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

Zenet Maramara, Founder and President of Christian Stewards, on Multidimensional Generosity Growth in the Philippines (Ep. 110)

Monday Oct 21, 2024

Monday Oct 21, 2024

Zenet Maramara is the founder and president of Christian Stewards in the Philippines. After Zenet became a born-again Christian in her thirties, she enrolled at a seminary where she stepped into a fundraising role. Wanting to master the art of fundraising, Zenet attended Regent University and there experienced a “second conversion” into biblical stewardship, understanding the principles of managing God’s money for His Kingdom purposes in a way that is transformational to the giver, not just transactional.   

Zenet became passionate about advancing biblical stewardship education and has since built a multi-dimensional platform to empower the Filipino Church with generosity champions across the realms of business, ministry, and the local church. Christian Stewards has become a beacon of generosity in the Philippines and beyond, and Zenet had much wisdom to share.  

Major topics include:

  • How Christian Stewards began
  • The difference between transactional and transformational fundraising
  • Articulating your theology in fundraising and stewardship
  • Intentional integration of generosity and discipleship training
  • Empowering business owners to share the gospel by integrating business and faith
  • Steward-leadership theology
  • Core beliefs for a conversion as a biblical steward
  • The blessing and challenge of collaboration

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

  • “Whose money are you fundraising? Isn’t it all God’s money?”
  • “It’s not just about money. It’s about the heart.” 
  • “Giving is a barometer for our spiritual condition, and money is a great way to test if we are fully surrendered to God.”
  • “Fundraising is as spiritual as giving a sermon, a prayer, or going on a mission because you’re helping people understand who they are and how to relate with the resources that God has entrusted to them.”
  • “My vision is that every one of the 92,000 evangelical churches in the Philippines would have at least one generosity champion who will coordinate the teaching of generosity in their church.”
  • “Business is the new ‘Roman Road’ for the Gospel because we’re in the marketplace more than we’re in the church on Sunday.”
  • “The steward-leader theology and practice is an upside-down leadership. Most leaders have the power, but a steward-leader shares the power, shares privilege, and shares in the purpose of the organization or company.”
  • “If we hold lightly the material things that God has entrusted to us, then it is easier for us to listen to God when He calls us to move that resource to where it is most needed.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

 

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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Helen Schmid, Marketing Consultant, on Fully Integrated Generosity (Ep. 109)

Monday Oct 14, 2024

Monday Oct 14, 2024

Helen Schmid was very young when her family immigrated from China to the US with their eyes set on the American dream. She strove to be the best that she could be in all that she did to earn her place in life. Coming to faith as a student at New York University, Helen began to understand that her salvation was based on faith, not works.   

For over a decade, Helen led high-growth marketing teams at Walmart, Amazon, and L’Oreal. But in 2020, Helen and her husband felt dissatisfied with climbing the corporate ladder and were drawn to engage in purposeful, Kingdom-building work. They set a financial finish line and began to learn what generosity looked like, not only in finances, but with their skillsets and in all facets of their life.   

Today, Helen is the founder of My Strategy Mentor, a successful marketing and growth consulting firm that works heavily with ministries and businesses to equip missional, faith-driven leaders so that they can grow their organizations confidently and strategically. She also serves as a board member for Women Doing Well with our special guest co-host, Julie Wilson. Helen has much to share about meaningful work, a holistic approach to generosity, and the joy of living a life surrendered to God.  

Major topics include:

  • Discovering a counter-cultural faith in her early twenties
  • Her journey from financial generosity to whole life generosity
  • Finding purposeful work beyond the corporate ladder
  • Making generosity about glorifying God, not performance
  • How she encourages her children in generosity
  • Navigating when generosity feels difficult
  • The impact of serving as a board member at Women Doing Well

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

  • “If God owns my whole life, as in my possessions, my time, and my treasure, I need to understand what that means in terms of what I have to give.”
  • “What might God have for me beyond climbing the corporate ladder?”
  • “Understanding biblical stewardship and generosity has given me a shift in mindset and values where success no longer looks like more.”
  • “The more we surrender, the more we see the goodness and the faithfulness of God, and that allows us to then take more risks.”
  • “We think of generosity as partnering with God to serve His Kingdom and make an outward impact.”
  • “I don’t really view myself as a generous person. That feels like an achievement or a trophy. I just feel like I’m learning the boundaries God has for me, and I’m learning to listen and trust in Him more.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

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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Bruce and Sue Osterink, on the Joyful Rewards of Saying Yes in Faith (Ep. 108)

Monday Oct 07, 2024

Monday Oct 07, 2024

An affluent family with multiple homes and a successful business, Bruce and Sue Osterink were living the American dream. But God used one trip to Russia in the early nineties to begin a cascade of events that would bring a dramatic shift in their lives. The Osterinks began to hear a calling to simplify their lives and belongings so that they could be available to love others and be generous with their money, their time, and their relationships.   

Over the last thirty years, Bruce and Sue have taken some radical steps of faith and obedience that have led to some amazing stories. They are no stranger to suffering, and their journeys have impacted countless college students, young couples, and givers of many kinds. You won’t want to miss all they had to share!  

Major topics include:

  • Setting a financial finish line
  • Learning to be available to love others
  • Living simply to give generously
  • Important lessons from serving as house parents to college students
  • Making big decisions in radical obedience to God
  • The relationship between generosity and faith

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

  • Bruce: “What God needs is people who are available to love others.”
  • Bruce: “Our generosity started with our money, but as we began to understand what God was calling us to more and more, we understood that it wasn’t just our money. It was our time, it was our life. It wasn’t only what we gave away, but what we did with what God allowed us to hold on to.”
  • Bruce: “Unity isn’t compromise, it’s finding what God wants for us.”
  • Bruce: “It’s been interesting to be able to look back and see that had we made a plan, we would have had nothing in our plan of what was God’s plan.”
  • Sue: “Why say ‘no?’ That’s kind of our philosophy. We tend to say ‘yes,’ very seldom say ‘no,’ as long as we feel it’s a good investment in the Kingdom.
  • Bruce: “We would much rather give our money away than spend it.”
  • Sue: “Pick your lifestyle before you make any money.”
  • Bruce: “Pray about your lifestyle. And whatever lifestyle God calls you to, you don’t change it because you get a raise. You change it when God tells you to.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Acts 4:32 | Unity Among Brethren  

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.

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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Christopher Beth, Founder of the Bucket Ministry, on Technology, Clean Water, and the Gospel (Ep. 107)

Monday Sep 23, 2024

Monday Sep 23, 2024

Christopher Beth, founder of The Bucket Ministry, spent most of his life as a business consultant and thought he would retire from that line of work. But a radical encounter with God deep in the Amazon turned his life upside down and from that experience, The Bucket Ministry was born. The Bucket Ministry widely disperses water filters and the gospel all around the world using an advanced digital mapping platform to guide their work.

The mission of The Bucket Ministry is to share God’s love through the gift of safe, clean, drinking water. While The Bucket Ministry started out in the Brazilian Amazon, it is now actively evangelizing and providing water filters all over the globe. Christopher has an incredible story as well as lots of great advice on effective ministry and data tracking. You won’t want to miss what he had to share!

Major topics include:

  • The impactful story of how The Bucket Ministry began
  • Startling statistics about drinking water access throughout the world
  • Water filtration as a vehicle to practically share the gospel
  • Transitioning from business to ministry
  • Navigating the tension between profession and calling
  • Leveraging technology for ministry management and accountability
  • Christopher’s vision for scaling to reach more people faster in the next five years

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

  • “I had no idea that at the age of 56, I would think more about fishing for men than fishing for fish.”
  • “The water in my toilet bowl is cleaner than 785 million people have access to around the world.”
  • “Our focal points are Jesus, water, and discipleship. We don’t do anything else.”

 

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Acts 4:13 | God Uses Common Men

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

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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Aimee Minnich, Cofounder of the Impact Foundation, on Using Charitable Dollars for Impact Investing (Ep. 106)

Monday Sep 09, 2024

Monday Sep 09, 2024

Aimee Minnich is co-founder of the Impact Foundation, a donor-advised fund platform that enables givers to invest in world-changing companies with social, environmental, and spiritual impact. Aimee began her career in law followed by years of experience in the donor-advised fund space with the National Christian Foundation before eventually launching the Impact Foundation to enable streamlined impact investing with charitable dollars.

Aimee has been a central pillar in the impact investing space as it has rapidly grown over the last decade. She has a solid foundation in the full scope of what is available today as well as where impact investing is headed in the next 10 years. You won’t want to miss this one.

Major topics include:

  • A primer on impact investing
  • The story of the Impact Foundation
  • Differences between impact investing strategy and traditional investing
  • Risk vs impact in the context of investing
  • Measuring success in impact investing
  • The interplay between inputs, outputs, and outcomes
  • The future of impact investing

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

  • “The God of the universe is glorified when you and I are functioning at our best.”
  • “God created us to be generous because He is generous.”
  • “To be truly generous, you have to know God well.”
  • “Business people can be used for more in the Kingdom of God than just giving money away.”
  • “The currency of the kingdom of God is relationships.”
  • “The right way to handle risk starts with ‘OK, God. What I have is yours. How would you lead us to steward this for your glory and the good of your people?’ And then go from there.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

John 13:3-16 | Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet  

Isaiah 30:21 | Step-By-Step Obedience   

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.  

1 Corinthians 3:6 | Doing Your Part  

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

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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JD Bauman, Director of Effective Altruism for Christians, on Effective Giving and Strategic Career Choice (Ep. 105)

Monday Aug 26, 2024

Monday Aug 26, 2024

JD Bauman is the Director of Effective Altruism for Christians (EACH) and founder of Christians for Impact. Born to missionary parents, JD was rooted in a Christian upbringing that emphasized the importance of generosity to see real change throughout the world for the Kingdom of God. 

JD provides insightful perspectives on the principles of effective giving and the practical implications for believers who seek to harness their resources for maximum impact, emphasizing data-driven decision-making and how the ITN (Importance, Tractability, Neglectedness) framework can help individuals prioritize their charitable efforts, guiding them to tackle the most pressing issues in society effectively.

Major topics include:

  • Understanding effective altruism
  • Christian perspectives on altruism
  • Core frameworks for effective giving
  • Balancing physical and spiritual needs
  • Practical steps for giving effectively
  • The role of spontaneous giving
  • Considering the local church, global Church, and future Church in effective giving
  • Thinking about global problems with the ITN framework (importance, tractability, and neglectedness)
  • Recommended charity evaluators
  • Influencing others through generosity
  • Helping people pursue meaningful careers through Christian for Impact

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

  • “I didn’t love economics, but I studied economics because I thought I could earn more money with an economics degree and give more money away.”
  • “Effective Altruism is this idea: Use evidence and reason to find the best ways to do good, and then to take action on the basis.”
  • “I want to love those God loves and I think God loves everyone, and when we’re more effective, we can help more people made in God’s image.”
  • “Outcomes matter, good intentions aren’t enough.”
  • “Jesus cares about the body and the soul. And we should too.”
  • “I think we have really good reasons for thinking that a dollar goes a lot further globally. And if people gathering in Jesus’ name in West Bengal is just as important as them gathering in North Bethesda, then I think we should honor those faith communities equally. And I think we can, on average, promote a lot more growth in church communities globally than locally for the same dollar.”
  • “All problems can be categorized by Importance, tractability, and neglectedness.”
  • “If we want our charity to make a real impact in the real world, we need to be giving in ways that create a world that’s better than it otherwise would have been, that bring the kingdom of God into this world where otherwise it might have been broken.”
  • “Let’s make it a new normal in the Church to give radically and effectively.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Matthew 6:28-30 | God Will Take Care of You  

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 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?  

Matthew 25:14-30 | Parable of the Talents  

Matthew 13:23 | Bearing Fruit  

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. 

John 10:10 | Abundant Life  

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

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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Dana and Bill Wichterman, Givers and Impact Investors, on Using 100% of Their Income for the Kingdom (Ep. 104)

Monday Aug 12, 2024

Monday Aug 12, 2024

Dana and Bill Wichterman have a long history of generosity. From the onset of their marriage, Dana and Bill have practiced financial stewardship, always living below their means. Even in a one bedroom apartment with no vehicle to drive, they budgeted a specific amount they could use for spontaneous generosity, and trained their children in Spirit-led giving.  

Their collective backgrounds in missions, politics, and poverty alleviation have given them a passion for impact investing, allowing God to use their money to see real change in the world. Recently the Wichtermans reached their net worth finish line, recognizing that they need nothing else for themselves. Yet the joy of giving drives them to continue in their careers simply to have more to fuel God’s Kingdom. Dana is a senior advisor to the Impact Foundation, and she and Bill had some amazing insights to share about giving, stewardship, investing, and the importance of Christian community in the generosity space.  

Major topics include:

  • Their unique backgrounds and stories of coming to faith
  • How they learned financial stewardship
  • Thinking through an accumulation finish line vs. an income finish line
  • A long term view of maximized generosity
  • Budgeting in view of their callings together and individual
  • What is impact investing and how they got involved 
  • How to look for impact an returns in your portfolio
  • Strategically praying for your investments to change the world and bless people
  • The blessing of community among Christians stewarding finances
  • The importance of hearing other people’s stories



QUOTES TO REMEMBER

  • Bill: “The more you understand the nature of the Gospel and its implications for your life, the more you get the implications of generosity.”
  • Dana: “Once we set a finish line, I entered into an abundance mindset.”
  • Dana: “Now that we’ve reached our finish line, it makes our work that much more joyful. Now it’s like why would we ever want to retire? We want to keep generating this amount so that we can give.”
  • Bill: “It’s so fun to help change the world with your money!”
  • Dana: “You have your Holy Spirit radar up for needs that you couldn’t possibly anticipate, but you know you have to cash to give to that when it comes.”
  • Dana: “We can’t meet every need around us, but there are certain needs that have our name on it. And when our name’s on it and then God provides, there’s such a joy with that.”
  • Bill: “Most of the time, you possibility for world change is greater with for-profits, especially in poverty alleviation.”
  • Dana: “I believe that God made us all in His image to be creators. We’re either builders or backers, founders or funders. So if we’re all doing what God calls us to, the success of it isn’t so much on us. It’s the faithfulness that’s important.”
  • Dana: “It’s to God’s glory that He’s transforming us from selfish, self-absorbed individuals into more of the Family likeness which is more and more generous.”
  • Bill: “What do we have to boast about? We’re only giving what we’ve already been given.”
  • Dana: “Sacrificial giving can actually become very joyful over time because it has become part of your DNA as God is transforming you, and then it doesn’t feel sacrificial anymore. His burden becomes light, but only over time.”
  • Dana: “One person’s generosity doesn’t have to look like another person’s.”



LINKS FROM THE SHOW

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Matthew 25:14-30 | Parable of the Talents   

2 Corinthians 9:7 | A Cheerful Giver  

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

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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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:

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