Kealan, a surgeon, and Cody, a financial advisor, discuss the intersection of faith, generosity, and personal finance. They’re joined by a variety of guests, including pastors, financial advisors, radically generous givers, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and nonprofit leaders to explore one central question: How do we best steward God’s wealth? On The Finish Line Podcast, you’ll hear challenging and inspirational stories of tremendous generosity. You’ll also learn from experts in multiple fields about topics like setting a financial finish line, giving efficiently and effectively, and teaching generosity to your children. More than anything, though, you’ll see how God is constantly at work redeeming the world He created and loves. Visit the website at www.finishlinepledge.com to learn more.
Episodes
Monday Feb 08, 2021
Monday Feb 08, 2021
There is significant benefit to setting a financial finish line early in your career. Kealan and Cody offer a number of pieces of advice for college students interested in the idea of a finish line. We are often caught up in our own stories, our own careers, and our own actions. But as the guys have learned in their own experience, there is a much greater story going on. Rather than being the main character of our own story, we are minor characters in God's story. After discussing some of this foundation, the guys also dive into some practical financial advice for anyone getting started.
QUOTES TO REMEMBER
- "I don't want to get to the end of my life and look back on everything and realize that I had just accidentally made it all the way through life without ever actually doing anything"
- "That next phase where everything becomes easy and you have all the time in the world to do what you care about most and want to do - that never actually comes. The things that really matter, you really need to start doing now."
- "The Bible is the collective story of God and what He is doing, and we are all characters in God's story."
- "At some point, there has to be a point where you've reached enough, where that standard of living does not need to keep increasing as income keeps increasing."
- "Just like how much space you have in your home determines how much stuff you will have, however much income you have - you'll always find a way to spend it."
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
- Don't Waste Your Life, by John Piper
- Finish Line SPRINTs
- Finish Line Pledge on Instagram
- Faith Comes by Hearing
BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW
The Book of Ecclesiastes
We Want to Hear From You!
If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can leave a comment below or reach out on our contact page.
Monday Feb 01, 2021
Monday Feb 01, 2021
As the finish line movement has grown, an increasing number of retired people have asked the question, "What does a financial finish line look like if I'm already retired?". Kealan and Cody tackle this questions along with a number of related questions like, "Does it make sense to keep all my savings and give it away when I die?". They also share some practical advice and strategies for giving generously and effectively during retirement.
QUOTES TO REMEMBER
- "For somebody in retirement, there are all these different sorts of income - retirement accounts, social security, pensions, etc - and somebody can ask themselves that same question, 'How much do I need to live on realistically, so that I can be freed up to use any excess beyond that amount for greater things beyond myself?''
- "The typical question people are asking after retirement is, 'How much have I saved? And from that, how much can I spend every year or every month?'. And what you're saying is that's the wrong question altogether. We should be asking, 'How much should I be spending?'"
- "I don't think for us, that every penny in excess of our living expenses should go towards additional security and moving us farther away from ever having to depend on God or others."
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
- Doulos Partners - A missions mutual fund sending 100% of donated funds directly to ministries that are most effectively sharing the gospel around the world
- Finish Line SPRINTs
- Finish Line Pledge on Instagram
BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW
Matthew 6:26-30 | Do Not Be Anxious
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Luke 12:16-21 | The Rich Fool
16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
We Want to Hear From You!
If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can leave a comment below or reach out on our contact page.
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
Sunday Jan 24, 2021
A financial finish line is a point at which you say, "Any money God blesses me with beyond this point, I will use to serve others and advance God's kingdom." But what does that look like for someone with an irregular income. Many people have varying sources of income through the year, like seasonal jobs, year-end bonuses, side gigs, temp work, and self-employment. Is a finish line still possible for someone in these situations? If so, how should they think about the process of choosing a finish line? Kealan and Cody break down all these questions and share their thoughts (and personal experience) with finish lines in the context of variable income.
QUOTES TO REMEMBER
- "An irregular income might change over the course of the year which seasons you have excess to give and which seasons you don't, but I don't think it changes that core fundamental question of 'How much do I need for myself and my family to live on?'"
- "For people earning less than their selected finish line, I think it's actually more important to have that finish line in place when you do have irregular income."
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW
Matthew 25:14-30 | The Parable of the Talents
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’''
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can leave a comment below or reach out on our contact page.
Sunday Jan 17, 2021
Sunday Jan 17, 2021
Cody's wife, Stephanie Hobelmann shares her experience feeling hesitant about the idea of a finish line. She shares how conversation and actively experiencing the joy of giving flipped her understanding of the finish line pledge. Stephanie now constantly seeks out opportunities to give and shares her joy of giving openly. She also shares advice for those who are interested in setting a finish line, but have a hesitant or reluctant spouse. Listen now to hear her story!
QUOTES TO REMEMBER
- "We're getting close to this point where I have to give all the rest of the money away and there are still a lot of thing that I want that I don't have yet."
- "I'm not giving my money away, I'm giving God's money away."
- "Actually living tiny, generous acts of giving helped me to see what this whole thing looked like, and how being able to give away stuff makes me feel so much better than filling my house with things I think I want."
- "Ever since creating that finish line for ourselves, I don't think of it so much as giving money away as much as I think of the things I can do for other people."
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
- Finish Line Community Facebook Group
- Finish Line SPRINTs
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can leave a comment below or reach out on our contact page.
Sunday Jan 10, 2021
Sunday Jan 10, 2021
The Finish Line Pledge is undergoing a major transition from its original name, Aspiring to the Median, to the Finish Line Pledge. Along with that, the podcast is becoming the Finish Line Podcast, and IMPACT groups are becoming Finish Line SPRINTs. Listen as Kealan and Cody walk through why we're undergoing this transition and what it means for the movement. They'll also take the opportunity to look ahead to 2021 and what the next year holds for the Finish Line Pledge.
QUOTES TO REMEMBER
- "I'm excited to see continued collaboration in this entire generosity sphere, not just what we're doing here on the Finish Line team, but on a nationwide scale, that God would continue to mobilize us as a church."
- "It's been cool to watch God work in those ways where He brings just the right people in just the right time."
- "We are waiting in expectation for what God might do through this movement."
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
- Finish Line SPRINTs
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can leave a comment below or reach out on our contact page.
Sunday Jan 03, 2021
Sunday Jan 03, 2021
Kealan and Cody dive into another listener Q&A where they answer the question, “How does setting a finish line affect saving for retirement?”. As with many things, setting a financial finish line flips around much of the traditional personal finance wisdom. Kealan and Cody first break down some of the traditional wisdom on saving for retirement. Afterwards, listen as they share their thoughts on how setting a finish line changes our strategy and goals for retirement.
QUOTES TO REMEMBER
- “If you can say, this is a lifestyle that I am perfectly happy with, and will be into retirement, then you can get a ballpark estimate for what it will cost to fund that.”
- “You can make the mistake of putting so much energy into the forward looking mindset of saving for retirement that you miss out on all sorts of opportunities for generosity and the rich life that Paul talks about.”
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
- Finish Line Calculator
- Finish Line SPRINTs
BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW
1 Timothy 6:17-19 | The Uncertainty of Riches
17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Luke 12:16-21 | The Parable of the Rich Fool
16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Matthew 6:19-21 | Where Your Treasure Is, Your Heart Is
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can leave a comment below or reach out on our contact page.
Saturday Dec 26, 2020
Saturday Dec 26, 2020
Kealan and Cody dive into another listener Q&A where they answer two finish line questions. The first is “Do gifts come out of our budget, or the excess?”. This is one of a variety of questions that get into the fine details of a finish line, sand one that is particularly relevant for December. The second question is “When is it okay to change my finish line? How should I approach that process?”. Anyone who sets a finish line will consider this question at some point, and the guys share a helpful framework to go about the process.
NOTE: The Finish Line Pledge was formerly known as Aspiring to the Median. All references to Aspiring to the Median and to www.aspiringtothemedian.com are interchangeable with the Finish Line Pledge and www.finishlinepledge.com. The former IMPACT program has since evolved into Finish Line SPRINTs.
QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
- “Would the average American family spend money on this kind of gift?”
- “We look at gifts through the lens of ‘was this gift expected?'”
- “There is a deep joy to be found in living a life where you are constantly struggling to categorize an expense as spending or giving, because that means you have oriented your life and the things you are using your money for in a way that God is using you and your family.”
- “I hope that through my life, we are constantly blurring the lines between spending and giving.”
- “You might have to step back and think about why you have a finish line in the first place.”
- “Does this change in finish line best help me to handle the money God has given me to manage?”
- “If you are considering changing your finish line, is there another way to rearrange your budget or change your spending habits to avoid changing your finish line?”
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
- The Bible Project
- Finish Line Calculator
- Finish Line SPRINTs
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can leave a comment below or reach out on our contact page.
Friday Dec 11, 2020
Friday Dec 11, 2020
Kealan and Cody break down the question, “How do I choose a finish line for my spending?”. A majority of the time, when someone’s income goes up, their spending goes up some degree as well. But when we really think about the idea that everything that we have belongs to God, we realize that there is only so much that we need for ourselves and our families. A finish line is the maximum amount we need to support ourselves and our families each month. If God blesses us with any income beyond our finish line, we set it aside to give away as God leads us. There are a number of practical considerations when choosing a finish line, and the guys break each of these down one by one.
NOTE: The Finish Line Pledge was formerly known as Aspiring to the Median. All references to Aspiring to the Median and to www.aspiringtothemedian.com are interchangeable with the Finish Line Pledge and www.finishlinepledge.com. The former IMPACT program has since evolved into Finish Line SPRINTs.
QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
- “If you think back through the Bible narrative, even back to Genesis 1, God creating everything from nothing, it seems obvious that everything belongs to God, but that’s often not how we intrinsically think about our finances.”
- “There’s an intense physical ownership that we feel when it comes to our money.”
- “When we see ourselves as a manager of something that belongs to God, the question starts to change from ‘How much do I owe back to God’ to ‘How much of God’s wealth should I be taking for myself?'”
- “Money and wealth are very powerful, and there are two sides to that coin”
- “One thing that is clear is that our wealth on this earth certainly will not follow us to Heaven”
- “You never see a hearse followed by a uHaul”
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
- God and Money by John Cortines and Greg Baumer
- The IMPACT program
BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW
Ecclesiastes 5:12 | No Satisfaction in Money
Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
1 Timothy 6:9-10 | Money is a Root of All Kinds of Evil
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
1 Timothy 6:18-19 | Don’t Put Hope in Wealth
18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Matthew 6:19-21 | Where Your Treasure Is, Your Heart Is
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 25:35-40 | What You Did for the Least of These
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can leave a comment below or reach out on our contact page.
Sunday Nov 29, 2020
Sunday Nov 29, 2020
In this episode, cohost Kealan shares his journey through medical school and residency training searching for an answer to the question, "How much money do I really need?" He describes how God graciously answered a radical prayer that set the foundation for how he views money and wealth. After reading through scripture, Kealan and his wife, Alison, sought to answer the question, "How much do we really need for ourselves?". That question led to setting a financial finish line, and ultimately to the Finish Line Pledge (previously known as the Aspiring to the Median movement). Listen now to hear the full story.
NOTE: The Finish Line Pledge was formerly known as Aspiring to the Median. All references to Aspiring to the Median and to www.aspiringtothemedian.com are interchangeable with the Finish Line Pledge and www.finishlinepledge.com. The former IMPACT program has since evolved into Finish Line SPRINTs.
QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
- “We wanted to protect ourselves from that sort of lifestyle inflation”
- “We wanted to find some kind of a limit or benchmark that could keep us on track so that as we went through these different stages of life, our lifestyle didn’t just expand to fill up whatever there was to fill”
- “I know my income is going to jump by several times, and we’re going to be able to freely give all of that away, but that decision would have been very difficult to do if we had not been intentionally walking through this process and making these decisions along the way.”
- “I think my greatest fear is accidentally getting to the end of my life and realizing that there was so much more that I could have been a part of – that God was doing completely ridiculous stuff all around me.”
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
- Crazy Love by Francis Chan
- Revolution in World Missions by K.P. Yohannon
- The Aspiring to the Median Budget Calculator
- A detailed explanation of the calculator methodology
- The IMPACT program
- The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can leave a comment below or reach out on our contact page.
Saturday Nov 28, 2020
Saturday Nov 28, 2020
Cohost Cody Hobelmann shares the story about how God dramatically changed his goals from making as much money as possible to giving as much as possible. As a financial planner, he has a strong understanding of the traditional wisdom behind personal finance. His faith, however, has introduced a whole new perspective to how we should think about the money that God brings through our hands.
NOTE: The Finish Line Pledge was formerly known as Aspiring to the Median. All references to Aspiring to the Median and to www.aspiringtothemedian.com are interchangeable with the Finish Line Pledge and www.finishlinepledge.com. The former IMPACT program has since evolved into Finish Line SPRINTs.
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
- The Aspiring to the Median income calculator
- A full detailed description of the calculator methodology
- The IMPACT program
- The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW
Mark 12:41-44 | The Widow’s Offering
41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Matthew 6:21-24 | Where Your Treasure Is, Your Heart Is
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Book of Ecclesiastes
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can leave a comment below or reach out on our contact page.