True Riches: What Jesus Really Said About Money and Your Heart

by John Cortines, Gregory Baumer, Kirk Cousins (Foreword)

How Are Your Finances Shaping Your Heart? Jesus knew that how we think about money shapes our character. Our approach can make us more like him—full of contentment, purpose, and freedom—or it can cause a tragic separation from God and the joy he offers. We need a firm foundation for faith and finances. In True Riches , John Cortines and Gregory Baumer invite us to experience four transformations in our financial lives, moving from Full of scripture, personal stories, and practical application, True Riches offers a clear path away from the empty pursuit of wealth and into more intimate relationship with God. All author proceeds donated to charity.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Spirituality, Money, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

Published June 4, 2019

Reviews

[Alexis Rohrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 4 goals for this year are to be more kind, generous, compassionate, and selfless. On my journey with Jesus, I’ve been trying to figure out what God really wants us to do with our money and how I can be more generous. This book was so insightful and so helpful. Highly recommend reading 10/10!

[Melinda McLemore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The message I needed!!

During a period of increased engagement with the Bible and theological resources, I encountered this book. I appreciate its simple storytelling and meaningful incorporation of scripture. Unlike typical superficial references, this book challenged my views on certain scriptures. It has significantly altered my perspective on money, prompting a reevaluation of my Christian lifestyle. The impact has been positive—shifting from anxiety-ridden obligatory tithing to a hopeful embrace of generous giving, trusting God, and relinquishing the prideful need for control over my finances and life. While a quick read, I assure you that if you breeze through it, be prepared to keep it on your shelf for further reflection.

[Amy Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book! Read it in a day, so easy read. Really challenged me towards giving more and being a better steward of what God has given me! Highly recommend. Looking forward to discussing it with my home group.

[Zane Moxley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. Could not recommend it more. The Biblical perspective and practical principles were deeply challenging. This book makes me want to utilize my family’s finances to further God’s Kingdom and it has challenged me to be radically generous, prioritizing giving based on what God has said is important to him.

[Holly Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book! Basic breakdown of the state of the believers who claim to be Christians, what our giving looks like, and how to live simply so we can give more! It’s an easy read and I’d highly recommend it!

[Carly Falco Sagers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great principles… poorly written

[Luke Lackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

So often, we believe lies about giving—that it’s a burden or an obligation. But True Riches challenges these misconceptions, showing that generosity is actually an invitation from God to participate in His work, an expectation for believers, and a way to align our hearts with His.

One of the most powerful takeaways from this book is how giving transforms our hearts. There are times when I don’t feel like giving, yet when I do, my heart begins to shift. Generosity is not just about finances; it’s a response to the abundant generosity of God. As the authors put it, "Our handling of money can lead us to the true riches of a deeper relationship with Jesus himself, marked by gratitude, contentment, trust, and love."

Some of the statistics were shocking:
- Less than 3% of Americans give away 10% or more of their income.
- 70% of millennial Christians say they are generous with money, but only 16% gave at least $50 to a church or charity in the last year.

Giving isn’t just about numbers or percentages—it’s a spiritual discipline. The authors emphasize that "giving often starts as an obedient step of faith before it blossoms into joyful love over time." This resonated deeply with me. Generosity isn't about waiting until we feel like giving; it's about trusting God, knowing that He is the ultimate provider.

Ultimately, True Riches reframes how we see wealth, generosity, and God’s invitation to live with open hands.

[A.J. Mendoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cortines and Baumer do a perfect job providing a clear, applicable, inspiring, and Biblical account of how someone should steward their wealth. With a good balance of a radical call to generosity (one that will surely receive push back) and a forgiven assertion of one's personal choice in the matter (one that will also receive push back, just from the other side), the reader is forced to ask hard questions to come to powerful answers if they allow themselves. Through reading this book, I realized even more so how money-hungry I have been. This book called out that idol and gave clear steps on what to do.

I would recommend this book to any layperson. The reading level is low and fits well in the Evangelical context.

Key words/phrases:
- Wealth/Riches
- Generosity
- Treasures
- Idolatry
- Greed
- Justice
- Poor
- Tithing

[Pamela Kilzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up because I really appreciated the literal journals that Cortines and Baumer in included in the book for notes. This is a quick and simple read that is extremely practical for readers. I had a bit of a hard time getting into it because the first part felt a little bit “been there, heard that.” There didn’t seem to be any extraordinary financial revelations. However, as the book progressed I did like some of their nuggets of wisdom, like the concepts of margin and enough, or their three scriptural categories for giving. As mentioned, I also really liked the extremely practical note-taking sections included. I plan to go through this book again with my husband and look forward to doing those activities together! Overall, a helpful book on a topic that is largely avoided in Christian literature.

[Ryan Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the course of my life I've read several books on generosity. I love the topic. I'm constantly reminded of the eternal timeline of our existence, and how often we fret over the shortest part, our current lives! To that end this was a helpful reminder, as I had been struggling again with a narrow focus.

It helped me ask to provoking questions.

One. How are your finances affecting your relationship with God?

Two. If everything you have is a gift from God, what are you telling him about his gift?

My prayer is that the Lord would use the recency of this topic to stir my heart to generosity into a new way that ultimately draws me closer to him, so that I may partner with him in his mission to seek and save the lost here on this Earth.

[Anna Grace Paulovkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read on handling finances as a believer in a biblical way. It is a pretty quick read but there is lots of rich content that is also practically applicable.

“Do you trust me? This is a big question from God that we must answer in every area of life.”

“Our pride becomes gratitude when we remember that everything we have, including our salvation, is a gift from God. Our coveting becomes contentment as our spending takes on healthy boundaries of margin to "enough." Our anxiety becomes trust as we allow God to be our provider, even as we save money for the future. And finally, our indifference becomes love as giving transforms our hearts to become more like God's, full of overhmong love for others."

[Deannamand · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What Jesus really said about money and your heart”
This little book has left me thinking long and hard about money and what it’s used for. Is it merely to accumulate wealth, take great vacations, sock away enough for a retirement on easy street, save it for a rainy day or shower myself with all the material trappings the world says belong to the truly successful? The authors invite the reader to contemplate being far more generous with those in need, with ministries actively involved in spreading the gospel and to make disciples. Do we just talk about justice and mercy and continue our lives of self-indulgence? My mind has been bent by this book. In a good, good way.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy, quick read, and not preachy or wordy. The authors are practical, transparent , and straightforward. They teach that every believer can be a giver, and that giving is born out of overflowing joy in knowing God. I like their “margin” and “enough” principles that make sacrificial giving attainable for every level of income. I recommend this to every Christian who wants to invest in (seek first) the kingdom of God. Even if you are already a faithful giver, this book will challenge you.

[David Roseberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book about the Good Book

This is a primer on NT understanding about giving and generosity. Great stories and excepts from the Bible under four important headings.

I appreciate the authors and their role in helping us (especially church-going Americans) put our money where our mouth is.

Also, some very sobering and dreadful statistics about the readiness of Americans to give or even manage a financial crisis.

This would make a great small group study.

[Abby Schwartz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this as part of a group discussion. I got a lot out of the discussion - the whole experience shifted my focus off my finances in terms of a scarcity mindset to a mindset of abundance in God. The book I thought got lost in the formula, written from a place of privilege and abundance, a bit too focused on money and living with less rather than God's provision. A lot of "should". But in the end, the underlying principles were not wrong.

[Iamthird · Rating 4 out of 5]

write down your favorite giving experience each year.

Big Three Tasks: 1) serve the poor 2) saving the lost 3) strengthening believers

"Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."

pg 115 "The New Testament teaches us to savor our unique opportunity to invest in eternal treasure."

[Caitlin Gentry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some refreshing considerations on faith and money. Much less legalistic than other financial things I’ve read and listened to from the Biblical teachings view. Read as a support to hubby reading in his small group - opened the door for great conversations as a couple - working together with our family’s finances and Kingdom-striving money goals. Quick and easy read.

[Alex Ezra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed it! It was a really good primer on a biblical perspective on money and wealth. I appreciated the exercises and challenges in the book as well as the small study guide for small groups included. This would be a great book for a church to give out or a small group to tackle.
It didn't lay out any earth shattering principles that I hadn't heard already.

[Tab Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the message. I loved how it make me think about myself, my relationship to God and money. At times, the book spoke directly to me, but others it didn't. I was hoping for a book, speaking to high performing finance types, but they really tried to broaden out the message and make it more approachable to all. Thus, it didn't resonate as much and feel like it lost some appeal.

[Graciela menard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fine book. I think there are some very important principles for Christians to apply. Frankly, however, I would have preferred to read this as a blog post. The writing is full of anecdotes and random quotes. Could be condensed immensely and be much more readable and to the point.

[Susan Broshear · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!!

Inspiring and challenging perspective on how to harness our financial resources. One of the best reads on generous living that I’ve found. Enjoy!!

[Brad Bevers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, but more of an intro to their thinking. I enjoyed God and Money better, mainly because they laid out very specific advice in that book and talked more numbers.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very encouraging way to be reminded to test God in all things including finances! Loved the stories and think this would be great to go through with a small group!

[JT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book! Four stars.

[Renee Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite quote from this book says "Generosity is the method by which we cast our financial anxiety onto our provider."

[Calli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great quick read on generosity written in a very digestible way.

[Nate Schill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book on understanding wealth from a biblical perspective. It challenged my current thinking about savings and giving.

[Johnny Schat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought-provoking book that we used for a study at work. I’m not entirely sure I agree with all of the author’s conclusions about how we live/act with money, but they definitely made me think.

[Sarah W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking and insightful
How does my view of riches align with God‘s view?

[Devyn Corvington]

3.8/5

There were definitely times of conviction with this book, Lord knows I am cheap!