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Thanks be to God I am debt-free and I'm able to be used to help others in this world. Many many thanks for your ministry. Back to Testimonials Thanks be to God I am debt-free Dear Tom, I attended one of your courses many years ago. Your teaching and your humbleness before the Lord has stayed with me. Thanks be to God I am debt-free and I'm able to be used to help others in this world. Many many thanks for your ministry. LP Toronto, Canada Previous Next

God admonishes us to obtain counsel. Proverbs 12:15 states, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel” (NASB), and Proverbs 15:22 states, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed.” Obtain Biblical Counsel Back to Investing By: Tom Copland October 19, 2021 God admonishes us to obtain counsel. Proverbs 12:15 states, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel” (NASB), and Proverbs 15:22 states, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed.” God recommends that we obtain biblical counsel from a godly investment adviser and God’s Word. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law, he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prosper. (Psalm 1:1–3) I believe that the following are excellent sources of godly biblical counsel. 1. First, and foremost, spend quality time with the Lord in prayer and ask God to reveal his counsel to you through the Holy Spirit. “But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, ‘First seek the counsel of the LORD.’” (1 Kings 22:5) God has promised that he will provide his counsel and direction in all matters, including investing. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8) 2. Meditate on God’s Word to ensure that any proposed investment is within biblical guidelines. “Your statutes are my delight; they are my counsellors.” (Psalm 119:24) For example, use minimal debt, or ideally no debt, as God’s Word discourages the use of debt (Proverbs 22:7). The use of debt increases the risk and the volatility of your portfolio. 3. In addition, before making any major decision, seek the advice of two or three godly investment counsellors/advisers. In my view, an appropriate definition for such a person would be as follows: a spiritually mature Christian who understands and applies God’s investment principles (Psalm 111:10), has a close personal relationship with God (John 15), has the necessary practical investment knowledge (Proverbs 24:3, 4) and habitually puts the interests of clients first (Philippians 2:3, 4. I believe that one of your investment counsellors should be your spouse (Genesis 2:24), even if he or she has limited investment knowledge. God, through his Holy Spirit, can give his peace or lack of peace to an objective spouse who is not emotionally excited about or biased against a particular investment. After obtaining the counsel outlined above, it is your responsibility to pray and ask God to give you his wisdom (James 1:5) in weighing that advice. Proverbs 14:15 states, “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.” In summary, before making any major investment decision, I recommend that you seek counsel, from God and his Word, two or three godly investment advisers, and from your spouse. Proceed only after God has given you his peace and his wisdom in respect to that particular investment decision. Previous Article Next Article More Topics Freedom from Financial Anxiety Read More Priorities Read More Counsel & Wisdom Read More

It is now 2026 and we are so blessed to say our business is debt free! We are only in our early forties, with Gods help this is possible for you too! All the glory goes to God! Back to Testimonials Business Testimonial We thought having large amounts of debt to run a business was a good and normal practice. We were very stressed and we did not give to the Lords work regularly. We new something was wrong and we needed to change our financial system. Something did change, in 2019 the Lord directed us to Copland Financial Ministry. We signed up to take the small group classes was offered [on Zoom titled "Financial Management God's Way"]. We learned so much. The Bible is full of financial wisdom. We got very serious about handling our finances Gods way. We started aggressively paying down our debt and giving to the Lord regularly. It is now 2026 and we are so blessed to say our business is debt free! We are only in our early forties, with Gods help this is possible for you too! All the glory goes to God! L & A Saskatchewan, Canada Previous Next

Debt was so easy to get into. But I am trusting God to find the way out of debt and we learned guidelines on how to manage money better, biblically through the workshop. Back to Testimonials Debt Was So Easy To Get Into Going through financial management God's way has helped me to see how many worldly financial deceptions that have trapped me and my husband. I can see why I was so confused. Debt was so easy to get into. But I am trusting God to find the way out of debt and we learned guidelines on how to manage money better, biblically through the workshop. Cleared up many things that had me confused before. I believe God guided us to this workshop. CC Orillia Ontario Previous Next

Financial problems frequently cause significant stress and anxiety, but God can provide his peace, no matter how difficult your financial problems. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). Back to Freedom from Financial Anxiety God Gives Peace in Regard to Finances By: Tom Copland June 15, 2020 Financial problems frequently cause significant stress and anxiety, but God can provide his peace, no matter how difficult your financial problems. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). The first step to obtaining God’s peace in the midst of financial difficulties is prayer. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:4–7) God promises that if we ask him, with a thankful heart, then he will give us a peace that is beyond our understanding. By the way, I do not believe that this is something that we can figure out or earn. It is fundamentally a gift from God: “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance” (2 Thess. 3:16 NASB). When under financial pressure, it is extremely important that you focus your attention on God, not on the financial problem. Isaiah 26:3 states, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You” (NKJV). In other words, God promises us his peace if we focus on him and trust him to enable us to deal with our financial problems. As well as focusing on God for his peace when you are under financial pressure, it is also extremely important to focus on God and his Word to learn his principles with regard to finances. Sometimes, the reason for your financial problems is that you have violated one or more biblical principles, perhaps unknowingly. In this regard, I recommend the 10-week small-group study developed by Crown Financial Ministries. If it is not currently available through your church, you can contact Crown Financial Ministries of Canada at 519-637-0626. Previous Article Next Article More Topics Co-Signing/Surety Read More Investing Read More Priorities Read More

I am very impressed with your view on finances as it appears to me to be the most godly perspective all based on scripture. I can also sense your sincere love and devotion to the Lord and your desire to bring Him glory. You are seeking Him first and His kingdom and His righteousness by seeking the Holy Spirit’s individual direction through spending time in the Word and His presence. My spirit feels with your advice. Back to Testimonials My spirit feels with your advice I am very impressed with your view on finances as it appears to me to be the most godly perspective all based on scripture. I can also sense your sincere love and devotion to the Lord and your desire to bring Him glory. You are seeking Him first and His kingdom and His righteousness by seeking the Holy Spirit’s individual direction through spending time in the Word and His presence. My spirit feels with your advice. Anonymous Previous Next

Just watched your program on Vision TV ….and was so encouraged by your very Christ centred & biblical teaching . Back to Testimonials You truly a servant of God Just watched your program on Vision TV ….and was so encouraged by your very Christ centred & biblical teaching . You a truly a servant of God . I will pray for you as the Lord leads …for His protection , & guidance …in all He leads you to do . The Lord bless you and keep you ! In Christ Jesus our Lord. Janet, St. Catharines Ontario" Janet St. Catharines Ontario Previous Next

Thanks again for your time and effort, prayers, and encouragement. Since starting the Copland Budgeting System both my wife and I feel as if a great weight has been lifted, we feel closer to God and closer to each other. My wife says it feels as if the waters have parted and the way has been made clear. Thank you so much for pointing us to God’s wisdom for finances. We are looking forward to working through “Financial Management – God’s Way” Praying for you and your ministry, in Jesus’ precious name. Back to Testimonials Praying for you and your ministry Thanks again for your time and effort, prayers, and encouragement. Since starting the Copland Budgeting System both my wife and I feel as if a great weight has been lifted, we feel closer to God and closer to each other. My wife says it feels as if the waters have parted and the way has been made clear. Thank you so much for pointing us to God’s wisdom for finances. We are looking forward to working through “Financial Management – God’s Way” Praying for you and your ministry, in Jesus’ precious name. Anonymous Previous Next

Thank you Tom Copland for sharing your wisdom and knowledge of the Bible & finance. What you shared about the financial world was spot on - thank God that he has provided His Word to guide us. May our Heavenly Father continue to bless and feed you abundantly. Back to Testimonials Thank you for sharing your wisdom Thank you Tom Copland for sharing your wisdom and knowledge of the Bible & finance. What you shared about the financial world was spot on - thank God that he has provided His Word to guide us. May our Heavenly Father continue to bless and feed you abundantly. R.C. Toronto, ON Previous Next

In my experience, I’ve seen too many cases where an individual has invested the majority of retirement funds in one company or in one sector. Diversification (1 of 2) Back to Investing By: Tom Copland October 19, 2021 In my experience, I’ve seen too many cases where an individual has invested the majority of retirement funds in one company or in one sector. For “a season” these investments may do well, but inevitably every company and sector falls on bad times. This results in significant losses because the portfolio was not diversified in a manner that was consistent with God’s Word. Because no human can consistently predict the direction of any market (see James 4:13–15), it is important to diversify your assets into different categories of investments that will likely react differently to any given market condition. The Bible recommends this type of diversification. “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1, 2) At the time this was written, “Cast your bread upon the waters” was a metaphorical expression used in the grain trade that illustrated the potential successful prospects of a business investment (per Dr. Charles Ryrie’s study bible). In short, it is biblical to take some risk within one’s portfolio, however, verse 2 recommends diversifying your investments into 7 or 8 categories, because you do not know what disaster may come upon any particular company or sector. In 1999, I met with a client who had invested most of his money in 25 technology stocks. I recommended biblical diversification of his portfolio. He believed he was diversified because he owned 25 different stocks. I explained to him that generally, all stocks in any particular sector will react the same under the same market conditions. He made no changes and as a result, during the bear market (2000-2004), his portfolio decreased 70% in value! Biblical diversification is obtained by allocating one’s assets into different types of investments that will probably react differently to any particular market condition. Here are some examples: 1. During inflationary times (e.g. the 1970s), natural resource equities, commodities and real return bonds increase in value, while medium and long-term bonds do very poorly. 2. In a period of deflation (e.g. 1991-1995), medium and long-term bonds generally increase in value, while natural resource equities, commodities and real return bonds usually do poorly. Further, diversify your assets among several sectors of the economy and to appropriate countries, as generally, this will reduce the risk and volatility of your total portfolio. Many investors try to “time the market”—that is, they buy when they believe that the market is headed higher and sell when they believe the market is going lower. God says (and history shows) that no human can consistently predict the future value of any investment (Prov 27:1). Therefore, unless God specifically directs you otherwise [John 10:3, 4, 27], there is a need for biblical diversification in one’s portfolio because, under normal market conditions, if one category of investment decreases in value, generally another category will likely be increasing, thus reducing the volatility of your total portfolio. Over the long run, a well-thought-out biblically based portfolio should provide reasonable returns. In summary, it is biblical to take on a reasonable amount of risk within one’s investment portfolio. However, God recommends diversification. This will reduce the risk and volatility of your portfolio. See my next Financial Moment for suggested asset allocations. Previous Article Next Article More Topics Freedom from Financial Anxiety Read More Priorities Read More Counsel & Wisdom Read More

When dealing with an important financial decision, it is critical to obtain counsel from God. Why? “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.” (Job 12:13) Back to Counsel & Wisdom From God By: Tom Copland June 15, 2020 When dealing with an important financial decision, it is critical to obtain counsel from God. Why? “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.” (Job 12:13) Too often we believe that we have to figure things out on our own, but this is not God’s will. God wants us to seek his counsel on any important decision: “But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, ‘First seek the counsel of the LORD’” (1 Kings 22:5). Isaiah described God as “wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom” (Isaiah 28:29). God’s wisdom will be invaluable in making any financial decision. “The LORD gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised him.” (1 Kings 5:12) Similarly, today God will provide his wisdom if we ask in faith. James 1:5 states: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” If you want true financial wisdom, the starting point is to have the utmost respect for God—that is “the fear of God.” Proverbs 9:10 states, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” If you do not have a personal relationship with God (“knowledge of the holy one”), you will never be able to access true financial wisdom. If you do have a personal relationship with God (Revelation 3:20), it is critical that you study God’s Word for his financial principles and spend quality time with God in prayer listening to his voice. God instructed Job, “Listen to me, be silent, and I will teach you wisdom” (Job 33:33). Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Many times God will speak to us by providing verses from his Word that clearly indicate his wisdom and his direction in a particular situation. For example, God’s admonition to plan ahead (Luke 14:28–30), the dangers of debt (Proverbs 22:7), and the importance of giving to God’s work (Proverbs 3:9, 10) can all provide specific direction in certain situations. However, sometimes there are no verses that specifically apply to your financial decision. Then the only option is to spend quality time with God in prayer, seeking God’s wisdom and direction. God has promised that he will direct us (Psalm 32:8) and provide his wisdom (James 1:5). A committed Christian who has a close personal relationship with God and who spends quality time with God on a regular basis can hear God’s gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12) and discern God’s will for his life. Whenever I am faced with any important decision, I spend quality time with the Lord, seeking God’s wisdom and direction. I use a spiritual journal to document my prayer requests and what I believe the Lord is saying to me. Specifically, I ask God to speak to my heart and mind and protect me from the enemy and my own selfish desires. I regularly review my journal, and if there is consistency in terms of what God has been saying to me, in faith I accept that as being God’s will for my life and act accordingly. When I have listened and implemented God’s wisdom and God’s specific direction in any financial decision, history has shown that it was the best decision. In summary, whenever you face an important financial decision, you need to “first seek the counsel of the Lord” through prayer and listen to God’s directive for you. God has promised that he will provide his wisdom and his direction to us when we sincerely seek to do his will. Previous Article Next Article More Topics Priorities Read More Stewardship Principle Read More Debt Principles Read More

In my experience, the following are the common elements of a “get-rich-quick investment.” 1. There is a promise of an abnormally high rate of return. If the expected rate of return is unusually high, then the risk associated with that investment is also unusually high. Avoid "Get-Rich-Quick Investments" and Hasty Decisions Back to Investing By: Tom Copland October 19, 2021 In my experience, the following are the common elements of a “get-rich-quick investment.” 1. There is a promise of an abnormally high rate of return. If the expected rate of return is unusually high, then the risk associated with that investment is also unusually high. Hence there is a risk of very significant losses. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. 2. Generally, the investor has a limited understanding of the investment. It is easier for a salesperson to sell you a high-risk investment when it is outside of your expertise. 3. It usually requires a quick decision that will prevent the potential investor from obtaining independent counsel from someone who has a thorough understanding of the investment. 4. Frequently, debt is utilized because debt increases the returns if the investment is successful; but debt also increases the losses if the investment goes sour. 5. Generally, a get-rich-quick investment is not diversified in accordance with Ecclesiastes 11:1, 2 but is focused on one investment or one sector, which increases the return if the promoters are right in their predictions, but it also increases the losses if they are wrong. God clearly warns of the dangers of trying to get rich quick: Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. (Proverbs 23:4–5) The emphasis in Scripture is to save and accumulate a little at a time over a long period of time and not to try to get rich quick. Proverbs 13:11 states, “Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow” (emphasis added). As explained in my Financial Moment titled “Investing—Assess Your Tolerance for Risk and Invest Accordingly,” it is biblical to assume some risk within your investment portfolio. However, when investors try to make a lot of money very quickly (i.e., to get rich quick), then generally they assume an excessive amount of risk and debt, and they frequently lose everything. This is not God’s will. Therefore, if someone recommends an investment that promises an abnormally high rate of return, or requires a significant portion of your portfolio, then I recommend the following: 1. Pray and ask God to direct you through his Holy Spirit. A lack of peace can be God’s way of communicating to you or your spouse that it is not God’s will for you to invest. 2. Ask God to reveal to you your motives. Motives are important to God (Proverbs 16:2). Ungodly motives include greed, covetousness, impatience, and pride; the corresponding godly motives would be generosity, contentment, patience, and humility. 3. Take the time that is required to obtain sufficient knowledge and understanding of the investment before you invest (Proverbs 28:19, 20). 4. Use godly counsellors who have the necessary experience and knowledge and will not personally profit if you decide to invest (Psalm 1:1–3). In summary, if you do not have sufficient time to complete the four suggestions above, then do not invest. Some of the best investment decisions ever made are the decisions not to invest. Hasty decisions are usually bad decisions (Proverbs 21:5). And remember, the emphasis in God’s Word is to save and accumulate assets for future needs over a long period of time—not to get rich quickly. Previous Article Next Article More Topics Freedom from Financial Anxiety Read More Priorities Read More Counsel & Wisdom Read More