The Finish Line Podcast The Finish Line Team

Mark Batterson is the lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC, and a New York Times best-selling author. Mark grew up in the Midwest in a home that fostered faith and faithfulness in giving. His generosity journey started at a young age with some significant acts of faith, and some of those decisions have rippled through the rest of his life in ministry. National Community Church is overflowing with stories of generosity and radical steps of faith that have enabled them to support a wide array of other ministries and churches.  
Mark highlights the importance of celebrating generosity and pushing the envelope to increase levels of giving, both personally and as a church community. He shares personal stories of the impact of small acts of generosity, encourages flipping blessings for others, and emphasizes living with holy anticipation. Mark discusses managing blessings wisely and finding joy and purpose through generosity.   Major topics include:
Mark’s personal and faith background
How a failed church plant prepared him for 28 years of pastoring in DC
The role generosity has played in his personal life and in the church
Fostering a church culture of generosity
The need for business-as-mission to fund Kingdom causes
The amazing story of Ebenezers CoffeeHouse, a business-as-mission coffee house on Capitol Hill
Learning to “Flip the Blessing”
QUOTES TO REMEMBER
“We make a few major decisions and we spend the rest of our life managing those decisions.”
“In our hearts, we plan our course, but God orders our footsteps.”
“If you do little things like they’re big things, God will do big things like they’re little things.”
“I’m a big fan of long obedience in the same direction.”
“If you stay humble and stay hungry, there is nothing God can’t do in and through you.”
“If you aren’t faithful with the little things, you won’t be faithful with the big things.”
“God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He owns the hills, so we have this mindset that It’s all from God and it’s all for God.”
“Every business is owned by somebody who has a worldview or a faith matrix of some sort. So for us, we’re going to allow our faith to inform how we show hospitality, how we create a business model.”
“As long as we’re caring for the poor and giving to missions, I’m never worried about our bottom line. If you’re doing what is near and dear to the heart of God, I think God’s got your back.”
“We’re going to inch our way to greater and greater levels of generosity.”
“It’s kind of fun living life in a place where you save and you give and you give and you save and you save and you give, but you do it in a way that’s generous. And I think the Lord has a way of honoring that.”
“God doesn’t raise our income to raise our standard of living, but to raise our standard of giving.”
“Your generosity is someone else’s miracle.”
“Flip the blessing.”
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
Mark Batterson’s Website
National Community Church
Double Blessing by Mark Batterson
Ebenezers CoffeeHouse
The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group
BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW
Psalm 50:10 | God Owns It All  
For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.  
Jeremiah 29 | Bless the City  
7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.  
Matthew 10:16 | Pure and Wise  
Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.  
2 Corinthians 9:16 | The Cheerful Giver
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
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WHAT WE’LL COVER
Jim Rasmussen was raised as a pastor’s kid in a Lutheran church in Georgia, and his faith solidified in college as he involved himself in ministries that affected transformational change in many lives. After graduating with an accounting degree, Jim was led to a job with Chick-fil-A, first in accounting and later advising franchise owners on how to run their businesses more efficiently.  
Today, Jim is a financial advisor and the co-founder of Pandowealth, an advising firm that provides personal finance guidance to franchise owners and other Chick-fil-A staff to empower them to more purposeful living and giving. Jim is a passionate teacher with powerful insights on financial stewardship, Kingdom-building generosity, and trusting God with big steps of faith.   
Major topics include:
His personal and faith background
His 20-year experience working for Chick-fil-A
How God led him from accounting to financial planning
Trusting God with crazy steps of faith
Dealing with common barriers to generosity
Copying others vs. doing what you’re called to do with your resources
Deciding how much is enough
Tools and framework to develop a written generosity plan
QUOTES TO REMEMBER
“I’m not somebody who can sit behind a desk all day just doing debits and credits. I got the accounting degree so I could learn how numbers work and how I could move up and have more impact and influence in the world with the things that God’s given me.”
“If you look around, all the people that have joy are generous.”
“How do I remove the obstacles to my generosity? If I can remove those, then I can be generous and experience more joy.”
“The company is about, ‘We grow wealth to empower purposeful living and giving.’ What’s better than that?”
“What have you been given gifts for that God wants you to accomplish? If you can look at your life plan, then you can develop a financial plan that helps you to accomplish that.”
“Don’t just look through the lens of the financial, I want you to look through the lens of the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual as well. Sometimes, it’s ok to give up a little bit of the financial stewardship to improve your personhood of emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual stability.”
“Our goal is for 80% of our clients to have a written generosity plan.”
“I’m now working to give, not working to live.”
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
Ronald Blue and Co. (see our interview with founder, Ron Blue)
Journey to Generosity (JoG) with Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounder, Todd Harper and CEO, April Chapman)
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
The Eternity Portfolio by Alan Gotthardt
Charityvest (see our interview with CEO Stephen Kump)
Money, Possessions, and Eternity (see our interview with author Randy Alcorn)
The Treasure Principle (see our interview with author Randy Alcorn)
National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills)
Switchboard
The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group
BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW
Luke 12:16-21 | The Bigger Barns Parable  
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”  
1 Peter 4:10 | Stewarding God’s Gifts  
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

In this special 100th episode, the shoe is on the other foot as Kealan and Cody are interviewed by Todd Harper, co-founder of Generous Giving, and David Wills, President Emeritus of the National Christian Foundation (NCF). Together, Kealan and Cody share about their family and faith backgrounds, how they got started on their journeys of generosity, and some of the amazing things they’ve learned along the way.  
The interviews conducted over the last 99 episodes have been life-changing for the Hobelmann brothers in many ways by providing opportunities for “spiritual templating,” implementing what they’ve learned from others into their own generosity strategies, and by facilitating connection between like-minded Believers.   
Major topics include:
What life looks like now for Cody and Kealan
The inspiration for the Finish Line Pledge
How setting Financial Finish Lines has changed both of their lives 
The evolution of the Finish Line Podcast
Making the Finish Line Pledge relational
Most memorable podcast moments
The many ways they have seen God work through the podcast
 
QUOTES TO REMEMBER
Cody: It kinda felt like I was walking up a staircase that I could not see the end of. It just continued up into the clouds. But when I set a financial finish line, suddenly I could see the top of the staircase, and I realized I was most of the way up it in terms of the course of my career.  
Kealan: I appreciate so much more now the true breadth and diversity of expressions of generosity.   
Cody: We realized that God’s up to something that we didn’t even notice. We had no idea. It really humbled me and helped me to understand that even though it’s a lot to ask of our guests and our wives to carve out this time once a week, once every other week, and do the editing and all that kind of stuff. It is such an honor to be able to do this and we hope to be able to do this for a very long time.  
Kealan: At this point, I don’t ever say for myself or for anybody else, “this is how generosity has to be expressed,” or “this way is how God intends it.” There is too much range of expression that God gives us for anybody to say “it has to be this way.”  
Cody: I’ve learned that giving is a lot of fun and it’s a relational thing. As a financial planner and as someone who was not giving or living generously, it seemed like a transactional thing. But I’m starting to understand that it’s far more complex than that and far mor joy-creating for everyone involved.  
Cody: I’m learning that generosity and giving are not the same thing. Giving is an expression of generosity, but when done in community as a relational thing, there’s nothing better and it’s become my favorite use of money.  
Kealan: I just want constant stories and relationships to help me grow as a Believer and not just in generosity. We’ve grown in prayer and community and so many other areas that are all interrelated to generosity.
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
Cody Hobelmann, Shifting to Eternal Kingdom Building (see our past interview here)
Kealan Hobelmann, Answering “How Much Money Do I Really Need?” (see our past interview here)
Journey to Generosity (JoG) with Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounder, Todd Harper and CEO, April Chapman)
National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills)
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
Compound Impact
Doulos Partners (see our interview with CEO David Johnson)
MacLellan Foundation (see our interview with Director of Generosity, John Cortines)
ROI Ministry (see our interview with founder, Tim Barker)
Jimmy Seibert, Pastor, On Sensing the Spirit through Spontaneous Generosity (see our past interview)
Faith Comes by Hearing (see our interview with VP Morgan Jackson)
Neverthirst (see our interview with CEO Matt Letourneau)
Richard Baxter, DMD, On Leveraging His Entire Dental Practice to Bring the Gospel to Unreached People Groups (see our past interview here)
Aaron and M

Jimmy Seibert is the founder and pastor of Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas. Jimmy didn’t grow up in a Christian home, but his decision to follow Jesus in a radical way over a summer during his college years started him on a path of extreme generosity as an outflow of his relationship with God. Jimmy’s passion for generosity has poured over into the church that he leads, which now has a thriving culture of generosity. His principles of living simply, working diligently, giving generously, and living for eternity have paved the way for a lifestyle of spontaneous and strategic generosity.  
He has many miraculous stories of Spirit-led giving as well as practical advice for givers of all kinds. He shares how surrendering to Jesus and embracing obedience and generosity transformed his life, even in the face of financial challenges, and opened the door for living out the Great Commission.  
Major Topics Include:
His story of coming to faith and radically following the teachings of Jesus
How God miraculously provided for him to go to the nations because of his obedience with his last dollar
Learning to hear and obey the promptings of the Lord
Spontaneous giving vs. strategic, long-term giving
Creating and inviting people into a culture of generosity
Incorporating generosity into a family culture
Plus, many powerful stories of Spirit-led generosity
 
QUOTES TO REMEMBER
“When you deal with money and possessions, you deal with everything in your heart.”
“You asked me to show you that I’m real, and I have come.”
“The moving of God is just the normal outworking of a surrender to Jesus.”
“My commitment was that if anybody asks for anything, give it.”
“Until you feel, taste, and touch the power of the gospel in peoples’ lives, giving is too distant of an experience.”
“When we live obedient lives of sacrifice, whether that’s with our finances or going ourselves, it produces this incredible authority to see people find hope and help that they so desperately long for.”
“I don’t want to get identity out of what I do. I want to get identity from the Lord, and then I want to be fully obedient in whatever expression He’s given me and do that with all me heart.”
“I may not be as gifted as someone else, but I will do anything He says anytime, anywhere.”
“Learning to hear the voice of God is learning to trust the heart and person of God. It’s really about trust in the end.”
“From years of meditating on who the Holy Spirit is in my life, and God the Father and the centrality of the beauty of Jesus, I’ve learned to take risks with confidence.”
“The promptings of God are best learned through action.”
“You are already right with God through the blood of Jesus alone. You can’t earn anything in your standing with God by anything you do. You’re good with God by the grace of God.”
“We’re not looking to outdo our neighbor in our giving, we’re learning to build our relationship with God.”
“When we open up everything of our resources to God, intimacy with Him is His end goal, not provision.”
“It’s not a percentage, it’s a personal relationship with God.”
“If you preach a surrendered message and then you live it out, it creates a catalyst for others. If you give, they’ll give.”
“God will constantly challenge me when I have little to see if I’m still in the game.”
“Follow the money. If you give to something, get involved in what you give to.”
“You’ll only stay in a posture of generosity as long as it’s connected to people’s lives being transformed in a way that you can touch.”
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman)
The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group
BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW
Luke 6:35 | Give Freely  
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting n

Paul Bolte was brought up with a firm foundation in faith and generosity. A seventh-generation Christian born to a farming family in Australia, he learned the value of a good work ethic and the principles of giving as a small child. As an adult, Paul served in various leadership positions in Australia, New Zealand, and the US, and is a lifelong student of servant leadership. 
Today, Paul is the Executive Vice President of TrustBridge Global. TrustBridge connects donor advised funds in countries all around the world to allow people to make tax deductible gifts to ministries in other countries, even if they don’t have a 501c3 designation. TrustBridge acts as a powerful conduit for money to flow from Christians in countries with high concentrations of wealth to organizations working in other countries, impacting the Kingdom by getting financial resources to the “boots on the ground.”
Major Topics Include:
Paul’s family and faith background which laid the groundwork for what he does now
The background of TrustBridge Global
How they choose partners in various countries
Paul’s view of how generosity is expressed uniquely in different cultures
How TrustBridge has helped facilitate interconnectedness between Believers across the globe
 
QUOTES TO REMEMBER
“I didn’t realize that, ‘how can I help,’ was the very first question in a concept called ‘servant leadership.’ And I became a student of leadership; for my entire life, I’ve been a student of leadership.”
“We’re trying to mobilize the resources in the hands of Christians.”
“Culturally, we are all very different. But we all have this one core value of our faith and what we’re called to do. We’re called to be generous with everything that we have and everything we are.”
“There are many countries that have no tax benefits, yet they are still generous.”
“When you send money directly to a charity overseas, the bang for your buck is significantly higher because they can stretch it further and it can get to more people.”
“If you want the best return on your investment, you can do that by giving directly to a charity overseas.”
“We look for a way to say ‘yes.’”
“Generosity to me is not just about money, it’s about time.”
“When you’re working in a Kingdom business and you know that God is behind what you’re doing and you watch it grow and give all glory to Him, it’s such a joy to watch it all happen.”
“Whatever gifts or skills God has given you, take them and use them to serve others.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW
TrustBridge Global Foundation
National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills)
C12: Christian Business Leadership Coaching
International Generosity Foundation
Generosity Path
Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounders Todd Harper and David Wills and CEO, April Chapman)
Journey to Generosity (JoG) with Generous Giving
Global Trust Partners (see our interview with COO Trevor Lui)
The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group
BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW
Romans 5:8 | God’s Love Demonstrated
 
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
 
Ephesians 2:8-9 | The Gift of God
 
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.

Dr. Shane Enete is a professor at Biola University in Los Angeles and the author of the book “Whole Heart Finances.” In his early teens, Shane was driven to learn all that he could about investing, but leaning into the tension he felt between his faith and his passion for finances, he discovered a deep desire to be a bridge to help people learn about money in a way that draws them closer to Jesus instead of further from Him.   
Shane spent many years in the finance world in a variety of roles, and throughout that time, God fostered a deep heart for generosity and stewardship. Shane now gets to spark that passion in college students, providing both a framework and purpose behind how they manage money. You won’t want to miss the stories, helpful tools, and frameworks he had to share.  
Major topics include:
Shane’s background and the inspiring story of encountering God in a hospital room
How Shane began learning and teaching about finances at age 15
Reconciling the tension between faith and finances
How he transitioned from his financial career and volunteering in the inner city into academia
The story behind his book, Whole Heart Finances, and key points that will help give the average church goer a fresh, Christ-centered view of money as a pathway to worshiping God
Advice for those in debt or in retirement who want to grow in generosity
QUOTES TO REMEMBER
“I sensed the tension between faith and finances and leaned into it, hoping that one day God could use me to be a bridge to help create the curriculum where people could learn about money in a way that draws them nearer to Jesus and not further away.”  
“I always love to find truth, and it’s a fascinating exercise to look at stock valuation, which is so subjective, and see if you can find any objective truths to align to.”  
“If you give with a little, you’ll give with a lot. If you save with a little, you’ll save with a lot.”  
“The more I gave, the more I realized the centrality of giving in all money and financial behavior and how it unleashes God’s glory in a way that no other financial behavior does.”  
“How can I think about saving, investing, and spending in ways that help facilitate giving?”  
“I build a financial planning model around the idea that God is being generous with His household, we experience that generosity and are transformed to have His generosity because we’re in Christ. Then we become a resource in God’s household that gets sent out in an economy of salvation towards the world.”  
“As a steward, our main goal is to shine a light on our financial behavior on a regular basis.” 
“The longer you go without giving, the harder it is to give.”
LINKS FROM THE SHOW
Whole Heart Finances by Dr. Shane Enete
Dr. Shane Enete on LinkedIn
FaithfFi App
YNAB App (You Need A Budget)
The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group
BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW
Luke 16:1-13 | The Parable of the Dishonest Manager  
2 Corinthians 8:7 | Encouragement to Give Generously  
But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this grace of giving also.  
Matthew 6:21 | Heart Treasure  
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
If you have a thought about something you heard, or a story to share, please reach out! You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can also contact us directly from our contact page. If you want to engage with the Finish Line Community, check out our groups on Facebookand LinkedIn.