The Finish Line Podcast
 

The Finish Line Podcast

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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

Bill High, Legacy Advisor and Founder of the Signatry, on the Purpose of Family Legacy (Ep. 103)

Monday Jul 29, 2024

Monday Jul 29, 2024

Bill High was brought up in a low-income family in rural Missouri and came to know Jesus at a young age. His generosity journey began as a teenager, faithfully tithing on everything he earned. Bill started the first half of his career in law before leaving to launch what would later become The Signatry, a donor-advised fund platform that connects “donors with doers” tackling some of the world’s biggest problems. 

Through his work with The Signatry, Bill developed a passion for seeing individual families united by a clear and driving mission and vision that reflects God’s particular calling for them. In recent years, Bill has focused much of his efforts on consulting for and guiding families stewarding wealth through some of these considerations, and he had many practical considerations to share.

Major topics include:

  • His personal and faith background
  • Bill’s professional path from practicing law to funding urban ministry
  • How God started planting seeds of generosity in his heart as a child
  • What he learned about encouraging generosity in individuals and families
  • Looking biblically and practically at dealing with wealth transfers and family legacies
  • The importance of defining your vision, mission, and values as a family
  • Guidance for families looking for a cause that aligns with their values



QUOTES TO REMEMBER

  • “We wanted to write the last check to reach the last missionary group to take the gospel to the last unreached people group.”
  • “Generosity was just a part of the conversation.”
  • “Family is meant to be a multi-generational endeavor.”
  • “Family generosity is the easiest way to live our vision, mission, and values.”
  • “Sometimes I equate this finish line idea with ‘who’s the owner, you or God?”
  • “The number one thing that changed people’s generosity, typically, is when they understood the generosity of God along with the idea that God was the owner and they were not.”
  • “If you don’t teach generational values, you get generational drift. ”
  • “The biggest wealth transfer issue is to not transfer wealth consumption, but to transfer wealth creation.”

 

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Proverbs 24:3-4 | Wisdom Builds a House  

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  

Genesis 15:5 | Like the Stars in Heaven  

And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”  

Matthew 6:3 | Humility in Giving  

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,  

Psalm 78:5-7 | Generational Faith  

He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

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 find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

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Mark Batterson, Pastor and Author, on Flipping the Blessing (Ep. 102)

Monday Jul 15, 2024

Monday Jul 15, 2024

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC, and a New York Times best-selling author. Mark grew up in the Midwest in a home that fostered faith and faithfulness in giving. His generosity journey started at a young age with some significant acts of faith, and some of those decisions have rippled through the rest of his life in ministry. National Community Church is overflowing with stories of generosity and radical steps of faith that have enabled them to support a wide array of other ministries and churches.  

Mark highlights the importance of celebrating generosity and pushing the envelope to increase levels of giving, both personally and as a church community. He shares personal stories of the impact of small acts of generosity, encourages flipping blessings for others, and emphasizes living with holy anticipation. Mark discusses managing blessings wisely and finding joy and purpose through generosity.   Major topics include:

  • Mark’s personal and faith background
  • How a failed church plant prepared him for 28 years of pastoring in DC
  • The role generosity has played in his personal life and in the church
  • Fostering a church culture of generosity
  • The need for business-as-mission to fund Kingdom causes
  • The amazing story of Ebenezers CoffeeHouse, a business-as-mission coffee house on Capitol Hill
  • Learning to “Flip the Blessing”

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

  • “We make a few major decisions and we spend the rest of our life managing those decisions.”
  • “In our hearts, we plan our course, but God orders our footsteps.”
  • “If you do little things like they’re big things, God will do big things like they’re little things.”
  • “I’m a big fan of long obedience in the same direction.”
  • “If you stay humble and stay hungry, there is nothing God can’t do in and through you.”
  • “If you aren’t faithful with the little things, you won’t be faithful with the big things.”
  • “God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He owns the hills, so we have this mindset that It’s all from God and it’s all for God.”
  • “Every business is owned by somebody who has a worldview or a faith matrix of some sort. So for us, we’re going to allow our faith to inform how we show hospitality, how we create a business model.”
  • “As long as we’re caring for the poor and giving to missions, I’m never worried about our bottom line. If you’re doing what is near and dear to the heart of God, I think God’s got your back.”
  • “We’re going to inch our way to greater and greater levels of generosity.”
  • “It’s kind of fun living life in a place where you save and you give and you give and you save and you save and you give, but you do it in a way that’s generous. And I think the Lord has a way of honoring that.”
  • “God doesn’t raise our income to raise our standard of living, but to raise our standard of giving.”
  • “Your generosity is someone else’s miracle.”
  • “Flip the blessing.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Psalm 50:10 | God Owns It All  

For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.  

Jeremiah 29 | Bless the City  

7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.  

Matthew 10:16 | Pure and Wise  

Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.  

2 Corinthians 9:16 | The Cheerful Giver

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

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 find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

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Jim Rasmussen, Financial Advisor, on Purposeful Living and Giving (Ep.101)

Monday Jul 01, 2024

Monday Jul 01, 2024

WHAT WE’LL COVER

Jim Rasmussen was raised as a pastor’s kid in a Lutheran church in Georgia, and his faith solidified in college as he involved himself in ministries that affected transformational change in many lives. After graduating with an accounting degree, Jim was led to a job with Chick-fil-A, first in accounting and later advising franchise owners on how to run their businesses more efficiently.  

Today, Jim is a financial advisor and the co-founder of Pandowealth, an advising firm that provides personal finance guidance to franchise owners and other Chick-fil-A staff to empower them to more purposeful living and giving. Jim is a passionate teacher with powerful insights on financial stewardship, Kingdom-building generosity, and trusting God with big steps of faith.   

Major topics include:

  • His personal and faith background
  • His 20-year experience working for Chick-fil-A
  • How God led him from accounting to financial planning
  • Trusting God with crazy steps of faith
  • Dealing with common barriers to generosity
  • Copying others vs. doing what you’re called to do with your resources
  • Deciding how much is enough
  • Tools and framework to develop a written generosity plan

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

  • “I’m not somebody who can sit behind a desk all day just doing debits and credits. I got the accounting degree so I could learn how numbers work and how I could move up and have more impact and influence in the world with the things that God’s given me.”
  • “If you look around, all the people that have joy are generous.”
  • “How do I remove the obstacles to my generosity? If I can remove those, then I can be generous and experience more joy.”
  • “The company is about, ‘We grow wealth to empower purposeful living and giving.’ What’s better than that?”
  • “What have you been given gifts for that God wants you to accomplish? If you can look at your life plan, then you can develop a financial plan that helps you to accomplish that.”
  • “Don’t just look through the lens of the financial, I want you to look through the lens of the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual as well. Sometimes, it’s ok to give up a little bit of the financial stewardship to improve your personhood of emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual stability.”
  • “Our goal is for 80% of our clients to have a written generosity plan.”
  • “I’m now working to give, not working to live.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Luke 12:16-21 | The Bigger Barns Parable  

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.”  

1 Peter 4:10 | Stewarding God’s Gifts  

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

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 find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

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Mic Flip: Hear from Cody and Kealan with Guest Hosts David Wills and Todd Harper (Ep. 100)

Monday Jun 17, 2024

Monday Jun 17, 2024

In this special 100th episode, the shoe is on the other foot as Kealan and Cody are interviewed by Todd Harper, co-founder of Generous Giving, and David Wills, President Emeritus of the National Christian Foundation (NCF). Together, Kealan and Cody share about their family and faith backgrounds, how they got started on their journeys of generosity, and some of the amazing things they’ve learned along the way.  

The interviews conducted over the last 99 episodes have been life-changing for the Hobelmann brothers in many ways by providing opportunities for “spiritual templating,” implementing what they’ve learned from others into their own generosity strategies, and by facilitating connection between like-minded Believers.   

Major topics include:

  • What life looks like now for Cody and Kealan
  • The inspiration for the Finish Line Pledge
  • How setting Financial Finish Lines has changed both of their lives 
  • The evolution of the Finish Line Podcast
  • Making the Finish Line Pledge relational
  • Most memorable podcast moments
  • The many ways they have seen God work through the podcast

 

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

Cody: It kinda felt like I was walking up a staircase that I could not see the end of. It just continued up into the clouds. But when I set a financial finish line, suddenly I could see the top of the staircase, and I realized I was most of the way up it in terms of the course of my career.  

Kealan: I appreciate so much more now the true breadth and diversity of expressions of generosity.   

Cody: We realized that God’s up to something that we didn’t even notice. We had no idea. It really humbled me and helped me to understand that even though it’s a lot to ask of our guests and our wives to carve out this time once a week, once every other week, and do the editing and all that kind of stuff. It is such an honor to be able to do this and we hope to be able to do this for a very long time.  

Kealan: At this point, I don’t ever say for myself or for anybody else, “this is how generosity has to be expressed,” or “this way is how God intends it.” There is too much range of expression that God gives us for anybody to say “it has to be this way.”  

Cody: I’ve learned that giving is a lot of fun and it’s a relational thing. As a financial planner and as someone who was not giving or living generously, it seemed like a transactional thing. But I’m starting to understand that it’s far more complex than that and far mor joy-creating for everyone involved.  

Cody: I’m learning that generosity and giving are not the same thing. Giving is an expression of generosity, but when done in community as a relational thing, there’s nothing better and it’s become my favorite use of money.  

Kealan: I just want constant stories and relationships to help me grow as a Believer and not just in generosity. We’ve grown in prayer and community and so many other areas that are all interrelated to generosity.

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

1 Corinthians 12:6 | God Empowered Action  

And there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 

Proverbs 11:24 MSG | Generosity and Abundance  

The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.  

Proverbs 30: 8b | Our Daily Bread    

give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for 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 find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

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Jimmy Seibert, Pastor, on Sensing the Spirit through Spontaneous Generosity (Ep. 99)

Monday Jun 03, 2024

Monday Jun 03, 2024

Jimmy Seibert is the founder and pastor of Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas. Jimmy didn’t grow up in a Christian home, but his decision to follow Jesus in a radical way over a summer during his college years started him on a path of extreme generosity as an outflow of his relationship with God. Jimmy’s passion for generosity has poured over into the church that he leads, which now has a thriving culture of generosity. His principles of living simply, working diligently, giving generously, and living for eternity have paved the way for a lifestyle of spontaneous and strategic generosity.  

He has many miraculous stories of Spirit-led giving as well as practical advice for givers of all kinds. He shares how surrendering to Jesus and embracing obedience and generosity transformed his life, even in the face of financial challenges, and opened the door for living out the Great Commission.  

Major Topics Include:

  • His story of coming to faith and radically following the teachings of Jesus
  • How God miraculously provided for him to go to the nations because of his obedience with his last dollar
  • Learning to hear and obey the promptings of the Lord
  • Spontaneous giving vs. strategic, long-term giving
  • Creating and inviting people into a culture of generosity
  • Incorporating generosity into a family culture
  • Plus, many powerful stories of Spirit-led generosity

 

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

“When you deal with money and possessions, you deal with everything in your heart.”

“You asked me to show you that I’m real, and I have come.”

“The moving of God is just the normal outworking of a surrender to Jesus.”

“My commitment was that if anybody asks for anything, give it.”

“Until you feel, taste, and touch the power of the gospel in peoples’ lives, giving is too distant of an experience.”

“When we live obedient lives of sacrifice, whether that’s with our finances or going ourselves, it produces this incredible authority to see people find hope and help that they so desperately long for.”

“I don’t want to get identity out of what I do. I want to get identity from the Lord, and then I want to be fully obedient in whatever expression He’s given me and do that with all me heart.”

“I may not be as gifted as someone else, but I will do anything He says anytime, anywhere.”

“Learning to hear the voice of God is learning to trust the heart and person of God. It’s really about trust in the end.”

“From years of meditating on who the Holy Spirit is in my life, and God the Father and the centrality of the beauty of Jesus, I’ve learned to take risks with confidence.”

“The promptings of God are best learned through action.”

“You are already right with God through the blood of Jesus alone. You can’t earn anything in your standing with God by anything you do. You’re good with God by the grace of God.”

“We’re not looking to outdo our neighbor in our giving, we’re learning to build our relationship with God.”

“When we open up everything of our resources to God, intimacy with Him is His end goal, not provision.”

“It’s not a percentage, it’s a personal relationship with God.”

“If you preach a surrendered message and then you live it out, it creates a catalyst for others. If you give, they’ll give.”

“God will constantly challenge me when I have little to see if I’m still in the game.”

“Follow the money. If you give to something, get involved in what you give to.”

“You’ll only stay in a posture of generosity as long as it’s connected to people’s lives being transformed in a way that you can touch.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Luke 6:35 | Give Freely  

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 

Matthew 13:23 | Reaping a Harvest  

As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” 

Ephesians 2:10 | Created for Good Works  

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  

John 16:7, 12-13 | The Spirit of Truth

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

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 find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

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Paul Bolte, Executive VP of Trustbridge Global, on Connecting the Worldwide Church Through Generosity (Ep. 98)

Monday May 20, 2024

Monday May 20, 2024

Paul Bolte was brought up with a firm foundation in faith and generosity. A seventh-generation Christian born to a farming family in Australia, he learned the value of a good work ethic and the principles of giving as a small child. As an adult, Paul served in various leadership positions in Australia, New Zealand, and the US, and is a lifelong student of servant leadership. 

Today, Paul is the Executive Vice President of TrustBridge Global. TrustBridge connects donor advised funds in countries all around the world to allow people to make tax deductible gifts to ministries in other countries, even if they don’t have a 501c3 designation. TrustBridge acts as a powerful conduit for money to flow from Christians in countries with high concentrations of wealth to organizations working in other countries, impacting the Kingdom by getting financial resources to the “boots on the ground.”

Major Topics Include:

  • Paul’s family and faith background which laid the groundwork for what he does now
  • The background of TrustBridge Global
  • How they choose partners in various countries
  • Paul’s view of how generosity is expressed uniquely in different cultures
  • How TrustBridge has helped facilitate interconnectedness between Believers across the globe

 

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

“I didn’t realize that, ‘how can I help,’ was the very first question in a concept called ‘servant leadership.’ And I became a student of leadership; for my entire life, I’ve been a student of leadership.”

“We’re trying to mobilize the resources in the hands of Christians.”

“Culturally, we are all very different. But we all have this one core value of our faith and what we’re called to do. We’re called to be generous with everything that we have and everything we are.”

“There are many countries that have no tax benefits, yet they are still generous.”

“When you send money directly to a charity overseas, the bang for your buck is significantly higher because they can stretch it further and it can get to more people.”

“If you want the best return on your investment, you can do that by giving directly to a charity overseas.”

“We look for a way to say ‘yes.’”

“Generosity to me is not just about money, it’s about time.”

“When you’re working in a Kingdom business and you know that God is behind what you’re doing and you watch it grow and give all glory to Him, it’s such a joy to watch it all happen.”

“Whatever gifts or skills God has given you, take them and use them to serve others.”



LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Romans 5:8 | God’s Love Demonstrated

 

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 | The Gift of God

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

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 find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

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Shane Enete, Author and Professor, on Excelling in Giving (Ep. 97)

Monday May 06, 2024

Monday May 06, 2024

Dr. Shane Enete is a professor at Biola University in Los Angeles and the author of the book “Whole Heart Finances.” In his early teens, Shane was driven to learn all that he could about investing, but leaning into the tension he felt between his faith and his passion for finances, he discovered a deep desire to be a bridge to help people learn about money in a way that draws them closer to Jesus instead of further from Him.   

Shane spent many years in the finance world in a variety of roles, and throughout that time, God fostered a deep heart for generosity and stewardship. Shane now gets to spark that passion in college students, providing both a framework and purpose behind how they manage money. You won’t want to miss the stories, helpful tools, and frameworks he had to share.  

Major topics include:

  • Shane’s background and the inspiring story of encountering God in a hospital room
  • How Shane began learning and teaching about finances at age 15
  • Reconciling the tension between faith and finances
  • How he transitioned from his financial career and volunteering in the inner city into academia
  • The story behind his book, Whole Heart Finances, and key points that will help give the average church goer a fresh, Christ-centered view of money as a pathway to worshiping God
  • Advice for those in debt or in retirement who want to grow in generosity

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

  • “I sensed the tension between faith and finances and leaned into it, hoping that one day God could use me to be a bridge to help create the curriculum where people could learn about money in a way that draws them nearer to Jesus and not further away.”  
  • “I always love to find truth, and it’s a fascinating exercise to look at stock valuation, which is so subjective, and see if you can find any objective truths to align to.”  
  • “If you give with a little, you’ll give with a lot. If you save with a little, you’ll save with a lot.”  
  • “The more I gave, the more I realized the centrality of giving in all money and financial behavior and how it unleashes God’s glory in a way that no other financial behavior does.”  
  • “How can I think about saving, investing, and spending in ways that help facilitate giving?”  
  • “I build a financial planning model around the idea that God is being generous with His household, we experience that generosity and are transformed to have His generosity because we’re in Christ. Then we become a resource in God’s household that gets sent out in an economy of salvation towards the world.”  
  • “As a steward, our main goal is to shine a light on our financial behavior on a regular basis.” 
  • “The longer you go without giving, the harder it is to give.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Luke 16:1-13 | The Parable of the Dishonest Manager  

2 Corinthians 8:7 | Encouragement to Give Generously  

But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this grace of giving also.  

Matthew 6:21 | Heart Treasure  

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 find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

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Pat and Janel Hord, Business Owners, on Creating Multigenerational Impact and Legacy (Ep. 96)

Monday Apr 22, 2024

Monday Apr 22, 2024

Pat and Janel Hord are the owners of Hord Family Farms in Ohio. Pat and Janel each had generosity modeled for them in their early years and they developed a passion for it, but God has led them through increasing levels of thoughtfulness and complexity with regards to what exactly that looks like for them. They have navigated the challenges of running a large, generational farming enterprise across multiple states with the mindset that God owns it all. They have a passion for loving their team members well, loving their community well, and bringing the gospel to the rest of the world. Pat and Janel also have great insight concerning fostering growth in generosity and in their business through good stewardship, and passing on a legacy of wisdom, wealth, and a Kingdom culture to the next generation.   Major topics include:

  • Their spiritual background and upbringing
  • Their perspective on ministry and vocation
  • Learning to steward their time, talent, and treasure over the years
  • Being led into knowing what and where to give
  • How they intentionally fostered generosity in their kids
  • Flowing together in giving as a married couple with individual and shared passions
  • How knowing your “why” helps you to grow in generosity and business
  • Sharing stories about God using your giving for His Glory
  • Transferring a legacy of wealth and wisdom to the next generation 
  • Collaborating with people and organizations to serve the local community
  • Fostering generosity within the team
  • Making sure the team is taken care of first, then your community, and the nations



QUOTES TO REMEMBER

Pat – “I feel like God gives us the desires of our heart, He just wants us to surrender to Him.”

Pat – “Everything we have comes from the hand of God.”

Pat – “God owns everything. So how do we steward our time, talent, and treasure?”

Janel – “Just get started on that first step in generosity.”

Janel – “What we’ve been given we are responsible to give back.”

Pat – “We’re just trying to figure out how to follow Christ in the best way we know how.”

Janel – “Our responsibility is to ask, ‘How is Christ honored through that organization?’”

Janel – “It may be in our county, or it may be across the world. Nothing’s off the table.”

Pat – “God has knit our hearts together in the area of generosity.” 

Janel – “How do we take what God has given us and make an impact in our community as well?”

Pat – “We look at our business as a giving engine to do good.”

Pat – “You have to know your ‘why.’”

Janel – “Not all of us are called to go into Africa, but we are all called to give what we’ve been given.”

Pat – “We don’t want to transfer wealth without wisdom to the next generation.”

Janel – “As a giving engine, how do we support organizations that are trying to make a difference in the community?”




LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Psalm 37:4 | Delight in the Lord

 

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 

Matthew 6:3 | Humble Generosity 

 

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

 

Matthew 6:21 | Heart Treasure

 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

Matthew 5:16 | Your Light Glorifies God

 

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.





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 find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

Read more

Ron Bare, Financial Advisor, on Aligning Heart, Actions, and Finances (Ep. 95)

Monday Apr 08, 2024

Monday Apr 08, 2024

Ron Bare is a financial advisor and the founder of Bare Wealth Advisors in Lancaster, PA. Raised on a fifth-generation dairy farm with a faith-filled family, Ron learned early in life the value of hard work, the biblical principles of stewardship, and the eternal impact of generosity. Those elements became the foundation of who he is and what he does as a financial advisor, or in his words, a “pastor of finance.”    In this episode, Ron shares personal stories and many helpful thoughts to show the power of intentional generosity as a conversation with God, and how giving of your finances, giftings, and time can change a life, a community, and even affect people across the globe.  

Major topics include:

  • How Ron’s upbringing shaped who he is today
  • The story of how Bare Wealth Advisors began
  • How God prepared and called him to be a “pastor of finance”
  • Implementing an intentional core value of generosity in his personal life and his business
  • How Ron’s passion for good stewardship in finances led to his family’s financial and practical involvement in supporting young moms in their local community
  • Advice for following the voice of God and your passions to know how to serve and where to give
  • The value of tracking generosity and its impact
  • Stewardship as a conversation with God
  • The power of collaboration in giving



QUOTES TO REMEMBER

“Plan intentionally, give generously.”

“We are pastors of finance.”

“The biblical principle of stewardship isn’t about how much we have. It’s about being faithful with what’s in our hands, even if it doesn’t feel like a lot.”

“The more that our works and our treasures are flowing together, the more our hearts will flow.”

“The most important thing anyone decides with their finances is how they interact with generosity.”

“Giving isn’t something we have to do; it is something we are invited into with God.”

“We always need to be growing in generosity.”

“If we don’t answer the question ‘what is enough,’ it can limit the impact that we have.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

 

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Matthew 6:21 | Treasure of the Heart  

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.    

1 Timothy 6:17-19 | Rich in Good Works  

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. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 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 12:48b | Much Given, Much Required  

Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.    

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 | The Cheerful Giver  

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.   

John 3:16 | For God So Loved the World  

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  

2 Corinthians 8:7 | The Grace to Give  

But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace 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 find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

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Ryan Skoog and Cameron Doolittle, Authors of Lead with Prayer, on the Powerful Intersection of Generosity and Prayer (Ep. 94)

Monday Mar 25, 2024

Monday Mar 25, 2024

Ryan Skoog is the CEO of Venture, a non-profit that serves war refugees, trafficked people, oppressed children, and the unreached in the most difficult places in the world. Being raised as a “spiritual mutt” in a mission-minded and entrepreneurial household, Ryan began a company alongside Venture, funding the administration of the ministry with the profits, and freeing up the investments of givers to fund church planting and community development projects in unreached places across the globe.

Cameron Doolittle is a veteran in the generosity space. He is senior advisor to the Maclellan Foundation, executive director of Practicing the Way, co-founder of Generosity Path, and a founding CEO of Jill’s House, a ministry for kids with intellectual disabilities. With a background as a political advisor, Cameron now consults with organizations his family loves, including The Bible Project, Desiring God with John Piper, and many more. 

Together with Peter Greer, Ryan and Cameron co-authored the newly released book, “Lead with Prayer” after years of studying how Christian leaders pray. They will share more about their personal stories, what God is doing in the nations through Venture, how “Lead with Prayer” came about, and many insightful keys to prayer and generosity as a great adventure with Christ.

Major topics include:

  • The difference between investing in the Kingdom and giving to the Kingdom
  • How prayer is fueling the explosion of the global church
  • Investing financially in prayer as an asset
  • A look into the prayer lives of many church leaders around the world
  • More leadership calls for more prayer time
  • Friendship-first prayer
  • Building prayer “bells” or triggers throughout your day
  • How generosity and prayer work together

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

“The global church is exploding and it is a sight to behold! We get to live in some incredible times.” Ryan Skoog

“What if we just said, this is enough!” Cameron Doolittle

“There’s something about the number 51. Once You’ve crossed that rubicon, you’re giving more than you’re keeping.” Ryan Skoog

“There’s three reasons people give – to look good, to feel good, or to actually do good, even when it doesn’t look good or feel good.” Ryan Skoog quoting Jay Yacov, Economist

“You give to feel good or look good, but you invest because you want to see a return on your investment. You want to do good, even if it doesn’t look good or feel good.” Ryan Skoog

“What if we stood at the feet of the global church and asked them to teach us how to pray?” Ryan Skoog

“If prayer is the thing that’s fueling what God’s doing around the world, then how come we’re not talking about it more?” Ryan Skoog

“You can’t create a culture of prayer without being a person of prayer.” Cameron Doolittle

“When Jesus’s ministry was the busiest, the scriptures say he withdrew more often, not less.” Ryan Skoog

“Whenever you’re being generous, you’re going to say a lot of noes in order to say some big yeses.” Cameron Doolittle

“Prayer develops gratitude. And gratitude is the foundation of generosity.” Ryan Skoog

“Prayer is a key to having an adventure of generosity versus just an experience of giving.” Ryan Skoog

“Learning to obey the Holy Spirit in your giving opens the opportunity to have an adventure with your Friend Jesus on giving.” Ryan Skoog

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Matthew 6:21 | Treasure of the Heart

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

2 Corinthians 10:4 | Spiritual Warfare

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

 

Acts 3:1 | The Hour of Prayer

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

 

John 15:5 | Abide in the Vine

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

 

Luke 5:15-16 | Increased Ministry, Increased Prayer

But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

 

Psalm 100:4 | Thanksgiving and Praise

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

 

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 find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

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