The Finish Line Podcast

Aaron and Miran Cho took some of their earliest steps of faith when they first met each other. And right from the beginning, God began challenging them in the area of generosity. On the podcast, we have heard all sorts of strategies for deciding how much to give and how to give it. But Aaron and Miran have one of the most Spirit-led strategies we’ve heard so far. Every year, Aaron and Miran set aside 2 days where they each separately spend a day in prayer. During that time, they ask God how much he would have them give away the following year. Afterwards, they come back together to discern how he might be leading them. As that process has grown over the years, they now often find themselves committing to more than they can actually budget for, yet God continues to provide for them in radical ways. We were deeply inspired by the Cho’s personal story, as well as their wisdom on topics like impact investing, giving together as a couple, and choosing what to give to. Listen now to hear all they had to share! QUOTES TO REMEMBER “There’s gotta be more to life than tithing our 10% to our local church.” “There are many [spiritual] teachers, but not a lot of [spiritual] fathers.” “Every year we pray for the forthcoming year, saying, ‘God, what do you want us to give over and above our tithe?'” “When you’re debt free, you can just ask God, ‘What do you want me to do? Who do I give to? What do I give to?'” “We fund our kingdom fund before we fund anything else.” “We commit to a number that we feel like God is telling us to commit to for the next year, even if it doesn’t make sense for our budget.” “God provides the money for his bank account. All he wants from us is the yes that we’ll do it. If the money shows up, we will put it aside in another bank account. That’s all he wants from us.” “I would rather plan on working for the rest of my life and be extravagant givers along the way.” “You can’t out-give God.” “At the end of the year every year, we set aside two days and go to a prayer mountain separately. And then we spend all day praying and spending time with God. And during that time we ask God how much we should give away the following year for the kingdom fund.” “That’s how we do everything. We pray separately and then come together and see if we are in agreement.” “We’re always praying for God to open up doors to new ministries and to identify needs.” “Investing in people is the model of Jesus.” “God, here’s my treasure LINKS FROM THE SHOW Impact Foundation Faith Driven Investor Ambassadors Impact Network Crazy Love by Francis Chan Doulos Partners (see our interview with CEO David Johnson) Neverthirst (see our interview with CEO Matt Letourneau) Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman) Journey of Generosity (JOG) experience through Generous Giving The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Matt. 6:33 | Seek First the Kingdom 33 Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:21 | Two Masters 21 You cannot serve God and money. 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Morgan Jackson is the Executive Vice President of Faith Comes by Hearing, an audio bible recording ministry that has recorded the bible in over 1500 languages to reach over 1.3 million communities around the world. Morgan’s parents founded the organization in 1972 with a strong conviction to share the gospel and an unwavering commitment to God’s calling for their lives. About 70% of the world live in predominantly oral, rather than written, cultures. Today, Faith Comes by Hearing partners with over 400 organizations to make the gospel accessible in audio and visual formats in the heart language of over 80% of the world’s population. Using custom designed solar-powered audio devices called Proclaimers, Faith Comes by Hearing and its partner ministries are able to share God’s Word with sometimes thousands of people at a time. And Morgan had countless stories about how each culture relates to God’s Word in a unique and powerful way. Faith Comes by Hearing is also part of a larger collaboration of organizations that are united in the goal to make the bible accessible to everyone on the planet by 2033, two thousand years after Christ’s death. And they are making incredible progress. We were deeply encouraged by the stories and vision Morgan had to share. This is definitely an episode you won’t want to miss. QUOTES TO REMEMBER “Blank villages, those without a church, were being reached and churches were being planted simply by bringing the word of God for people to hear.” “In 2 Kings 23, the whole nation is assembled, and you have the record of the largest revival in Jewish history from not prayer, not fasting, not singing, but from simply hearing Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.” “In oral communities, anything that is important comes to you in a story, parable, proverb, song, or drama, with memory cues. That way you can hold onto it, because you don’t own it until you memorize it.” “We believe by 2033, two thousand years after Christ’s death, we could see a translation complete for every language of the world.” “There are going to be a lot of people who will die getting these translations done.” “The Word of God is spoken… it is written primarily to be heard.” “We’ve experienced the greatest revival in history in the last 100 years and almost nobody knows it.” “This next age is going to be the national [missionaries]. They are going to be asking for tools and resources, and we need to be ready to resource them.” “The body of Christ has become unified around the world. They’ve dropped their banners and are saying ‘Let’s get this job done’.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Faith Comes by Hearing Answers to Prayer by George Muller American Bible Society Open Doors International The Timothy Initiative (see our interview with CEO, Jared Nelms) Wycliffe Bible Translators (see our interview with CEO John Chesnut) The Bible Brain - FCBH's accessible hub of translations and recordings The LUMO Project - a visual translation of the bible available in over 1000 languages Seed Company (see our interview with Chairman Emeritus Todd Peterson) Pioneer bible translators Jesus Film (see our interview with Executive Director Josh Newell) The Render app for bible translation Bible.is app - all of FCBH's translations in app form IllumiNations Bible Translation Alliance (see our interview with Todd Peterson or John Chesnut) - making God's Word accessible to all people by 2033 Cru YWAM (Youth with a Mission) Charity Navigator One KC (Kansas City) The Grace and Mercy Foundation The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Matt. 10:11 | When You Enter a Strange Town 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. Deuteronomy 6:4 | Hear O Israel 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 1 Timothy 4:13 | The Public Reading of Scripture 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Mark 12:27 | The God of the Living 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. Matt 24:14 | And Then the End Will Come 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Doug Cobb is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor who is passionate about completing the ultimate command Christ left us with: making disciples of all nations. Using the skills from his private equity background, Doug founded the Finishing Fund, a sort of venture capital fund connecting those with resources to those on the final frontier of global missions. In particular, the Finishing Fund finances projects with an extensive network of vetted ministry partners specifically to reach the final unengaged unreached people groups in the world. In 2017 when the Finishing Fund was founded, out of 12,000 people groups in the world with 500 or more people, there were 1450 unengaged people groups without a single Christian living among them. Today, that number is 149, and Doug believes that there can be workers engaging every one of those remaining groups by the end of 2022. We had all sorts of questions for Doug, like how do you find ministries to work with? What barriers will there be to reaching the remaining groups? What exactly is the Great Commission? And how will we know when the work is complete? You won’t want to miss Doug’s interview for the answers to these questions and more. QUOTES TO REMEMBER “Right from the beginning, generosity was something that found its way into our lives.” “That was the most amazing experience of our giving lives.” “Ours could be the generation to see this work finished. I absolutely believe that it’s within our capability by God’s grace to finish this within our generation.” “The business you end up doing is almost never the one you thought you were going to do.” “Finding those things, those good works that he’s prepared in advance individually for each of us, to me just makes life such an incredible adventure.” “God is determined to see this work completed.” “If you compare the amount of time people spend managing their secular portfolios and the amount of time they spend managing their kingdom portfolios, for most people there is not even a comparison.” “There is hardly anything to be more excited about then the completion of the Great Commission.” “When you become convinced that we are living in the era of the finishing of the Great Commission, it just needs to change our view of money, possessions, and eternity.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW The Finishing Fund Doug's book, And Then the End Will Come Money, Possessions, and Eternity (see our interview with author Randy Alcorn) The Treasure Principle (see our interview with author Randy Alcorn) Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis Finishing the Task (see our interview with FTT Global Church Planting Strategist Dan Hitzhusen) FTT's Unengaged Unreached People Group List List of Unreached People Groups by Joshua Project (see our interview with Director, Dan Scribner) Map of Unengaged People Groups by The International Missions Board The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Zechariah 4:6 | Not by Might 6 Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Ephesians 2:8-10 | Created for Good Works 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 2 Peter 3:11-12 | Hastening the Coming of the Day of God 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! Matt 24:14 | And Then the End Will Come 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Luke 12:16-21 | Bigger Barns 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 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Ravi Jayakaran is the President and CEO of Medical Ambassadors International which works to sustainably transform communities around the world through Christ-centered partnership, resource assessment, and customized training. Ravi’s story begins with his grandfather who left behind a 2000 year family tradition of Hinduism to become one of the first Christians in his community in India. Growing up in the faith, Ravi went on to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine before transitioning to full time work with World Vision. In 2017, he took over leadership of MAI full time. Founded in the late 70s by Dr. Ray Benson, Medical Ambassadors International began as a traditional medical mission-trip style organization with U.S. surgeons providing medical care in Vietnam and several other countries. When Dr. Paul Calhoun took over as President, MAI began to shift from a provision-style ministry to prevention, with notable success. In the ensuing years, that focus began to expand well beyond medicine to a broader community health model now known as community health evangelism (CHE). Today, MAI’s model involves beginning with a community assessment, identifying several village leaders who can take an inventory of the community’s raw material, learned skills, and human resources. Those leaders then identify their community’s greatest needs. Once those needs are identified, MAI provides training so that the community can work towards meeting its own needs with as little external support as possible. Most importantly, each training curriculum is fused with gospel teaching that points to Christ as the ultimate provider and savior. In each community where the CHE process is implemented, MAI routinely sees large numbers of people come to accept Christ as their own saviour as they work to build and strengthen their community. Over the last few decades, MAI has amassed lesson plans on over 10,000 topics from rabbit rearing to mushroom harvesting to microenterprise to serve over 2600 communities in 75 different countries. And each village has at least 20 native volunteers leading the change in their community. Ravi has amazing insight into what it takes to drive sustainable change and gospel rootedness. Listen now to hear all he had to say! QUOTES TO REMEMBER “Word and deed need to be in balance. We call that integral mission, or wholistic mission.” “With the resources that they have, what is the best thing to do?” “The drive is constantly to see how we can be more efficient and effective.” “What you put into the center of your development is what drives it. If it’s community resources, community ownership, community capacity, that’s what will drive it. If you bring in an external big box and drop it there, that’s what they’ll wait to see driving the process.” “A community must own its own transformation.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Medical Ambassadors International Dr. Ray Benson - founder of MAI Dr. Paul Calhoun - second president of MAI who shifted focus to prevention Global CHE Network MAI's specialized programs for women, men, the disabled, and children When Helping Hurts (see our interview with coauthor Brian Fikkert) The Chalmers Center for Economic Development (see our interview with founder Brian Fikkert) MAI Video: CHE Explained MAI Video: From Then to Now Ravi's book Healing Lives: Post Crisis MAI's virtual vision trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Matt 5:14-15 | The Salt and the Light 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Eric Most is the VP of the Rocky Mountains region for the National Christian Foundation, a donor advised fund platform that happens to be the 6th largest nonprofit and the largest Christian grant maker in the U.S. Eric began his career at his family’s insurance business, Most Insurance, which he later went on to run. He later went on to sell the business for a significant profit which he used to start a real estate firm and fuel his passion for generosity. However, it wasn’t until after selling his business that he realized that he could have given far more from the proceeds if he had orchestrated the transaction differently. That mistake left a large enough impact on him that he later took a position with the National Christian Foundation to help others avoid the same mistake. NCF was founded over 40 years ago by Larry Burkett, Ron Blue, and Terry Parker as a platform to mobilize resources for the sake of the gospel and inspire generosity. Over this time, NCF has served over 24,000 givers to receive almost 19 billion dollars and deploy 15 billion dollars to charitable impact. Eric had a wealth of advice and experiences to share, particularly about asset-based giving. Over 90% of our wealth as a nation is wrapped up in the things that we own. And by giving out of those assets, like stocks, real estate, and even our own businesses, instead of giving cash, we are able to add several multipliers to the impact of our giving. Eric also had some fantastic advice for financial planners wanting to help their clients through some of these processes. Listen now to hear all he had to share! QUOTES TO REMEMBER “I didn’t know about asset-based giving. I didn’t know about the power of giving before a sale.” “Don’t make my mistakes! There is a better way.” “91% of our wealth as a nation is wrapped up in the things that we own. And we do most of our giving out of that remaining 9%.” “This just became an engine of generosity.” “We are called to greater things than we think.” “There are zealous goers, zealous senders, and the disobedient.” “NCF mobilizes resources and inspired generosity.” “We look as stewarding everything that God has entrusted to us, our business, our assets – these can all be vehicles of greater generosity for the sake of the gospel. And that excites me to no end.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills) John Piper's sermon entitled "Boast Only in the Cross" at the Passion OneDay Conference in 2000 (also featured in our very own SPRINT program for financial finish lines!) John Piper's sermon entitled "Doing Missions When Dying is Gain" Look at the Book by John Piper at DesiringGod.org YouVersion Bible app John Piper's sermon entitled "A Passion for the Supremacy of Christ—Where He Is Not Named" discussing zealous goers, zealous senders, and the disobedient Kingdom Advisors (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue) Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman) Pete Ochs The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn 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 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Chris Hunsberger is the CEO of Radical, a ministry founded by pastor and author David Platt. Radical was initially created to help manage and steward the teaching ministry of David Platt, but has grown significantly in recent years to focus on one overarching goal: equipping the church to make disciples of all nations. Today, Radical has a variety of initiatives and events that are designed to accomplish just that. One of Radical’s initiatives called Urgent helps identify strong believers who are advancing the gospel in parts of the world that are completely unreached. Alongside Urgent is the strategic database that Radical has built called Stratus. The Stratus Index provides a comprehensive cross section of every country in the world to identify the intersection of spiritual and physical needs. This information is meant to help missions organizations as well as individuals strategically identify the most effective approaches to reach different areas of the world. Chris has a unique perspective on global missions and what it will take to complete Christ’s Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. Chris shared the sobering fact that the number of unreached people in the world is actually growing, not shrinking, as the population continues to grow, and that our strategy needs to change if we want to see meaningful progress. Listen now to hear what Chris had to say about how we should focus our giving in order to start to shift the pendulum. QUOTES TO REMEMBER “I want to do everything in my power to get the gospel to those who’ve never heard it.” “If we’ve all received the same command, to be part of making Jesus known in all nations, then what does that look like for the local church?” “99% of global missions funding is going to places where the church already exists. That’s called the Great Imbalance.” “We know that for a lot of global missions work, the type of work that’s done is not necessarily the type of work that’s most needed.” “Your giving or missions portfolio must have space for the unreached.” “If we really believe in this command to go and make disciples of all nations, then shouldn’t that drive everything that we do?” “If you are not equipping those that are a part of your faith family to make disciples of all nations, then you are directly disobeying that command.” “Just introducing people to the saving power of Jesus is not enough. So what does the end of the road look like? It looks like healthy churches all over the world.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Radical The Urgent Initiative The Stratus Index Desiring God and John Piper The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn 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 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Jeff Gowler is the president and CEO of Global Media Outreach, which seeks to give every person on Earth multiple opportunities to know Christ by leveraging technology and the internet. Jeff started off in the business world working his way up to Executive Vice President of Operations for one of the top 5 home building companies in the country before setting off to start his own home building company. After God abruptly got his attention, he pivoted to full time ministry, eventually becoming the CEO of GMO. The idea for Global Media Outreach began in 2004 when it’s founder, Walt Wilson, a project manager for Apple under Steve Jobs, was sitting in a meeting at MIT about how to best monetize the internet. As he listened to the discussion, he realized that the internet could be one of the most powerful tools to date in reaching the rest of the world for Christ. Since 2004, GMO has had over 250 million indicated decisions for Christ and has reached over 2.2 billion people with the message of the gospel using digital technology including social media and over 110 different websites. With numbers that large, it is easy to think that these gospel presentations or indications for Christ are simply clicks on a website and nothing more. However, Global Media Outreach has an intensive network of over 3500 online volunteer missionaries who follow up every online interaction with personal conversations and discipleship. As a testament to GMO’s commitment to follow-up and discipleship, in 2020 there were over 750,000 people who had been in a relationship with an online missionary for over 1 year. Jeff has an incredible perspective on the great commission and the work it will take to complete. You won’t want to miss this episode. QUOTES TO REMEMBER “There’s a heavy burden that comes when you are responsible for God’s money.” “We want to make sure that every person on Earth has multiple opportunities to know Jesus.” “The goal is not just to have a disciple, but a reproducing disciple.” “We had to make sure the message wasn’t just translated into the right languages, but also culturalized.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Global Media Outreach GMO's Live Map (Witness to All) Every Home for Christ Faith Comes by Hearing (see our interview with VP Morgan Jackson) YouVersion Bible App ExploreGod.com Finishing the Task (see our interview with FTT Global Church Planting Strategist Dan Hitzhusen) The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Psalm 46:10 | Be Still 10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

John Mark Eager is the executive director of the Mailbox Club, an international organization dedicated to advancing the gospel through the discipleship of children. If you haven’t heard of the Mailbox Club, that is probably because they work behind the scenes with many other missions organizations to provide discipleship training and resources to communities all over the world, including many regions that are completely closed to the gospel. Their extensive discipleship programs focus on kids 4-14 as well as teenagers, and even adults at times. Each program is designed to walk a new believer through the core foundations of the Christian faith, the Bible, and the Great Commission. Last year, the Mailbox Club partnered with over 60 thousand churches and 500 thousand volunteers all over the world to disciple 4.4 million children through the core of the gospel and the freedom that Christ offers. One of the incredible parts of the Mailbox Club’s strategy is just how widely adaptable the message of the gospel truly is. John Mark shared how their discipleship materials are being used in unique ways from Eastern Europe to Africa to underground communities in Afghanistan. The gospel hits each culture in a unique way, and it is amazing to watch it take root at an indigenous level and truly become viral. John Mark shares why children should be one of our highest priorities as we seek to bring the gospel to every tribe, nation, and tongue. And you won’t want to miss the incredible stories he had to share of how the church is moving all over the world. Listen now to hear all he had to say! QUOTES TO REMEMBER “And I realized … I could make a million dollars, so what? What does it matter?” “The approach we take is to equip believers around the world – churches and believers – to evangelize and disciple children.” “It literally is like the feeding of the 5000. If you take Jesus out of the story, there’s just no way.” “Children are the greatest harvest field in the world. And they are the most responsive to the gospel. “Adults become proud from success, or bitter from hardships they’ve faced. So it’s very difficult for a lot of adults to bend a knee and become like a child to receive Christ.” “Children are the most unreached people group in the world.” “Children, if won to Christ and properly discipled, can lead long, fruitful lives for Christ.” “It looks different in various countries because it’s indigenous – it’s gone viral, it’s organic, which is beautiful.” “We love to come in behind an organization that has a big evangelism presence and partner with them to provide long term discipleship.” “We cannot name anything we have that has not been given to us by God.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW The Mailbox Club Child Evangelism Fellowship Operation Christmas Child, the shoebox ministry of The Samaritan's Purse Rodney "Gipsy" Smith My Hope India Evangelism Explosion ROI Ministry (see our interview with founder, Tim Barker) Maclellan Foundation (see our interview with Director of Generosity, John Cortines) Josh McDowell The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Luke 18:16-17 | Let the Children Come to Me 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Today, we’re joined by Janine Maxwell, cofounder of Heart for Africa. Janine began her professional career in marketing, starting her own company in Canada at a young age. She quickly found success in the business world and rose to be one of the first female CEOs of a major marketing company in the world, with all the status and lifestyle that came with it. However, God had a radically different purpose for her life. After a series of life-changing events, God led Janine to abruptly shut down her successful company in order to better hear his voice in her life. And that initial step of faith allowed Janine and her husband Ian to eventually found Heart for Africa, a faith-based humanitarian aid organization. Unlike a number of organizations we’ve spoken to which try to tackle a specific problem across multiple regions and people groups, Heart for Africa is completely dedicated to systematically and sustainably serving the Eswatini people in Southern Africa. They use the acronym HOPE to define their mission addressing hunger, orphans, poverty, and education through project canaan, a 2500 acre land development project. Janine has an incredible personal story as well as some fantastic insight on sustainability in faith-based humanitarian aid that you won’t want to miss, so stay tuned. QUOTES TO REMEMBER “And I explained to God why it would be better if I sold my business, because then I would have more money to give him… but the need was immediate, and He was calling me immediately.” “So many Americans need to get out of the little bubble that they live in, to get out of the reality that they live in and see what’s happening in the rest of the world.” “We love them back to life.” “If it wasn’t us, it would have been someone else. Someone else would have had the blessing of rescuing that child. I would have missed out on a lifetime of blessing.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Heart for Africa Project Canaan Farm Flyover Tour The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren Janine's new book, Hope Lives Here Heart for Africa's online artisan shop, Khutsala.com Heart for Africa on Facebook Heart for Africa on Instagram The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn 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 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Adili Kea is the chief operations and development officer of SERV International, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that uses food as a platform to share Christ. Born in Kenya, Adili shares about experiencing poverty, hunger, and death from a young age, and about how missionaries and other nonprofit organizations helped him at different stages of growing up. He ultimately moved to the U.S. and later joined SERV International to help bring food, and more importantly, the gospel, to his home country. SERV trains and supports farmers in Kenya to produce large volumes of food which SERV then purchases from them. The food is brought by native Kenyan missionaries to communities in Kenya and throughout Africa in need of disaster relief. Wherever they bring food, these missionaries share Christ with the people they meet. The model has allowed them to support hundreds of women farmers in Kenya, pouring funding into the local economy, and creating an impressively sustainable model where Kenyans are supporting their own community when there is need of immediate relief. Having experienced life in Kenya and in the U.S., Adili had all sorts of perspective and stories to share on topics like why Christians in Kenya tend to live out their faith more radically and the incredible power of organizations working together towards a common goal. Listen now to hear all he had to say! QUOTES TO REMEMBER “Money amplifies what is in your heart.” “Ministry is a lifestyle for me. It’s not going to serve. It’s not going to church.” “For 15 years, SERV did not fundraise. As God continued to bless Steve’s business, he continued to take his money and pour it into SERV International. “If you go in with Jesus as the good news, then people get attached to Jesus, not the resources that you’re bringing.” “Food is key to our success, but it’s not the reason we go out every day.” “We need to trust God’s vision more than our own.” “If we genuinely want to share Christ, then we should all be on the same team.” “I don’t need you to partner with us. I just need you to partner with somebody.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW SERV International Revolution in World Missions, by K.P. Yohannon Atlanta Dream Center (now called Frontline Response) Convoy of Hope Feed the Hungry Unstoppable Foundation Mission Aviation Fellowship Charity Water The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn 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 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Chuck Andrews is a Financial Advisor based in Birmingham, Alabama who comes from a long lineage of generosity minded Christians, and it is clear that that mindset has permeated every aspect of his life. Like many of our guests, he also lives with a financial finish line, and we had all sorts of questions for him on the topic. Aside from finish lines, you’ll get to hear Chuck’s thoughts on things like how he divides up his giving, how he chooses nonprofits to partner with, and how he incorporates his kids into the process. Stay tuned until the end because Chuck had one of the most fascinating and strategic manager minutes we’ve heard on the podcast so far and you won’t want to miss it. QUOTES TO REMEMBER “Don’t be a reservoir, be a conduit.” “It’s not mine, it’s all His.” “Nearly 100% of my giving goes to something gospel centered, that has eternal focus.” “When I have structured my giving, I’ve said those offerings are going to organizations that serve widows, orphans, and the poor.” “If it’s anything above this line, I’m giving it away – all of it.” “I like to pick a handful of organizations and go deep with them.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Radical by David Platt Doulos Partners (see our interview with CEO and founder, David Johnson) Neverthirst (see our interview with CEO, Matt Letourneau) International Justice Mission Compassion International The American Gospel National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills) Kingdom Advisors (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue) The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Luke 12:48 | To Whom Much is Given 48 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. Matt 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.’ Mark 12:17 | Give to Caesar What is Caesar’s 17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him. Matt 26:7-11 | Jesus Anointed 7 a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. 8 And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

In this episode, we were joined by Mike and Joyce Jackson, who lead Reach the Rest, a ministry dedicated to empowering local indigenous missionaries to spread the gospel in the places in the world where it’s never been heard. Together, they had a wealth of information and experience to share on topics like the new wave of global missions through indigenous missionaries, the impact of seeing the work firsthand, and how even a few dollars can have a massive impact. They had an endless supply of stories to share from their experience on the field and their interactions with generous supporters. Listen now to hear all they had to share! QUOTES TO REMEMBER “We’re used to being the tip of the spear. But in this age in which we live in, it’s a great thing to be a servant, and to be in a subservient role, to where we’re not necessarily the tip, but we’re holding the spear for those dear national believers, the indigenous. And they get the privilege of penetrating the darkness with the gospel.” “What’s the best investment you can make? It’s based in a relationship, one that is going to bring someone into God’s kingdom. Those types of investments are eternal.” “God just asks you to bring your fish and your loaves. That’s all He asks you to bring. He’s not asking you to bring enough to feed the 5000. He asks you to bring what He’s put in your hand.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Reach the Rest Neverthirst (see our interview with CEO Matt Letourneau) Doulos Partners (see our interview with CEO David Johnson) The 10/40 Window (from the Joshua Project, see our interview with Director, Dan Scribner) See our interview with Richard Baxter here Faith Comes by Hearing (see our interview with VP Morgan Jackson) The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Lamentations 3:22-24 | Great Is Your Faithfullness 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Todd Harper, one of the 4 cofounders of Generous Giving, sat down with us to share not only his incredible personal story, but the entire foundation story of Generous Giving. From a young age, Todd was fascinated by money, eventually dreaming of becoming a millionaire by 30. But God had a very different plan for his life. After a number of years in campus ministry, Todd’s life intersected with a couple of key individuals whose lives were marked by extreme generosity. As he carefully watched how their lives differed from those around them, his curiosity eventually grew into the foundation of Generous Giving. Generous Giving’s purpose is to create environments where people can experience and ask questions about generosity in a safe, encouraging way. Generous Giving is fully funded by the Maclellan Foundation, so they never have to ask for donations in return. Their mission is simply to invite Christians into a spirit-led commitment to generosity in order to fill them with a newfound freedom and purpose when it comes to wealth. Few organizations have had a greater impact on reframing the concept of generosity in the American church, and we were blessed to be able to sit down with Todd to hear the whole story. You certainly won’t want to miss this one. QUOTES TO REMEMBER “If we really come to understand God’s plan for our lives, then living into that plan is the most obvious, natural way to live.” “What I felt like God was asking me to give up was my dream to be a millionaire by 30.” “I’m an eternal investment advisor, I help people lay up treasure in heaven.” “The essence of what we started with is still the essence of what we do, which is to tell compelling stories and ask questions.” “It’s so easy to be convinced that what the world is selling 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year is legit – that bigger, better, faster makes you happy.” “The Holy Spirit flips the switch for people from ‘ought to’ to ‘get to’ in their giving.” “Desire is so much more powerful than duty.” “Being around generous people is just stinkin contagious.” “People who are giving their lives away for the sake of others – there is a joy and authenticity in their experience of life that is attractive.” “I’ve never met an unhappy generous person.” “This orientation towards others, this orientation towards giving, really is the thing that brings life and joy.” “Because of my orientation to always wanting more, the notion of what I had being enough created a sense of freedom and contentment that I never would have predicted.” “I don’t always need to figure out how to make more, or save more, or create more for the future.” “I think many of the most generous families I know have implemented some version of a finish line.” “The idea of establishing limits to create freedom is a very powerful idea and it’s rarely implemented in the financial space.” “The more dependant I am on God, the better of a place I’m in.” “I’m not sure God ever wants us to get to the place where we are financially independent.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman) Generous Giving's Journey of Generosity retreats Generous Giving's Celebration of Generosity annual conference Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) - college campus ministry Money, Possessions, and Eternity (see our interview with author Randy Alcorn) Hugh Maclellan and the Maclellan Foundation (see our interview with Director of Generosity, John Cortines) Mover of Men and Mountains by R.G. LeTourneau Forrest Reinhardt - Cofounder of Generous Giving National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills) Kingdom Advisors (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue) The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW John 8:32 | The Truth Will Set You Free 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Matt. 6:21 | Where Your Treasure Is 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 | That Which is Truly Life 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. 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Andy and Mel Yoon started off chasing the high life, but found themselves living a life of stress and anxiety with a dental practice that was struggling. But when they started praying a dangerous prayer, God answered in a dramatic way, calling them to give away 51% of their income. Since taking that leap of faith, their life has been flipped upside down as they wade deeper and deeper into the joy of generosity. Every part of their life today is filled with purpose and mission, from how Andy runs his dental practice to how they raise their kids. Listen now to hear their thoughts on topics like how to take that initial leap, how to draw others into generosity, and how to steward not only your finances, but your story as well. QUOTES TO REMEMBER “It’s a really scary place to be, because [God] can give you any answer. He can ask you to sell everything, move to Africa, leave your family, whatever it may be.” “Andy, what have you done with what I’ve given you?” “If I really am taking this seriously, I should be giving more than I take.” “It doesn’t make any sense to us, but there’s gotta be a lot of room for faith.” “The Great Commission applies to everyone.” “When we’re going in to work with an organization, we’re meeting a spiritual need and we’re meeting a physical need.” “We try to surround ourselves with people who will push us harder, push us further, and help us expand what we even think we can do.” “How much is enough? At what point can you just give the rest away instead of it being a percentage?” “Generosity is kind of like a snowball, and as it’s rolling down, it’s just picking up more and more snow and getting bigger and bigger.” “We want to expand more and to grow more so that we can give more.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Radical by David Platt Crazy Love, by Francis Chan Neverthirst (see our own interview with Matt Letourneau, CEO of Neverthirst) Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman) Journey of Generosity through Generous Giving The Alan and Katherine Barnhart story The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Matt 19:16-22 | The Rich Young Ruler 16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Matt. 28:19-20 | The Great Commission 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Matt. 11:28-30 | My Yoke is Easy 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Richard Baxter is a dentist in Birmingham, Alabama who has channeled every part of his business towards bringing the gospel to unreached people groups around the world. Not only does Richard run his own dental practice, but he founded the Alabama Tongue Tie Center and authored the best selling book, Tongue Tied. He also teaches several courses for other practitioners all over the country on the treatment of tongue ties. Most significantly though, Richard channels the vast majority of the funds from his book and courses, totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars, directly to organizations targeting unreached people groups. His passion for the gospel is infectious and it is amazing to see how God has used him to fuel it's spread in hard-to-reach places. Richard is incredibly thoughtful in how he gives, and shares a wealth of resources for ways people can get involved in reaching unreached people groups with the gospel. We were so encouraged and challenged by Richard's story, you won't want to miss it! QUOTES TO REMEMBER "Don't separate the reason for God's blessing from the purpose for God's blessing" "There is an ability to finish the Great Commission, as far as we understand it, for every tribe, nation, people, and language." "99% of Christian giving goes to where the gospel is already known ... less than 1% goes to the unreached." "If my middle school teacher knew I wrote a book, she'd probably die." "Unreached people groups are the best bang for your buck, the best eternal return on investment." LINKS FROM THE SHOW Shelby Pediatric Dentistry Alabama Tongue Tie Center Richard's book, Tongue Tied Beta Upsilon Chi (Brothers Under Christ) Radical by David Platt When Helping Hurts (see our interview with coauthor Brian Fikkert) mPower Approach (dental missions) End of the Spear (movie) Miracle at Tenwek (book about the life of Dr. Ernie Steury) Toward the Tithe and Beyond (the story of John Wesley, as told by John Piper) Don't Waste Your Life, by John Piper Crazy Love, by Francis Chan Money, Possessions, and Eternity (see our interview with author Randy Alcorn) Neverthirst (see our own interview with Matt Letourneau, CEO of Neverthirst) The Issachar Initiative Doulos Partners (see our interview with David Johnson, CEO of Doulos Partners) Reach the Rest (see our interview with CEO, Mike Jackson) Pray the Word Podcast by David Platt The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Psalm 67:1-2 | The Purpose of God's Blessings 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us— 2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. Matt 6:19-21 | Do Not Store Up Treasures on Earth 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 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Peter and Kendra Amico, an economist and ER doctor by trade, have truly been captivated by the generosity of the gospel. While their calling to generosity started before they came to faith, they share how coming into personal relationship with Christ exploded the power of generosity in their lives. It is evident that God was very intently seeking after them and that he had a very specific plan for their lives. Not only has God given them a deep heart for generosity, but he has equipped them with a whole arsenal of creative tax and giving strategies that we have never heard on the show before. One of their more intriguing approaches they share involved setting up a personal 501c3 nonprofit with another couple or two in order to allow them to write off all of the "spontaneous" giving they were doing such as covering bills, auto repair, and medical expenses for people in need around their community. In doing so, they were able to augment the impact of their dollars given. Outside of their financial lives, the Amicos have a deeply rooted passion for foster care in the Orlando area and are parents to 6 through birth, foster care, and adoption. They discuss how foster care and adoption are closely intertwined with generosity and how God has worked radically in their lives through the process. Listen now to hear the Amico's incredible story. QUOTES TO REMEMBER "It's just fun to look for opportunities and then realize I can meet that need right now!" "How can we start to give to people in our community who we wouldn't have thought to give to before?" "We were growing our trust in God that he is the ultimate one in charge, not us. And that responsibility is off my shoulders." "I think generosity is the single most important growth area in our Christian walk" "It's in losing your life that your really find it, and it's not always in the way you would think." LINKS FROM THE SHOW Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman) Generous Giving's annual Celebration of Generosity Conference Tim Keller's message on Proverbs 11:24 at the Generous Giving Conference Campus Crusade (Cru) Redeem International International Justice Mission (IJM) National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills) Peter and Kendra's Orlando Foster Care website Central Florida Foster Care Alliance The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Proverbs 11:24 | One Gives Freely 24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

Steve French is the President and CEO of the Signatry, which partners with families and generous givers to strategically advance the gospel and tackle some of the worlds greatest problems. He shares his story growing up in humble circumstances to becoming a seasoned investor and entrepreneur, purchasing over 15 companies in his career. However, despite all his success, it was one failure that he ranks above it all as one of the most defining moments of his life. Through that moment, God finally got Steve's attention, and we sure are glad that He did. Since that time, Steve has been rigorously focused on mobilizing families that have been given much to manage in order to have an incredible impact on the kingdom. On top of that, Steve gives us an inside look at how donor advised funds and other creative giving strategies can amplify and maximize our impact much more than we may realize. Listen now to hear Steve's incredible story and his depth of knowledge on creative giving strategies. QUOTES TO REMEMBER "I didn't have a clue where God was leading me, I just knew I was supposed to leave." "This is the most important thing to ever happen to me in my life other than my adoption, coming to know Christ, and getting married to my wife Debbie." "Because God was telling me, 'I wanted you to learn for the rest of your life that you are a steward and I am the owner. But you thought you were the steward AND the owner.'" "God intends, and always has intended, to work through the family." "God has a vision and a mission for every family, and it's not a one generational purpose." "God is the owner of everything. Not just our material resources, but our gifts, our talents, our time." "Our life is determined, it's written in the Lamb's book of life. It has a start, and it has a finish. So how do we steward that time that's between those 2 points?" "That failing to me is more important that my successes. And God get's glorified every time I tell that story." "God is the best investor that there'll ever be or ever has been. His returns on investment are 2x or 3x. His returns are 100x or 1000x." "By unlocking those assets, they can often give 10 times as much as they would have given had they given cash." LINKS FROM THE SHOW The Signatry Bill High, founder and CEO of the Signatry National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills) The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn 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 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 Facebook and LinkedIn.

We’re joined by former businessman and pastor David Johnson, the founder and CEO of Doulos Partners. Doulos Partners serves as a sort of mission’s mutual fund, sending resources where they will get the greatest return on investment. They partner with established, successful church planting ministries that already have deep relationships with indigenous pastors around the world and are spreading the gospel in their region. They are listed as one of the top 10 most effective missions organizations by by ROI Ministry, which rigorously screens missions organizations for effectiveness. More than that, David shares a bigger picture vision for what God is doing on a global scale in the area of missions. In just the last year, there has been a beautiful collision of technology, manpower, and collaboration among many missions organizations that has never before been possible. Stay tuned to hear why David thinks these new developments have the potential to complete the Great Commission in our lifetime by bringing the gospel to all peoples, nations, and tongues. This conversation blew our minds, you will not want to miss it. QUOTES TO REMEMBER "My master only expected one thing from me, and that was obedience." "God what is it you want me to do? My 'Yes' is on the table." "Find out where God is working, and join Him there." "If you compare [the cost of a Western missionary] to someone in Cuba making $300 per year, then all of a sudden you can support 400 church planters for the same price that is costs to support 1." "There are 5.1 billion people in the 1040 window, 59 countries, yet less than 3% of all Christendom's missions dollars go inside the window. That is, in fact, the Great Imbalance." "I believe, for the first time in my life, I see how we can take the gospel not only to every continent and country and block and district and village, but to every man, woman, boy, and girl - this beautiful collision between technology, boots on the ground, communication, collaboration - doesn't matter who gets the credit, it's all about taking the gospel further and faster to the ends of the earth." "In 13 years, we've had close to 4000 partnership requests from all over the world, and we've only said yes to 6." LINKS FROM THE SHOW Doulos Partners Worldlink Ministries Big Life Ministries DOOR International New Generations The Timothy Initiative (see our interview with CEO, Jared Nelms) iShare - The mapping software developed by Cru The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Greg Baumer, a graduate of Harvard Business School, has had a successful career as Chief Growth Officer of a healthcare startup called naviHealth. In his early career, he focused on the high life, going to expensive dinners and vacations with his wife, Alison. However, a class at Harvard called God and Money flipped upside-down his view of money. Always a faithful tither, his question changed from "How much do I need to give" to "How much do I need to keep?". He is co-author of the book God and Money, along with previous podcast guest John Cortines. He has a deep wealth of experience on financial finish lines and speaks around the country on the finish line concept and generosity. Listen now to hear his story! QUOTES TO REMEMBER "We were dutifully paying our 10% tithe, but there was no worship in it. It was not a way for us to interact with God, it was more like the cost of admission we paid God every week so that we could spend the other 90%." "Everything that we have truly belongs to God." "It is so helpful to have done the work in advance around the finish line concept, because then when the money comes, it is relatively straightforward to allocate it across the categories of giving, spending, and saving." "Generosity is not a choice that we make one time, but rather a choice that we make daily in gratitude to Christ for his generosity towards us." "The wrestling with the Holy Spirit, with your spouse, in the counsel of other wise Christians, is in fact the point." LINKS FROM THE SHOW Greg's book God and Money (also see our interview with coauthor, John Cortines) Randy Alcorn (see our interview with Randy) Sermon by Jon Tyson, courtesy of Generous Giving World Vision Compassion International Cru Intervarsity National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills) The Signatry (see our interview with CEO, Steve French) WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! Find us on instagram or reach out on our contact page.

In this episode, we're joined by Matt Letourneau, CEO of Neverthirst. It’s estimated that 785 million people still lack access to clean and safe water. Neverthirst partners with local indigenous pastors as well as established local well drilling teams to bring clean water and the gospel to some of the poorest unreached people groups in the world. For those of us seeking to manage God's wealth wisely, Matt shares on topics like accountability for nonprofits, balancing addressing physical and spiritual needs, and sharing a vision with others. He also explains why addressing clean water is a unique strategy with ripple effects through entire communities in areas like healthcare, gender equality, and education. He also shares several inspiring stories of radical givers with a deep passion for serving the poor and unreached. Listen now to hear our conversation with Matt! QUOTES TO REMEMBER "We are both physical beings and spiritual beings." "If you look at Jesus' ministry, he met physical needs. He cared about the physical needs of the people that were put in his path." "Every single person that they're around now has gotten the bug for being generous and they're the most joyful people I've ever been around. LINKS FROM THE SHOW Sponsor a project with Neverthirst Radical by pastor and author David Platt The Ultimate Disconnect - The sermon by David Platt at The Church at Brook Hills that launched the foundation of Neverthirst When Helping Hurts (see our interview with coauthor Brian Fikkert) Charity Navigator Guidestar ROI Ministry (see our interview with founder, Tim Barker) Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman) Generous Giving's annual Celebration of Generosity Conference WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! Find us on instagram or reach out on our contact page.

Steve Scalici is a seasoned financial advisor and pastor of Family Church Jupiter in Jupiter, FL. He and his family also have over 15 years of experience living with a financial finish line. In this episode, Steve shares his inspiring story as well as a wealth of perspective on topics like choosing a finish line, teaching generosity to your kids, and encouraging generosity in others. QUOTES TO REMEMBER "God prospers me not to increase my standard of living, but to increase my standard of giving." "The only antidote to materialism is generosity." "[Giving] frees you up to not worry about money... I pay attention to the dollars and I am aware, but it's just not a big concern or worry." "I don't care if I close an account or not, and there's just so much peace in that." "Give, save, and live on the rest." "Sometimes, your heart goes somewhere, and then your treasure follows." LINKS FROM THE SHOW Steve's church network, the Family Church network Money, Possessions, and Eternity (see our interview with author Randy Alcorn) The Treasure Principle (see our interview with author Randy Alcorn) Kingdom Advisors (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue) Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman) BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Luke 12:16-21 | Bigger Barns 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God." Matthew 6:19-24 | Lay Up Treasure in Heaven 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. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Matthew 5:16 | Let Your Light Shine 16 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. Matthew 6:3-4 | Give in Secret 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Proverbs 21:20 | The Wise Store Up 20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down. Acts 20:35 | More Blessed to Give than to Receive 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Matthew 6:34 | Don't Worry About Tomorrow 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Luke 12:48 | To Whom Much is Given 48 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. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! Find us on instagram or reach out on our contact page.

Sean Conlon is a successful investor and entrepreneur who has started and sold several successful businesses over his career. In 2020, he and his wife made the surprising decision to sell everything they own and live out of an RV. Since that time, they have developed a radical and refreshing new outlook on life and purpose. Listen now to hear about his experience along the way. QUOTES TO REMEMBER "God's going to accomplish what He's going to accomplish, whether it's through you or through someone else - it's all how your heart is positioned." "We can let so much noise creep into our lives that we can no longer discern the Lord's voice." LINKS FROM THE SHOW Sean and Christina's Video | Selling It All to Pursue a Mission Bigger Than We Ever Imagined Sean's YouTube Channel | The Daily Barker Sean's Video | I Walked and Ran a 5k Every Day for a Year Straight 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.

One of the most significant barriers people face when considering setting a financial finish line is debt. Whether it's student loans or large credit card balances, debt can prove to be both a financial and emotional barrier to the freedom and purpose that come with setting a finish line. In this episode, we'll break down the different types of debt and how to think about each one. We'll also give some real examples, including some from our own lives, to show how a financial finish line can actually get you out of debt much faster than you would otherwise. Listen to the full episode to hear more! QUOTES TO REMEMBER "Set a finish line as if the debt was already paid off, and then as you start to work towards that finish line, any margin above that finish line you can use to quickly pay down those debts so that they're no longer a barrier to giving." "We started to find a little more of a balance between the three things that excess can go to, and that's debt, giving, and retirement." "The process of getting rid of it is all in order to free us up to give more freely, it was about the freedom to be able to give without hesitation." "We set a finish line, but what if we set a temporary lower line, which you could call a 'soft finish line', so that we could pay off that debt faster?" LINKS FROM THE SHOW Debt Calculator Finish Line Forum 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.

In this Q&A episode, we'll answer a listener's question about tithing with a financial finish line. What does the Bible say about tithing and where did that idea come from? Are we still required to tithe since Christ's resurrection? What does tithing mean for current day Christians? And what does tithing look like for someone with a financial finish line? We'll answer all these questions and more in our deep diving on tithing! QUOTES TO REMEMBER "A more accurate way for us to think about tithing as Christians is that it is a small subset of how we are supposed to think about and relate to money as a whole. If tithing is the extent of how we think about how we manage God's wealth, and how we serve those around us and serve the poor, and how we think about possessions and what we spend on ourself, then we are missing the big picture of what we are called to as Christians." "You cannot be satisfied if you love money. There's no point at which you'll say I have enough." "You never see a hearse followed by a UHaul!" BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Leviticus 27:30-32 | The Tithe 30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord. 31 If a man wishes to redeem some of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. 32 And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to the Lord. Numbers 18:21-26 | The General Tithe 21 “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting, 22 so that the people of Israel do not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. 23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the people of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 24 For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel.” 25 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe. Deuteronomy 14:22-27 | The Worship Tithe 22 “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. 23 And before the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. 24 And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, when the Lord your God blesses you, because the place is too far from you, which the Lord your God chooses, to set his name there, 25 then you shall turn it into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place that the Lord your God chooses 26 and spend the money for whatever you desire—oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. And you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household. 27 And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you. Deuteronomy 14:28-29 | The Welfare Tithe 28 “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. 29 And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do. Matthew 23:23 | Upholding the Tithe 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 | No Satisfaction in Money 10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 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. Matthew 6:24 | Can't Serve Two Masters 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Proverbs 11:24 | The One Who Gives Freely 24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. 2 Corinthia

In this episode, we have the chance to talk to John Cortines, coauthor of the books God and Money as well as True Riches: What Jesus Really Said About Money and Your Heart. He currently serves as Director of Generosity at The Maclellan Foundation and has also served as the Chief Operations Officer of Generous Giving, a nonprofit dedicated to opening the conversation about generosity. He shares his story starting with a six figure salary out of college on the fast track to early retirement before radically changing his perspective on wealth and faith during his time at Harvard Business School. He and his coauthor Greg Baumer have written and spoken widely about the idea of a financial finish line, and we had many questions for John about the subject. QUOTES TO REMEMBER "Generosity is actually a mechanism for getting closer to God, and it brings joy, and it brings freedom, and it opens up a whole new avenue to purpose in life." "We had come into a study of God and money to ask, 'How much so we really need to give?, but God flipped our perspective to, 'How much do we need to keep?'" "Rather than saying 'What do I want to give money to?', say 'What does God's Word direct me to?'. And then, in the process of giving to that, to actually cry out to God and say, 'God, I don't have your heart, but I believe you can shape mine and make it more like yours.'" LINKS FROM THE SHOW God and Money, by John Cortines and Greg Baumer (also see our interview with Greg Baumer) The Finish Line Calculator Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman) Generous Giving Journey of Generosity Maclellan Foundation Compassion International BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Luke 12:13-21 | The Rich Fool 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 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.” Proverbs 30:8 | Give Me Only What I Need 8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 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.

Today, we're joined by Tim Barker, founder and director of ROI Ministry, an organization that seeks to find the absolute most effective organizations per dollar that are doing kingdom-based work in provision of basic needs, evangelism, and discipleship. He shares his thoughts on how we as Christians should think about giving in order to be most effective ourselves. How responsible are we as Christians to give in the most effective ways possible? How should we divide our giving among things like basic food and water, evangelism, and long term discipleship? Listen now to hear Tim's wisdom and insight on the subject. And when you get the chance, certainly take a look at all the resources provided on the ROI Ministry website, including their Top 10 list of effective ministries. QUOTES TO REMEMBER "When we find a top ten ministry, not only do we have to find the impact per dollar, which can be a challenge, but also what is that impact - how can you quantify it?" "God places no greater value on my son than this poor impoverished boy on the street, and so what can I do to help him, as well as my son?" LINKS FROM THE SHOW ROI Ministry Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman) National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills) ROI MINISTRY'S TOP TEN LIST Faith Comes by Hearing (see our interview with VP Morgan Jackson) Jesus Film (see our interview with Executive Director Josh Newell) Jesus Film Harvest Partners (see our interview with Executive Director Brian Helstrom) Never Thirst (see our interview with CEO Matt Letourneau) Doulos Partners (see our interview with CEO David Johnson) SERV International (see our interview with COO Adili Kea) Heart for Africa (see our interview with COO Janine Maxwell) Medical Ambassadors International (see our interview with CEO Ravi Jayakaran) Global Media Outreach (see our interview with CEO Jeff Gowler) The Mailbox Club (see our interview with CEO John Mark Eager) 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.’ Luke 10:25-37 | The Parable of the Good Samaritan 25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going dow

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.

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.

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 Finish Line SPRINTs Finish Line Pledge on Instagram 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Have you ever considered the idea that everything we own, everything we have ever owned, and everything we ever will own belongs to God? We tend to think of ourselves as owners, but any serious look at scripture shows us that everything belongs to God, and we are simply stewards, or managers, over whatever portion He has given us. Join cohosts and brothers Kealan, a surgeon, and Cody, a financial advisor, as they seek to answer the simple question: How do we best manage God's wealth? In this episode, they'll unpack the foundation of the Finish Line Pledge (formerly known as the Aspiring to the Median movement) and share how these realizations have impacted their lives in radical ways. 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: “What I love about the whole percentile structure is that it gives us a framework to orient our lives and our expenses and our giving around” “Without an intentional financial structure in our lives, we’ll always tend to slip in and out of generosity depending on what is going on” LINKS FROM THE SHOW The Finish Line Calculator A full detailed description of the calculator methodology The IMPACT program (now called Finish Line SPRINTs) A detailed list of giving ideas for what to do with your excess 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.