Episode S3E20(124): Hal, Randy and FWM - who, what and why? A synopsis.

Randy is a founding board member of Finishing Well Ministries and cohost of this podcast. After nine years with us, he shares his perspective on the ministry in his own words and where he sees it going. Join us for an exciting and candid conversation with Randy Hess. 

Transcript

Seth Muse: 0:03

Welcome to the finishing wealth podcast where we encourage seasoned believers to find meaningful ways to impact their world for the kingdom of God. Whether you're 65 and up, are not quite there yet, everyone can begin preparing to finish well. Now, here's your host Randy has with the founder of finishing well, ministries, how habecker

Dr Hal Habecker: 0:25

Hi, everybody out there. I'm How habecker With finishing well, ministries. It's our regular podcast where we cover a lot of different things. I want to cover something really special day actually, I don't want to cover it. I want you to hear it from a friend of mine. Randy has my cohort on these podcasts since we've started them three years ago, has watched this ministry from day one. And its conception, which goes back about 10 years, he's been a very dear friend serves on our board, just a vital part of speaking into my life and the Ministry of finishing well. He's one who's been tested and is doing it. Well, I want to say so he's got some things on his heart today. And I just want to sit back and listen. Randy, welcome. Tell us what you think as you've watched me and us over the last 10 years and watch what God has done, and where he might continue to take us. We're excited about that. And welcome, I Love You Again. And again. We've done this together. So take it away, Randy, and welcome to this podcast again.

Dr Randy Hess: 1:34

Hey, hi. Good morning to you. Thank you, sir. Boy, are you risk oriented? You are? I mean, you have no. So I can say anything I want here how and surprise you all over the place. But I do have some I asked you for just a few minutes of time today to share a little bit of a take on finishing well ministries and you and you were you're gracious enough to allow me that time. And so I just want to launch into it. And you know, I want you to stop me if you disagree with me on some things. But I just want to share. And, folks, I just want to share this because I think it would be helpful for you to hear a take on how and finishing well that might help you understand us a little bit better. That's all. So even though I do some of these things, when I don't spell things very properly how I can read it to myself. Okay, so I'll go fast. How is the so I'm going to just start right into it. How is this specifically designed? Carefully refined, always kind you had an extremely strong tip of the spear. Let me just stop there. I think the important words in this are several but carefully refined is a key in my book to the last 10 years. And make and I'm involved partly because of the always kind, the kindness of how it exudes it just comes out of him and everything is about it. And as we all know we are all specifically designed so being men of God we we realize that that our plan come from our the way God's designed us so he's specifically designed carefully we find always kind, yet extremely strong tip of the spear well what spare we talked about? This fear spikes through to bring newfound direction to believers, most needy a purpose for their lives. That is house unique calling. I consider myself people I am the armor of that spear so to speak, making sure it's constructed and targeted sufficiently to break through the wall. And we do face walls of impediments and resistance to bring a clear message of hope, encouragement and joy to aging believers. You would say why would there be resistance impediments? Well, folks, you're gonna have to ask somebody else that we don't know the answer to that. It just seems like this group. This particular group of people is set aside and pulled out of the way so we want to bring them back into the room. And that's been sort of my unique calling as to help how construct that spear so he could do it. Our battle is now fully engaged. After 10 years, we can know our unique calling, and it's not 10 years yet. I'm sorry, I'm moving ahead how, excuse me, but it's close. We're nine years into it, man. And counting, we can know our unique calling. And this is I'm riffing, if you will, off of Jim Dennison here, and I gotta give him credit. That guy is just a thought leader that you know, par excellence. And so, thank you, Jim. We can know our unique calling, but are we now willing to do the thing God has called us to do? That's a big question. That is a big question. Many of us know what we what, what God does want us to do. We just don't want to do it. And we should go into it just I think with with joy. So let me kind of get back to how just a minute Allah has never wavered. Never, he is willing. The he faithfully is taking the message to purpose seekers as far and as often as he can. For those seeking guidance, how has encountered countless believers, both in and outside of the churches in if I might add all over the world? In far strong countries. The the request is there, the seeking is there. Randy me, Randy has gained some beachheads in our concepts and move the message forward. But it remains a continuous uphill climb to gain the track the traction we seek, or the message. There is good news for us, however. And we always welcome good news. We have new firepower coming on to finishing well ministries. And coming on board to help study this sphere, strengthen the message and blow through all the wolves. Our new cohorts are true and highly skilled warriors in fighting resistance and fighting limitations. They've already formed the basis for a new battle plan for us that will enable much higher scaling for our ministry. And I know how that's extremely grateful for that. And I know I am. We are elated that the Lord will soon be glorified even more by the significant numbers of aging believers who discover and apply their unique calling toward God's plan for them. We are encouraged. And we are rejoicing in that we are just grateful every how. It's just I can't tell you how grateful I am. I thank you, sir, I want to just say thank you to all who have already embarked on this new path of purpose. Thank you for making that move. Thank you for taking initiative and doing it. And I thank You, Lord for blessing our ministry many times over. We've seen it every year, and we're grateful. May God be glorified. And may God bless you. Randy. That's my note to you. How about where I see the ministry? Thank you, Randy.

Dr Hal Habecker: 8:43

You're you've been a blessing to me and our family and this work personally and in every way and I can't thank you enough. And I look forward to working ahead together and see more walls come down and God consistently to provide and lead us in our ministry. And the only thought I would like to add you know, my prayer is that there are more Randy's more houses more Vicki's, more Julie's more people all across this country and our communities and our churches that will have a vision for stirring up the lives of us as we age, realizing that God has more to do in the years that remain than perhaps he has ever done in all the years leading up to this point. I really believe that myself as anyways, thank you, Randy. May the Lord bless you.

Dr Randy Hess: 9:46

I didn't mean to embarrass you how I don't want to do that. I know you're not seeking this kind of recognition, but I wanted to ask you one thing is your head hurting for Being the tip of the spear and banging into so many walls. Are you feeling like, are you feeling like you're, you're able to get through them easier nowadays?

Dr Hal Habecker: 10:09

Well, with the help of friends, I mean, that's that's what it's all about. I mean, we're not in a battle alone. First of all, God has the strength, he does everything without him we can do nothing. But you know, he has a he, he has ordained friends for us to capture the message together. And just like Aaron and her HELL UP Moses arms. I mean, we all hold each other's arms up in the midst of the battles we find herself in. And there's great joy in that there's great victory in that it's not in us the battle is not us, the battle is the Lord's. That's what David always said, and I believe him. And thank you. Thank you, Randy.

Dr Randy Hess: 10:52

Yeah, I felt led to do it. So I'm glad I did it. Because I needed to say that I view you in this way. And I want to support that as you are able to do that better than anybody I know. And so that makes you unique. And, you know, I might just add one thing to this how, in general in a general way. Part of what our ministry asked people do is discover their unique calling, isn't it? Is it? We're asking for time. We're asking for prayer, we're asking for contemplation, we're asking for reflection. We're just asking for that. So that everybody out there who cares about wanting to find a way to do more for the kingdom, in their aging years, can say, You know what, if I if everybody, if everybody has a unique calling, maybe I maybe I do too. And maybe I can begin to do what they're asking me to do, which is to listen more to the Lord. And to, to really just grab a hold of that. We don't want you to hide gifts that you have people, or we don't want you to deny him to yourself. If you have gifts, part of your, if you want to call it retirement can be to use those gifts. Maybe differently than you ever have your whole life so far, and use them well. And so that's all we're suggesting. We're not suggesting this because we want you to come and work for us. We don't want you to, to work for anybody. We don't want you to not do stuff that you feel as important to you and your family. We don't want you to do stuff that doesn't bring you joy. We want all of that for you. We want peace, comfort and joy for you. But we also want the thought to turn a little bit somewhere along the way toward building the kingdom. And so that's what we, if it sounds like we're a little preachy sometimes maybe that's it right there is we do get a little preachy about tuning into the kingdom. And because Amen. You know, from my standpoint, it works. It's the way to get there. And I don't know that there's a secret door. I just think you need to get out there and get on the playing field and tune in if you need headphones, put them on, but tune in to what the coach upstairs has to say to you about your calling. You got one? Oh, you got a plan. Whoa, just get a hold of it. And you will be joyous for the rest of your life. No matter what age you are the rest of your life you will be. So if that's preachy, I'm sorry, hell, I, I just wanted to say to you, that you have unique talents that have opened so many doors, so many. And, you know, I just think the Lord is blessing us because we have stayed with this. Have tried to gracefully as we can deal with impediments. honor requests from people and and just stick with it. And so after wandering in the wilderness for a little while, and wearing ourselves very wearing you out completely. I think we're getting there. So congratulations to you, sir. It's not an anniversary. But I just want to say in my book, we've We've kind of been able to make that final climb over the ledge to begin walking maybe if not straight up hill, you know on a more gentle incline now going uphill with our with our message, and I think is soon going to level out. So congratulations to you and sticking with it never wavering, never doubting and never backing down. Thank you, sir.

Dr Hal Habecker: 15:27

You're welcome. And thank you, Randy for your encouragement today. And every day we have the opportunities to keep trusting God and live for him together, I would add one more thing. All you who listen out there, join the cause. Find your calling. Be involved in your church, mobilize seniors, be a part of our ministry, pray for us. Learn from the resources we offer these podcasts or whatever. And we're here to encourage you support us financially if God leads you to. But that's our vision of sending out a compelling message that God wants to use us mightily in our latter years. I remember he didn't call Moses till he was 80. So I mean, that's the story of our ministry, God values aging people. He loves us and wants to use us in a mighty way. So thanks for this podcast again, Randy, thanks for your thoughts and may the Lord bless you out there and all of us as we press on to know him and these important years in life have a blessed day

Seth Muse: 16:40

thank you for listening to the finishing well podcast we hope you're encouraged by today's conversation to continue living out your God given purpose. Subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts or you can find us at finishing well ministries dot O R G slash podcast. And don't forget to follow us on social media at finishing well ministries. We'll see you next time