Redefining Wealth: A Certified Kingdom Advisor's Journey with Mike Perez

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In many ways, I don't see a lot of differences between people with faith in the more secular world.
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You've transitioned to something totally different about how do I actually make that money impact the world?
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Yeah.
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And how does that how do I become a vessel of what it is doing through me to go make a difference in in this life?
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But when I talk about integrating faith into your finances or living at the intersection of faith and finance, I think a lot of people are like, like, what are you talking about?
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A lot of the churches, they have just kind of shied away from the whole money thing because of fear that it could be a controversial topic.
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I know prayer matters, and I've got two guys here that are willing to step into whatever space I'm in and send one up for me.
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It's confirmation that God sees you.
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If I don't come to Christ in 04, none of this happens.
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Yeah.
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I don't even know where I would be.
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Welcome to First and Focused, the podcast where faith meets leadership.
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I know you're going to put me on the spot.
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I don't know what you're going to ask me to say.
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I'm Mark Greaves, and in each episode, I sit down with business and industry leaders who put God first in their work and stay focused on building his kingdom through their calling.
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I could sit here and talk with you all day.
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Keep up the great work, brother.
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Lord is using you powerfully.
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I love you.
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I love watching what Jesus is doing in your life.
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All right.
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Welcome to the First and Focus show where we interview leaders from various industries who are putting God first in all things, including their work, and also staying on mission and focused on building the kingdom through their callings.
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Today we are here with my good friend, Mr.
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Mike Perez.
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Mike, thanks for being here, buddy.
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Oh, I've been looking for forward to this for a long time.
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Yeah.
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So we talked a little bit last night on the phone.
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Yeah.
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This is basically just a conversation with friends.
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I mean, you've you've been somebody that I've come to know and respect and love.
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Um you've encouraged me and inspired me in a lot of different ways.
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Um and you've supported a lot of the things that that I'm doing, kingdom work, and I'm I'm glad to be a supporter of yours.
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And uh this is just gonna be a really cool conversation.
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Yeah, this is uh I've known you what three years now?
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And uh it's been uh a nice uh journey getting to know you and uh being able to have a conversation like this.
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And I've watched other episodes of uh First and Focused and uh I'm almost pinching myself that I'm actually sitting in the seat today.
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Oh come on.
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Well I've tried to have in in fairness, I've tried to have you on.
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Yeah.
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Uh you'll be somewhere around episode 30, probably.
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I don't know the exact number when it comes out, but uh uh you're definitely in like my top 10 trying to get guys on the show.
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You're not actually easy to wrangle.
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Yeah.
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Well we tried to, I think we tried to do it back in June, and I was on my way to Europe and uh Yeah, why don't you tell everybody what you were doing in Spain?
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Well, I I we start off in Spain and then uh we hit six countries in 16 days.
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But my 23-year-old uh Hispanic daughter uh was on the first leg of the trip with us, and she said, Dad, uh Bad Bunny is going to be in Madrid.
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And so, uh like many people, I had only seen him on the Super Bowl.
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Yeah and so I found myself one Sunday evening with 70,000 screaming crazy people at the bad bunny concert in Madrid, Spain.
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Well, I remember I texted you, I was like, hey man, I gotta get you on the show.
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This is when we're recording, and you're like, I can't.
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I'm at I'm gonna be at the bad bunny concert in Spain.
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I was like, I could not have predicted that that's where you would have been.
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But yeah, um pretty sweet though.
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It was fascinating because one of the thoughts that I had was here's this guy.
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He's probably, you know, he's halfway decent-looking guy, probably an average singer, he doesn't dance, half the concert was done to a track, and yet he is drawn in this following.
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And I saw people at the end when he was like speaking to the people in Spanish, uh, I saw people like my daughter just like crying.
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And I just thought, wow, how amazing this guy has created.
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He did he did 10 sold-out shows in Madrid, 71,000 people a pop in the soccer stadium.
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I mean, how many people even live in Madrid?
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Like a lot of people were traveling in from out of town to see that out of town.
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This is so funny.
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My daughter's name is Lola.
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Yeah, there was a girl sitting next to her from Texas, was there by herself for her birthday.
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Her name was Lola.
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I mean, you just some of the stuff you can't make up, but um I was just like, hey, you know what?
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You're you're keeping yourself young.
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That's what you're doing.
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I'm trying.
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You're not dating yourself.
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I did get a little worried when the stadium started shaking.
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Yeah, for sure.
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Yeah, just people dancing, a lot of music.
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Yes, yes.
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So cool, man.
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Yeah.
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Well, here let me let me hit your intro real quick before we get too far into it, uh, just so people know who you are.
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All right, Mike Perez, you are a certified kingdom advisor, leader of Embassy Wealth Advisors here in Columbus, Ohio.
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With 35 years of experience in financial planning and advisory, you've mentored and led countless families, not only in private wealth management, but also in their relationship with money as it pertains to giving, philanthropy, and legacy.
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You're the author of the book Faith and Finances, which I got this here with me today.
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Nice.
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Uh Faith and Finances, embracing biblical principles for financial success and generosity.
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In it, you discuss how wisdom from scripture informs every area of life, including our financial roadmap.
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You've partnered with organizations such as Generous Giving, facilitating their journey of generosity campaigns, local stewardship networks and churches, and you've participated in many local foundation efforts to fuel opportunities within local ministries and not profits.
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Most recently, you launched Mike Perez Speaks, focusing on stewardship, generosity, and your series on finishing the race strong.
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You're a husband of Linda, father, follower of Jesus, and of course, my good friend.
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That's it, man.
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So it's I I I was wondering what you were gonna come up with because I've seen the other some of the things that I've got to do.
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Yeah, I promise.
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That is all from my brain.
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But no, it's all of it's true, though.
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And I think you know, one of the coolest things that initially drew me to you is that you're a financial planner and advisor, which most of that is about wealth accumulation, at least traditionally.
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People think about how do I grow these accounts and make the number on the screen get bigger.
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You've transitioned to something totally different about how do I actually make that money impact the world.
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Yeah, and how does that how do I become a vessel of what it is doing through me to go make a difference in in this life?
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Which is has been inspiring.
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We're gonna get into some of that.
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Cool.
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I just gotta ask you the opening question so we don't forget it.
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Yeah.
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Um you had breakfast with one of our buddies, Jeff Broadnacks, yesterday.
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And uh which his podcast with you was awesome.
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Yeah.
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Well, you told me that you guys got inspired a little bit by Dr.
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Heller.
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Yes.
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Uh, who is if anybody doesn't know Duke, he was world-renowned dentist, invented dental implant surgery.
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He said, I'm in full-time ministry.
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I just happened to do it as a dentist.
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Yeah.
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Something that he does consistently inspired a story from yesterday morning.
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I just want you to tell it.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Um, I I kind of teased you yesterday, but I didn't give you the details.
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And I actually called Dr.
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Heller on the way over here to tell him the story, and he was just going nuts, going, Praise God, praise God.
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Um, so Jeff Broadnacks, he and I have worked together for a number of years, and we hadn't had a breakfast in a long time.
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And then I had reached out to him after he had been on your podcast just to congratulate him on just a great podcast with you.
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And so we got together for breakfast at the first watch down in German Village.
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And so I got there before him.
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This young waiter or server comes up, guy named Ben, and um asked me if I want anything.
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And I said, Yeah, I'll have some coffee.
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I'm waiting on my friend.
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So Jeff shows up and um we order our food.
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And before our food comes, I don't know why I did this because I don't do it a lot, but I channeled Duke Heller and I said to the server Ben, I said, Ben, just like Duke, I said, My friend Jeff and I are getting ready to pray.
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Yep.
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Is there anything we can pray for you?
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And we didn't know what he would say.
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And he said, you know what?
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As a matter of fact, I'm getting ready to go into the final round of interviews for a teaching job, and I would appreciate some prayers around that.
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We said, Well, you got it.
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Yeah.
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So we get our food, we pray, I pray for Ben.
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Uh, about 10 minutes later, Brodnack says, watch this.
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And he goes, he says to Ben, he said, Can I get your or no, he said, can I give you my cell phone number?
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Because I want you to text me and let me know what the outcome is.
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So that if it's what you want, then we can praise God.
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And if it's not, if it doesn't happen, then I can keep praying for you.
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And Ben said, sure, you can have my cell phone number.
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So gave him the cell phone number.
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About 15 minutes go by.
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Ben comes walking over to the table with a smile on his face.
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He's like, Guys, you're not gonna believe what happened.
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He goes, I don't even have to go to the interviews.
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They just called and offered me the job.
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And we went, praise God.
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I jumped out of my seat, I gave Ben a big hug, and I was like, You gotta be kidding me.
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And it was all because of Duke Heller, you know, kind of channeling him because I've seen him do this exact thing.
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Oh, yeah.
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And I probably need to do it more.
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Well, what's cool is uh you guys are just living in that moment totally, but you're bringing somebody else into it because I've you guys share faith.
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Yeah.
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And you guys got history together and you're having some fun, but like bringing other people into the fold.
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Yeah.
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Did you find out like what Ben's faith walks like?
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I I can't say that we really got into that, but I'm assuming I'm assuming from the fact that he's like, yes, you can pray for me.
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He didn't really hesitate.
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I would assume that it's probably some part of his life.
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Well, you never know what God's gonna do with that.
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You never know how the Holy Spirit's gonna make his way through that because I I've watched Duke do it countless times.
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Um I've watched Jeff do it, you know, several times.
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It's just kind of fun because I if you're timid and you don't really know what to do and you're awkward about it, it it's hard to ask somebody, hey, can we just pray for you out of the blue?
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But the waiter-waitress idea that's just they're already about to interact with you for the next 45 minutes.
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Yeah.
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They don't really have a choice.
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Yeah.
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Um, I've never seen anybody turn it down.
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But then if they don't know the Lord, they have to sit there and think about that.
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It's a seed that gets planted.
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That's who knows how long that takes to maybe germinate and grow, but it's a seed that's planted right then and there that someone's praying for me.
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Who are they praying to?
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Yeah.
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And then what do I think about that?
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Everybody has to make their own judgment call.
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Yeah.
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But then for the believer, a lot of times it's like, hey, I know prayer matters, and I've got two guys here that are willing to step into whatever space I'm in and send one up for me.
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It's confirmation that God sees you.
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But either way, the Holy Spirit's working.
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Yeah.
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I mean, dude, good for you.
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Just letting it rip.
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So fun, man.
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Yeah.
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Well, it's it's interesting because uh the other thing I shared with you, you know, leading into today, that my you know, my father's in the hospital right now, and I'm dealing with that, and we got some uncertainty.
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And I told that I was with my mom and dad in the hospital last night, yeah, and it was late, and my dad had gone for a test, and he came back and and I said, I I had told, I told him I'm gonna tell you a story when you get back.
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And he actually said to me, Hey, what was that story?
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And so I told that story, and I was using it to inspire them to say, you know what, God does listen and God does answer prayers.
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Yeah.
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And so he's got us in this situation that we're in with my father.
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It's cool when you see one answered right away like that, though.
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Oh, it's in real time.
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I'm going, this is incre I mean, Jeff and I, now here's the crazy thing.
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Jeff and I both have the five-year journal because of Mark Greaves.
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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And we're both, I think this is gonna find its way into our journals today.
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100%, man.
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Well, what's cool is when you look back and you see you see God's faithfulness along your journey.
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Yeah.
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But it'll be fun to remember that.
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You know how many times I text people like, hey, just remember three years ago is the first time we've met.
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I think I've texted you that.
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Hey, yeah, just three years ago today is first time we've met.
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Yeah.
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Now look at what God's doing through this relationship.
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Yeah.
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Crazy.
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It's so cool.
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Yeah.
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Well, speaking of your dad, yeah.
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Um, I'd love for you to just comment on the the basically the thing that you told me in the lobby today, just the moment to moment, how we just miss the moment to moment and like stay in present.
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Because you don't know what God's got next.
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I mean, five days ago, your dad's doing a cannibal, right?
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Yeah, I was telling you, I was telling you the story.
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My 85-year-old father, uh, I was not there, and my daughter was there at my sister's house on Friday, the holiday weekend, and she sent a picture of my mom and dad.
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He's 85, she's 86.
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They're sitting on the, you know, in the water side of the pool, looking, you know, looking cool and everything.
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And then my daughter says, Hey, uh, did you know that grandpa did a cannonball to get into the pool?
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And here we are five days later, and things are getting a little dicey for him.
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And so, and I heard somebody talk about this recently, like, don't miss the moments.
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I mean, we are moving at warp speed through this life, and it's like there are so many incredible moments.
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I think I told you yesterday uh when things got a little dicey um at the hospital.
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They had to they had to move him from Dublin Methodist over to uh Riverside.
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Um, but things got a little dicey, and all of a sudden, this this Asian woman showed up at the room and it said chaplain, and I had just kind of come into the conversation.
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I'm sitting there going, oh my gosh, is this like glassed rights?
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What's going on here?
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Yeah.
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And come to find out that my dad had requested somebody to come in and pray with him because I was not there yet.
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And I thought in that moment, because I was pretty emotional, like we need somebody else to do it.
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And I watched this woman, it had to be God working through her.
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She just like leaned down over him and got in his face, and I listened to her talk to him, and she just said some of the most beautiful things before she prayed for him.
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And the one thing that struck me is she said, Um, it's okay to be human.
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Just be human, right?
00:13:44.559 --> 00:13:49.600
And I saw her calm because I was holding my dad's hand on the other side, and he just calmed down.
00:13:50.000 --> 00:14:01.519
The crazy thing was, you know, my dad's father is from the Philippines, and so this woman was Asian, and my dad told me later, he said, Well, actually, I heard him tell the woman, but then we were talking about it later.
00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:06.559
He said that when he was looking at that woman's face, he saw his deceased father.
00:14:06.799 --> 00:14:10.080
And his deceased father said to him, I'm getting a little emotional.
00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:14.240
His his deceased father said to him, Son, it's going to be okay.
00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:16.080
And that like calmed him down, you know.
00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:17.039
So it's just amazing.
00:14:17.200 --> 00:14:19.519
And it was like those are moments.
00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:22.399
Like there's all this stuff that we do day in and day out.
00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:23.519
I won't even remember this stuff.
00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:26.320
But that moment, like, I will remember that for the rest of my life.
00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:35.120
Yeah, it is just the comment about being human is interesting because that that is what we are, but a lot of times you feel like you got to be Superman in some of these scenarios, and it's like, no, it's okay to feel it.
00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:39.519
It's okay to it's okay to let your guard down a little bit, like you're going through it.
00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:39.919
Yeah.
00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:42.639
You know, you don't have it all under control all the time.
00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:46.639
And ultimately, we all as far as like our physical cells, we lose.
00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:49.600
You know, so it's like it's okay to let it go.
00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:56.960
Well, I I actually, you know, like at 10 o'clock last night as I was getting ready to leave, I had my mom and like I'm the parent in the room now, right?
00:14:57.039 --> 00:14:57.200
Yeah.
00:14:57.279 --> 00:15:00.480
And my my dad's sitting on the side of the bed and my mom's in the chair.
00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:08.559
And I literally said to them, I go, Dad, your wife over here of 66 years, she's trying to be a rock for you.
00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:08.879
Yeah.
00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:12.399
And I'm telling her that enough of that, right?
00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:16.080
Like we, as the woman said to you today, we just need to be human here.
00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:19.360
So if she needs to cry, okay, that's not a bad thing, right?
00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:20.480
Let's just be real here.
00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:20.799
Yeah.
00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:23.360
And um, you know, hopefully they were listening to me.
00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:25.919
Man, well, kudos to you for being a good son.
00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:28.639
And I've seen your parents, I volunteered with your parents.
00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:33.519
And they're they're in ridiculously good shape for being in their mid 80s.
00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:35.039
I mean, you'd never even know that.
00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:35.360
Yeah.
00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:36.480
I mean, they don't look it.
00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:36.799
Yeah.
00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:38.000
And they definitely don't act like it.
00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:40.480
I mean, doing a cannonball in the pool on the fourth of July weekend.
00:15:40.559 --> 00:15:41.279
That's yeah, pretty much.
00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:45.039
And I don't even know if we can say on this podcast what my dad said to you when we were volunteering.
00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:46.799
Yeah, no, I wouldn't done.
00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:48.960
Well, you can, but it was actually it's a team.
00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:51.279
He was just being related to his years.
00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:53.360
He was being like 80 some year old Henri, you know.
00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:56.080
Yeah, that was maybe we'll save it.
00:15:56.159 --> 00:15:58.080
This is uh this is a made for kids show.
00:15:58.240 --> 00:15:58.720
Yeah, yeah.
00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:02.240
So all right, well, I'm gonna uh pivot a little bit because I want to get it a little bit into this.
00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:03.279
The book Faith and Finances.
00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:04.799
I mean, you really you literally wrote the book.
00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:05.279
Yeah.
00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:13.279
Um, I've got a couple of things I want to start with, but before we get into it, uh, you've spent decades now, I mean 35 plus years in the finance space.
00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:13.840
Yeah.
00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:20.879
Do you feel like it's hard for people to integrate their faith in their finances and like how do you coach them through that?
00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:26.879
Um I'm not sure I've quite figured it all out.
00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:30.799
And I would say it's one of the hardest things to do.
00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:32.240
I don't know who said it.
00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:40.399
Maybe it was Billy Graham, but somebody said the last thing to come to the Lord is the checkbook or the wallet.
00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:40.879
Yeah.
00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:49.600
And um one of the things that I struggle with, and this is kind of the the for lack of a better way of saying, this is the fight.
00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:50.399
Yeah.
00:16:50.879 --> 00:17:00.159
In many ways, I don't see a lot of differences between people of faith and the more secular world when it comes to when it comes to the money and all of that.
00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:12.319
And sometimes I question, you know, when I talk about integrating faith into your finances or living at the intersection of faith and finance, um, I think a lot of people are like, like, what are you talking about?
00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:15.119
And I just don't think a lot of people have given it a lot of thought.
00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:29.200
And I think part of it is because I think a lot of the churches, um, no disrespect to the churches, but they have just kind of shied away from the whole money thing because of fear that it could be a controversial topic.
00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:30.720
Yeah, no, that makes a lot of sense.
00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:31.039
Yeah.
00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:32.480
Well, I I think you call it out.
00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:34.720
I mean, I've got a spot of the I've read your book, obviously.
00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:35.519
Appreciate that.
00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:37.279
Um I read a lot of books.
00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:39.039
People probably like, do you really read all these books?
00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:39.599
I actually do.
00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:40.400
I love doing it.
00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:47.920
Um, so here's here I want to read this quote from the book because um and it it pertains to 2004, your finding God moment.
00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:50.720
Yeah, but there's not a lot of finance books that start out with this.
00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:52.240
This is right from your introduction.
00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:52.720
Yeah.
00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:55.440
Uh this is the first sentence really of the book.
00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:58.640
Uh in 2004, something amazing happened to me.
00:17:58.880 --> 00:17:59.759
I found God.
00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:04.160
After being baptized, I didn't just feel refreshed, I felt like a new person.
00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:09.680
But this change affected everything, including how I saw the connection between my faith and my wealth.
00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:14.960
I started wondering how can I be a good Christian and still be successful financially?
00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:28.160
I just think that that's a it's a powerful opening paragraph because um you didn't start with like, hey, here's the breakdown of how we're going to accumulate more, here's here's the return on investment we're gonna get out of all this stuff.
00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:31.039
You st you talk about something amazing happened to you.
00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:35.680
You found God, but then that challenged the way that you think about your profession.
00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:39.519
And how can you be a successful Christian in these ways?
00:18:39.680 --> 00:18:40.000
Yeah.
00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:41.839
What have you found?
00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:45.440
First off, I guess tell us how you found God.
00:18:46.079 --> 00:18:53.759
Um so I mean I grew up in the Catholic Church, uh, like a lot of people.
00:18:54.079 --> 00:19:01.759
I when I came out of high school into college, I kind of walked away, never stopped believing in God.
00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:05.440
And then I got to, let me count the years here.
00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:08.079
I don't know, I got to about age 40.
00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:15.279
And through I had lunch with an old friend who then said, I got somebody I want to introduce you to.
00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:18.319
And it was Chris Watkins, who a lot of people know here in town.
00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:24.880
Uh and I was at a bot, I was at the Bob Evans over by Soyota Country Club, which is like a kid's swim thing now.
00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:34.160
And Chris literally just turned to me at the end of the breakfast and he said, If you'll come to my office every Friday morning for the next year, I'll share with you what I know and you can decide for yourself.
00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:39.039
So he invited me in and he just hit me at the right time because I was like, What have I got to lose?
00:19:39.119 --> 00:19:47.119
I didn't know it at the time, but he was taking me through a program from crew, okay, like a foundational type thing.
00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:54.160
And so I religiously, no pun intended, I started going to his office and it changed my life.
00:19:54.319 --> 00:19:57.039
It literally changed my life because it made sense to me.
00:19:57.279 --> 00:19:59.839
And then in the midst of that, we adopted our daughter.
00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:04.079
She was a baby from Guatemala, uh, through a chance meeting with somebody.
00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:10.559
We got introduced to a church, and then by May 16, 2004, my wife and I are like, I think we need to get baptized.
00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:11.920
And so we got baptized.
00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:18.079
I didn't What's interesting to me is like that's literally just the first step.
00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:21.759
Like you don't get baptized and like your life just explodes after that, right?
00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:22.480
Exactly.
00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:27.759
It's a step, and it's and then you just keep start taking these baby steps.
00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:35.519
And so what's interesting to me is I surrendered my life to Christ in 2004, but it wasn't until two now, I'm already in the business.
00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:42.880
I'm in the business 12 years at that point, but it wasn't until 2008, and I can't remember if I have this in the book.
00:20:43.759 --> 00:20:56.880
I'm sitting in church on a Sunday morning, I got a guy named Barry Cameron from Texas that's the guest preacher, wrote a book called The ABC's of Financial Freedom, which I still have, and I'm sitting there kind of close to the stage, and I'm going, Oh my God.
00:20:57.680 --> 00:20:59.920
I I've never even thought about it like this.
00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:00.319
Yeah.
00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:08.559
And so that was the start of, man, I I got to get this thing in alignment with what God's telling me to do.
00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:13.279
Once again, it's not like magic happened all of a sudden.
00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:15.359
It just became this process.
00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:18.400
And then 2015, I think you've heard me tell this story.
00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:23.359
2015, Dwight Montgomery of National Christian Foundation, he he walked in.
00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:25.119
I had three business partners at the time.
00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:32.240
He walked into our office one day and he said, Guys, you need to get your butts down to the Kingdom Advisor Conference in Orlando.
00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:36.799
And he says, matter of fact, if you go down there and you don't like it, he said, I'll give you all your money back.
00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:38.079
And he was serious.
00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:41.119
And I was the only one of the four partners that went down there.
00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:47.599
And that was the start of literally changing my view of this from a professional perspective.
00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:48.640
In 2015.
00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:59.839
What's interesting is I love how you're outlining the process because I feel like there's a lot of you know folks that come to faith, they expect their entire world to dramatically change and everything to just kind of fall into alignment.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:00.799
All at once.
00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:01.119
Yeah.
00:22:01.279 --> 00:22:01.839
And it doesn't.
00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:04.480
I mean, yours has fallen into alignment now over 22 years.
00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:06.480
Doesn't seem like it's really fallen in any.
00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:12.640
It's just the process of going through and just continuing to mature in your walk and let the Holy Spirit continue to guide.
00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:14.400
And then taking the faithful steps.
00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:19.440
I mean, whether it was between 2004 coming to Christ, 2015, Dwight walks in and says that.
00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:19.759
Yeah.
00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:21.519
It's a pretty nice little gap of time there.
00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:22.480
11 years.
00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:32.400
And then maybe about 11, 12 years later, you're writing a book, Faith and Finances, and starting this finish the race strong journey and all the other things that have taken place, but it didn't come together all at once.
00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:34.160
You can't expect that to happen.
00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:40.720
But the thing is, and I think the reason I had that first in the book is if I don't come to Christ in 04, none of this happens.
00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:41.039
Yeah.
00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:42.400
I don't even know where I would be.
00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:43.200
It's true.
00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:44.240
It's it's interesting.
00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:49.680
I I just use I'm a big fan of Zig Ziglar, and I know he mentored uh our friend Duke Heller.
00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:53.680
Um I was saying to somebody, I I love his quotes.
00:22:53.839 --> 00:23:01.039
I was saying to somebody recently, um, you know, this is to me what the Christian walk is is like.
00:23:01.200 --> 00:23:06.000
Like it's you have to wake up every day and just start over.
00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:06.319
Yeah.
00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:09.440
And it reminds me of a quote by by Zig Ziggler.
00:23:09.599 --> 00:23:13.039
He said, People say that motivation doesn't last.
00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:14.720
Neither does bathing.
00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:16.640
That's why we recommend it daily.
00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:17.680
Oh, that's good.
00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:18.480
Think about that.
00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:23.119
And so to me, that's the Christian walk is like I have to bathe daily.
00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:23.599
Yeah.
00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:26.480
And say, okay, how am I going to walk with the Lord today?
00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:28.480
And some days I'm really good at it.
00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:30.880
Like yesterday, I think I got a pretty good grade.
00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:31.839
Yeah.
00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:35.119
But and then some days I'm just yucking up the joint, right?
00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:36.640
It's true.
00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:43.680
The daily walk, it's like a really, really tough thing to like understand and accept because you don't we don't want to.
00:23:43.759 --> 00:23:45.759
I want to be able to make a decision and then have it last.
00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:46.160
Yeah.
00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:48.720
But the decision has to be made every time you you wake up.
00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:49.759
That's exactly right.
00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:50.640
It's so good, man.
00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:55.039
I got a bullet point that I want you to comment on from your book.
00:23:55.200 --> 00:23:58.000
So one of the books, this is a this is what entices readers to pick up the book.
00:23:58.079 --> 00:24:10.240
You know, when you're looking at the marketing material and like what it says online, it says learn to redefine success, understanding that true wealth lies not in material abundance, but in living a life aligned with the kingdom of God.
00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:15.359
So can you tell us what a typical version of success sounds like from somebody that's in your profession?
00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:18.400
And then maybe how you see it differently these days.
00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:26.960
Well, I think it's I think success in our industry is pretty well documented.
00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:32.720
You know, it's we as I like to say, it's kind of from that parable of building the bigger barns, right?
00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:35.279
Like how much have you accumulated and that?
00:24:36.160 --> 00:24:40.559
Because I'm a simple guy, this is kind of what I've reduced things to.
00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:44.400
Um whenever I sign my books, I sign them all the same.
00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:54.319
I don't know how this came to me, but I sign them, I say, may you store your treasures in heaven, Matthew 620, best Mike Perez.
00:24:55.119 --> 00:25:06.079
Because to me, in the spirit of, you know, Stephen Covey used to talk about, begin with the end in mind, when it comes to our money, yeah, you need to take care of your families, you need to enjoy your life and all of that.
00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:07.839
But what is the end game?
00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:14.160
Well, if the end game is to store your treasure in heaven, well, then how do you get there?
00:25:15.039 --> 00:25:25.200
And the formula that I've come up with is there's only one basic way that you can get there, and that is in order to store your treasure in heaven, you have to work on heart change.
00:25:25.359 --> 00:25:29.839
And, you know, one of our favorite people is Courtney Markley, and she talks a lot about that.
00:25:31.519 --> 00:25:34.000
The world doesn't need any more information.
00:25:34.160 --> 00:25:35.279
We have plenty of information.
00:25:35.359 --> 00:25:36.720
We can get it right off of our phones.
00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:38.640
What we need is we need heart change.
00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:39.039
Yeah.
00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:45.680
It's only through heart change that you will experience your version of radical generosity.
00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:46.000
Yeah.
00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:51.200
And it's only through radical generosity that you will be able to store your treasure in heaven.
00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:53.839
You can't buy your way to storing your treasure.
00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:58.559
You can't, I there's nothing you can do other than through generosity.
00:25:58.799 --> 00:26:00.960
And I love the quote by Randy Alcorn.
00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:06.720
He said, God doesn't prosper us to raise our standard of living, he prospers us to raise our standard of giving.
00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:06.960
Yeah.
00:26:07.119 --> 00:26:08.720
Now, I live a pretty nice life.
00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:09.839
You've been to my house.
00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:11.519
Um, I'm a very blessed man.
00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:20.079
But the one thing that is God is changing in me and has been changing in me over time is my radar works totally different now.
00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:28.799
Like I lead with generosity and material things, I mean, I, you know, I like nice things, but I am just not driven by them anymore.
00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:37.440
It seems like over time, God has just started to really take away my appetite, which is why I pulled up to the studio here in a 2015 car.
00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:39.839
My wife's like, why don't you get a new car?
00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:41.680
And I go, Because I don't care.
00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:41.920
Yeah.
00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:44.079
And this car does beautiful for me.
00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:48.400
Why do I want to put time and energy and resources into figuring out which one and all that?
00:26:48.799 --> 00:26:50.000
Yeah, could they just come and they go?
00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:51.279
I mean, same thing.
00:26:51.359 --> 00:26:57.279
I feel I feel like once you're on this thought process and your heart does transform in these ways, yeah.
00:26:57.440 --> 00:26:59.359
The the material does lose its luster.
00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:03.279
It's not that having a nice thing is bad or and sometimes having a nice thing is fun.
00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:04.160
You know, it's kind of cool.
00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:06.240
It's like I'm there's nothing wrong with a nice thing.
00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:07.359
God made all this stuff.
00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:07.759
Yeah.
00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:10.480
But it it's no longer the pursuit that you're after.
00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:10.799
Yeah.
00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:11.200
Yeah.
00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:12.720
What you're pursuing is different.
00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:14.799
You mentioned radical generosity a lot.
00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:15.440
Yeah.
00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:19.920
And there's a quote that I always love, so I want to throw it your way and just see how you think about this.
00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:23.920
But it was radical generosity is just normal Christianity.
00:27:25.119 --> 00:27:26.480
What do you think about that?
00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:31.119
I I like that because I I think that's what we're called to do.
00:27:31.279 --> 00:27:31.519
Yeah.
00:27:31.680 --> 00:27:32.000
Right?
00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:37.759
It it says in Acts 20, 35, it is more blessed to give than receive.
00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:39.519
Well, why did God say that?
00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:40.000
Yeah.
00:27:40.319 --> 00:27:43.759
Because he knew that that's what would be best for us.
00:27:43.839 --> 00:27:51.599
So if I want the best that God has to offer me, I'm like, well, I'm going to lead with generosity.
00:27:51.920 --> 00:28:01.440
I feel like there's a lot of evidence to back that up because anybody I know who has decided to be generous in your heart, radical means something different to everybody.
00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:01.680
Yeah.
00:28:01.920 --> 00:28:04.240
Because it's just a perspective on like, what have I done before?
00:28:04.400 --> 00:28:04.559
Yes.
00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:07.039
And is this thing I'm about to do radical compared to that?
00:28:07.200 --> 00:28:10.640
It might not be ultimately radical compared to everything I have to offer.
00:28:10.880 --> 00:28:13.359
But what is it in comparison to my past experience?
00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:29.039
But when they do it, when the Holy Spirit's driving it and they do something that in their own experience is radical, a lot of times, like the way that they feel about it and the way that their heart gets connected to whatever that mission or cause was or the person that it influenced, it just completely changes the way that you look at the world.
00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:37.680
It's so it's uh but normal Christianity should be radically generous if we're actually following the words of Christ and the Word.
00:28:37.839 --> 00:28:38.160
Yeah.
00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:38.880
Dude, yeah.
00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:50.559
So much written about generosity, and and I I think a word that I like is I like the word invitation, right?
00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:50.960
Yeah.
00:28:51.200 --> 00:28:56.400
Like we just gotta can when I say we, I'm talking about people like you and I.
00:28:56.559 --> 00:28:59.599
We have got to continue to invite people in.
00:28:59.920 --> 00:29:01.920
People are waiting to be invited in.
00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:04.640
They just don't, they just don't know how to get started.
00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:10.640
And something I've learned from you, by the way, my wife and I were like, we're we go down to the bridge ministry all the time.
00:29:10.960 --> 00:29:13.039
And my like my wife's a rock star there.
00:29:13.119 --> 00:29:14.720
Like these guys come up to her.
00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:15.519
Oh, yeah.
00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:19.200
And that all came from tithe and you and everything.
00:29:19.359 --> 00:29:26.000
And I remember you saying something because I've quoted you many times, that you said, if you want to show people Jesus, just invite them in.
00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:30.000
Just say, hey, we're gonna go serve at the bridge ministry and why don't you come with me?
00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:35.279
And it's not, you know, we're not talking the Bible and we're not having quite you know conversations about faith.
00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:38.400
I mean, it could come up, yeah, but we're just showing them what Jesus looks like.
00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:40.400
And to me, that is like the coolest thing in the world.
00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:46.559
Yeah, there's there's something different about the action of following Jesus versus like telling them the information about him.
00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:49.039
It's like you want to go see him in action, let's just go.
00:29:49.200 --> 00:29:49.359
Yeah.
00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:57.359
And you could go experience what it's like to serve and just watch him work through us, and he's working through the person, whether they're a believer or not.
00:29:58.079 --> 00:30:02.000
That love is coming out, and they get to experience what the love of Christ looks like in in real time.
00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:02.480
Yeah.
00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:02.960
Yeah.
00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:09.599
Um I want to ask this question to you because I feel like America is specifically like a big battleground for for this.
00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:20.319
This spiritual battle over um, you know, when Jesus says it's easier for a rich man to go through the the eye of the needle than or a camel to go through the eye of needle than for a rich man to go to heaven.
00:30:21.599 --> 00:30:36.880
I feel like in America today, um like the upper echelon with the inflation that's taking place and app asset prices going up, and you live in this world, yeah, the wealthy are experiencing wealth that they haven't ever before, maybe beyond their wildest dreams, just with asset inflation.
00:30:37.039 --> 00:30:37.279
Yeah.
00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:41.440
Um but that necessarily hasn't transferred into generosity.
00:30:41.599 --> 00:30:41.839
Right.
00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:49.279
And Courtney, you already mentioned her, she just did a whole quote her all the time on the idle treasure, which is I D L E, like it's sitting on the sidelines.
00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:54.079
There's a lot of there's a lot of treasure that could be deployed to go impact people for the kingdom.
00:30:54.480 --> 00:31:04.000
Why is it such a difficult thing, this spiritual battle that's being fought between wealth and investment into eternity and accumulating more wealth here for the temporary?
00:31:04.160 --> 00:31:06.480
Like how can we bridge this gap?
00:31:08.160 --> 00:31:10.640
I mean, that's that's the battle I'm in every day.
00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:13.599
I mean, that's the conversation I'm trying to change.
00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:25.759
I think I think there's always this danger that the more wealthy people become, or the more successful they become, the more they don't feel like they need the Lord, right?
00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:37.599
Um I'm always fascinated, like even when I go down to the bridge ministry, the people that I meet down there, I'm in awe of because they're so grateful.
00:31:37.839 --> 00:31:40.559
And there's people that are loving the Lord and everything.
00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:43.839
I mean, they have every reason to be mad at the Lord.
00:31:43.920 --> 00:31:44.480
Yeah, right?
00:31:44.559 --> 00:31:52.799
They haven't been blessed with much, maybe they're homeless, but yet they have found a way to be grateful and to be leaning into the Lord.
00:31:53.039 --> 00:32:02.880
Um, like I said, when you're provided with a lot, it's easy to just say, I don't know, man, you know, that Jesus thing is okay, but I don't really need it.
00:32:03.039 --> 00:32:03.759
You know what I'm saying?
00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:05.680
You're already, you feel secure already.
00:32:06.079 --> 00:32:06.559
Exactly.
00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:07.359
Yeah, exactly.
00:32:07.440 --> 00:32:13.200
And that's a very slippery slope uh because it's obviously said in the scripture.
00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:18.319
I I mean I go back to the parable of the the um the rich fool.
00:32:18.400 --> 00:32:18.640
Yeah.
00:32:18.799 --> 00:32:24.559
He's like, I'll just build these bigger barns and I'm gonna sit back, I'm gonna, you know, just live the good life.
00:32:24.720 --> 00:32:27.119
And Jesus was like, You fool.
00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:30.240
Like it's all gonna it's all gonna be taken away from you.
00:32:30.559 --> 00:32:34.880
And so we have to stay humble, we have to stay connected to the Lord.
00:32:35.119 --> 00:32:41.119
Um and you know, it talks in the in the Bible about, you know, which master are you gonna serve?
00:32:41.279 --> 00:32:42.880
Are you gonna serve the master of money?
00:32:43.200 --> 00:32:44.960
Are you gonna serve the master of God?
00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:55.200
Yeah, you know, so I I think it's it's an even bigger battle here in the United States because of the amount of wealth that has been created.
00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:56.720
So this is going off script.
00:32:56.799 --> 00:32:57.759
I'm gonna grab my Bible here.
00:32:57.920 --> 00:32:59.119
It sits it sits here.
00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:00.880
I read this the other day.
00:33:02.319 --> 00:33:03.119
Going to church.
00:33:03.200 --> 00:33:03.519
I love it.
00:33:03.839 --> 00:33:04.400
That's right, man.
00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:06.799
We're in Psalm 39 today, is what we're gonna be in.
00:33:06.960 --> 00:33:08.799
I just want to get your perspective on this.
00:33:09.200 --> 00:33:10.000
Um here we go.
00:33:10.160 --> 00:33:11.680
Psalm 39, verse 4.
00:33:11.920 --> 00:33:15.119
Show me, Lord, my life's end and the number of my days.
00:33:15.279 --> 00:33:17.279
Let me know how fleeting my life is.
00:33:17.440 --> 00:33:19.359
You have made my days a mere hand breath.
00:33:19.839 --> 00:33:22.000
The span of my years is nothing before you.
00:33:22.400 --> 00:33:22.960
Here we go.
00:33:23.359 --> 00:33:26.160
Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.
00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:28.799
Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom.
00:33:28.960 --> 00:33:33.920
In vain they rush about heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.
00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:48.319
So my question to you is like when when you're advising clients and they're getting older in age and they've stored their wealth, knowing that we've got mere weeks, months, years to live.
00:33:48.400 --> 00:33:51.759
I mean, it 20 years is is fairly quick, you know?
00:33:51.920 --> 00:33:53.599
It's it's not a long time.
00:33:53.920 --> 00:34:02.720
Um how do you, as a kingdom advisor, how do you have different conversations of like, hey, your time here is passing away, it's short.
00:34:02.880 --> 00:34:08.000
It could be tomorrow, or it could be maybe a maximum of just 20, 30 years, but it's not forever, it's quick.
00:34:08.719 --> 00:34:14.960
How do you influence them to use what God's blessed them with to impact others and for the light of Christ?
00:34:15.360 --> 00:34:23.920
I one of the questions that I ask people, because I work with a lot of second half of life people, it's why we created Finish the Race Strong.
00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:30.880
Um, one of the questions I ask is, what haven't you done in this life that you want to get done before it's over?
00:34:31.039 --> 00:34:31.360
Right.
00:34:31.519 --> 00:34:38.159
I was reminded, being in Europe here recently, that international travel is not for the faint of heart.
00:34:38.320 --> 00:34:42.159
And I have these clients that they're like, Yeah, well, we're gonna get to this, we're gonna take that trip.
00:34:42.320 --> 00:34:46.639
And I was on that trip going, There's no way these people are coming on the trip.
00:34:46.800 --> 00:34:51.519
I mean, it's too, it's too grueling, it's too demanding, you know, that sort of thing.
00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:57.599
Um, I stole this from Ron Blue, and I have this in people's faces all the time.
00:34:57.679 --> 00:34:59.760
It's a little jingle, and it goes like this.
00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:02.960
Do you're giving while you're living so you're knowing where it's going?
00:35:03.440 --> 00:35:04.079
Hmm.
00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:08.880
Or do you're giving while Do you're giving while you're living so you're knowing where it's going?
00:35:09.119 --> 00:35:13.920
The other thing that I say, very seriously, I said, your money is going to be given away.
00:35:14.159 --> 00:35:16.159
The question is, will you be there?
00:35:16.480 --> 00:35:17.920
Yeah, you'll be the one that does it.
00:35:18.079 --> 00:35:19.599
Yeah, it's going to be given away.
00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:19.920
Yeah.
00:35:20.079 --> 00:35:21.360
Do you want to be there?
00:35:21.679 --> 00:35:34.559
So once I know that there's a level of stability that, you know, is acceptable to the client, then I'm just going to keep leaning into um who can who can we bless?
00:35:34.639 --> 00:35:36.320
You know, is it your adult children?
00:35:36.480 --> 00:35:37.599
Is it organizations?
00:35:37.920 --> 00:35:43.679
It's interesting to me because I've been a little surprised by this.
00:35:43.840 --> 00:35:46.320
So many people have not given this much thought.
00:35:46.559 --> 00:35:47.440
They really haven't.
00:35:47.519 --> 00:35:48.639
They haven't given it much thought.
00:35:48.719 --> 00:35:57.760
And as we were alluding to earlier, our friend Courtney says that giving, if you compare it to like the Great Depression, it's less now than it was, you know, way back when.
00:35:58.079 --> 00:35:58.719
As a percentage.
00:35:59.039 --> 00:35:59.280
Yeah.
00:35:59.440 --> 00:36:07.599
And then the other thing that and I can speak very adamantly about these things because this is the light, this is where I am in the life cycle, right?
00:36:07.840 --> 00:36:11.760
And then the other thing that I talk about is is legacy.
00:36:11.920 --> 00:36:16.800
It's like I I would say this is a fact.
00:36:17.039 --> 00:36:20.159
Two-thirds of Americans have done no estate planning.
00:36:21.039 --> 00:36:21.760
Two-thirds.
00:36:21.920 --> 00:36:23.360
That's that's crazy.
00:36:23.599 --> 00:36:26.239
Which means they haven't probably talked about legacy.
00:36:26.719 --> 00:36:33.840
And then the other third, I'm finding because we do a lot of estate work, um, a lot of their stuff is not what they want it to be, right?
00:36:34.159 --> 00:36:40.639
And so I'm trying to have conversations with people that yes, we got to take care of the X's and O's.
00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:43.760
That's important, but let's talk about legacy.
00:36:43.920 --> 00:36:45.920
Like, what do you want to be remembered for?
00:36:46.079 --> 00:36:46.400
Yeah.
00:36:46.559 --> 00:36:49.119
Um, what will they say about you when you when you're gone?
00:36:49.280 --> 00:37:03.039
It's I I I hate to say this, but like I was in the pool swimming this morning, and I'm going through this with my dad, and I was literally rehearsing in my head that if I had to get up at his funeral, what would I say?
00:37:03.119 --> 00:37:03.360
Yeah.
00:37:03.519 --> 00:37:11.599
And I was like literally playing it out, you know, and you know, I was thinking about my father, and I was like, there were three things that jumped out.
00:37:11.679 --> 00:37:13.679
He was all about family, friends, and faith.
00:37:13.760 --> 00:37:13.920
Yeah.
00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:14.559
That was it.
00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:15.679
Those three things.
00:37:15.920 --> 00:37:21.440
And he had he he did faith kind of in his own way, but God is very important to him.
00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:21.920
I know that.
00:37:22.079 --> 00:37:22.239
Yeah.
00:37:22.400 --> 00:37:22.960
I know that.
00:37:23.199 --> 00:37:26.159
I just have the question like, what do you what are you trying to get done here before you're out?
00:37:26.800 --> 00:37:28.559
Like you're we all know we're leaving.
00:37:28.719 --> 00:37:30.320
At least we're leaving this earthly body.
00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:30.639
Yeah.
00:37:30.800 --> 00:37:33.199
Um, what do you want to accomplish through it while it's here?
00:37:33.440 --> 00:37:38.000
Well, here's the crazy thing is, and and I think this is kind of universal.
00:37:38.159 --> 00:37:40.639
I'm like trying to lean into it.
00:37:41.039 --> 00:37:43.119
So many of us think we have so much time.
00:37:43.280 --> 00:37:43.599
Yeah.
00:37:43.840 --> 00:37:50.320
I saw, I I my daughter lives in Erie, Pennsylvania, and so I was up, she got graduated with her master's here recently.
00:37:50.400 --> 00:37:53.280
And so my my wife was at a wedding in another state.
00:37:53.440 --> 00:38:01.199
So I went up to be with her, and I went to this church that she's going to right now in Erie, and the guy gave the most beautiful sermon.
00:38:01.280 --> 00:38:06.960
And he was talking about how, you know, in the scripture it talks about how we're just a vapor, right?
00:38:07.119 --> 00:38:08.400
Like we're here and then we're gone.
00:38:08.480 --> 00:38:08.639
Yeah.
00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:10.800
You know, and we think we have all this time.
00:38:11.039 --> 00:38:17.920
And his question was this, and it really struck me, he said, What are you gonna do with the vapor?
00:38:18.719 --> 00:38:20.159
What are you gonna do with the vapor?
00:38:20.239 --> 00:38:25.599
Yeah, and I was like, It's hard to even think about it because you try to grasp it and it's just yeah, so quick.
00:38:25.760 --> 00:38:36.639
It's then he had this, he had this long rope that was sitting in a like a bucket off to the side, and he had a piece of colored tape on the end of the rope.
00:38:36.800 --> 00:38:42.159
And he said, That tape on the end of the rope is your life right now.
00:38:42.320 --> 00:38:42.559
Yeah.
00:38:42.719 --> 00:38:43.920
And he talked about that.
00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:51.760
And then he started pulling the rope out of the bucket and he kept pulling it and he pulling it, and he said, This is eternity.
00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:56.000
And one of the, you know, you know, I'm a man of quotes and anecdotes and all of that.
00:38:56.079 --> 00:39:00.880
Um, but one of my favorites is eternity is way too long to get it wrong.
00:39:03.280 --> 00:39:04.000
Well, it's true.
00:39:04.159 --> 00:39:06.639
Let's just do this illustration because I told you we did this before.
00:39:06.719 --> 00:39:07.840
Yeah, we'll just do this with you.
00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:09.119
Let's do it just for the listeners.
00:39:09.199 --> 00:39:09.760
How old are you?
00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:10.320
How many years?
00:39:10.480 --> 00:39:12.000
Uh, I'll be 64 next month.
00:39:12.239 --> 00:39:14.159
All right, 64 times 52.
00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:16.960
You've lived 3,328 weeks.
00:39:17.280 --> 00:39:17.599
Okay.
00:39:17.840 --> 00:39:18.159
Wow.
00:39:18.239 --> 00:39:19.599
I feel like it sometimes.
00:39:20.480 --> 00:39:23.599
Well, I know that 80 years is 4,160 weeks.
00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:24.000
Okay.
00:39:24.159 --> 00:39:25.440
So let's subtract that.
00:39:26.320 --> 00:39:35.679
If you live to be 80, yeah, which is a couple years past uh male life expectancy, you got 832 weeks left in your body.
00:39:35.840 --> 00:39:36.639
So think about that.
00:39:36.800 --> 00:39:41.280
You got 832 Friday nights, you got 832 more Sunday services, yeah.
00:39:41.440 --> 00:39:45.679
You got 832 more Monday mornings to look at the week ahead and say, what am I gonna go do with this?
00:39:46.000 --> 00:39:47.760
Yeah, that ain't that it's not that much.
00:39:48.400 --> 00:39:54.559
So, like, I think people do fool themselves into thinking I've got all this time, I've got to store all this stuff for the future, I've got to take care of myself.
00:39:54.639 --> 00:40:07.119
And it's like, no, if you trust in the Lord to take care of you and He's provided, what impact are you gonna make through your resources to honor him with at first and then go get more people for Jesus?
00:40:07.199 --> 00:40:07.519
Yeah.
00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:09.920
Like we are running out of time, time is of the essence.
00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:10.079
Yeah.
00:40:10.239 --> 00:40:16.159
And whether Jesus is coming back or whether you're going, like now, granted, you might live to be 90 and you might get some bonus years.
00:40:16.239 --> 00:40:17.519
Yeah, just as a rule of thumb.
00:40:17.920 --> 00:40:21.360
If a guy lives to be 80, you got 832 weeks, man.
00:40:21.519 --> 00:40:21.840
Yeah.
00:40:22.000 --> 00:40:23.119
I gotta get after it.
00:40:23.280 --> 00:40:23.920
I can't.
00:40:24.079 --> 00:40:25.519
Well, I think you are getting after it.
00:40:25.679 --> 00:40:27.519
All right, so let's let's pivot into this a little bit.
00:40:27.599 --> 00:40:29.920
So you've you've become uh a wonderful speaker.
00:40:30.079 --> 00:40:33.039
I mean, I've I've I've heard you speak, I've seen you on panels.
00:40:33.199 --> 00:40:36.880
Yeah, you're very concise, succinct, and you make a point really, really well.
00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:39.039
You went through Toastmasters for quite a long time.
00:40:39.280 --> 00:40:41.840
I was I'm a distinguished Toastmaster.
00:40:42.000 --> 00:40:44.800
Um this all started in 1985.
00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:55.119
A guy was I was a college student and working in nationwide insurance, and a guy named Paul, that's all I remember, he walked up to me one day and he said, I think you would be good in Toastmasters.
00:40:55.199 --> 00:40:56.639
I got introduced to the organization.
00:40:56.719 --> 00:41:01.360
I was in and out over the years, and then 2000 in the early 2000s, I got back in.
00:41:01.440 --> 00:41:11.679
I started competing in speech contests, and then in what changed my life was 2004, I got involved in leadership because it's a it's a speaking and leadership organization international.
00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:19.519
I became the district governor, which was five cities, had over 3,000 people, 42 people on my leadership team, all volunteer.
00:41:19.679 --> 00:41:24.639
And that's where I was really able to cut my teeth, became, as I said, the distinguished toastmaster.
00:41:24.800 --> 00:41:29.119
And so I trained myself for many, many years.
00:41:29.280 --> 00:41:32.960
I mean, it's it's um it's kind of that Picasso story.
00:41:33.039 --> 00:41:33.920
I was thinking about this recently.
00:41:34.239 --> 00:41:38.960
You ever heard the Picasso story where he's sitting, he's sitting at a sidewalk cafe in Europe.
00:41:39.119 --> 00:41:41.679
A woman comes up to him and she's like, Oh, I love you, I love you.
00:41:41.840 --> 00:41:43.119
She's like, Would you draw my picture?
00:41:43.280 --> 00:41:45.440
And he draws her picture and it takes him like 10 minutes.
00:41:45.599 --> 00:41:47.119
He's like, that'll be$30,000.
00:41:47.440 --> 00:41:48.719
She's like, What are you talking about?
00:41:48.800 --> 00:41:49.840
It took you 10 minutes.
00:41:50.000 --> 00:41:52.960
And he's like, No, it's taking me like four decades, right?
00:41:53.119 --> 00:41:53.840
To be able to do that.
00:41:54.239 --> 00:41:55.199
To be able to do that, right?
00:41:55.360 --> 00:42:02.000
And my point is that like I spent three decades in the organization learning the craft.
00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:03.199
I'm not perfect at it.
00:42:03.280 --> 00:42:04.559
I'm a little rusty at times.
00:42:04.800 --> 00:42:05.599
You're pretty good at it.
00:42:05.840 --> 00:42:09.760
But my instincts, I've created these instincts, you know, because I was so immersed in it for so many years.
00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:11.039
Well, you're using it now.
00:42:11.199 --> 00:42:13.920
And uh this plays into what we just talked about with time.
00:42:14.000 --> 00:42:14.159
Yeah.
00:42:14.320 --> 00:42:17.440
So finish the race strong, and you're taking this message on the road.
00:42:17.519 --> 00:42:19.039
I know you launched Mike Perez Speaks.
00:42:19.199 --> 00:42:26.639
So if you go to MikePerezSpeaks.com, I mean they can book you, they can see the things that you talk about, like where your passions are and what you go deliver these messages.
00:42:26.719 --> 00:42:34.159
But yeah, tell us about Finish the Race Strong because I think that this Toastmaster thing that you did back then, I I think it's just teeing you up for this next phase of life personally.
00:42:34.400 --> 00:42:34.559
Yeah.
00:42:34.639 --> 00:42:34.800
Yeah.
00:42:34.880 --> 00:42:41.599
Finish the race strong was um trying to narrow down this whole faith and finance message.
00:42:41.679 --> 00:42:52.159
And where I probably have most, I mean, I love mentoring younger guys, um, and that's fun to me, but my passion is walking alongside people who are on the same walk that I'm on.
00:42:52.239 --> 00:42:52.400
Yeah.
00:42:52.559 --> 00:42:59.920
And I'm just all about, I mean, I look at a guy like Duke Heller, who's 88 years young, and I'm like, I want to be like Duke when I grow up.
00:43:00.079 --> 00:43:08.480
Um, but I just want to come alongside people and inspire them, encourage them, educate them to finish the race strong.
00:43:08.639 --> 00:43:12.719
And at its core, finish the race strong just gets to the essence of time, talent, and treasure.
00:43:12.960 --> 00:43:16.000
I mean, I've got the five pillars that kind of come back to that.
00:43:16.159 --> 00:43:18.800
Um, because here's been one of my observations.
00:43:19.679 --> 00:43:24.639
I see a lot of people get the money part right, they don't get the life part right.
00:43:24.880 --> 00:43:26.159
And then they're they're miserable.
00:43:26.320 --> 00:43:34.800
I mean, they're they they have a lot, they have no identity, they're not sure what their next move is, no one's inviting them in, um, and they're lost.
00:43:35.039 --> 00:43:37.280
And I've seen that happen a lot.
00:43:37.440 --> 00:43:42.639
Um, and I believe our best years can be in this last part of life.
00:43:42.719 --> 00:43:43.679
I truly believe that.
00:43:43.920 --> 00:43:53.199
I think American, like I was in Europe for 16 days, and there's a lot to like about what goes on over there and the way they they treat their elders.
00:43:53.280 --> 00:43:54.320
Like, I'll give you an example.
00:43:54.400 --> 00:44:02.159
Like we were on the subway going to the Bad Bunny concert, and there were young people letting my wife and I I have their seats on the subway, right?
00:44:02.320 --> 00:44:16.800
And I think here in American culture, I think sometimes we too readily put our older people out to pasture when we should like bringing that be bringing them in, inviting them in, saying, How can I learn from you?
00:44:16.960 --> 00:44:19.199
How can I extract wisdom from you?
00:44:19.360 --> 00:44:21.199
I think there's something to be said for that.
00:44:21.599 --> 00:44:23.440
Yeah, the golf courses become the new pasture.
00:44:23.599 --> 00:44:23.760
Yeah.
00:44:24.079 --> 00:44:25.280
It's like just send them out there.
00:44:25.360 --> 00:44:25.519
Yeah.
00:44:25.760 --> 00:44:30.480
Let them go whack that thing around for another 10 years and it's it does seem to be the case.
00:44:30.639 --> 00:44:30.719
Yeah.
00:44:30.800 --> 00:44:34.719
Well, I posted something recently, and this came from I actually heard this before.
00:44:34.800 --> 00:44:37.679
There's a guy named Jeff Henderson who I follow that I really like.
00:44:37.840 --> 00:44:46.159
But the premise of it was this, and I truly believe this is that when you have more to look back on in your life than you have to look forward to, it's over.
00:44:46.880 --> 00:44:52.400
And I see a lot of people, like I get together with people like my peers, and like all they want to talk about is the past.
00:44:52.880 --> 00:44:54.320
That's okay.
00:44:54.800 --> 00:44:58.480
But my wife and I, like, we're people that like, let's be forward-looking.
00:44:58.559 --> 00:44:59.360
Like, what's next?
00:44:59.440 --> 00:45:00.559
What can we make happen?
00:45:00.800 --> 00:45:03.199
Yeah, still, still having like some zeal for life.
00:45:03.360 --> 00:45:03.599
Yes.
00:45:03.840 --> 00:45:05.519
It's like I've got things I still want to do.
00:45:05.679 --> 00:45:07.840
Like, I have ideas, there's stuff I want to accomplish.
00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:09.679
There's people that I'm pouring back into.
00:45:09.840 --> 00:45:10.079
Yes.
00:45:10.239 --> 00:45:10.960
I think that's extreme.
00:45:11.360 --> 00:45:12.400
My wife, this is crazy.
00:45:12.559 --> 00:45:14.320
Now, I I'm not going to say how old my wife is.
00:45:14.480 --> 00:45:16.000
Let's just say she's older than I am.
00:45:16.159 --> 00:45:16.400
Okay.
00:45:16.559 --> 00:45:21.440
And you know my wife, and she is like, people could never guess her age, but she's amazing.
00:45:21.679 --> 00:45:22.239
You would not.
00:45:22.480 --> 00:45:34.400
My wife is the board president of this national organization, and she can't get away because her best friend, who's the same age, um, is like the executive director, president, founder, whatever.
00:45:34.480 --> 00:45:37.519
And she won't let my wife leave because she's like, I need you, right?
00:45:38.000 --> 00:45:41.199
So they just had the annual board meeting over in New Jersey.
00:45:41.360 --> 00:45:51.920
And my wife comes home and she's like, uh, you're not going to believe this, but my friend, uh, she just offered me a big six-figure job to take on this thing.
00:45:52.079 --> 00:45:55.760
And we just bought a place down in Florida, you know, to spend some time down there.
00:45:55.840 --> 00:45:57.920
And I go, I go, well, how would that work?
00:45:58.000 --> 00:46:01.360
And she said, Well, I'd have to fly in every week and this and that.
00:46:01.440 --> 00:46:04.159
And I go, I don't, I don't know if that's going to work with our lifestyle.
00:46:04.239 --> 00:46:06.960
And I go, maybe it's not a you know an all or nothing.
00:46:07.039 --> 00:46:13.920
Maybe there's a way you could, but the fact that she's still going that way and still vibrant.
00:46:14.000 --> 00:46:16.880
It's a the the other thing I'm it keeps you alive though.
00:46:17.119 --> 00:46:19.840
It keeps you, it keeps you like your spark doesn't go away.
00:46:20.159 --> 00:46:27.119
Versus like if you if you're kind of just around taking up space, yeah, you kind of you kind of lose it.
00:46:27.679 --> 00:46:28.719
You guys aren't losing it.
00:46:28.800 --> 00:46:30.719
Like you're just it's like next phase.
00:46:30.880 --> 00:46:31.119
Yes.
00:46:31.440 --> 00:46:31.679
Yes.
00:46:31.840 --> 00:46:36.159
They don't look the same, but it's like, all right, hey, let's go actually make an impact on the world around us.
00:46:36.320 --> 00:46:38.400
That that's it, you hit it, you hit the nail on the head.
00:46:38.480 --> 00:47:05.199
It doesn't look the same, yeah, but your desire to still want to have impact, especially I I I think even if you're secular, you know, you may want to have impact, but man, when you're kingdom focused, you just feel like God, if you've given me the energy to get out of bed and you've given me the wherewithal in my mind, I owe it to you, Lord Jesus, to get out there and make something happen.
00:47:05.440 --> 00:47:09.840
Well, I I totally agree with that because retirement's a pretty new invention, right?
00:47:10.000 --> 00:47:12.480
Like a hundred years ago, nobody was retiring.
00:47:12.719 --> 00:47:12.880
No.
00:47:13.119 --> 00:47:15.199
Ever, really, for the entirety of human history.
00:47:15.360 --> 00:47:15.599
Yeah.
00:47:15.760 --> 00:47:20.159
You know, it was like people were working and producing, and there was things that you needed to do.
00:47:20.320 --> 00:47:26.159
Now, granted, if you were unable, like physically unable, yeah, but usually it was your family that was you were falling back on to take care of you.
00:47:26.320 --> 00:47:26.639
Yeah.
00:47:27.119 --> 00:47:32.320
I don't know what, like since like World War II, people have been like, all right, yeah, I got to work till I'm 60, and then I can stop.
00:47:32.480 --> 00:47:32.800
Yeah.
00:47:32.960 --> 00:47:36.239
And then do nothing for 25 years and then kick the bucket.
00:47:36.400 --> 00:47:37.679
Like, I where did that come from?
00:47:37.920 --> 00:47:45.280
I it came out of the industrial revolution because what happened was they were trying to move the older workers along to bring in the younger workers.
00:47:45.440 --> 00:47:50.239
And so then they created these incentives, and then you know, they built this whole industry around that.
00:47:50.480 --> 00:48:02.400
And I just feel what here's another one of my quotes, but and a lot of this stuff, you know, I throw out on social media is we were not designed to play our lives away.
00:48:02.639 --> 00:48:02.960
Okay.
00:48:03.199 --> 00:48:05.840
I love to play, like I had fun in Europe, right?
00:48:05.920 --> 00:48:07.199
But while I was in Europe, guess what?
00:48:07.280 --> 00:48:08.480
I had my computer.
00:48:08.639 --> 00:48:12.400
Um, I was still connected, you know, because I that's just who I am.
00:48:12.639 --> 00:48:14.400
Um, but man, I had a lot of fun.
00:48:14.559 --> 00:48:15.199
But guess what?
00:48:15.360 --> 00:48:19.599
When I was done with that, like, all right, God, let's get back at it, let's go for it.
00:48:19.840 --> 00:48:33.039
Yeah, there's nothing wrong with like taking a break and taking some vacation and taking some time, but it's to regroup, to come back stronger for what's next, you know, to come back and refresh and recharge so that you can go be useful again.
00:48:33.199 --> 00:48:33.360
Yeah.
00:48:33.519 --> 00:48:33.679
Yeah.
00:48:34.159 --> 00:48:37.039
Well, I was talking about that, I wanted to share this with you today.
00:48:37.119 --> 00:48:37.360
Yeah.
00:48:37.519 --> 00:48:39.280
Um, because this was like a big aha.
00:48:39.519 --> 00:48:44.800
So I'm traveling through Europe and I and I knew that we're gonna have this conversation when I got back.
00:48:45.199 --> 00:48:52.559
And I had something that hit me, and I was like, I gotta, I gotta share this with Mark because it's gonna it it it connected to what we're talking about.
00:48:52.639 --> 00:48:52.960
Yeah.
00:48:53.599 --> 00:48:55.119
Here was my big aha.
00:48:56.400 --> 00:49:01.920
When when I spun off, so I I was a partner with three other guys.
00:49:02.159 --> 00:49:06.960
We had top five Americans practice here in Central Ohio.
00:49:07.199 --> 00:49:08.960
Three Christian guys, great guys.
00:49:09.119 --> 00:49:13.760
Through a series of events, I spun off in 2019.
00:49:14.239 --> 00:49:24.320
And what was interesting to me is when I spun off as a business guy, part of my thinking was you know, that line, niches are riches, right?
00:49:24.559 --> 00:49:34.400
I'm like, well, I'm gonna create a niche and I'm gonna go out and create this faith and finance, and like like the people are just gonna line up and they're gonna come do business with me, right?
00:49:34.480 --> 00:49:35.679
And it's gonna be great.
00:49:36.480 --> 00:49:37.440
That didn't happen, did it?
00:49:37.679 --> 00:49:38.559
It didn't happen.
00:49:38.800 --> 00:49:39.840
It didn't happen.
00:49:41.119 --> 00:49:44.639
And I know the feeling and I had been like beating my brain out.
00:49:44.719 --> 00:49:45.519
I go, okay.
00:49:46.239 --> 00:49:56.159
But my aha when I was traveling was I thought that was not you you were looking at it through this business prism, like you're gonna make more, you know.
00:49:56.320 --> 00:49:57.519
Now, God has been faithful.
00:49:57.599 --> 00:50:00.880
We've grown, everything is, you know, I'm eating fine, right?
00:50:01.599 --> 00:50:11.440
But the big aha was he used the business to introduce me to all these other kingdom things where I could have impact.
00:50:11.679 --> 00:50:16.639
Had I not spun off from my business partners, I wouldn't even be sitting here talking to you today.
00:50:16.960 --> 00:50:17.519
No, you wouldn't.
00:50:17.679 --> 00:50:17.920
Yeah.
00:50:18.320 --> 00:50:31.039
And so it's weird to me how in our minds, especially as business people, because we're like type A, like we think it has to go a certain way, and then it doesn't, and you start to get frustrated.
00:50:31.119 --> 00:50:33.280
You're like, like, all right, God, what's going on?
00:50:33.519 --> 00:50:39.760
And then when you get away and you get some perspective, you go, Oh, that was it.
00:50:40.000 --> 00:50:44.239
That's why something else that I posted recently, I said, you change your pace.
00:50:44.320 --> 00:50:45.679
I got this from Mark Batterson.
00:50:45.920 --> 00:50:50.079
You change your uh pace, you change your place, you change your perspective.
00:50:50.239 --> 00:50:51.679
That's why you got to get away.
00:50:52.159 --> 00:50:56.800
Because if you stay in the throes of everything, you'll never be able to change your perspective.
00:50:57.119 --> 00:50:57.599
You can't see it.
00:50:57.679 --> 00:51:00.880
Yeah, it's the subjective versus the objective viewpoint.
00:51:01.039 --> 00:51:01.199
Yeah.
00:51:01.440 --> 00:51:07.119
So when you're looking at things objectively from bird's eye view, you have the benefit of all kinds of hindsight.
00:51:07.199 --> 00:51:12.880
You also have the benefit of just like taking yourself out of it for a second so you can see what's been moving around you for a little while.
00:51:13.280 --> 00:51:15.199
You can see God's fingerprints all over the place.
00:51:15.360 --> 00:51:15.679
Yes.
00:51:15.920 --> 00:51:17.840
When you're in the thick of it, you're in the fog of it.
00:51:17.920 --> 00:51:20.000
It's like it you just you can't see through it.
00:51:20.159 --> 00:51:22.639
It's like, all right, I just got next thing, next thing, next thing, next thing.
00:51:22.719 --> 00:51:23.840
It's just you have to get out.
00:51:24.000 --> 00:51:26.239
Was that in gradually then suddenly, that book?
00:51:26.480 --> 00:51:27.199
I just read that.
00:51:27.280 --> 00:51:32.159
No, that uh that that the I'm reading Whisper right now from I'm like on the Batterson.
00:51:32.800 --> 00:51:34.000
Oh, you're on the battery right now.
00:51:34.239 --> 00:51:47.519
I can't remember if it was Whisper or Gradually Then Suddenly, but I think I had shared with you before that I read gradually then suddenly, and Batterson just like spoke to me because there's so many things in my life right now that it's gradually, then suddenly.
00:51:47.599 --> 00:51:56.159
And I like I literally sit here today at almost 64 years of age, and I really believe my best days are ahead of me.
00:51:56.320 --> 00:52:00.800
Yeah, and God's going to do something unbelievable with me.
00:52:01.119 --> 00:52:08.159
I just don't know what it is, and but I'm I'm seeing these gradual moments like what happened yesterday in the restaurant.
00:52:08.400 --> 00:52:13.199
I walked in last night, my dad was getting, they were getting ready to take him down to nuclear medicine.
00:52:13.360 --> 00:52:14.719
My brother was there, my mother was there.
00:52:14.800 --> 00:52:17.280
I was gonna get my get my come and spell my brother.
00:52:17.440 --> 00:52:22.800
And I walked in and I was just, I don't know, something inside of me like I was on fire, and I was like, you know what?
00:52:22.960 --> 00:52:31.039
I can lay hands on my dad and I can provide healing because the same power that was used in the Bible, that power is still available, right?
00:52:31.840 --> 00:52:36.320
So I walked in and I and the and the guy was standing there and I said, Can I pray over my father right now?
00:52:36.480 --> 00:52:40.239
And I walked in, I put hands on him, and I just I went full evangelical.
00:52:40.400 --> 00:52:47.199
My mom and my brother probably like what the but I think these moments, like God is just keeps building me up.
00:52:47.679 --> 00:52:52.079
And I think there's gonna be a sudden moment where he's like, Okay, this is your next move.
00:52:52.320 --> 00:52:52.960
It is right.
00:52:53.119 --> 00:52:57.119
No, it's honestly just as you're sitting here saying that, it's so crazy.
00:52:57.360 --> 00:53:04.320
Um couple of days ago, I'm I'm praying and reading the Bible before day gets rolling, you know, before anything distracts me.
00:53:04.480 --> 00:53:14.079
And I'm reading in Exodus about God parting the seas and all the different things that he had just done through the plagues and delivering, you know, probably a million plus people out of out of uh slavery in Egypt.
00:53:14.239 --> 00:53:16.559
And I'm praying, I'm like, man, God, you can do that.
00:53:16.800 --> 00:53:17.599
And I know you can do it.
00:53:17.679 --> 00:53:18.079
I believe it.
00:53:18.159 --> 00:53:22.480
I to 100% believe that you did that, and you have done even crazier things.
00:53:22.559 --> 00:53:28.320
You rose Jesus from the dead, and then I'm like, the same power that rose Jesus from the dead now rests in me.
00:53:28.480 --> 00:53:32.159
And then I heard clear as day in my head, what have you been praying for?
00:53:32.320 --> 00:53:34.960
And I was like, oh dang it.
00:53:35.599 --> 00:53:37.840
Because I've been praying these little baby prayers.
00:53:37.920 --> 00:53:38.159
Yeah.
00:53:38.400 --> 00:53:47.199
Like what you just said is like, yeah, this same Holy Spirit power is available to all of us who believe, but we just pray these weak little baby prayers.
00:53:47.280 --> 00:53:49.440
And I'm like, I gotta, I gotta have my game here.
00:53:49.599 --> 00:53:51.280
If I really, if I really believe it.
00:53:52.079 --> 00:53:54.639
Um but the thing is, is it's gotta be God's will.
00:53:54.800 --> 00:53:58.960
So you have to align your heart with his will, and then he can move through you in tremendous ways.
00:53:59.039 --> 00:54:02.719
If it's like, hey God, will you use this amazing power to go get me what I want?
00:54:03.440 --> 00:54:04.320
That's where we miss the mark.
00:54:04.400 --> 00:54:07.840
It's like, how do we align our hearts with God's will and then just watch him move?
00:54:08.000 --> 00:54:09.199
Because he'll move through you.
00:54:09.280 --> 00:54:09.519
Yeah.
00:54:09.679 --> 00:54:10.960
And you get to go be a part of it.
00:54:11.360 --> 00:54:15.519
You get to be Moses holding the staff up over the water and watching the waves part.
00:54:15.599 --> 00:54:15.760
Yeah.
00:54:15.920 --> 00:54:17.920
But it wasn't because Moses had that idea.
00:54:18.000 --> 00:54:18.159
Yeah.
00:54:18.400 --> 00:54:22.400
You know, so it's just uh, man, I've really been challenged with that lately.
00:54:22.639 --> 00:54:23.199
That's good.
00:54:23.360 --> 00:54:25.920
I I was I a couple of things I said last night.
00:54:26.000 --> 00:54:30.719
I I'm always fascinated by the stuff that comes out of my mouth, but God said he would give us the words, right?
00:54:30.800 --> 00:54:31.199
Yeah.
00:54:31.360 --> 00:54:38.400
Um, I said to my mom and dad as we were sitting there late last night, I said, Mom and dad, I said, I said, this is our our faith moment.
00:54:38.559 --> 00:54:43.360
Like if our faith is going to be legitimate, then that's all we have in this moment right now.
00:54:43.519 --> 00:54:44.320
That's all we have.
00:54:44.400 --> 00:54:46.320
And and so we have to lean into that.
00:54:46.480 --> 00:54:50.800
And then the other, I don't, where did I I heard this from uh God, I get so many quotes.
00:54:50.960 --> 00:54:58.559
It I I also said to them, I said, you know, everybody wants to see a miracle, uh, but nobody wants to be in a position where they need a miracle.
00:54:58.800 --> 00:54:59.599
That's true, right?
00:54:59.679 --> 00:55:06.960
Yep, you know, and to me that's a big part of the faith to say, you know what, God, those same miracles that I've been reading about, you can do them right now.
00:55:07.039 --> 00:55:07.679
I know you can.
00:55:07.840 --> 00:55:08.159
Yeah.
00:55:08.400 --> 00:55:08.880
100%.
00:55:09.199 --> 00:55:09.440
Yeah.
00:55:09.599 --> 00:55:12.559
It's so cool to have this conversation with uh a finance guy.
00:55:13.280 --> 00:55:15.199
See, this is why I think people are missing it.
00:55:15.360 --> 00:55:23.760
Um the whole point of this show is to inspire others who just to show that you can you can literally integrate your faith in any profession.
00:55:23.840 --> 00:55:25.599
Yeah, in any vocation.
00:55:25.920 --> 00:55:36.400
God is ready and and willing to move through you because you have influence over people, and a lot of the time that you spend Monday through Friday awake is influencing them through the work that you do.
00:55:36.559 --> 00:55:38.800
It doesn't matter if it's money, it doesn't matter if it's lending.
00:55:38.880 --> 00:55:42.880
I've the guy that was in here uh before you, the last interview I did, runs a barber shop.
00:55:42.960 --> 00:55:45.039
I mean, it it literally does not matter.
00:55:45.280 --> 00:55:45.599
Yeah.
00:55:45.760 --> 00:55:52.079
Um I mean, what we do, as you know, I mean, what we do is just like God has trained us to do what we do.
00:55:52.639 --> 00:56:00.320
I get more excited by the rel I and I I believe I'm very good at my craft, and I want to be very good at my craft.
00:56:00.480 --> 00:56:02.239
But to me, that's like table stakes, right?
00:56:02.320 --> 00:56:05.360
Like if you come to me, I hope you know what you're I hope you know what you're doing, right?
00:56:05.519 --> 00:56:06.639
You're out of business pretty quick.
00:56:06.800 --> 00:56:07.039
Yeah.
00:56:07.199 --> 00:56:08.719
And I've been doing it a long time.
00:56:09.199 --> 00:56:15.360
But in this season of life, what I get more excited about is what is the kingdom impact that I could have.
00:56:15.440 --> 00:56:29.440
I was on I was on a call recently with it, it was a virtual call, and just uh a woman who has a husband and he's got some health issues and they're moving and it's got a lot going on, and I don't waste those opportunities.
00:56:29.599 --> 00:56:34.239
At the end of the call, I said, It seems to me that there's a lot of heaviness going on right now.
00:56:34.480 --> 00:56:37.519
Would you mind if I pray over that right now?
00:56:37.760 --> 00:56:43.760
And I used to be scared to death of that, and now I'm looking for every opportunity to make that happen.
00:56:44.000 --> 00:56:45.360
Yeah, no, I think it's inspiring.
00:56:45.519 --> 00:56:45.840
Yeah.
00:56:46.079 --> 00:56:50.159
So when you look out ahead, like at the future, like what's given you hope?
00:56:50.480 --> 00:56:59.039
Because this space has been one where, like we already said, it's a battleground, and there's not a lot of wealth advisors who are willing to step into it.
00:56:59.199 --> 00:57:03.360
And then there's just not as a percentage, there's not a lot of people who are thinking in this way.
00:57:03.519 --> 00:57:03.760
Yeah.
00:57:04.000 --> 00:57:05.039
What's given you hope though?
00:57:05.199 --> 00:57:09.679
If the tides turning at all, is there any momentum uh when it comes to people integrating faith and finance?
00:57:10.079 --> 00:57:20.239
I I think what gives me hope, and in the in the business, like a lot of businesses, it's going to continue to change cr in a crazy way because of AI, right?
00:57:20.960 --> 00:57:27.920
Um information's a commodity, crunching numbers is a commodity.
00:57:28.079 --> 00:57:29.440
I mean, you can do it anywhere.
00:57:29.519 --> 00:57:29.840
Yeah.
00:57:30.159 --> 00:57:35.920
It's gonna be those soft skills that are gonna be needed because AI won't be able to replace those soft skills.
00:57:36.159 --> 00:57:40.559
Like AI couldn't have done some of the things that I experienced yesterday, right?
00:57:40.960 --> 00:57:44.559
No, and it can't it can't pray over you and bring peace to a situation.
00:57:44.719 --> 00:57:44.880
Yeah.
00:57:45.199 --> 00:57:46.159
It can bring data.
00:57:46.320 --> 00:57:46.719
Yeah.
00:57:47.280 --> 00:57:48.320
It can't bring peace.
00:57:48.480 --> 00:57:48.960
Yeah.
00:57:49.280 --> 00:57:51.760
Um, but here's what encourages me.
00:57:51.920 --> 00:57:56.239
I think the Kingdom Advisor movement just keeps getting bigger and bigger.
00:57:56.400 --> 00:58:00.000
And I think God is gonna continue to bless that movement.
00:58:00.320 --> 00:58:06.320
Um, the other thing that is encouraging to me, and I know we've talked about this, is there's like revival going on.
00:58:06.480 --> 00:58:08.320
There is a reawakening.
00:58:08.480 --> 00:58:13.920
I think the younger generation is saying, in many ways, we've had enough of this nonsense.
00:58:14.079 --> 00:58:16.480
There's got to be something better out there.
00:58:16.719 --> 00:58:24.880
And so I think there's gonna be incredible opportunities for people to lean into some of these things that we're talking about.
00:58:25.199 --> 00:58:42.719
Um the older generations, like I mean, they they came from a different, I mean, if you go back to like a lot of older people, in spite of their faith, I mean, many of them came out of the Great Depression and came out of times that were maybe not as, you know, lucrative, right?
00:58:43.039 --> 00:58:48.320
And so in spite of their faith, they're still gonna worry about things that maybe they shouldn't worry about.
00:58:48.480 --> 00:58:48.880
Yeah.
00:58:49.119 --> 00:59:02.719
Um what I I guess what I worry the most about is just, you know, our culture making money and material things and possessions such an idol, right?
00:59:02.960 --> 00:59:08.079
I mean, we're warned about that time and time again to not make those things our idol.
00:59:08.159 --> 00:59:12.960
And if they are, then we're taking our eyes off of the thing that we should be really focused on.
00:59:13.199 --> 00:59:13.440
Yeah.
00:59:14.000 --> 00:59:21.679
You know, and I was I was I got my Bible here, and I was thinking this morning, I mean, there's a lot of good stuff in Matthew chapter six.
00:59:21.920 --> 00:59:39.599
And I think one of the reasons that people find the idea of living at the intersection of faith and finance, they find it kind of like, I'm not really sure about that, is I think there's something innate in all of us that we think God won't take care of our needs.
00:59:39.760 --> 00:59:45.119
Like I have to, I have to take control and I have to make sure that I'm you know secure in that.
00:59:45.360 --> 00:59:50.960
And what's interesting in Matthew chapter six, he says, I already know what your needs are.
00:59:51.360 --> 00:59:54.639
So if I already know what your needs are, like why are you worried?
00:59:54.719 --> 00:59:57.039
And then it goes on to say, Why are you worried about tomorrow?
00:59:57.599 --> 00:59:59.920
Today has enough worries, just worry about today.
01:00:00.079 --> 01:00:00.400
Yeah.
01:00:00.719 --> 01:00:06.559
You know it's really interesting because it's uh it just takes you down to do I believe what it says in there or not?
01:00:07.360 --> 01:00:10.880
For the believer, um, you gotta take the whole thing.
01:00:11.119 --> 01:00:19.519
It's not like you can just take part of the course, it's like you gotta take the main course, you gotta take the side dishes, like the whole thing is truth, or really none of it's truth.
01:00:19.760 --> 01:00:23.119
So if we believe it, um, are we operating that way?
01:00:23.199 --> 01:00:37.280
And I think that's what's interesting about the way that you run your business and the way that you advise your clients is A, they're gonna be introduced to Jesus if they're not already, uh they're gonna have an opportunity to know him, maybe through an unlikely channel, you know, through their wealth advisory.
01:00:37.440 --> 01:00:42.880
Uh, but for the believer, they're gonna be given opportunities to say, I'm ready to put my money where my mouth is.
01:00:43.039 --> 01:00:47.199
Like this is this is actually what I believe, and do my actions reflect it.
01:00:47.360 --> 01:00:47.519
Yeah.
01:00:47.840 --> 01:00:51.280
Which is a really cool opportunity that they get to do when they're a part of your practice.
01:00:51.519 --> 01:00:53.599
Yeah, it's a very, it's a very slow process.
01:00:53.760 --> 01:01:02.000
I mean, like one of the other things that we do is we screen all of our investments so that we don't, as we like to say, we don't profit from anything that doesn't contribute to human flourishing.
01:01:02.079 --> 01:01:02.400
Yeah.
01:01:02.559 --> 01:01:09.039
I would like to say that everybody gets super excited about that, but the reality is they like a lot of people don't get that excited.
01:01:09.280 --> 01:01:11.199
Yeah, they're like, is the number going up on the screen or nothing?
01:01:11.679 --> 01:01:12.960
That's that's all they care about.
01:01:13.119 --> 01:01:21.760
Um, the other thing that's been interesting for me, um, and um our friend Courtney Markley at one point called me out on it.
01:01:21.840 --> 01:01:24.239
She said, dude, get off the fence.
01:01:24.320 --> 01:01:33.039
Uh and what she was talking about was before 2015, there was Mike Perez pre-2015 in this business.
01:01:33.199 --> 01:01:33.440
Yeah.
01:01:33.599 --> 01:01:37.440
And then after 2015, I was becoming a new creation.
01:01:37.760 --> 01:01:40.320
And so, how do you bridge that gap?
01:01:40.559 --> 01:01:46.719
Because if I come on too strong with the pre-2015 crowd, they're gonna be like, Who are you?
01:01:46.880 --> 01:01:49.280
Like, what and I I actually had people do that.
01:01:49.360 --> 01:01:51.360
Like, like, what, like, what are you doing now?
01:01:51.519 --> 01:01:52.880
Like, what's this Jesus?
01:01:53.440 --> 01:01:54.800
Yeah, what changed?
01:01:54.960 --> 01:01:59.760
Yeah, and then you know, on the other side, it's like, okay, both guns blazing.
01:01:59.840 --> 01:02:08.400
And so I talked to Courtney about that, about you know, kind of sitting on the fence, and I think she went full revelation on me and said, get off the get off the fence.
01:02:08.559 --> 01:02:10.079
Get off the fence, get off the fence.
01:02:10.239 --> 01:02:12.079
And that was a big aha for me.
01:02:12.239 --> 01:02:16.639
Now, as we said earlier, like I didn't jump off the fence the next day.
01:02:16.880 --> 01:02:21.440
I just started like taking little baby steps off the fence, and I'm still doing it.
01:02:21.679 --> 01:02:22.559
That's okay though.
01:02:22.800 --> 01:02:25.920
You know, one step at a time, yeah, a little bit closer to Jesus every day.
01:02:26.079 --> 01:02:26.480
That's right.
01:02:26.559 --> 01:02:27.679
You're doing the right thing.
01:02:27.920 --> 01:02:28.320
All right.
01:02:28.480 --> 01:02:35.599
So uh if folks want to find you, whether it's for you know speaking or whether they're potentially interested in in using you for wealth management, where can they find you?
01:02:35.840 --> 01:02:45.519
Yeah, you can go to uh mikeperez speaks.com and that I keep that separate because that's like my speaking workshops, uh, those kinds of things.
01:02:45.679 --> 01:02:51.760
And then obviously I'm a partner with uh Embassy Wealth Advisors, so you can you know pull that up.
01:02:51.920 --> 01:02:54.159
Uh, we have five offices across the country.
01:02:54.320 --> 01:03:04.079
Obviously, I'm in the the Columbus office, uh, have a great team around me, and um, you know, we've got um a great succession plan.
01:03:04.159 --> 01:03:16.159
So because I realize like I I'm not gonna do this forever, and there's always the possibility that God could call me to something else, because like I said, I think there's something big coming down the pike.
01:03:16.239 --> 01:03:19.440
Um, so I'm very blessed that I have amazing people on our team.
01:03:19.519 --> 01:03:21.679
I think we have 25 to 30 people on our team.
01:03:21.760 --> 01:03:21.920
Yeah.
01:03:22.159 --> 01:03:29.199
And uh the cool thing is, I don't know how we got here, but everybody on our team loves Jesus.
01:03:29.360 --> 01:03:31.199
Everybody's in different places in their walk.
01:03:31.280 --> 01:03:46.079
And so to be on a team, and I know you've got something very similar with Tide Lending, yeah, it's just so cool because you just know not that, you know, not that we don't have bumps in the road and all of that, but when commerheads prevail, we're gonna rely on God's word and just trying to be like Jesus.
01:03:46.320 --> 01:03:49.119
And common mission, yep, common central focus.
01:03:49.199 --> 01:03:52.880
Uh it there's nothing that unites a team, like the biggest thing in our lives.
01:03:52.960 --> 01:03:53.760
So that's right.
01:03:54.000 --> 01:03:56.320
Oh man, I I'm inspired by you all the time.
01:03:56.480 --> 01:03:59.599
And I think that you're one of the guys that I know who really is going for it.
01:03:59.760 --> 01:04:01.679
Yeah, mostly in all facets.
01:04:01.760 --> 01:04:02.880
I mean, you're not holding back.
01:04:02.960 --> 01:04:04.639
So thank you for doing what you do around town.
01:04:04.719 --> 01:04:06.559
Thank you for all the people that you influence.
01:04:06.639 --> 01:04:08.880
Um, and thank you for your friendship and influence on me.
01:04:09.039 --> 01:04:10.400
Yeah, and that well, thank you.
01:04:10.559 --> 01:04:15.599
I mean, we met three years ago, and we won't get into the story about how we met because it was kind of a fluke.
01:04:15.760 --> 01:04:20.320
Um, but I um I I treasure our relationship.
01:04:20.480 --> 01:04:21.679
I'm inspired by you.
01:04:21.840 --> 01:04:27.519
You're because you're younger, you're part of the group that just gives me so much hope for the future.
01:04:27.679 --> 01:04:35.679
Because if if the world is going to be in your hands and the people that are coming behind you that I'm meeting, I'm like, you know, everybody wants to badmouth the younger generation.
01:04:35.760 --> 01:04:39.119
I'm like, no, the generation we have now, they're rocking, man.
01:04:39.199 --> 01:04:42.559
And they're gonna well, I hang out with guys like you because to you, I'm the younger generation.
01:04:42.880 --> 01:04:44.719
It's uh that makes me feel good still.
01:04:44.880 --> 01:04:45.920
So I'm pumped.
01:04:46.079 --> 01:04:46.320
Yep.
01:04:46.480 --> 01:04:47.440
Well, thank you for being here, man.
01:04:47.679 --> 01:04:48.079
Great to be here.
01:04:48.320 --> 01:04:48.719
Great to be here.
01:04:48.960 --> 01:04:55.280
Yeah, and if you uh if you guys want access to uh previous episodes or newsletter and other information and resources, you can get it at markreaves.com.
01:04:55.360 --> 01:04:56.079
But thanks, Mike.
01:04:56.239 --> 01:04:57.440
Awesome, thank you.