Godly Trading Newsletter
“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children…” – Proverbs 13:22
January 2026 Issue
Trading is…Simple?
Looking back on January, the theme that God wove into every day was “simplicity”. Everywhere I looked in my Bible reading, this idea kept popping up. Every lesson I taught a trading student seemed to boil down to this. Every video idea that He gave me had this idea at its core.
And yet, the very idea seems to rub people the wrong way.
“What do you mean trading is simple? It can’t be SIMPLE!” I heard this from comments on social media, and could see it in the eyes of the people who signed up for the free One on One calls.
Why is that?
Our God is a God of clarity, not confusion. All too often it seems like WE are the ones who complicate things.
(if you’re old like me, perhaps you also have an Avril Lavigne song in your head right now)
So this newsletter is dedicated to showing you how God’s plan for your trading in 2026 probably starts with this one idea:
SIMPLIFY
Buckle up…
Biblical Blueprint
God’s Plan of Action...
Have you ever stopped to wonder why God goes into such detail in Genesis chapter 1?
Think about it. Genesis 1:1 could have said “In the beginning God created everything” and then moved straight into Genesis 2:1.
But that’s not what happened. Which means He wanted us to know not just WHAT He did, but HOW.
Which begs the question WHY.
Why does He not only go into such detail, but why did He break creation down into those 6 days? He didn’t need to do that in order to accomplish the task. But I think He did it to show US how to accomplish any task. From creating things to solving problems, God’s method is clear.
SIMPLIFY.
Take a look at what He did on Day 1.
He creates light, separates it from darkness, and calls it a Day…literally! (no pun intended)
(…oh who am I kidding?!...pun ABSOLUTELY intended!...)
Then on Day 2, He separates the water above from the water below.
Day 3 sees dry land appear, and grass.
He broke His overall plan down to small, SIMPLE parts, completed that ONE task, called it GOOD and called it a day.
For us.
To show US the way.
We see this over and over in Scripture. God calls someone to do a task, and that task is SIMPLE.
“Hey Phillip…get on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
So Phillip started walking.
“Hey, see that chariot over there? Go stand next to it”
So he did, and met the Ethiopian official, baptized him, and got teleported somewhere else.
“Hey Jonah, go to Ninevah”
Ok, that one went off the rails a bit, but eventually Jonah did what he was told.
Even the times where we THINK God called someone to something complicated, He really didn’t.
“Hey Noah, build a boat, because it’s going to rain. I know, you don’t know what a boat is (or what rain is), so here are some VERY DETAILED, VERY SIMPLE instructions.”
I firmly believe that Trading is a calling from God. And as such, I have to apply the same principle to it that I see all throughout Scripture. Which means that it MUST be simple. Because anything else would be out of God’s character.
And God doesn’t change.
So, if I find myself overwhelmed with options, deluged with details or confused by complexity, chances are good that the problem is ME.
That’s when I know it’s time to stop and simplify. Break out Genesis Chapter 1 and start taking things one step at a time. Separate what’s necessary from what’s unnecessary. One small decision at a time.
If you need any help with this process, you can sign up for a free One on One call by clicking the link below:
Community Corner
It’s not just a good idea, it’s the law…
The best thing about this job of mine is getting to know so many Christian Traders.
The second best is connecting them together. Because it turns out, we’re commanded to do this.
Galatians 6:2 says “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Over and over again in the Bible we see the call to community.
“It is not good that man should be alone…” Genesis 2:18
“As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” Proverbs 27:17
“not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…” Hebrews 10:25
One of the best things about trading is that anyone can do it from anywhere in the world. All you need is you and a laptop (or even a phone).
But one of the worst things about trading is that sometimes it feels like it’s just you and a laptop. Trading can be VERY isolating if you let it.
That’s why I encourage everyone to find someone (or a group of someones) to share this journey with.
It doesn’t even necessarily have to be another Christian Trader (though that certainly helps).
If you are part of a men’s or women’s group at your church, that can absolutely help. The people there don’t necessarily need to know what a Put Option is, or how to short Tesla, or trade the EURUSD. All they need to know is that you are trying to live out a calling from God and do so with discipline.
Even one person can make all the difference.
I wouldn’t be the Trader that I am today without my brother Pierre, who met with me every day for years, holding me accountable.
The best news is that if you ask God to open a door for accountability and community, He will absolutely answer you.
If you’d like to give our Godly Trading Pro community a try, just let me know. We meet twice a week, on Monday and Wednesday at 7:00 central. Mondays are for spiritual accountability, and Wednesdays are for learning.
Just email me at pepper@godlytrading.com and I can send you a link to attend a week of our GT Pro meetings for free.
Whatever you do, just know that you are not alone.
Mindset Mastery
Start small…
I love this quote from John Maxwell:
“Small disciplines repeated with consistency everyday lead to great achievements over time.”
To me, this is the essence of how to apply the concept of SIMPLIFY to your trading mindset:
Start with one small step.
Pick ONE change that you want to see in your trading and implement it with consistency this week.
Actually, don’t even worry about this week. Just focus on Monday. Make an intentional decision that you will do ONE thing differently on Monday. Then tell someone in your community of your intention.
Then go do it.
Then report back to your community.
This is implementing God’s creation method. Creating a new YOU starts with this simple process.
Decide. Then implement. Then repeat.
When you get to the end of the day Monday, start planning for Tuesday. Take this one day at a time.
Then when you get to the end of the week, look back on what you’ve created, celebrate it, and then rest.
Then go do it again the following Monday. Before you know it, your mindset will be different, because YOU will be different.
You can do this.
Weekly Wrap-up
Don’t Miss This…
The best explanation for what makes a Successful Trader that I’ve ever heard was this:
- Trade your plan
- Get out of your own way
- Repeat
Simple.
But not easy.
As we wrap up this month’s newsletter, and head into a new trading month, keep this at the forefront of your mind.
God called you to trading for a reason. And there’s a greater than 100% chance that the reason is simple.
Which means His plan for implementing this calling is simple.
So, if you struggle with trusting your system, or your discipline …if you struggle with doubt and discouragement…then just trust in the One who gave you this calling in the first place. Because He will never fail you.
It’s really that simple.
See you next month…