration plate at the gym during the COVID crash, business freshly bought, loan hanging over his head, markets in free fall — when a sentence that wasn't his own cut through the panic: "My plans for you are good." From there: why you can't hear a whisper from the back of the crowd (John 10:27), the sobering math on what one church hour a week actually adds up to (spoiler: 192 years to reach mastery), why you cannot build a relationship with God on prayer alone, what busyness and borrowed opinions do to your spiritual hearing, and why there's no God setting on ChatGPT. Then the episode's most important turn: what God's voice isn't. If the voice in your head accuses, degrades, and shames you — that's not the Shepherd. David opens up about spending his first five years as a believer flattened by self-condemnation, and how learning the actual tone of God's voice — loving, gentle, peace-giving — changed everything. Big idea: Hearing God's voice is not the end goal. Following Him is. Connect your faith and your finances → KERUXHQ.com — and yes, we're still accepting coffee sponsors. Timestamped Chapters: 00:13 Engagement and Community Building 02:37 The Importance of Proximity to God 05:03 The Role of Discernment in Hearing God 11:16 Obedience: The Key to Following God's Voice 16:39 Responding to God's Voice 22:23 Understanding What Hearing God's Voice Isn't 28:13 Final Thoughts on Hearing and Following God

Mimi Chan was the Co-founder of Christians at Amazon which now boasts over 100 chapters and thousands of global members. Our first-ever guest worked side by side with a Christian coworker at Amazon for a full year — and never knew, until the day that coworker quit to become a missionary. That moment raises the question this whole episode wrestles with: if nobody at your job can tell you follow Jesus, is being nice actually enough? If you've ever wondered whether your work is your ministry — or just the thing that funds it — this conversation is your answer. Connect with Mimi: - LinkedIn (her new venture is in stealth — reach out and she'll share more): linkedin.com/in/mimicychan/ - Instagram: @mimicychan Connect your faith and your finances → KERUXHQ.com

Everybody loves an inheritance — especially if you're the one receiving it. But what if the money is the least important thing you'll ever pass down? In this episode, David and Garrett dig into the difference between an inheritance (what you leave to someone) and a heritage (what you leave in someone) — and why getting those two backwards quietly ruins families. David shares the surprising phone call with the CEO of Alternatives Pregnancy Center that turned a confessed money mistake into a speaking invitation on Psalm 127 ("Children are a heritage from the Lord"), the Holocaust-survivor's-family wisdom a client shared about the one thing that can never be taken from you, and why the estate-planning advice "don't give your kids nice things" never sat right with him. Then it gets practical: the exact four-bucket money system David runs for his kids (10% giving, 20% long-term investing, 10% short-term savings, 60% spending), how his children became legitimate employees of the family business with Roth IRAs at age twelve, the "Die With Zero" debate, and the question that stops every parent cold: if your kids inherited your habits and your faith — but none of your money — would they be rich or poor? Because money doesn't change people. It magnifies them. And God doesn't have grandchildren. Connect your faith and your finances → KERUXHQ.com — and sign up for the monthly newsletter on markets, stewardship, and all things finance. 00:00 — What's our inheritance from God? Setting up the big question00:51 — Backstory: the gala sponsorship confession — and the call with Heidi Matzke of Alternatives Pregnancy Center03:00 — "Children are a heritage from the Lord" (Psalm 127:3–5) — and an unexpected invitation to speak05:20 — The key distinction: an inheritance is left to someone; a heritage is left in someone07:00 — Colossians: "Christ in us, the hope of glory" — what God leaves within us08:04 — Anne Bradstreet: wisdom without an inheritance beats an inheritance without wisdom08:56 — The Eastern European Jewish client: money can be taken away — knowledge can't11:13 — The estate attorney's advice: "Don't give your kids nice things" — and why it never sat right13:59 — When your values meet the world's: the full armor of God14:45 — Two kinds of Christianity: the kind you do vs. the kind you are16:18 — The "Die With Zero" debate: bless your kids now, or leave it all at the end?17:34 — The advisor's warning: how a few thousand a month at 65 decimates a portfolio by 9019:00 — "I'm withholding things from my kids that I could easily buy them" — and why20:00 — Bass fishing, Senko worms, and the enthusiasm gene his kids inherited21:00 — Obedience is the holy part — not the inheritance itself22:15 — How the kids watched mom and dad trust God: the business, the house, the growing family24:45 — The Greenlight system: four accounts per kid — give 10%, invest 20%, save 10%, spend 60%27:30 — "How are my companies doing?" — kids who own the NASDAQ at age 829:30 — The part the kids don't know: Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s as employees of the family business30:39 — Is it scary knowing they get control at 18? Why David isn't afraid32:45 — Job was a great steward and still lost everything — outcomes are God's responsibility33:59 — The big question: habits and faith but no money — would your kids be rich or poor?35:55 — Money doesn't change you. It magnifies you.37:39 — What should your money do after you're gone?38:30 — The garden they inherited — watering it by hand in the Sacramento summer39:45 — "Don't leave the world to your kids. Leave your kids to the world."40:49 — God doesn't have grandchildren41:48 — You can't coerce a legacy: surrendering outcomes without destroying the relationship42:30 — David's August calendar: marking off every day he doesn't put his kids down43:53 — Closing: ambassadors of an eternal kingdom, handling earthly things in a way that honors the Father

If you've ever felt that endorphin rush right before a money decision — this episode is your stop sign. Connect your faith and your finances → KERUXHQ.com — and sign up for the monthly newsletter on markets, stewardship, and all things finance. Chapters: 00:00 — Welcome + today's topic: the worst money mistakes we've ever made 00:55 — David's UBS story: starting on Wall Street in July 2007… right before the crash 01:49 — "Back up the truck": putting 25–50% of income into company stock at $800 2:19 — UBS goes from $80 to $8 02:48 — Garrett's hot tip from a family member: 25% of net worth into one stock 03:44 — "We're gonna be retired": the ride from $45 to $62… to $5 a share 04:43 — Intel employees in the '90s: margin loans, boats, sports cars — and the dot-com wipeout 05:56 — The clients who never sold: $1M → $20M → $2M, then 25 flat years 06:51 — "That movie is replaying right now" — the internet then, AI now 07:09 — Buffett: "Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked" 07:35 — Every generation gets one market moment that makes or breaks them 10:17 — Garrett watched his parents lose their house in 2008 — scarcity vs. smart risk 11:23 — How the financial crisis shaped an entire career (and made advisors gun-shy) 12:03 — 2009–2016: the industry chased alternatives, hedge funds, REITs — and was flat wrong 14:38 — The real mistake: going to cash while the S&P 10x'd off the 666 bottom 16:07 — Do money mistakes trace back to ignoring biblical principles? 16:32 — Speed = Greed: 1 Timothy 6:9–10 and Proverbs 19:2 18:19 — David's Bitcoin saga: Celsius bankruptcy + $5,000 vanished into a wrong wallet address 21:07 — Is being cheap biblical? The frugal grandmother who quietly left $900K 22:36 — "Fleshly desires are disguised in euphemisms — like frugal" 22:51 — Proverbs 28:22: the stingy are eager to get rich… and poverty awaits them 23:04 — The $50,000 plumbing quote story: pride and greed dressed up as "negotiating" 26:45 — Selective cheapness: the $70 steak people who won't pay professionals 27:21 — If you sell a premium product, you'd better be willing to pay for one 29:08 — Frugal out of fear, greed, or pride? "That is not how God operates" 31:15 — Why David hopes the well repairman overcharges him today 31:52 — Greed vs. ignorance: the fear–faith spectrum applied to money 32:36 — "The rhythm of heaven is not the Indy 500" — God doesn't need your speed 34:47 — The $200,000 mistake: sponsoring galas to "build the kingdom" 37:22 — Giving out of guilt: "You're only giving 10%… you should be giving 40" 38:28 — The result: zero clients, zero referrals, zero fruit 39:59 — The hard realization: "My true intent was to buy influence" 41:38 — Can you give out of guilt and still be a cheerful giver?42:07 — Give from calling, not pressure: stewardship vs. outsourcing your obedience 42:58 — The client who screamed at the team… while being scammed by a fake FBI agent 45:11 — Police at the door: the scam revealed — and zero gratitude after 47:12 — Doing the right thing when nobody thanks you (the silver warning nobody heeded) 48:29 — What David's wife taught him about serving without expecting acknowledgment 50:04 — Closing counsel: the endorphin test — if it feels amazing, STOP 51:36 — Slow down, get neutral, wait on the Lord: obedience first, joy after 52:09 — Outro: KERUXHQ.com + monthly newsletter

Most people building wealth in America are running a playbook that's about 100 years old and entirely temporal. Accumulate. Compound. Hit the number. Buy your freedom. The Bible describes something almost unrecognizably different — and in this episode David walks through where those two systems actually collide in an ordinary financial life. Chapters: 00:00 — Stewardship vs. modern wealth building 01:30 — Why tithing goes against "pay yourself first" 03:00 — Where the two economies actually collide 04:30 — Scarcity, urgency, and the finite-pie mindset 06:00 — Why there's no rush in God's economy 07:30 — Financial freedom as a control problem 09:00 — Wanting the life of leisure is wanting to be God 11:00 — We were created to work (and why retirement wrecks people) 13:00 — Enduring Wealth: the real gift isn't the money 15:30 — Practice 1: Adopt an eternal mindset 17:30 — The conversation you'll have with your Creator 19:00 — "I'm accountable to myself" is a dangerous sentence 21:00 — Practice 2: Build economic engines 23:30 — Paul made tents to ADD to the kingdom, not draw from it 26:00 — The parable of the talents and nonprofit waste 28:00 — Practice 3: Converting earthly assets into kingdom capital 29:30 — How Kerux functions as ministry and economic engine 32:00 — Practice 4: Give with wisdom and joy 34:00 — Guilt giving, guesswork, and grouchiness 36:00 — Why David gives to people, not organizations 38:00 — Practice 5: Foster collaborative partnerships 40:00 — The hardest partnership to accept 42:00 — Practice 6: Listen for spiritual guidance 43:30 — Doing good things for God He never asked you to do 46:00 — Abraham, Egypt, and getting ahead of God 48:00 — The cadence of the kingdom is slower than you are 50:00 — What the world gets right that the church dismisses 52:00 — Why the church has work backwards 55:00 — Too many nonprofits and the board echo chamber 58:00 — What stewardship has actually cost Kerux 01:01:00 — What money promises that only God delivers 01:03:00 — 1 Timothy 6:17–19: life that is truly life 01:05:00 — The Jenna moment 01:08:00 — AI, worst-case scenarios, and the owner/steward door 01:10:00 — The one principle David wants his kids to have 01:12:00 — Contentment for high performers Scripture & resources: 1 Timothy 6:17–19 • Matthew 6:24 • Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25) • Proverbs 9:10 • James 1:8 • Psalm 14:1 • Genesis 12 (Abraham in Egypt) • John 5:19Enduring Wealth • Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin Connect — Kerux: Kerux (Greek for messenger) helps Christian entrepreneurs and leaders steward their time, talent, and treasure toward what actually lasts. KERUXHQ.com — explore the Faith Forward Framework, market insights, and a simple path to a conversation.

The market is at all-time highs and everyone still feels uneasy. This episode is about why both things are true at the same time — and what to actually do about it. Chapters 00:00 — Intro: the market outlook conversation 00:46 — Why everything feels bad while stocks are at all-time highs 01:15 — The real reason markets are high (it's not funny business) 02:35 — Riding the AI wave since 2022 03:22 — The fastest rate hikes in history and the tech drawdown 03:54 — "Show me the money": promise vs. profit 04:16 — The top 10 companies are 40% of the S&P 500 05:23 — Where we are right now: up 8–9% YTD 06:14 — The statistics of market corrections 07:21 — Why David expects a correction in the coming months 07:59 — Geopolitical risk, oil, and the inflation chain 08:38 — Why interest rates decide the AI trade 09:34 — Growth vs. value: the playbook that could flip fast 11:05 — "What does all this mean for the average investor?" 12:30 — The momentum trade since 2008 13:16 — Why index investing became the best thing on the planet 14:08 — What active management actually is 15:14 — How 401(k)s made everyone cost-obsessed 15:42 — The dot-com parallel nobody wants to talk about 16:19 — What happens if the top 10 change? 17:05 — Time horizon changes everything 17:44 — Risk is a bell curve (and we've only seen one side) 18:33 — How to actually diversify 20:41 — If it's cheap and it's crushing it, ask why 21:41 — When does it make sense to hire an advisor? 22:54 — Fear vs. faith as a spectrum 24:03 — Why both ends of the spectrum are wrong 25:02 — The two investor archetypes that get destroyed 27:14 — Playing the doomsday scenario all the way out 29:21 — Psalm 112:7 — "no fear of bad news" 30:19 — It doesn't matter until it does 31:23 — No good decisions are made in fear 32:41 — The three-bucket strategy 33:39 — The 3-year rule and the 80% problem 34:37 — The intermediate bucket and the 5-year stat 35:34 — The long-term bucket 36:58 — How to actually sell high 38:03 — Mental accounting: why separate buckets work 40:33 — How Christians can be faithful with money 42:43 — Stewardship vs. ownership 43:21 — The Ferrari you don't own 45:14 — The two lies of the financial industry 46:34 — Why did God give you this money? 47:51 — The Faith Forward Framework Scripture & resources Psalm 112:7 • 2 Timothy 1:7 • The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25) • Jeremiah 29 (flourish where you're planted) Garden City by John Mark Comer • Living Fearless by Jamie Winship • Kerux Faith Forward Framework Connect — Kerux Kerux (Greek for messenger) helps Christian entrepreneurs and leaders steward their time, talent, and treasure toward what actually lasts. Start with the Faith Forward Framework at KERUXHQ.com — plus market insights, articles, and a simple path to a conversation if you'd like to talk about working together.This episode is educational, not personalized investment advice. Your situation is your own — talk to a professional who knows it.

David and Garrett dig into what most Christian entrepreneurs get wrong about ambition — and how a small Greek word study reshaped how David runs his firm, measures success, and thinks about drive. Anchored in James 3:16, Colossians 3:23–24, and Psalm 63, this episode names the scoreboard problem most Christian businesses secretly run, the "provider lie" most Christian men have been living, and the freedom that comes when you stop competing against everyone around you.If you've ever suspected that your ambition might be running you instead of the other way around — this one is for you.Keywords:Jesus, ambition, godly ambition, selfish ambition, envy, jealousy, comparison, stewardship, Christian entrepreneur, faith and business, Kerux, provider, breadwinner, sacred pace, Terry Looper, scoreboard, fruit of the Spirit, James 3:16, Psalm 63, Colossians 3, measuring success, ambition as a spring, Christian leadership, whole-life stewardshipChapters:00:00 — Intro00:17 — What ambition really means03:00 — Colossians 3 and the Lord's reward04:00 — Jealousy vs. envy (they aren't the same sin)05:30 — Sports and glorifying God through your calling07:00 — "God, how are YOU measuring success?"09:00 — Two Greek words11:30 — The freedom to share with your competitors13:00 — Zeal, aspiration, and where ambition points15:30 — The Sacred Pace and checking your own motives18:20 — The provider lie21:20 — Do you thirst for God?22:30 — Ripe fruit or rotten fruit24:30 — Near-death experiences and the ripple effect26:50 — Ambition as a well or spring28:40 — Could you walk away from your biggest goal?30:30 — The David of ten years ago33:20 — "We never lose — we win or we learn"34:40 — What we want our kids to learn about ambition36:00 — The highlight reel and comparison38:00 — The Dave Ramsey confession38:50 — What the Bible heroes teach about ambition39:50 — Selfish success vs. God-focused success41:10 — The house God had to whittle down42:58 — OutroScripture referenced:Colossians 3:23–24 — "Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."2 Corinthians 5:9 — "We make it our ambition to please him."Romans 2:8 — the negative version of ambition2 Corinthians 12:20 — selfish ambition produces disorderJames 3:14–16 — "Where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."1 Thessalonians 4:11 — "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life."Romans 15:20 — "My ambition has always been to preach the gospel where Christ was not known."Psalm 63:1 — "You, God, are my God. Earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you… in a dry and parched land where there is no water."Galatians 5:19–23 — the fruit of the flesh vs. the fruit of the SpiritPhilippians 1:6 — "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it."Resources & references mentioned:- The Sacred Pace by Terry Looper — the four-step decision framework (consult Jesus, gather facts, look for circumstances, get neutral)- Blue Letter Bible — the study tool David used for Greek origin- Chariots of Fire — Eric Liddell, the Olympian and missionary to China, "when I run, I feel the Lord smiling on me"- Simon Sinek — Start with Why- Kerux — Greek for messenger / herald, anchored in 1 Timothy 6:17–19Connect & next steps — Kerux:The monthly Kerux newsletter is the best on-ramp. We cover markets, stewardship, and what whole-life generosity looks like in practice — no fluff, no hype, no upsell.→ Sign up: KERUXHQ.com — you can also learn more about our Faith Forward framework there.🎧 Subscribe to The David Laut Show wherever you listen.📍 Watch full episodes on YouTube — tap subscribe so you don't miss next week.

David sits down with Garrett to tell the full story: from broke to eight figures, and everything that happened in between that nobody warned him about.Key topics:The hamster wheel: income up 5x, wealth flatChildhood money influences — hard work + spendingDave Ramsey / Financial Peace University and the guardrails that changed everythingThe culture inside financial advising (and why most advisors are broke)California real estate as a first accumulation leverBuying the Chico firm and building a real enterpriseTrust and delegation as the ceiling on your companyGoing all in with God in businessWhy the next milestone is a mirageCorrie Ten Boom's "hold everything lightly"The loneliness of leadership at the tip of the spearDeuteronomy 8:17–18 and the lie of self-made wealthFaith as the source of business fearlessness Chapters:00:00 — Intro00:17 — From broke to eight figures00:39 — Early money mindset and childhood influences01:56 — Hard work, nice things, and spending habits03:05 — Learning to work and spend in cycles06:14 — Being broke vs. being on the hamster wheel08:43 — Dave Ramsey influence and financial guardrails11:04 — When wealth started to accumulate13:19 — Integrity as a financial advisor14:38 — The culture of financial advisors17:38 — Building a team and business responsibility20:53 — Growing a business with people, not alone25:18 — Buying the company and building a real enterprise28:43 — Trust, delegation, and leadership31:13 — Going all in with God in business34:02 — Reconciling faith and hard work35:22 — Why the next milestone never satisfies38:13 — What if it all disappeared tomorrow?40:33 — What the kids should learn from the story41:37 — The honest truth about going from broke to eight figures43:03 — The loneliness of success and leadership45:20 — Faith as a source of boldness in business46:31 — OutroScripture referenced:Deuteronomy 8:17–18 — "You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth."Proverbs 13:11 — "Whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow."Galatians 5 — the fruit of the flesh vs. the fruit of the Spirit2 Corinthians 12:9 — "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."Philippians 1:29 — suffering for the sake of ChristMatthew 6:33 — seek first the kingdomResources & references mentioned:Dave Ramsey — Financial Peace University (the class David hosted that changed how he thought about personal finances)Convene — Christian peer-to-peer CEO group; the source of the leadership-development spreadsheet Aaron usedJohn D. Rockefeller — "I believe the power to make money is a gift of God to be developed and used to the best of our ability for the good of mankind."Corrie Ten Boom — "Hold everything in your hands lightly. Otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open."Kerux — Greek for messenger / herald, anchored in 1 Timothy 6:17–19Connect & next steps — Kerux:Kerux (Greek for messenger) exists to help Christian entrepreneurs and leaders steward the time, talent, and treasure they've been given — and take hold of the "life that is truly life" that 1 Timothy 6 describes.The monthly Kerux newsletter is the best on-ramp. We cover markets, stewardship, and what whole-life generosity looks like in practice — no fluff, no hype, no upsell.→ Sign up: KERUXHQ.comIf this episode resonated, the most meaningful thing you can do is share it with one entrepreneur or leader you know who's chasing a milestone they secretly suspect won't satisfy. That single share is how the message travels.🎧 Subscribe to The David Laut Show wherever you listen.📍 Watch full episodes on YouTube — tap subscribe so you don't miss next week.

"There is a risk, and it will cost. But the outcome — the other side — is the freedom and enjoyment we've all been looking for." Most Christian entrepreneurs are chasing the same thing: enjoyment. Freedom. Fulfillment. And the world tells us the path is simple — become elite, and the joy will follow. Grind hard enough, hit the numbers, get to the top of the mountain, and you'll finally feel free. David Laut has been to that mountaintop. It didn't deliver.In this episode, David and Garrett break down the three founding principles of Kerux — Eternal, Elite, Enjoy — and how they finally clicked into an equation, not a checklist. Eternal + Elite = Enjoy. David wants every listener to walk away with at least one thing: bring the closed doors of your life into the light. If you look successful on paper but something inside still feels off — this one's for you. Chapters: 00:00 The Role of Prayer and Intent in Business 01:28 Understanding the Equation: Eternal + Elite = Enjoy 03:42 The Disconnect Between Joy and Cultural Expectations 06:05 Bridging Work and Worship 08:25 The Challenge of Representing Christ in Business 11:03 Living Out Christian Values in Entrepreneurship 13:54 Surrendering Business to God 16:28 The Cost of Following God's Path 17:49 The Desire to Be Like God 20:11 Distinguishing Ambitions: Selfish vs. Godly 23:14 The Shift from Self to God 27:45 Pursuing Excellence with Eternal Perspective 32:08 Character vs. Competency: The Recovery Process 37:41 Finding Fulfillment in Eternal Joy 41:20 Closing Time :) 41:38 Outro & Links Scripture Referenced: Jeremiah 9:23–24 — Let not the wise boast in his wisdom Galatians 5:19–21 — The works of the flesh Psalm 16:11 — You will fill me with joy in Your presence Psalm 24:1 — The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it Philippians 3:12–14 — Not that I have already arrived, but I press on 1 Corinthians 9:24–25 — Run in such a way as to get the prize Matthew 7:22–23 — "Lord, Lord… I never knew you" 2 Chronicles 21 / 2 Samuel 24 — David and the threshing floor: "I will not offer a sacrifice that costs me nothing" Colossians 1:27 — Christ in you, the hope of glory Romans 5:8 — While we were still sinners, Christ died for us Colossians 3:23 — Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord Ephesians 6:2 — Honor your father and mother (the first commandment with a promise) Ecclesiastes — Everything under the sun is meaningless Resources & Books Mentioned: - The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey — the character + competency framework David draws on - Kerux Financial — David's firm; the three E's (Eternal, Elite, Enjoy) are the founding principles - The Great Commission — the call to proclaim, not just live out, the gospel - Reference to the (likely misattributed) St. Francis of Assisi line: "Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary use words" - Elevation Worship (referenced) — a challenge to actually mean the lyrics you sing on Sunday Connect Your Faith & Your Finances — Kerux Financial: Kerux helps faith-focused entrepreneurs and families align their money with their mission — so you can pursue real freedom, not just a bigger number. 👉 Learn more: https://KeruxHQ.com 👉 Subscribe to the monthly newsletter — markets, stewardship, and all things finance: [https://keruxhq.com/newsletter/] 👉 Book a conversation with our team: [https://keruxhq.com/explore-a-partnership/] Enjoying The David Laut Show? If this episode encouraged you: ✅ SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss a Tuesday episode 👍 LIKE this video — it helps more faith-focused entrepreneurs find it 💬 COMMENT below: Which "E" is easiest for you — Eternal, Elite, or Enjoy? Which is hardest? ↗️ SHARE this with an entrepreneur who looks successful on paper but is quietly wrestling with something more