The Finish Line Podcast

The Finish Line Team
  • 5.0 (53)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Kealan, a surgeon, and Cody, a financial advisor, discuss the intersection of faith, generosity, and personal finance. They’re joined by a variety of guests, including pastors, financial advisors, radically generous givers, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and nonprofit leaders to explore one central question: How do we best steward God’s wealth? On The Finish Line Podcast, you’ll hear challenging and inspirational stories of tremendous generosity. You’ll also learn from experts in multiple fields about topics like setting a financial finish line, giving efficiently and effectively, and teaching generosity to your children. More than anything, though, you’ll see how God is constantly at work redeeming the world He created and loves. Visit the website at www.finishlinepledge.com to learn more.

  1. Kristen Shuler, President of East West Ministries, on Church Planting in the Darkest Regions of the World (Ep. 178)

    1D AGO

    Kristen Shuler, President of East West Ministries, on Church Planting in the Darkest Regions of the World (Ep. 178)

    Kristen Shuler, President of East-West Ministries International, shares how God shaped her calling to take the gospel to the world’s least reached people. Raised in a Christian home with a deep commitment to discipleship and missions, Kristen came to faith at a young age and learned early that obedience to God often comes before visible fruit. Those formative experiences, including years of frontline ministry overseas, continue to anchor her leadership today. At East-West, Kristen helps lead a global network focused on multiplying disciples and churches in spiritually dark places where access to the gospel is limited or nonexistent. Rather than relying on outside control, East-West prioritizes local leadership, obedience-based discipleship, and collaboration across ministries, trusting God to grow lasting movements of faith. Kristen speaks honestly about the cost of faithfulness, the patience required when fruit is slow to appear, and the freedom that comes from surrendering outcomes to God. This conversation offers a hopeful vision for wise stewardship, faithful generosity, and finding your place in God’s mission. Listen to explore how obedience, prayer, and collaboration shape lasting Kingdom impact. Major Topics Include: Obedience over visible ministry results Multiplication as a core discipleship DNA Reaching unengaged and unreached people groups Local ownership of the missionary task Obedience based versus knowledge based discipleship Finding joy beyond performance driven ministry Collaboration reshaping global missions strategy Prayer as essential spiritual labor Diverse pathways for Great Commission participation QUOTES TO REMEMBER “The ministry is not about seeing fruit. The ministry is about obedience.” “Even if I didn’t see the fruit, I could trust that He was at work.” “The Lord uses every step of obedience and every seed that’s planted as part of His ultimate plan.” “Discipleship is not just about gaining knowledge, but about being obedient to the Word of God.” “If I tell somebody what to do, that will fail every time. But when God’s Word and the Spirit lead, that’s where transformation happens.” “The Great Commission is a God-given mandate for every follower of Jesus to find their place in.” “It’s not about choosing what feels comfortable, but responding in obedience to what God is asking.” “The people are waiting to hear. They simply need a laborer to come to them.” “Not a single one of us can accomplish the Great Commission on our own.” “That humility we’re seeing across missions organizations is something only the Spirit can do.” “We want to learn, grow, and come with open hands to see what the Lord might do through unity.” “If I’m not abiding in Jesus, I have very little to offer anyone else.” “Do we want to be known for our strategies, or do we want to be known for loving Jesus?” “If we’re not marked by our love for Jesus, our strategies will be ineffective.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW East-West Ministries International International Missions Board Coalition of the Willing (see our interviews with founding members Jared Nelms and Scott Cheatham) The Treasure Principle (see our interview with author Randy Alcorn) BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Matthew 28:19–20 | Make Disciples of All Nations Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Acts 1:8 | Witness to the Ends But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Galatians 5:25 | Keeping in Step with the Spirit If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Matthew 9:37–38 | The Harvest Is Plentiful Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” John 15:4–5 | Abide and Bear Fruit Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 17:20–23 | Unity That the World May Believe Matthew 6:21 | Treasure and the Heart For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. TAKE A STEP DEEPER On the Finish Line podcast, we are all about stories, seeing how God draws us into generosity over a lifetime.  But sometimes these stories can leave us thinking, “What’s that next step look like for me?” That’s exactly why we’ve launched a whole new podcast called Applied Generosity which explores the full landscape of the generous life across 7 different dimensions of generosity.  Applied Generosity helps make sense of the hundreds of stories we’ve shared on the Finish Line Podcast to help you find that best next step. If you’ve been inspired by these stories and want to take things to the next level, check out Applied Generosity anywhere you listen to podcasts or at appliedgenerosity.com.

    1h 1m
  2. Erin Moser, Director of Advancement at Musana, on Self-Sustaining Community Development in Uganda (Ep. 177)

    FEB 9

    Erin Moser, Director of Advancement at Musana, on Self-Sustaining Community Development in Uganda (Ep. 177)

    Erin Moser serves as Chief Advancement Officer at Musana Community Development Organization, where her calling grew from a simple act of generosity into a lifelong commitment to dignifying, sustainable impact. After encountering Musana’s founder through a local church, Erin and her family began supporting the work quietly. However, it was travelling to Uganda and witnessing firsthand how God was using local leadership, not Western charity, to restore communities that reshaped her understanding of generosity, stewardship, and what lasting faith-driven impact can look like on the ground. Today, Erin helps advance Musana’s enterprise-driven model, where schools, hospitals, women’s training centers, and businesses work together to address poverty at its roots. Rather than creating dependence, Musana invests in infrastructure that becomes locally owned, locally led, and financially sustainable. Erin shares hard lessons learned along the way, the importance of humility in giving, and why stewardship means deploying resources wisely so communities can flourish long after outside support steps back. Listen to this episode to reconsider how faith, generosity, and wise stewardship can multiply impact through local ownership and trust in God’s design. Major Topics Include: Moving from charity to dignifying partnership Local ownership as the path to lasting impact Addressing poverty through job creation Infrastructure over programs for sustainability Humility in learning across cultures Letting communities lead their own solutions Measuring success beyond short-term outcomes QUOTES TO REMEMBER “Orphanages create orphans.” “Generosity should be catalytic. It should restore dignity, not take it away.” “How dignifying is it to a parent to say, you can’t provide for your own child, so let someone from the West do it for you?” “We have to stop imposing our Western ideals and learn together with what actually works in their landscape.” “Faithful stewardship isn’t about how much we give, but how we intentionally deploy what God has entrusted to us.” “We don’t run programs. We build infrastructure.” “Economists say no developing country will ever lift itself out of poverty by charity alone.” “Once we got on the ground, we realized how insignificant we were to the solution.” “They didn’t need us as much as we needed them.” “The locals are the heroes of their own story.” “God just kept putting one simple step in front of the other.” “It started with saying yes, and the understanding came later.” “God doesn’t call us to preserve our resources. He calls us to put them to work.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Musana Community Development Organization BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Zechariah 4:10 | Faithful Small Beginnings “For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.” Matthew 25:14–30 | Stewardship of Entrusted Resources Matthew 6:1–4 | Heart Posture in Giving Mark 12:41–44 | The Widow’s Offering TAKE A STEP DEEPER On the Finish Line podcast, we are all about stories, seeing how God draws us into generosity over a lifetime.  But sometimes these stories can leave us thinking, “What’s that next step look like for me?” That’s exactly why we’ve launched a whole new podcast called Applied Generosity which explores the full landscape of the generous life across 7 different dimensions of generosity.  Applied Generosity helps make sense of the hundreds of stories we’ve shared on the Finish Line Podcast to help you find that best next step. If you’ve been inspired by these stories and want to take things to the next level, check out Applied Generosity anywhere you listen to podcasts or at appliedgenerosity.com.

    50 min
  3. Erik Laursen, CEO of New Covenant Missions, on the Rapid Spread of the Gospel in Africa (Ep. 176)

    FEB 2

    Erik Laursen, CEO of New Covenant Missions, on the Rapid Spread of the Gospel in Africa (Ep. 176)

    Erik Larson, President and CEO of New Covenant Missions, joins the conversation to share how God invited him to leave a stable, successful career in the restaurant industry for a life shaped by obedience and global missions. Raised in a Christian home, Erik experienced seasons of both closeness and distance from Christ before God used disruption, restlessness, and a growing burden for the unreached to redirect his life. What began as contentment in business-as-mission work became a holy invitation to trust God beyond security, leading Erik and his family into indigenous missions across Africa. Through New Covenant Missions, Erik now works to equip and support local church planters who are best positioned to reach their own communities with the gospel. He explains why empowering indigenous leaders, adapting to local cultures, and prioritizing disciple-making are central to sustainable Kingdom impact. The conversation highlights God’s work in some of the most difficult and overlooked places, along with the patience, humility, and discernment required to steward resources wisely and faithfully. Listen to this episode to reflect on how God may be inviting you to say yes, trust Him deeply, and join His work beyond your comfort. Major Topics Include: Invitation versus obligation in God’s calling A unique approach for each culture Contrasting discipleship-making and Church-planting movements Working with “Pauls” and “Timothys” Opening hearts through physical needs The balance of missions and charity The blessing and challenge of a communal mindset Emerging strategies in missions Partnering for Global Impact Getting ready for the Holy Spirit’s move QUOTES TO REMEMBER “God radically disturbed my life.” “The biggest injustice in the world is that there are still people living out there who have no access to Jesus, and we’ve got to change that.” “I felt God say, ‘We’re going to raise up multitudes of indigenous leaders to reach the nations.’” “The people best positioned to reach their communities are the people who already live there.” “What we really want to do is find the people that already have the heart and the passion for the Great Commission and then be the gasoline to their fire.” “We’re not there to build something for them. We’re there to empower what God is already doing through them.” “I like to say they’re born pregnant. As soon as they become believers, we’re training them to make disciples.” “Mission is making disciples who make disciples, not just doing good things in the name of Christ.” “I believe at the route we’re going now that by 2050, we could see a church in every village of the world and no unreached people left.” “When the Holy Spirit decides to move, it can be the hardest place in the world, and suddenly everything changes.” “God is doing all the work anyway. We just get invited to join Him.” “Just say yes, and God does the rest.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW New Covenant Missions Every Home for Christ Joshua Project (see our interview with Director, Dan Scribner) Jesus Film Project (see our interview with Executive Director Josh Newell) Finishing the Task (see our interview with FTT Global Church Planting Strategist Dan Hitzhusen) ACHIEVE Alliance BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Acts 16:9 | Macedonian Call   And a vision appeared to Paul in the night, a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’   Matthew 28:19–20 | The Great Commission   Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.   Acts 16:31–33 | Household Faith   Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.   John 17:21 | Unity in Mission   That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. TAKE A STEP DEEPER On the Finish Line podcast, we are all about stories, seeing how God draws us into generosity over a lifetime.  But sometimes these stories can leave us thinking, “What’s that next step look like for me?” That’s exactly why we’ve launched a whole new podcast called Applied Generosity which explores the full landscape of the generous life across 7 different dimensions of generosity.  Applied Generosity helps make sense of the hundreds of stories we’ve shared on the Finish Line Podcast to help you find that best next step. If you’ve been inspired by these stories and want to take things to the next level, check out Applied Generosity anywhere you listen to podcasts or at appliedgenerosity.com.

    53 min
  4. Kristen Welch, Founder of Mercy House Global, on Intimacy with God Amidst Fruitful Ministry (Ep. 175)

    JAN 26

    Kristen Welch, Founder of Mercy House Global, on Intimacy with God Amidst Fruitful Ministry (Ep. 175)

    Kristen Welch is an author, speaker, and the founder of Mercy House Global, but her story is shaped less by achievement and more by surrender. Raised in a generous, Christian home, Kristen followed God’s lead into ministry, writing, and motherhood. Her love for writing led her into the early Christian mom-blogging world where she found community and influence, but it was a 2010 blogging trip to Kenya with Compassion International that unsettled her faith and reordered her calling. That encounter became the catalyst for Mercy House Global and for a lifelong journey of learning what it means to say yes to God with open hands.   Through Mercy House, Kristen has spent the past fifteen years walking alongside vulnerable women and families through job creation, orphan prevention, and discipleship, both globally and locally. Along the way, she has learned that generosity and ministry busyness without intimacy with God can quietly hollow out the soul. Her story reflects the cost of faithful work, the danger of doing for God without being with Him, and the grace God offers through rest, repentance, and renewed friendship with Him.   This conversation invites all of us to reflect on how God calls us to slow down, reorient our hearts, and rediscover satisfaction in His presence while living generously.   Major Topics Include: Generosity in hospitality Obedience through small, faithful yeses Using influence for Kingdom purpose Serving without losing intimacy with God The danger of doing for God without being with God Identity rooted in sonship, not productivity Parenting through embodied generosity Slowing down to practice God’s presence QUOTES TO REMEMBER “Just do the next right thing.” “We were always looking for ways to use what we had for the gospel of hospitality.” “The opportunity to use the writing skill and the blog platform for God’s glory really became a sweet spot for me and it changed my life.” “I will spend the rest of my life answering the question, ‘what am I doing to help the vulnerable in our communities and in our world?’” “God used the poor to help me find Him in a new way.” “God doesn’t need us to do any of this, He invites us to do it.” “Being with God is the best use of our time.” “It is not a waste of time to spend time with God.” “When we live as generous people, our kids will too.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Mercy House Global Kristen Welch’s Website Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World by Kristen Welch Raising World Changers in a Changing World by Kristen Welch Compassion International When Helping Hurts (see our interview with coauthor Brian Fikkert) Women Doing Well (see our interview with president Julie Wilson) The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Revelation 3:20 | Christ’s Invitation to Intimacy   Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.   Hebrews 2:1 | Drifting from Jesus   Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 | Gratitude amid Hardship   Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.   Philippians 4:11–13 | Contentment in All Circumstances   Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

    1h 4m
  5. Kristin Hammett, VP at the Signatry, on Family Alignment Over Agreement in Giving (Ep. 174)

    JAN 19

    Kristin Hammett, VP at the Signatry, on Family Alignment Over Agreement in Giving (Ep. 174)

    Raised on a central Missouri farm, Kristin Hammett grew up in a family that loved Jesus and lived out steady generosity, even amid the financial uncertainties of farming life. Watching her parents faithfully give a tithe planted early seeds, but it was during college that she made a deeper commitment to Christ, a decision that quietly set the trajectory for everything that followed.   After college, she entered a sales role with a Fortune 50 company, surrounded by benefits and success, yet she began to sense that God might be inviting her into something more than selling consumer goods. After a season as a stay-at-home mom, she discovered a growing desire to see how her professional skills might serve Kingdom purposes. That curiosity led her to become the first part time development director at a local pregnancy center, where God reshaped her understanding of fundraising as ministry, connecting donors to the doers and inviting people to join Him where He is already working. That journey eventually opened the door to joining The Signatry, helping donors steward all God has entrusted to them for Kingdom impact.   As Vice President of Family Generosity Services at The Signatry, Kristin has spent her career helping families move from reactive giving to intentional stewardship rooted in faith. Drawing from deep experience on both the nonprofit and givers sides, she now guides families towards alignment, trust, and faithfulness in how they move towards intentional generosity together.   Major Topics Include: Generosity as discipline, then joyful invitation Stewarding all assets, not just cash Fundraising as ministry and relationship Connecting donors and doers in God’s work Evaluating impact above overhead in giving Understanding cause dynamics and realistic impact outcomes Trust and partnership between givers and ministries Thinking through non-cash gifts Alignment over agreement in family generosity QUOTES TO REMEMBER “God has all the resources that He needs to fund His work. My role is to connect the resources He’s entrusted to people with the work He’s already doing.” “Impact needs to come before overhead.” “If we’re only asking people to give from cash, we’re really not asking them to steward all that God has entrusted to them.” “Let’s begin to change the conversation, not just about cash, but about all of their assets, and help them understand how those are an opportunity for generosity.” “When you realize you’re connecting the donors and the doers, that’s a pretty incredible place to be.” “You’re not trying to get something from someone. You’re inviting them to join God where He’s already at work.” “In a family, alignment is much more important than agreement.” “If you want everyone to give to exactly what you want to give to, that’s a top-down approach, and it rarely creates enthusiasm.” “If you hold it open-handed and prioritize alignment over agreement, you’ll often find much more joy and engagement.” “Donors are operating in a currency of trust. That trusted partnership is absolutely critical.” “When there’s a trusted partnership between the giver and the organization, God does something formative in both.” “Fundraising is ministry. Anytime you’re engaging someone around their resources, their finances, and their heart, that’s ministry.” “We need to dissolve the barrier between where the ministry happens and where the money comes in, and realize it’s all ministry.” “God doesn’t need our money. He wants our hearts. And that’s really, at the end of the day, the message of generosity.” “Generosity is not just for the ultra high net worth or those making a lot of money, it’s for everyone. God is not interested in the zeros. He’s interested in obedience.” “We’re stewarding our whole life, not just our financial resources, because He wants our heart.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW The Signatry (see our interviews with founder, Bill High, and CEO, Steve French here)  Mission Increase National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills) The Giver and the Gift by Peter Greer & David Weekley (see our interview with author Peter Greer here) Family Generosity Guides   Nonprofit blogs:  Major Donor Insight: They are People, Too Engage Donors by Engaging Their Families The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW Malachi 3:10 | Testing God in Giving   Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.   Matthew 6:21 | Treasure and the Heart   For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.   Psalm 50:10 | God Owns Everything   For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.   Philippians 4:15–19 | Giving as Partnership WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

    1h 7m
  6. A Map for the Generous Life, Introducing the Applied Generosity Podcast (Ep. 173)

    JAN 12

    A Map for the Generous Life, Introducing the Applied Generosity Podcast (Ep. 173)

    On the Finish Line Podcast, we have always believed in the power of stories. Over hundreds of conversations, we have seen how God patiently draws people into generosity across an entire lifetime, often through unexpected paths.     Yet for many, these stories also surface an honest question: “What does this mean for me, and where is God calling me next?”     In this special episode, fellow Finish Line board members David Campaigne from Blue Trust and Matt Mancinelli from Generous Giving help us introduce our most significant development since the launch of the Finish Line Pledge: The Applied Generosity Podcast.     Each story we’ve shared in the last few years has been shaped by unique calling, personal surrender, and profound steps of faith. Yet over time, patterns have emerged. While no two stories are the same, many givers find themselves crossing the same terrain, wrestling with similar questions, fears, and decisions along the way.     Applied Generosity was created to help make sense of that shared landscape, exploring seven dimensions of generosity that repeatedly show up across the journeys we have heard.      It provides a map, helping bring orientation, language, and clarity to where God may already be at work in your own life and where He may be inviting a next step.      If you’ve been inspired by the stories you’ve heard on Finish Line Podcast, but long for clearer discernment about the next step in your own journey, then Applied Generosity was specifically made for you. QUOTES TO REMEMBER David: “Generosity is a journey, like life is a journey. You plant a seed, you water it, but ultimately it’s God who makes things grow.” Matt: “We’re being invited into being more like Jesus as we give.” David: “God doesn’t need our money; what He ultimately wants is our heart.” Cody: “Some of the largest obstacles to living generously are fear and greed, and these are both addressed by answering the question, ‘how much is enough?’” Matt: “If I see an opportunity to bless somebody in a way that would boost their faith and I can come alongside them, that’s when I’m fired up to give.” David: “I want to know that my giving, whether to an individual or an organization, is going to draw people to Jesus.” Kealan: “Generosity is one of the strongest means by which God enables me to trust Him.” David: “How can we leverage the currency of that which is passing away into the currency of that which will endure forever?” Kealan: “Applied generosity is simply naming the shared landscape of the the generous life and providing some definition to it so we can see the whole picture and figure out where that next right step is in our own journey.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Applied Generosity David Campaigne, Financial Advisor at Ronald Blue Trust (see our past interview here) Heather Tuininga, Founder of 10|10 Strategies (see our past interview here) Matt Mancinelli, Managing Director at Generous Giving (see our past interview here)  Journey to Generosity (JoG) with Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounder, Todd Harper and CEO, April Chapman) Ronald Blue Trust (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue) The Treasure Principle (see our interview with author Randy Alcorn) God and Money (see our interviews with co-authors Greg Baumer and John Cortines) Museum of the Bible Hope International (see our interview with founder, Jeff Rutt or CEO, Peter Greer) The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 | God Makes Things Grow   Luke 16:10a | Faithful in Little and Much   “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much,   1 Timothy 6:17-19 | True Riches   As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,  thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.   Matthew 6:21 | Treasure of the Heart   For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.   John 3:16 | God’s Generosity   For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son.   Proverbs 16:9 | God Directs Steps   The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.   Psalm 90:12 | Number Our Days   So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.   Matthew 25:14–30 | Parable of the Talents   Matthew 22:37 | Loving God Fully   You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

    1h 8m
  7. Michael Blue, Director of Discipleship at the Ron Blue Institute, on the Personal Journey of Surrender (Ep. 172)

    JAN 5

    Michael Blue, Director of Discipleship at the Ron Blue Institute, on the Personal Journey of Surrender (Ep. 172)

    Michael Blue serves as Director of Discipleship and former President of the Ron Blue Institute, and his life reflects a steady journey of learning to trust God with open hands. Raised in a home shaped by biblical financial stewardship, Michael developed strong habits around money early on. Yet it was in his thirties, amid professional success and financial security, that God exposed a deeper restlessness. What appeared stable on the surface revealed an inner hollowness, leading Michael and his family into a season of prayer, surrender, and renewed reflection on what faithful obedience truly means. In his current role, Michael focuses on forming biblical and practical financial wisdom in the next generation, particularly among high school and college students. He has also helped pioneer the 9:23 Fellowship, a discipleship journey that invites believers to take up their cross daily and follow Jesus in every area of life, including how they steward money, grow in community, and trust God’s provision. Michael’s calling is to help believers align their finances with wholehearted discipleship, viewing stewardship as worship and generosity as freedom rooted in trust. This episode creates space to rethink money, faith, and obedience in ways that feel both convicting and hopeful.   Major Topics Include: Learning to live openhandedly Thinking through savings as a giver Relying on God for provision Engaging younger generations through the Ron Blue Institute Helping the Church recognize and overcome greed and covetousness  Four H’s of biblical stewardship for college students The difference between “bread” and “seed” Flourishing together in community Learning to be a good receiver Stretching your faith through steps of generosity QUOTES TO REMEMBER “Giving ought to be joyful and saving ought to be purposeful, but if it’s just rote obedience, you can lose the heart behind it.” “God delights in inviting us to participate in His story.” “Stewardship is managing our money for the glory of God.” “Our capacity to meet people in their time of need all comes down to our margin of time and money.” “Whenever we feel like God gives us more, more often than not, it’s seed for sowing.” “The most generous people are the least fearful people I know. They’re not wracked with anxiety about providing for them in the future.” “We were made to flourish together in community.” “We’re all created to be both givers and receivers, so a healthy church is one where I can both give and receive.” “The thing that drives us to a life of continued generosity is hungering after who God is, what he’s done in our lives, and how we can grow nearer to HIm.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Ron Blue Institute (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue) The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns International Justice Mission (IJM) Journey to Generosity (JoG) with Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounder, Todd Harper and CEO, April Chapman) The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW 2 Corinthians 8-9 | The Macedonian Church   Matthew 6:33 | Seek First the Kingdom   But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.   Luke 9:23 | Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

    58 min
  8. Renée Rinehart, CoFounder of Gospel Patrons, on Risky Generosity and Trusting God’s Provision (Ep. 171)

    12/29/2025

    Renée Rinehart, CoFounder of Gospel Patrons, on Risky Generosity and Trusting God’s Provision (Ep. 171)

    Renée Rinehart, co-founder of Gospel Patrons, understands the grace and surrender that generosity requires from both sides of the equation. Raised in a family shaped by missions, hospitality, and entrepreneurial generosity, Renée learned early on that generous, open-handed obedience often requires risk. As she and her husband, John, built careers in business, God invited them to ask deeper questions about purpose, wealth, and their role in the Kingdom.   That questioning led to a season of radical trust, including a 132-day journey across 22 countries where they relied on God daily for their bed and bread provision. Through uncertainty, sickness, and unexpected grace, they exercised their faith, and came to know God as their provider on a deeper and more extreme level than they ever thought possible. Along the way, Renée and John were introduced to many inspiring stories of how God has used patrons with the gift of giving throughout history for the advancement of the Gospel, and those stories became John’s first book, Gospel Patrons.   The Rineharts have now carried the message of Gospel Patrons around the world, inspiring stewards of wealth to know the vitality of their role in the Kingdom, and to experience the beauty and joy of Kingdom impact from patron-proclaimer partnerships.    If you are seeking a faith-shaped vision of generosity marked by surrender, partnership, and trust, this episode is for you.   Major topics include: A journey of extreme faith The necessary partnership of gospel patrons and proclaimers  Trusting God to meet your needs so you can be radically generous Experiencing both the giving and receiving sides of a patronage partnership Generosity is more about relationship than result Inspiring patrons all over the world through story Empowering women to step into role as gospel patrons Stewarding your story of risk and generosity QUOTES TO REMEMBER “My grandparents as missionaries didn’t think of themselves as poor, but they just thought of God as being abundant and they lived from that place of faith and abundance.” “It felt like God was giving back my dream, but so much bigger than I had ever imagined it.” “What can we do to discover what God’s doing around the world and how people are in relationship with Him all over?” “In country after country, place after place, God opened doors and introduced us to people, and we saw how people worshiped Him throughout 22 different countries.”  “I think we so often want to see God move and we want to see miracles, but we don’t want to be in a place of need and discomfort. But those are the two halves of the coin, you have to be in the place where you need a miracle before you’re ready to see one.” “I came home with a totally different sense that I am loved by the God of the universe. Seeing that He could take me into my worst fears and bring good out of it and I would be okay, I was ready to surrender everything knowing that He’s good, He’s with us, and everything else was just details.” “God always raises up both people with a vision to see the Gospel advance and people who are going to partner deeply financially and in friendship. And it’s when the Body of Christ comes together with different giftings, both patrons and proclaimers, that the Gospel advances.” “We were so captivated by this idea that business people were a vital part of the Body of Christ.” “We’re making friends for eternity by sort of wildly spreading wealth around and allowing God to plant His seeds of love and goodness all over the place.” “There’s risk on both sides, and faith and humility needed on both sides of the equation.” “God is raising up a tidal wave of generosity to fuel the Great Commission, and there is so much momentum happening.” “When we’re really looking for God’s hand, He gives us the ability to tell our stories differently.” LINKS FROM THE SHOW Gospel Patrons by John Rinehart Gospel Patrons (see our interview with founder John Rinehart) IllumiNations Bible Translation Alliance (see our interview with Todd Peterson or John Chesnut) The Finish Line Community Facebook Group The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW 2 Corinthians 5:7 | Walk by Faith   for we walk by faith, not by sight. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

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About

Kealan, a surgeon, and Cody, a financial advisor, discuss the intersection of faith, generosity, and personal finance. They’re joined by a variety of guests, including pastors, financial advisors, radically generous givers, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and nonprofit leaders to explore one central question: How do we best steward God’s wealth? On The Finish Line Podcast, you’ll hear challenging and inspirational stories of tremendous generosity. You’ll also learn from experts in multiple fields about topics like setting a financial finish line, giving efficiently and effectively, and teaching generosity to your children. More than anything, though, you’ll see how God is constantly at work redeeming the world He created and loves. Visit the website at www.finishlinepledge.com to learn more.

Information

  • Creator
    The Finish Line Team
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    179
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Finish Line Podcast

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