Get-rich-quick schemes drained my town’s wealth. At a Christian conference, their legacy lives on

Life Surge, where speakers include Tim Tebow and a Duck Dynasty star, ties together faith and financial planning

As believers, we train ourselves to be valuable to the marketplace," said the minor-league baseball player-turned-real-estate investor Jason Benham. How do we use the talents, opportunities, abilities and resources that God has given us so that the Kingdom of Heaven may come to Earth through us?"

Jason and his twin brother, David, were our emcees for the day at Life Surge, a Christian finance conference in Denver. A blending of faith and finance, Life Surge tours the nation offering both motivational and practical lectures on building wealth the Christian way, with emotionally charged, musical worship services peppered throughout the day. The former NFL superstar and evangelical hero Tim Tebow and Willie Robertson of the hit reality show Duck Dynasty were among a host of conservative celebrities speaking at the event, catered by the fast-food restaurant Chick-Fil-A - a pariah among liberals and martyr to the religious right for executives' public opposition to gay marriage.