Christ Centered Stewardship

Nino Villa & Maria Casillas
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Christ Centered Stewardship by New Money Habits Welcome to Christ Centered Stewardship by New Money Habits, where biblical truth, practical financial skills, and real conversations come together to help you build a life of freedom, peace, and purpose. Hosted by Nino Villa and Maria Casillas, this show goes far beyond traditional personal finance. We believe that money isn’t just about numbers — it’s about identity, behavior, mindset, and what (or who) we trust. Most people never learn how to manage money in a way that aligns with their faith, their values, or the life God created them to live. We’re here to change that. Meet Your Hosts Nino Villa, an educator turned financial coach, brings clarity, structure, and biblically grounded wisdom. He specializes in helping people build new money habits that are simple, sustainable, and rooted in Scripture. His calm, practical coaching and his belief that God’s Word offers real answers make him a trusted guide for anyone seeking lasting financial transformation. Maria Casillas brings a creative, psychology-driven approach to money. After experiencing—and overcoming—more than $100k of debt fueled by fear, stress, and misaligned priorities, she now helps people understand why they do what they do with money and how to break the habits that keep them stuck. Her coaching style is fun, insightful, and rooted in behavior change and values alignment. Together, Nino and Maria create a dynamic, relatable, and faith-filled environment where listeners can grow, learn, and feel understood — no shame, no judgment, no overwhelm. What You’ll Find Here ✔ Biblical financial principles explained through real-life stories ✔ Practical tools and step-by-step guidance for building healthy money habits ✔ Honest conversations about the emotions, fears, and beliefs that shape our financial decisions ✔ Encouragement and hope for anyone feeling stuck, stressed, or unsure ✔ Weekly episodes and short-form content designed for teens, college students, young adults, and families ✔ A safe, Christ-centered space to explore money through the lens of stewardship Whether you’re navigating money for the first time or rebuilding after years of struggle… Whether you want to strengthen your marriage, deepen your faith, or break generational patterns… Whether you’re curious, confused, or simply ready for something different… You’re in the right place. This is more than a podcast. More than a YouTube channel. It’s a movement calling Christians back to God’s design for stewardship — a way of living that brings peace, freedom, and purpose to every area of life. Subscribe, listen, and grow with us as we learn to manage money God’s way. Because true financial freedom doesn’t start with a calculator. It starts with Christ at the center.

  1. 5d ago

    What If There Is a Way Out? | Ep. 43

    Sometimes we find ourselves in circumstances that feel impossible to change. We may have tried before, made mistakes along the way, or become so accustomed to living with a problem that we begin to believe it's simply the way life will always be. But what happens when that belief starts influencing the decisions we make? In this episode of Christ Centered Stewardship, Nino Villa and Maria Casillas explore how discouragement, financial pressure, and hopelessness can shape the way we think about debt and the possibilities available to us. Drawing from their own experiences, they discuss how easily we can accept circumstances as permanent, even when another path may exist. The conversation begins with the biblical responsibility to honor our obligations, but it reaches beyond financial decisions. What we believe influences how we respond to challenges, whether we continue repeating familiar behaviors, and whether we're willing to consider that something different might be possible. God calls us to be faithful with what He has entrusted to us. Sometimes that begins by recognizing that the story we've been telling ourselves about our circumstances may not be the whole story. CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK Take some time this week to slow down and examine your debt elimination plan. If you don't have one, begin by gathering the information you need to understand your current situation. Rather than assuming there's just one way forward, consider the different approaches available and which one makes the most sense for your circumstances. The goal isn't to make a hurried decision or find an instant solution. It's to understand what you're facing so you can make an informed, intentional decision about your next step. If you'd like to continue these conversations with others who are pursuing faithful stewardship, we'd love to have you join the Christ Centered Stewardship Facebook Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christcenteredstewardship Hosted by Nino Villa and Maria Casillas

    What If There Is a Way Out? | Ep. 43

  2. Oct 5

    When Emotions Are Making the Decision | Ep. 42

    When life feels uncertain, it’s easy to let fear, stress, excitement, or frustration start making decisions for us. But feelings—even very real and understandable ones—don’t always tell us the whole story. In this episode of Christ Centered Stewardship, Nino Villa and Maria Casillas revisit a conversation about slowing down long enough to understand what is actually happening before deciding what to do next. From financial pressure and difficult work decisions to job loss and unexpected change, they explore how better information can reveal options we couldn't see when emotion was driving the conversation. But information isn't the final destination. Scripture reminds us that when we need wisdom, we can ask God for it. Knowing the facts helps us make an informed decision. Seeking God helps us discern what to do with what we know. This week's challenge comes from James 1:5: when you have a decision to make, ask God for wisdom.   CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK Write down James 1:5: “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” This week, whenever you have a decision to make, slow down before reacting. Gather the information you need to understand what you are actually facing, then pray over James 1:5 and ask God for wisdom. The goal isn't to ignore what you're feeling. It's to make sure fear, stress, excitement or frustration aren't making the decision for you. Understand what you know, bring it to God and ask Him for the wisdom to decide what comes next. If you’d like to continue these conversations with others who are pursuing faithful stewardship, we’d love to have you join the Christ Centered Stewardship Facebook Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christcenteredstewardship Hosted by Nino Villa and Maria Casillas

    When Emotions Are Making the Decision | Ep. 42

  3. Sep 28

    Contentment Doesn’t Mean Settling | Ep. 41

    Can you be grateful for what you have and still want to grow?  Sometimes contentment can sound a lot like settling. If we become satisfied with what God has already given us, will we lose our drive to improve, pursue something new, or work toward what comes next? Nino once believed exactly that. Over time, he discovered an important distinction: contentment and complacency are not the same thing. In this episode, Nino and Maria explore what it means to receive the blessings of today without believing you have to stop growing tomorrow. They talk about how easily our attention can move from what we have to what we lack, how comparison can make a life that once felt abundant suddenly seem insufficient, and why gratitude helps bring our attention back to what God has already entrusted to us. Contentment doesn’t require pretending that everything is perfect. It doesn’t mean abandoning goals or refusing to change something that needs to change. It means learning to recognize God’s goodness in the life you have right now, even while continuing to grow. Weekly Challenge: For the next seven days, identify three things each day that you are grateful for—with no repeats. By the end of the week, you’ll have named 21 different blessings already present in your life. Join the Christ Centered Stewardship community on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/christcenteredstewardship Hosted by Nino Villa and Maria Casillas.

    Contentment Doesn’t Mean Settling | Ep. 41

  4. Sep 21

    Comparison Is the Thief of Joy (revisit) | Ep. 40

    Have you ever felt genuinely grateful for your life—until you looked at someone else's?  Maybe you were content with your home until you saw theirs. Content with your car until someone upgraded. Content with what you had accomplished until someone else seemed further ahead. Nothing about your own life actually changed, but somehow it began to feel like less. That's the comparison trap. In this episode, Nino and Maria explore what we mean when we say “comparison is the thief of joy.” They talk about the difference between happiness and joy, how comparison slowly chips away at contentment, and why gratitude can change the way we see what God has already placed in our lives. The conversation also looks at how social media and a hyper-connected consumer culture have dramatically expanded the number of people we can compare ourselves to. What once may have been “keeping up with the Joneses” next door can now become keeping up with thousands of carefully curated lives from around the world. The answer isn't pretending we never notice what someone else has. It begins by becoming more intentional about what we allow to shape us and by turning our attention back toward the blessings already in front of us. Weekly Challenge: For the next seven days, write down three to five things you're grateful for each day. If you can, make the list visible somewhere in your home so gratitude becomes something you encounter throughout the day. Join the Christ Centered Stewardship community on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/christcenteredstewardship Hosted by Nino Villa and Maria Casillas.

    Comparison Is the Thief of Joy (revisit) | Ep. 40

  5. Sep 14

    What Is God’s Will for My Life? (Revisit) | Ep. 39

    It’s a question many of us have probably asked while trying to make a decision, understand our calling, or figure out what God wants us to do next. Nino had been asking it too. But when he began searching Scripture specifically for what it says about God’s will, he discovered that the answer looked a little different than the one he had been expecting.  Instead of finding a detailed roadmap for what job to take, who to marry, or exactly what to do next, he found instructions like rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks, do good, and trust God. That led Nino and Maria into a broader conversation about the difference between God’s will, our purpose, and our individual calling—and what obedience looks like when we may already know more about God’s will than we realize.   They also talk about free will, the consequences of our decisions, prayer in ordinary life, and the freedom that exists within the guardrails God gives us. And Maria shares a deeply personal story about job loss, financial uncertainty, miscarriage, and learning to trust God’s provision even when she couldn’t see where He was leading her family. Sometimes obedience isn’t about seeing the whole picture. Sometimes it’s trusting God enough to faithfully respond to what He has already shown us. Weekly Challenge: The next time worry begins to take over, turn it into prayer. Tell God what you need, thank Him for what He has already done, and entrust what you cannot see to Him.   Join the Christ Centered Stewardship community on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/christcenteredstewardship Hosted by: Nino Villa and Maria Casillas

    What Is God’s Will for My Life? (Revisit) | Ep. 39

  6. Sep 7

    Count the Cost: Planning with Faith (Revisit) | Ep. 38

    Making a plan can be an act of faithful stewardship. But planning can also become another way of putting pressure on ourselves, trying to change everything at once, or attempting to control an outcome we were never meant to control.  In this episode, Nino and Maria reflect on Jesus’ words in Luke 14:28 about counting the cost before beginning. They explore the difference between simply setting a goal and honestly considering what that goal will require, including whether the changes we’re planning are realistic enough to become part of our lives.   Maria shares how an ambitious plan to change nearly everything in her life ultimately taught her something deeper: sometimes the goals we adopt aren’t really ours at all. They may come from what the world says we should be doing rather than what God is actually asking of us. Instead of beginning with What should I change?, she has learned to ask, Lord, what do You want me to change? How do I align my will with Yours?  The conversation moves beyond money into the stewardship of time, health, work, family, habits, and even rest. Planning matters, but so does recognizing what something will cost—and whether that cost reflects the priorities God has placed in our lives.   Weekly Challenge: Choose one simple rhythm in prayer, rest, or work that you can begin establishing this week. Keep it small, realistic, and sustainable. Faithful change doesn’t have to begin dramatically.   Join the Christ Centered Stewardship community on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/christcenteredstewardship Hosted by: Nino Villa and Maria Casillas

    Count the Cost: Planning with Faith (Revisit) | Ep. 38

  7. Aug 31

    Faith Over Fear: Trusting God When Circumstances Feel Uncertain (Revisit) | Ep. 37

    It’s easy to say we trust God when life is going according to plan. It can be much harder when the job disappears, the money gets tight, the answer to prayer looks different than we expected, or we simply don’t know what comes next.  In this episode, Nino and Maria revisit one of the foundational tenets of Christ Centered Stewardship: Faith Above Circumstances. Nino shares several seasons in his own life when employment and income became uncertain, including times when God’s provision looked very different from what he expected. Through those experiences, the question became less about whether the circumstances were comfortable and more about whether fear or faith would determine his next decision.    But trusting God doesn’t mean doing nothing and waiting for Him to solve everything for us. Maria points out the tension between trying to control everything ourselves and becoming passive in the name of faith. We still have choices to make, responsibilities to carry, and opportunities to cooperate with what God is doing—even when we can’t see where He is leading.   Sometimes faith simply means being able to say, Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. It means remembering how God has been faithful before, recognizing His provision even when it arrives differently than we expected, and asking what faithfulness looks like in the circumstances we have today.   Weekly Challenge: Before making a decision this week, pause and ask: “Lord, what decision would honor You?”  Join the Christ Centered Stewardship community on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/christcenteredstewardship Hosted by: Nino Villa and Maria Casillas

    Faith Over Fear: Trusting God When Circumstances Feel Uncertain (Revisit) | Ep. 37

  8. Aug 24

    Generosity Is More Than Money: Giving Your Time, Talent, and Treasure (Revisit) | Ep. 36

    When we hear the word generosity, most of us probably think about money first.  But what if generosity has much more to do with how we respond to everything God has entrusted to us? That's where Nino and Maria begin this conversation. They return to one of the foundational tenets of Christ Centered Stewardship - Generosity as Worship - and start exploring what it means to be generous with our time, our talents, and our treasure. Maria shares something she has noticed in her own life: generosity feels different when it is intentional. When giving becomes automatic or simply something we're supposed to do, it can begin to feel more like checking a box. But when we slow down, pay attention, and recognize that God may be using us to bless another person, generosity can become much more prayerful. Then the conversation turns in an unexpected direction. If God uses us to bless other people, He can also use other people to bless us. That means faithful generosity isn't only about learning how to give well. Sometimes we also need to learn how to receive well. Nino shares a small encounter with a teenager at a mall that made him realize he wasn't being particularly gracious about accepting someone else's gift. Maria follows with a story about her six-year-old daughter, who received $50 from an aunt and wondered whether she might use some of it to make somebody else smile - because giving a previous gift had made her smile too. From there, Nino and Maria widen the conversation even further. They talk about giving God our time, recognizing talents we may have overlooked, using seemingly ordinary abilities to serve someone else, planning ahead for generosity, and creating room in our lives so we're prepared when an opportunity to bless someone appears. Sometimes generosity looks like money. Sometimes it looks like teaching, listening, mentoring, showing up, moving something heavy, spending time with our family, or simply being present when another person needs us. The question isn't only, "How much am I giving?" It may be, "Am I paying attention to everything God has given me—and am I willing to let Him use it?" Weekly Challenge  Choose one intentional act of generosity this week. It doesn't have to involve money. Maybe there's someone who needs your time. Maybe God has given you an ability that could help somebody else. Maybe you've been thinking about giving financially and simply haven't taken the next step. Or perhaps your act of generosity is creating room now so you'll be ready when an opportunity appears later. Whatever it is, don't wait for generosity to happen accidentally. Choose something. Pray about it. Be intentional. And then pay attention to what God does through your willingness to give. Community Invitation As you listen, consider where generosity may already be present in your life in ways you haven't recognized. What time, abilities, relationships, resources, or opportunities has God entrusted to you that could become a blessing to someone else? If you'd like to continue these conversations with others who are learning to steward every part of life with Christ at the center, we'd love to have you join the Christ Centered Stewardship Facebook Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christcenteredstewardship Hosted by: Nino Villa and Maria Casillas

    Generosity Is More Than Money: Giving Your Time, Talent, and Treasure (Revisit) | Ep. 36
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Christ Centered Stewardship by New Money Habits Welcome to Christ Centered Stewardship by New Money Habits, where biblical truth, practical financial skills, and real conversations come together to help you build a life of freedom, peace, and purpose. Hosted by Nino Villa and Maria Casillas, this show goes far beyond traditional personal finance. We believe that money isn’t just about numbers — it’s about identity, behavior, mindset, and what (or who) we trust. Most people never learn how to manage money in a way that aligns with their faith, their values, or the life God created them to live. We’re here to change that. Meet Your Hosts Nino Villa, an educator turned financial coach, brings clarity, structure, and biblically grounded wisdom. He specializes in helping people build new money habits that are simple, sustainable, and rooted in Scripture. His calm, practical coaching and his belief that God’s Word offers real answers make him a trusted guide for anyone seeking lasting financial transformation. Maria Casillas brings a creative, psychology-driven approach to money. After experiencing—and overcoming—more than $100k of debt fueled by fear, stress, and misaligned priorities, she now helps people understand why they do what they do with money and how to break the habits that keep them stuck. Her coaching style is fun, insightful, and rooted in behavior change and values alignment. Together, Nino and Maria create a dynamic, relatable, and faith-filled environment where listeners can grow, learn, and feel understood — no shame, no judgment, no overwhelm. What You’ll Find Here ✔ Biblical financial principles explained through real-life stories ✔ Practical tools and step-by-step guidance for building healthy money habits ✔ Honest conversations about the emotions, fears, and beliefs that shape our financial decisions ✔ Encouragement and hope for anyone feeling stuck, stressed, or unsure ✔ Weekly episodes and short-form content designed for teens, college students, young adults, and families ✔ A safe, Christ-centered space to explore money through the lens of stewardship Whether you’re navigating money for the first time or rebuilding after years of struggle… Whether you want to strengthen your marriage, deepen your faith, or break generational patterns… Whether you’re curious, confused, or simply ready for something different… You’re in the right place. This is more than a podcast. More than a YouTube channel. It’s a movement calling Christians back to God’s design for stewardship — a way of living that brings peace, freedom, and purpose to every area of life. Subscribe, listen, and grow with us as we learn to manage money God’s way. Because true financial freedom doesn’t start with a calculator. It starts with Christ at the center.

Information

  • Creator
    Nino Villa & Maria Casillas
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 2025 MNM Money Team (dba New Money Habits)
  • Show Website
    Christ Centered Stewardship