Episode S3E22(126): Expanding Horizons - Finishing Well, pt.2

Randy interviews guest Brian Davis, a technology expert and church ministry leader, discussing several key aspects of finishing well, such as how the podcast world is changing, and how we at FWM are responding. Our new arrangements that Brian helped us set up are able to vastly expand our impact and reach as we try to make the FWM message more meaningful to all
Getting started with the FInishing Well concept in the church world by introducing it properly, working it into the fabric of the church, and supporting the message as members begin to apply it for themselves.

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 Randy Hess: 0:24

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to our finishing well, Podcast. I'm Randy. Yes. And I'm here today with a good friend of mine who was willing to come back and visit with me and do a podcast with me, Brian Davis from our church, Howell is still out and recuperating from his spill on the bike. And urges all of you who wish to give him a greeting just to go ahead and send it through our ministry just say, Hallett, finishing well ministries.org and send him send him a message. And he would appreciate it. So we're here today to talk about a topic that I call the life and times of a finishing well, devoteam. And Brian is. Hi, Brian. Hi, Randy.

Brian Davis: 1:24

Good morning.

Dr Randy Hess: 1:25

Glad you're here. All right. So we're gonna go through a process a little bit here, to kind of get to a point. And I'd like you all to play along with me out there just for a minute, give me a little bit of grace. As you listen to this. Brian and I are going to talk a little bit. And then we're going to get down to some things that we hope you'll have as takeaways from the from the discussion today. So we're all about finishing? Well, we talked to you endlessly about that out there who have listened to us. But we want to kind of bring it down to the point of what do you and Lord, team up to do with this? How do you team up. So here we go. You bought in your body and folks, you've heard the message of finishing well, in terms of building purpose in your life, you feel that's going to be constructive to you, it feels like something you want to figure out for yourself and get more involved with in your time that you have. So I'm going to take it from there at this point in time. For those of you who are at that point. And I am going to be the Holy Spirit in this process. Brian is going to be you. Okay. And we're going to he's agreed to play act with me a little bit here. All right. So the Holy Spirit to me, okay, or the Holy Spirit to you. I think you're ready son, or daughter? Want to give it a try?

Brian Davis: 3:08

So after I've decided that, yes, this is something I want to do. You know, the first thing I might say is if you only knew my athletic ability, you'd realize how ridiculous it would be for me to say this, but Put me in coach Bauer, an athlete that said Put me in coach. Yep. If I were an actor, I'd say let me get me on that stage. I'll show you what I can do. I was in an orchestra, I'd say waiting for. I'm looking at your baton conductor. And then otherwise, I would just say I'm willing just give me a job to do

Dr Randy Hess: 3:43

boss. Yep. So whatever you are, however you lean folks, you just say to the Holy Spirit, I'm ready. The Holy Spirit back to you. Okay. Take some deep breaths. Pay attention. Get ready. When I tell you

Unknown: 4:07

and to that, I might say what if I haven't I know it's you. What if I miss your signal?

Dr Randy Hess: 4:18

Holy Spirit to you. It's okay. Just stay tuned. I know you. You are fine. I'll be back.

Unknown: 4:31

All right, but what if I mess up? What if I What if I'm not really enough? What if I'm inadequate?

Dr Randy Hess: 4:38

Hmm. Holy Spirit to you. It's okay. Seek Me in prayer and get input from friends. Just press on. Knock ons I'm appealing doors peeling to you, I will see the doors open to you. So there it is, folks. There's your introduction to trying to pay attention to the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is encouraging each of us not to let our doubts not to let our fears not to let our reluctance overpowers not to let them get in the way. Right,

Unknown: 5:40

Brian? Right. And, you know, we get paralyzed because we think, feel the responsibility of the results of what we're going to do. And one thing you said in here several times, stay tuned, listen to me, I'll let you know out. You know, I'll guide you, I'll lead. And so it's God, it's the Holy Spirit, who's responsible for the results which free should free us it should Jeanette to, to explore and to just listen, and just to try

Dr Randy Hess: 6:13

to take a little bit of a risk. Yes. That I normally would, or that doesn't feel it might even feel awkward some cases, right? That's

Unknown: 6:22

absolutely right. And sometimes it might stay awkward. It's not always going to be redeemed right in the moment. But that's okay. That's just what obedience is about.

Dr Randy Hess: 6:32

It is, isn't it? So, you know, I, I was hesitant to play the Holy Spirit. Because it sounds like I'm making light of the Holy Spirit. I'm not. I'm very serious in saying that, I think we are guided by the Holy Spirit, but we have to pay attention. First, we have to we do have to,

Unknown: 6:56

we have to have a willing heart, we and you know, a lot of times we ask the Lord to speak to us, and through the Holy Spirit. Sometimes he speaks directly through the Holy Spirit, sometimes through the counsel of friends. But what I've learned, God always speaks. We just need to listen.

Dr Randy Hess: 7:17

So if we go through this process, and if we are talking, kind of having our conversation with the Holy Spirit, and we come out with this, with kind of an encouragement, by the Holy Spirit to move on, give it a try, then we have to think through some things that we want to see happen at my age, so let me just list a few. At my age, no matter what it is, I'm choosing to embark on a new, slightly different endeavor for me. And, as Brian and I have noticed, in our own church, sometimes it's not very different from what I'm already doing, actually. I'm doing it under different descriptions and words. I've already gotten the bug, if you want to call it that, that I like serving others, doing that selflessly pouring into others doing his selflessly. And, and getting a lot out of that. There are plenty of people already doing that,

Unknown: 8:29

you know, to that point, there were people who I'll be talking with whenever we did the essentials of finishing well, our six week series The first time we did it at our church, which we've done it twice. But the first time I remember asking some people in my men's group, what do you think, do you think you might want to come? And sometimes the answer was I can't come to the to the sessions. Well, the reason they couldn't come is because they're out mentoring somebody or they're out serving and you know, basically, they're too busy finishing well to doing already go to the to the seminar for finishing. Well, yeah.

Dr Randy Hess: 9:05

All right. So I'm choosing perhaps to go ahead and step up onto this, this track finishing while track, even though it's a little bit different from what I've, I'm used to. I want to do some things to make this era of my life, more directional, interesting, focused, and fulfilling, that I've discovered so far in anything I've been doing after my retirement. And yes, folks, we are talking a lot about post retirement. But you know what? Finishing well starts at younger ages, for people planning and thinking through and beginning to get in that mode of how do I want to finish my life so It, it applies before we turned 65. But for many folks it really gets to be gets their attention more after they're in their retirement. I want to, as I said, Make this era, my life a little bit more focused and fulfilling. So I of course want to be able to relax and enjoy life. I want to relax and enjoy my loved ones. I want to enjoy my friends, I want to enjoy my church, I want to enjoy my hobbies, and other interests that I have time to pursue. Look, we've said over and over again, folks, nobody wants to steal your joy. And talking about finishing well. We're not saying don't enjoy your life. If you love golf, play the golf, play a lot of it, maybe take some friends with you. And talk to the Lord about what the Lord means to you during golf. Yeah, if you love fishing, take some friends, fishing, family, take family fishing, whatever, and talk about the Lord

Unknown: 11:22

absolutely, you know, I go to a woodshop that I'm a member of to do some of my woodworking I love doing that. But I've noticed that sometimes I don't get a lot of woodworking done because people tend to want to come up and just visit and some of those I think are really holy appointments and not not that it's we don't maybe solve any problems or anything. But to be able to just visit and be kind and and listen to people who may not be listened to quite a bit is an opportunity, even in the midst of like you said a hobby.

Dr Randy Hess: 12:01

So nobody's trying to steal anybody else's joy here, we are trying to actually multiply it, multiply it. And in the course in the pursuit of, of your real purpose in life. I want to I mean, I think I would say friends are a big part of how you can make that happen, too. I just want to add a little emphasis to that friends at church are a real blessing. So a lot of the finishing rod process will be enacted through your relationships, as well as your, you know, your activities and hobbies and what have you using those for?

Unknown: 12:51

Yeah, well, when you start talking about friendships, and you start talking about your availability, you do to your friends,

Dr Randy Hess: 12:58

you do you do, how you how you're, how you're managing your life, really how you're managing your schedule, so to speak. So I have found that deep inside, I need something that has kind of slipped away. If I'm, if I'm honest with myself, in some cases, and I'm we're talking now about you found this idea interesting and, and you found it maybe even a really welcoming message. But perhaps it's challenging as well. Yes, I'm still known and appreciated, as it may be as a loving spouse, as a loving parent, as a loving grandparent, I'm also known as a friend, a neighbor, a church member, a miss, but I missing something. And all of that a deep sense of purpose for my life. And, and, and basically a deep sense of purpose for the rest of my life. Yeah, the remainder.

Unknown: 14:11

Randy, I think it's the difference there is your motivation. You know, if if you're primarily just living your life, for yourself, and, and doing all of these things to try to earn points or to try to do good things. They're all they're all good things, right. That's different than living your life in service of the gospel and trying to bring every part of your life and lay it at the feet of Jesus to say how can this be used to further your kingdom? Yeah. Yep.

Dr Randy Hess: 14:47

So I come across finishing well ministries, and I've gotten more acquainted with it as a state of mind as a process I know I wanted to make some changes for me, and maybe apply myself to some new approaches and living out my golden years. It is sort of, for me a radically different approach, maybe, but maybe not. No. It's not necessarily, I guess, a radical change. But it is a new way of thinking. So I have to get on board with that. In, if I'm going to get on the finishing world track, I have to understand that. I first and foremost, honor the Lord in what I'm doing. That's important to me. So let's talk about a few questions. That might be something I ought to answer for myself, as we start down this path of exploration and finishing well. And I want to kick it around with Brian. So question one, what, and who do I worship? Well, duh, I'm a Christian. Well, think about that, though. Yeah. You might be a Christian in name. And I'm not trying to put anybody down here. Really, I'm not sure. But I may not have fully considered what's most important to me yet, in my life. While I be traipsing down the path, trying to traipse after some things that really aren't that important. Right.

Unknown: 16:32

And, and if the question of, I'm a, I'm a Christian, that means different things to different people. Sometimes I think to a lot of people, that means I do I try to do more good than bad. And I think the scales and so it's fundamentally, it's a misunderstanding of what, you know, being a Christian is, which is a follower of Jesus. Right? Correct.

Dr Randy Hess: 16:58

Another question, who's really in charge of my life? Well, I could say, I am. I could say, my spouse's. I could say my dog. Yes, I guess you know, but what, in terms of what we're trying to say about finishing? Well, we're just asking each of you to think through how you'd answer that question, who's in charge of my life. And if you say, Jesus is in charge of your life, then you are opening that door up to the possibility that you will have a smoother path, if you want to call it that, to finding a way to pour into other people with your gifts. Third question to me, what does it mean, to serve? What does it mean to serve?

Unknown: 18:04

Yeah, I think that's, that's more than just when you think to serve, if you automatically go to specific, you know, taking meals to somebody or what, you know, specific acts of service versus having a lifestyle of service and having a lifestyle of being crucified with Christ. And so it's no longer about you. It is That's right. And it is, to me, it is much more of a lifestyle, then, and it is

Dr Randy Hess: 18:35

confronting that servant's heart. That may maybe I feel I have or I don't have.

Unknown: 18:42

Right, and there are people who maybe are gifted in service away, you know, in ways that some other people are not. And for those people, it's it's probably more of a joy. But you know, a lot of these things, whether it's service or evangelism, or, or whatever it is, we we may not have a gift toward that. But that doesn't let us off the hook, does it? No, it doesn't, right.

Dr Randy Hess: 19:05

Nope. So you brought up a very couple of couple of things just a minute or two ago and I think they're they're important to talk about is it gets into really back to your motivation. What is your motive? are you earning points, you know, in in your mind, or your any brownie points or whatever you however you want to look at that. Because to finish well in a pouring in process, your focus has to be on what you're pouring into, and why are you doing it? I care about this. Sure. I care about this person, as well.

Unknown: 19:44

Your service is more rooted in love and gratitude, right? We don't serve to earn points with God we serve because we're grateful to God right for what he's done in our life. We had a guest speaker right before we started one of the finishing well initiatives at our church, and he just made an aside comment. He said, y'all are about to start finishing well, and he said, that's a wonderful program. But please don't do it if you think it's gonna get God to like you anymore. Yeah. Yeah. And so that's the motivation, we don't do it to try to earn points. That's

Dr Randy Hess: 20:20

right. That's right. And so, who do I? Who do I now, sir? Well, we've kind of covered that a little bit with the idea that I may be, you know, many of us, many of us care deeply about someone and are several people are all of the people in our family, but are caring for people in our family in some form or fashion. And, and so one of the little bit of a hang up for people and understanding finishing well, is that I'm not sure I have what it takes to get on whatever program you guys are talking about. You know, it sounds almost like you're asking me to join the fitness club and get on this special program, right, and my body is not going to do that. That kind of thing. And we we tried to say in its in many different ways that folks, you've earned a finishing well, starter perch, already. You're, you're at your age, with your experience with your back down. With all that, you know, with all that you've already done in your life. You're there. You're there already. Just think about what you can offer of from that to other people. And by the way, what did you in your life love to do, right? That you can apply to somebody else. And

Unknown: 22:01

this time, and it's not only the good things, right? You, you have hopefully succeeded at a number of things by this time of your life, you've probably also failed at a lot of things that's important, and things that you can share along the way, especially

Dr Randy Hess: 22:16

in that investing in younger folks. And many, many people want to know, not exactly how you did it, because it may not be relevant to what we're doing today. But when you failed at it, how did you handle that? When you got knocked down? How did you pick yourself up? What picked you up?

Unknown: 22:43

And maybe what did that do to your picture of God into your relationship with God, if you could share with somebody? Exactly,

Dr Randy Hess: 22:51

exactly. And when things just didn't seem to be going very well. And that could be in work, or it could be in your family? How did you handle that? Why didn't Why didn't things fall apart for you? In other words, I think a lot of people are seeking not a specific answer from somebody about how I should do my things differently today, oh, I should manage my job differently, how I should manage my family differently. They're trying to calculate balance for themselves. In other words, I'm already doing something or I'm already going to do something. But am I over balancing one way or the other? Am I over emphasizing something? I can't learn that from somebody that hasn't been through it?

Unknown: 23:46

Exactly. And you know, somebody who, you know, your greatest contribution might not be like you said, a specific and you have to give three points to run your business better. But if you're able to impart that throughout, you know, from the good times to the bad times, everything in between what you have known your entire life, is that God is good. Yep. And God's goodness, never change. If you can share that in a way that that it's catching for somebody that they can be inspired by that and learn that from your example. That's worth the it's a redemption of your own struggle.

Dr Randy Hess: 24:28

It is. It is and that you that as a family, you prayed together about it. And you came through that, you know, you came through the fire, whatever the fire was. And it helps younger men and women. I've dealt mostly with the men, of course, but it helps them gauge. They don't need a lot. They don't need us. Daddy, if you will, on what their issue is. They just need somebody who maybe has experienced that or something close to it to say, You

Unknown: 25:11

know what, dude? Somebody who's been through it, pray

Dr Randy Hess: 25:15

for it, pray for yourselves, but you're okay. Or pray for yourselves and keep moving forward on what you're talking about? In other words, encouragement.

Unknown: 25:27

What gives people hope? Yep. If they if they see that you've gone through, what what they're going through and you were able to either maintain your competence, and the Lord through that, or maybe what they need to hear is that for a time you lost that competence. And Lord, maybe you found it again.

Dr Randy Hess: 25:47

So, very good. Question 5am I able to give something to others? And yes, you are. I think I've covered that. Yes. I think I've covered that. Yes, you are. And more than you think, more than you are imagining right now. Just by being who you are, especially in your family. And with a lot of your friends. Six, do I see needs for encouragement, or help? You won't, if you're not looking. I

Unknown: 26:27

used to say, be kind to people, because you never know, they might have pain in their life that well, that is right. It's also in a sense, it's not right, because it's not that they might have pain. People have pain in their life, no matter what, that's right. You know, so everybody's

Dr Randy Hess: 26:47

got something, everybody, you can just go with that. Right. So in conclusion, it may take less than you think, to find a meaningful way to give your gift to another person or to others. When you do, and you freely pour yourself into that pursuit. You will be blessed. In ways you cannot imagine. You will find true purpose and true joy for your life. That's our that's our sense. That's our feeling. That's our belief about finishing well, is that you do get on a different track about how you are giving back for what the Lord has given you. Yep, you're on a different track your mindsets different? Well,

Unknown: 27:43

it's a different we talked about it before. It's a different motivation. And it's just a different purpose. You're living your life, but you're living your life and service to the Lord and in service to the Gospel. And that doesn't mean you're in full time ministry. Maybe it just means that you're paying attention to the Lord's promptings and you're paying attention to the people around you.

Dr Randy Hess: 28:07

And as you pay attention, it gets clearer and clearer with the help of the Holy Spirit. I won't do his voice again, people. Thank you very much for listening to us today. We're glad you've been with us in the podcast. Thank you, Brian, so much. Thank you today it's really been a joy to be with you. Thank you so much. Thank you everyone. We hope you will tune us in again and if you have anything you want to say please write it to howl at finishing While ministries.org are Randy and finishing raw ministries.org And I hope you have a blessed day people take care

Seth Muse: 28:52

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.