BIFRS Framework

The Self-Sustaining Principle—Article #1: Planning Wisely to Avoid Burdening Others

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS) series. In the previous article, I introduced a biblical framework for retirement planning based on three principles from John Piper: the Self-Sustaining Principle, the Caregiving Principle, and the Ministry Principle. Together, these three principles provide a simple but theologically well-grounded approach to retirement … Read more

The “Promised Land” of Retirement

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship. On a recent Sunday morning, one of our lay-elders-in-training (we call them pastoral interns) gave his personal testimony and shared from Joshua 1:1-9, a text that had greatly influenced him. He said that God spoke to him through these verses at an early age, … Read more

5 Reasons to be Humble in Retirement Stewardship

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS). In our culture, success with money is usually associated with self-confidence, self-sufficiency, and self-determination. We take pride in how much money we make, how much we save, how much debt we paid off, and how well our investments do. The Internet is lit-up … Read more

Investing for Retirement – Part Three

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS). It was initially published in June 2018 and updated in January 2026. In Investing for Retirement – Parts One and Two, I introduced a ‘framework’ for investing for retirement and discussed different asset types and holding options, and also active versus passive management … Read more

Investing for Retirement – Part Two

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS). It was initially published in May 2018 and updated in February 2026. This is the second article in a three-part series about investing for retirement. In the first article, I discussed the various types of assets that can be held as investments. In … Read more

7 Hard Truths About Retirement

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS). It was initially published in December 2017 and updated in January 2026. I was once reading an article in Forbes magazine titled, “Can You Handle the Truth About Retirement?” It was enlightening but frankly also a little depressing. The author lists things like, … Read more

Biblical Traits of a Successful Investor

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This article is part of the Biblically-Informed Framework for Retirement Stewardship (BIFRS). It was initially published in June 2017 and updated in February 2026. The subtitle of this blog is, “save diligently, invest wisely, give generously, live abundantly.” I included investing in the mix because it is a critical component of retirement stewardship. It is … Read more