Leverage: Using Temporal Wealth for Eternal Gain

by Kenneth D. Boa, Russ Crosson

We all have two Follow the wisdom of this world or follow the wisdom of God. This decision is particularly pressing in our day-to-day lives as we determine where to allocate our wealth. This book seeks to show how Christians can leverage God's earthly gifts not for personal benefit but for the advancement of His Kingdom. Leverage uniquely combines the wisdom of a theologian (Kenneth Boa) and the real-life experiences of a practitioner (Russ Crosson). It challenges the usual assumptions and thinking about money and expertly shows followers of Christ how to live with a perspective that looks beyond an earthly horizon into eternity. Crosson and Boa first guide you through the principles of biblical generosity—the why, when, how, how much, and where of giving—and then share the plethora of practical applications that will aid you in your endeavors to give wisely and generously.

159 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2023

About the author

Kenneth Boa is an author, a speaker, and the president of Reflections Ministries. He is the author of over fifty books, including Conformed to His Image, Faith Has Its Reasons, Face to Face, and Rewriting Your Broken Story. He is a contributing editor to the Open Bible, the Promise Keepers Men's Study Bible, and the Leadership Bible, and is the consulting editor of the Zondervan NASB Study Bible.

Boa earned a BS from Case Institute of Technology, a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary, a PhD from New York University, and a DPhil from the University of Oxford. He teaches a weekly Bible and Faith study at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia, where he resides with his wife.

Reviews

[Brad Layland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently finished Leverage by Kenneth Kua and Russ Crosson and found it to be a thoughtful and practical book on biblical generosity.

What I appreciated most was the balance between principles and practices. The first half of the book lays a strong theological foundation for stewardship and giving, while the second half moves into practical ways to apply those principles in real life.

Several ideas stood out to me. The discussion of why we give—worship, caring for others, advancing God’s Kingdom, and experiencing spiritual rewards—was both helpful and encouraging. I was also challenged by the authors’ observation that wealth can subtly become a source of satisfaction and security if we are not careful.

One quote that particularly resonated with me was the reminder that Jesus rewards faithfulness and risk-taking in service to God’s Kingdom. That challenged me to think differently about how I steward resources.

My favorite section was the discussion of net-worth giving. Like many business owners and real estate investors, much of my wealth is tied up in assets rather than cash flow. The book encouraged me to think beyond annual income and consider how all of my resources might be leveraged for eternal impact.

The chapter on determining your “finish line” was also excellent. The question, “What would you do with your wealth if you knew the Lord would return in twelve months?” is one that will stay with me for a long time.

Not every point resonated equally with me, but overall I found the book encouraging, convicting, and practical. If you’re serious about growing in generosity and thinking more intentionally about stewardship, I would highly recommend it.

[Tim Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kenneth Boa and Russ Crosson are associated with the Ron Blue approach to financial management and charitable giving, now found in the BlueTrust company of financial planners. The book describes the company’s views of Biblical instruction on managing money, wealth and giving.

The authors make their case in two short sections: The Principles of Biblical Leverage, and the Practices of Biblical Leverage. In the first, they describe Biblical instruction on giving: why, when, how, how much, and where we should give. The second describes practices that enable us to create excess wealth in order to give generously.

Much of what the book contains is very familiar to readers who have studied Biblical principles of money and giving. This is good; they have sound doctrinal views. Two thoughts in the “Practices” portion I found thought-provoking: their views on the relative values of current giving (while we are alive) versus deferred giving (through wills and estates), and the idea of deciding now, while we are alive and well, when we have reached what they term the “financial finish line”: when God has provided enough for the remainder of our lives on earth. Knowing we have reached such a financial state greatly frees us up to give generously of any excess God provides beyond that point.

A good and thought-provoking book.

[Brent Furrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leverage was a pretty good book, but I feel like it’s more aimed at the upper middle class and wealthy than those in lower income ranges. The authors speak of the merits and biblical wisdom of giving wealth away with a warm hand, rather a cold one (postmortem). But I wish the book spoke more about why poor or middle class should avoid accumulating wealth in the first place. Are the David Greens (Museum of the Bible) of the world wrong by accumulating wealth throughout their lifetimes for great purposes that could be accomplished in no other way? What about the wealthy individual who gives millions to support a pediatric cancer wing at the hospital? Or should conglomerates like multiple churches band together to accomplish these large multi million dollar feats? Greater press should be given to delineate various avenues for giving rather than to blanket it as accumulating wealth isn’t particularly biblical, when quite a few heroes of the Bible (David, Abraham, Lot, Jabez) had great wealth and were righteous. Otherwise, a fantastic book and I learned much from it.

[Westin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and valued the combined perspectives that Kenneth Boa and Russ Crosson were able to provide. I am familiar with few books that combine the scriptural insights of a theologian with the technical expertise of a field professional in one unified work and appreciated the way that each author's contributions played off those of the other. This book is a special work. While the ideas are challenging, the writing is not complicated. Chapters and subsections are a great length, and the book is enjoyable to read with fascinating stories. I found ideas such as "cold-hand" vs. "warm-hand" giving, financial accountability, and reverse compounding insightful and encouraging. I highly recommend reading this book.

[Nathan Lackey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Russ and Ken do a great job of unpacking God's heart around generosity. This is a book I would highly recommend for someone wanting to go deeper around the topic of giving. I grew in my understanding of why we give and how to give well.

[Parker Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really a 3.5 star book for me. Lots of practical and biblical wisdom and very helpful.

[Logan Quiring · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed going through this with a group. Some really good thoughts here. “Desecrate the altar of mammon.”