Tim Macready of Brightlight joins Richard Cunningham and Luke Roush to unpack the third annual State of Faith-Based Investing in Public Markets report — and the picture is both challenging and deeply encouraging. Faith-based funds averaged 16% returns in 2025 but trailed benchmarks by nearly 2.5%, driven largely by exclusions of Magnificent Seven stocks. The question isn’t whether faith-based investing works — it’s whether the right frameworks and products are in place to deliver both conviction and performance.

This Marks on the Market deep-dive covers the full landscape: the explosion of ETF product offerings, why the faith-driven market lags the secular market on roughly a five-year cycle, the theological complexity of screening decisions in a world where human trafficking and online child safety matter as much as tobacco and gambling, and the emerging “nutrition label” approach to fund disclosures that could transform how investors evaluate products. Tim also outlines the practical “core satellite” framework — low-cost passive exposure at the core, active engage/embrace strategies at the satellite — that advisors can use to build portfolios that are both faith-aligned and performance-competitive.

Richard and Luke close with a candid theological question: can a faith-driven investor hold any of the Magnificent Seven to the glory of God? The answer requires the kind of missional clarity, theological depth, and accountability structures that Tim argues the entire market must pursue. This episode is essential listening for any investor, advisor, or fund manager who cares about doing this well.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction & April Marks on the Market

02:00 Tim Macready Background & Brightlight’s Research Mission

03:00 Third Annual Public Markets Report: Overview & Key Findings

04:11 Temperature Check: Mixed Results, Growing Market

05:18 What’s Driving Market Inflows and Outflows

07:00 How Big Is the Market and What Would Accelerate Growth

09:31 Clarity of Faith Screens: Strengths and Gaps

14:37 Where Product Supply Lags Advisor Demand

16:42 Negative Screening vs. Engagement vs. Embrace: What’s Most in Demand

18:37 Explaining the Avoid, Embrace, Engage Framework

20:44 ETFs vs. Mutual Funds: The Shifting Landscape

22:45 The Honest Performance Conversation

29:40 Secular Market Trends & the Core Satellite Framework

32:01 Theological Question: Can Faith Investors Hold the Mag Seven?

37:20 Luke Roush on Missional Clarity and Asset Manager Discernment

39:35 Engaging Fund Families When There’s a Gap Between Talk and Walk

42:42 What’s Next: Nutrition Labels for Faith-Based Funds

44:37 Closing Priorities and What God Is Teaching

46:51 Luke Roush: 1 Corinthians 13 and Seeing in Part

48:12 Tim Macready: Jesus on the Throne, 1 John, and Loving Brothers and Sisters

50:24 Where to Find the Brightlight Report

What happens when a former Goldman Sachs bond trader walks away from Wall Street — not for a bigger paycheck, but to end hunger in Africa? Zac Sicher did exactly that. After trading through the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the Credit Suisse crisis, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Zac spent time alone in the mountains asking God what to do with his career. The answer led him across 400+ conversations on the African continent and into a new role as a fund manager for one of FDI’s most ambitious initiatives yet: Solving the World’s Greatest Problems.

Joined by Rebecca Yuschak — who brings a dozen years of corporate philanthropy experience from Prudential Financial — hosts Justin Forman and Henry Kaestner unpack how Collaborative Giving Funds work as professionally managed donor-advised vehicles that deploy 100% of contributions into the field.

Zac lays out the Jenga block framework: instead of trying to eradicate entire problems from the top down, identify the single structural pressure point whose removal causes the whole broken system to crumble. He applies this to Africa’s hunger crisis — 378 million people trapped in structural, solvable food insecurity — breaking down the staggering yield gap between Zimbabwean and American corn farmers (35 kernels vs. 700), and the 30–40% post-harvest food waste that disappears before it ever reaches a consumer.

Henry draws a sharp parallel: in the 1980s, Peter Lynch and the Magellan Fund convinced us to stop stock-picking and trust professional management with our investment capital. But with our charitable giving? We’re still stock-picking. There are 6,100 clean water ministries in America alone. This episode makes the case that it’s time to apply the same discipline, strategy, and community to how we give as we do to how we invest.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction — The Jenga Block Framework

01:24 Why We Need Entrepreneurs at the Problem-Solving Table

04:17 The Eagle Fund Model: Combining Build, Invest & Give

05:27 The Scope of the Problem: $14–16T Housing Gap vs. $592B in US Giving

06:50 How Philanthropic Capital Unlocks Market Capital

07:42 Zac Sicher: The Role of First-Loss Capital in Major Innovations

09:44 Human Trafficking as a Business Model — and How to Bankrupt It

10:36 The Immense Shortage of Capital Willing to Go First

13:24 The Why Behind It All: Under His Power, For His Glory

14:27 Content + Community + Funds: A New Problem-Solving Platform

15:31 What’s New: The Collective Impact Fund Structure

17:18 Rebecca Yuschak’s Journey from Prudential to FDI

19:53 Leaving Corporate Philanthropy to Go All In

21:33 Zac Sicher’s Journey: From Haiti Mission Trip to Goldman Sachs

23:28 Traveling Africa and Listening to 400+ Problem Solvers

25:09 How the Collaborative Giving Funds Are Structured

26:03 Rebecca Explains the Donor-Advised Fund Mechanics

27:51 Investment Committee, Fund Manager Roles & Strategy

29:41 Smart Money vs. Dumb Money — Applied to Giving

31:29 The Hunger Fund Video: Acute vs. Structural Hunger

34:47 Breaking Down the 673 Million Undernourished

36:44 The Corn Yield Gap: 35 Kernels vs. 700

38:10 30–40% Post-Harvest Food Waste in Africa

39:34 Market Innovations Solving Post-Harvest Loss

40:19 Henry’s Magellan Fund Analogy: Stop Stock-Picking Your Giving

42:45 The Full Platform: 8 Funds Across 6 Problem Areas

43:51 Making Complex Problems Accessible

45:41 Next Steps: Foundation Course, Communities & Funds

What if the biggest barrier to faithful stewardship isn’t greed — it’s a theological misunderstanding about reward? Randy Alcorn, author of Treasure Principle and 64 other books, joins Justin Forman to dismantle some of the most persistent misconceptions in Christian investing culture: that happiness and holiness are at odds, that pursuing reward is somehow unspiritual, and that heaven is an endless, passive existence with nothing meaningful to do.

Randy unpacks the Protestant Reformation’s unintended legacy — how a rightful rejection of works-based salvation created a generations-long resistance to the very rewards God promises his faithful stewards. Drawing from Hebrews 11, 2 Corinthians 4, and Acts 20, he makes the case that God designed reward into the fabric of creation — and that ignoring it doesn’t make you more spiritual, it makes you less biblical.

This conversation also explores what the new earth actually looks like for entrepreneurs and investors: resurrected bodies, meaningful work, creative flourishing — and why your bucket list might be shorter than you think. The eternal perspective that has unified Randy’s 65 books carries a direct challenge for every faith-driven investor: are your capital decisions anchored in what lasts?

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction & The Treasure Principle Story

02:28 How the Protestant Reformation Created a Reward Problem

06:24 What Scripture Actually Says About Works and Reward

08:18 Hebrews 11 and God as Rewarder

09:45 Why Reward Is Wired Into Creation — Not Just Sin

14:43 The Happiness vs. Holiness Divide

16:52 The Greek Word Makarios and What “Blessed” Really Means

24:18 The Ebenezer Scrooge Model of Joyful Giving

28:31 Jim Elliot: The Martyr Who Was All About Gain

30:33 Alan Barnhart: The Currency Exchange of Generosity

35:50 Entrepreneurs, Heaven, and the Bucket List Problem

36:39 The New Earth: Work, Creativity, and Resurrection Bodies

41:37 What Work Looks Like Before and After the Fall

45:07 Eternal Perspective: The Thread Through 65 Books

49:49 Legacy as What You Set in Motion

54:11 Closing Encouragement: Start with Treasure Principle

The March 2026 Marks on the Markets episode arrives at a defining moment: a major U.S.-Israel military operation in Iran, a cracking AI investment thesis, and a small-cap rotation that may finally be underway. Richard Cunningham brings together John Coleman, Matt Monson of Sovereign’s Capital, and Brian McClard of Blue Trust for an unfiltered look at what faith-driven investors need to know right now.

From the Strait of Hormuz to the SaaS sector’s identity crisis, the panel unpacks how geopolitics and technology are reshaping capital allocation. Matt Monson delivers a compelling breakdown of AI capex math — explaining why $600 billion in annual spending across four companies may require 10x the entire U.S. enterprise software market in new AI revenue just to break even. Brian McClard weighs in on housing affordability, passive investing risks, and why the labor market’s softening deserves nuanced interpretation, not panic. John Coleman previews his new book Good Money and makes the case for renewed optimism in private equity and venture markets.

This episode also closes with a powerful reminder of what it means to steward capital with eternal perspective — grounded in 1 Timothy and Isaiah 6.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction & Panel Welcome

01:14 Operation Epic: U.S.-Israel Strike on Iran

09:01 Energy Markets & the Strait of Hormuz

11:39 Is the Global Economy More Insulated from Oil Shocks?

17:05 Iran Regime Change: Spectrum of Outcomes

18:29 AI & the Magnificent 7: Where Did the Gains Come From?

20:53 AI Capex Math: The $300 Billion Depreciation Problem

22:30 The SaaS Disruption — What Business Models Survive?

26:05 Small Cap vs. Large Cap: The 100-Year Streak

28:05 Structural Change or Cyclical Rotation?

31:25 IPO Market in 2026: SpaceX, Anthropic & OpenAI

33:22 Passive Investing & Market Concentration Risk

36:29 Labor Market: AI Displacement or Fear-Mongering?

42:33 Inflation & Rate Policy Update

44:32 Housing Affordability: Supply Problem, Not a Rate Problem

45:39 Private Markets: PE, Venture, Real Estate & Credit

49:59 Closing Insights & Investor Wisdom

51:26 John Coleman Previews Good Money

53:40 What Is God Teaching You? — Final Word

What happens when biblical stewardship meets Wall Street? Rob West, CEO of Kingdom Advisors and host of the Faith-Fi radio program reaching over a million Christians weekly, joins John Coleman to map the seismic shift underway in Christian financial advice—and the $22 trillion opportunity still waiting to be unlocked.

Kingdom Advisors has grown from Larry Burkett’s original 16 CFPs to a network of 4,000 advisors, with 2,000 holding the Certified Kingdom Advisor designation—the gold standard for biblically-wise financial planning. Rob unpacks groundbreaking research showing CKA clients are twice as likely to report significantly increased giving, and that advisor satisfaction skyrockets when faith and vocation fully align. With demand for faith-based investing jumping from 20% to 50% of advisor searches in a single year, the data is clear: the market is ready.

From the role of AI in values-based planning to collaborative giving funds, generational wealth transfer, and 11 Christian universities training the next generation of Kingdom Advisors, this conversation covers the full landscape of where faith-driven finance is headed—and why now may be the most important moment in its history.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction & Kingdom Advisors Overview

02:18 From Larry Burkett’s 16 CFPs to 4,000 Advisors

05:30 The Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) Designation

07:49 Breaking News: Trends in Values-Based Financial Advice

10:16 AI and the Future of the Faith-Driven Advisor

11:51 Pinkston Research: Data on CKA Client Outcomes

13:07 Advising Christian Clients: What Makes It Different

14:43 Closing the Gap: Faith Values & Investment Portfolios

16:15 Faith-Based Investing Universe: Growth & Opportunity

18:40 Strategic Generosity & Collaborative Giving Funds

22:13 Faith-Fi Radio: 2,000 Stations & Consumer Ministry

24:14 Kingdom Advisors Conference & Study Groups

28:45 The Conference Origin Story: From 70 to 3,100

29:38 The Great Wealth Transfer & Next-Gen Stewardship

31:51 Vision for Kingdom Advisors: The Next 30 Years

35:11 How to Get Involved with Kingdom Advisors

The manufacturing renaissance is here – but not in the way most investors think. Steve Cook, Executive Managing Director of LFM Capital, pulls back the curtain on what’s actually driving the reshoring of US production, which sectors offer the best risk-adjusted returns, and why operator-led private equity is outperforming financial engineering approaches in today’s market.

As a former Navy fighter pilot and Dell manufacturing leader who managed 2,200 shop floor employees, Steve brings rare perspective to both the strategic importance and investment potential of American manufacturing. He explains why major companies are finally bringing 100% of supply chains back to the US, how global labor costs have converged faster than expected (English-speaking managers now cost more in China than the US), and why the combination of quality issues, logistics challenges, and geopolitical risk has made reshoring economically compelling.

This episode delivers specific insights on deal flow, valuation multiples, creative financing structures, and the role of interest rates in shaping the PE market. Steve also shares surprising data on AI’s limited current impact on manufacturing floors, why aerospace and defense warrant long-term allocation, and how LFM evaluates EBITDA margins and leadership quality when underwriting investments. He closes with profound reflections on Genesis, marriage, partnership structures, and why 50/50 ownership consistently fails in both business and relationships.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:43 Steve Cook’s Background and LFM Capital Overview

03:20 Shop Floor DNA: Operators vs Deal Partners in Private Equity

06:43 Leadership Training and the LFM Difference

08:25 The Reshoring Movement: Why US Manufacturing Matters

11:45 Events That Woke America Up to Manufacturing Vulnerability

15:26 Trump 2.0, Liberation Day Tariffs, and Trade Data

17:10 Manufacturing Employment vs Revenue: The Real Story

19:26 Economic Strength Equals Military Strength

21:23 Which Industries Must the US Control?

22:08 Tax Policy, Labor Costs, and the Reshoring Formula

25:35 China Labor Convergence: Managers Now Cost More

26:53 High EBITDA Margins and Free Cash Flow Fundamentals

27:34 AI on the Manufacturing Floor: Reality vs Hype

32:09 The 3D Printing Myth and What Actually Works

33:01 The PE Deal Market: Slow 2024 and Creative Structuring

36:45 Landing on Aircraft Carriers vs Leading Through Uncertainty

40:06 Interest Rates and Their Impact on PE Transactions

41:22 Genesis, Marriage, and 50/50 Ownership Structures

46:43 Why Biblical Partnership Principles Work in Private Equity