We Tithed Our Way Into Homelessness (And God Used It)

What if obedience doesn't lead to the breakthrough you expected? Andy and Serena Ryan did "the right things." They took a biblical money course. They committed to tithing. They tried to steward their finances faithfully. And then everything fell apart. They lost income. Fell behind on rent. Needed food pantries and church assistance. And eventually—after months of praying for a miracle—they packed up their family and moved into an RV in someone else's backyard. This episode isn't a prosperity story. It's a surrender story . In one of the most vulnerable conversations we've ever had on the podcast, Andy and Serena share how their financial collapse became the very thing God used to reshape their hearts, heal their marriage, humble their pride, and prepare them to steward money in a way they never could before. Their turnaround didn't come from a check in the mail. It came when they stopped clinging to how they thought life had to go—and released it to God. In this episode, we talk about: Why radical generosity without clarity can still lead to chaos The hidden danger of "YOLO money" and living paycheck-to-paycheck—even with faith What it feels like to receive help when you've always been the helper The difference between humility and humiliation How to discern God's voice when everyone around you is saying something different Why surrender often comes before provision—not after How living with less brought more joy, peace, and community than they'd ever known What changed when they finally stopped fighting God's plan and trusted His timing Andy and Serena also share how God eventually restored stability—not instantly, not painlessly, but faithfully—and how they're now paying off debt, rebuilding their credit, and stewarding money with a completely new mindset. If you're walking through financial stress, uncertainty, or a season that doesn't look anything like what you prayed for, this conversation will remind you: rock bottom is not the end of your story. "Sometimes the things we look to for hope are the very things we need to release to God." Scripture referenced (NLT): "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones…" — Luke 16:10 "That is why we never give up… our present troubles are small and won't last very long." — 2 Corinthians 4:16–17 This episode is for encouragement and education—not individualized financial advice. Watch this episode on our SeedTime Money Podcast YouTube channel ( )! If you haven't checked out our best-selling book Simple Money, Rich Life ( ), we think you'll love it. It was named the 2022 Book of the Year by ICFH and has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Amazon, and is best described as "a money book for people who don't read money books." You can take it for a test drive for FREE at where you can download chapter 1 of the audiobook, grab the 1st 2 chapters of the ebook version, and even get the 5-week book study companion guide.

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We Tithed Our Way Into Homelessness (And God Used It) is an episode from SeedTime Money by Bob Lotich, Certified Educator in Personal Finance.

This episode is 44:23 long.

This episode was published on Feb 20, 2026.

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