Finish Last

Being negative comes easy as a human.  Whether it be the cost of gas or a bad at work, we tend to dwell on that and it can cause to bring others down without us even knowing it.  However, it is that what Jesus wants us to do?  Are there ways to find the positive in a world full of negativity? Well our guest today believes there is!  Our guest, Rick Ornellas is the creator of "I Spark Change", which is an organization focused on highlighting people who create positive changes in the world.  Be inspired by the Rick's journey of faith and how he created his organization as well as learning some habits that can help you live an amazing life! For our weekly challenge, Rick share how people can be more positive and how we can spread that positive change to others!   God bless y'all and I'll be praying for you!  Take care and God bless!   Resources: Website: https://www.isparkchange.com/?r_done=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rick.ornelas/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxszC0wtIG4XxUOiFrHUqQ Twitter: https://twitter.com/isparkchange Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/i_spark_change/  

School has taught us a lot, but maybe one thing it has taught us poorly is to define words quickly for an exam and then forget about them after the test.  I feel as if we read the Bible the same way.  We look at what Jesus taught and try to get a quick definition so we don't have to think or worry about what the deeper meaning may be.  However, what if we did go deeper?  What if going deeper meant that we could obtain closer connection to God and how He wants us to live our lives? Today, we have Janey Pitts on the show who is the author of "Deeply Defined: Understanding Who You Are In Christ" Janey shares her journey of faith that led her to write the book and how you can use the book to go into deep meaningful study of words that we commonly hear such as grace, mercy, and wisdom.  Janey also shows how deep study of these words can only grow our faith in Jesus and help us go on the path that Jesus wants us to be on! For our challenge, we focus on 2 Corinthians 12:9 and define what grace is and how we obtain that grace in our own life.   Guest Bio: Janey Pitts has a journalism degree from Samford University and a Masters degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has served on church staffs for over fifteen years, and is the author of Deeply Defined: Understanding Who You Are in Christ.   Resources: Website: https://www.janeypitts.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janey.r.pitts/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialjaneypitts/

Often, we think being a missionary means you have called overseas to another land, but what if God has called you to serve him at home?  Well our next guest does exactly that! In our conversation, Kate shares her journey of faith and how using courage and bravery are a big part of her journey. Kate also shares how to get out of your comfort zone more frequently in your every day life in order to grow your faith.  In our challenge, be encouraged by the promise Psalm 27:14 holds and how it can help us dream bravely with the Father! Kate Berkey is a writer and missionary in Chicago, Illinois where she serves refugee and immigrant families on the north side of the city. She has worked in ministry and discipled other believers for nearly 10 years and has served in six countries in short and long-term missions. As a writer, she has published numerous devotionals and articles for publications around the United States. Kate is all about family and deeply desires to help others find belonging in the family of the Kingdom of God. More than anything else, she longs to walk women home to the heart of the Father—their creator and sustainer.   Resources: Website: https://kateberkey.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kate.berkey.5 Twitter: https://twitter.com/KateBerkey1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateberkey/

Most often when we think of robots we think of sci-fi movies, comic books, or video games.  Something trying to take over the world or something that is larger than life.  However, robots are becoming more common in our times and are a reality.  As Christians, we don't often think of that but what should we think about robots and A.I.?  Is it something we should concern ourselves with and how should we as Christians deal with robots and A.I.?   Our guest, Joshua Smith, actually has a lot to say on that topic!   Josh serves as the Senior Pastor of a Southern Baptist Church in Mississippi. He is a graduate of William Carey University, where he earned a B.A. in Religion. He holds an M.T.S from Gateway Theological Seminary. He is a recent graduate of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned a Ph.D. in Theology. His dissertation focused on a critique of Robotic Futurism and the potential of Dehumanization. We focus our conversation on why he wrote his dissertation on robotics and why we as Christian should be concerned with the ethics with robots!  I hope you are as challenged as I was to see that all things were made with a purpose and yes that includes robots! Resources Website: https://www.joshuaksmith.org/ Twitter: @joshuaksmith Instagram: joshuak._smith Website on Detroit Become Human: https://gamingph.com/2018/06/detroit-become-human-survey-results-all-10-questions/  

We all have plans of how life should go.  We also have wishes and dreams that fit what we think leads to a perfect life.  However, what if something happened that forced you to change those wishes?  Would you be okay or would you be angry with God? Join us as our guest, Tricia Roos, shares her amazing journey of faith and how God used something the world would think would be terrible and turned it something so good!  Be Challenged by Romans 8:28 and realized that in all things God works it for good even in situations that do not start out that way! #season3 #whenwisheschange Resources: Website: https://www.whenwisheschange.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whenwisheschange/about/?ref=page_internal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triciaroos/  

Do you feel as if you cannot be a leader for God in your community?  Does it seems overwhelming or do you feel like it's not for you?  Well our guest might have something to say about that.  Our guest, Dea Irby, considers herself a connector, communicator and cultivator! She shares her amazing story of owning her own tea shop and have that helped cultivate an amazing community.  She also shares moving all over the USA and what her source of strength was to get through that!  Lastly, she shares CLAIM with us and how we can get a feeling of belonging by following CLAIM! Our challenge is focused on how to truly help lead others in our community towards Christ by following the servant mindset of Jesus! #season3 #CLAIM #Christianleadership #Jesus Resources: Website: https://www.deairby.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deairby/

Following God's will is easier said than the done.  The world often puts ideas in our head that our way is better than God's way, but what if ignored what we wanted and focused on what God wanted.  Would our life change that much and would we even like that?   Well our guest is living proof that following God's will is not only possible but is worth it!  Our guest, Mike Moffitt shares his journey of faith and how God led him to be a pastor when he thought he was going to be an actor. Join us for our challenge this week as we focus on Proverbs 3:5-6 and learn that leaning on God's understanding can lead us down the right path! Mike is an associate pastor at University Place Presbyterian Church and is the podcast host of Bible Jazz. Resources: Website: http://uppc.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uppcbiblejazz Twitter: https://twitter.com/BibleJazz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biblejazz/  

Prayer is essential to our daily walk with Christ, but do you feel stuck in your prayer life?  How do we unlock the true power of prayer and not go through the motions in our prayer life?  Well, our guest shows the way how we can truly unlock the power of prayer to discover a deeper relationship with Jesus! Veronica V. Sutherland, is passionate about serving God through service to others. She has helped Christians transform from a feeling of defeat, disconnect and spiritual lack to a lifestyle of fruitfulness. Please be inspired by her story and be challenged by how we can find a prayer life that can transform our lives forever! Resources Website: https://www.veronicavsutherland.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veronica.sutherland.52 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ver_suthie/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/VeronicaSutherlandOcna  

The Bible is a book that is over 2000 years old and is what we Christians rely on in order to follow Jesus.  However, how do we know that the Bible hasn't been corrupted over the years?  Has it been changed to fit an agenda?  Can we truly confirm that the Bible is historically accurate?  We answer those questions in our discussion with JC Schroeder! JC Schroeder is an Instructor at The Ezekiel Project School of Evangelism, a discipleship and ministry training ministry in the metro Detroit, MI area, with over 10 years full-time ministry experience. He is also a Th.M. student at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. In our challenge, we focus on how 2 Timothy 3:16 gives us the promise to confirm to others that the Bible is historically accurate and how we can share this truth with others! Keep your eyes on Jesus and God bless!   Resources: JC's Podcast: https://www.bitesizeseminary.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100073627752210 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bitesizesem  

We know as Christians, that we need to avoid the broad and wide path and stay on the narrow path to stay aligned with the way of Jesus.  However, the world makes that hard and it makes it so easy to follow the broad path as it seems better at first.  How do we stay focused on the narrow path even when the world tries to pull us off of it? Join us with our conversation with Pastor Scott LaPierre.  Scott shares his personal journey of faith and how God led him to be a pastor.  In addition, Scott shares how we can hold on to the truth of God's Word and how that can help us and others follow that straight, narrow path that leads to God!   Resources: Website:  https://www.scottlapierre.org/ Free Book: file:///C:/Users/Administrator/Downloads/Your%20Marriage%20God's%20Way%20by%20Scott%20LaPierre%20-%20Review%20Copy.pdf Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScottLaPierreMinistries/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PastorWCC YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ScottLaPierre Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastorwcc/    

Mental and Emotional Disease can affect anyone at anytime. What happens if it affects us or someone we love? How do we defeat mental health matters though from a spiritual and not worldly perspective?   Our guest, Elizabeth Louis Creecy, is the creator of Renew Ministries that specializes in helping you learn the spiritual components of mental health issues, emotional wellness, and how to create a deep and meaningful relationship with Christ! Elizabeth shares also why it is important to renew your mind to God's Word on a daily basis to keep you grounded and not fall prey to mental and emotional health issues. Remember, I'm praying for you and remember to keep your eyes on Jesus!   Resources: Website: https://renewministries.org/ Podcast: https://renewministries.org/podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RenewMinistriesOnline/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/elizabethlouiscreecy  

Learn how to be Youier on this week's episode with special guest El Edwards!  Get motivated by the passion El has for you to be connected and desire a close relationship with Jesus Christ!    Be encouraged by not living "normal" and instead rely on the love of Jesus to become truly happy!  El Edwards is an irrepressible silver-lining spotter with a compulsion to say the stuff most other people only say in their heads. She is your cheerleader & image bearer, helping you see who God created you to be.   Resources: Website: https://youier.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mseledwards/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5ZN8ds6eNSotUHoxaQ22Kg  

Peyton Garland is a writer, wanna-be rapper, and coffee shop hopper who loves connecting people to a grace much bigger than expected. Her debut book, Not So by Myself, was promoted by Former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino and endorsed by TED Talk speaker and creator of the More Love Letters movement, Hannah Brencher. We will discuss about her book, "Not So By Myself" and how God helped her out of her loneliness. Also, learn about the different types of OCD and how Peyton manages on a daily basis with God's help. Lastly, be challenged to truly love others in your community and stop using the Bible like a "law book", but as a tool to help others in the community! #christianpodcast #FinishLast #ocdawareness #notsobymyself #peytongarland #Season3 #loveothers   Links to learn more about Peyton Garland: Website: https://peytongarland.squarespace.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peyton.hanners Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peytonmgarlandauthor/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Myself-doesnt-loneliness-instead/dp/1946277800  

Kelli Calabrese is 34 year wellness coach, speaker, best selling author and entrepreneur.  With 3 science degrees and 27 certifications she is an expert on all wellness topics including fitness, weight loss, energy, youthful aging and sleep.  She is also a mindset pro focusing on renewing your thoughts, setting boundaries, visualizing, meditating and goal setting. Please be encouraged as Kelli shares here journey of faith and how God led her to become a divorce coach.  She also goes through how using a spirt, mind and body approach can help us overcome our hardships in a much easier fashion.  Be challenged by John 16:32-33 and how we can use the example of Jesus to help us overcome the world!   Resources to find more about Kelli below: https://kellicalabrese.com/ https://www.facebook.com/KelliCalabrese https://www.instagram.com/kellicalabrese1/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfNQxjK67fPfwtM_PutB0xg    

In the 2nd part of our mini-series on 2 Timothy 4:7, we will discuss what it means to finish the race God has for us.  This also relates to Acts 20:24 and how Paul found his life worth nothing unless he could complete the task of the race of sharing the grace of God!   See how this can relate to a person studying in college and how sacrificing some things in your life can help you find God's plan for your life! Our challenge focuses on trying to find the things in our life that are preventing us from finishing our race for Jesus on earth! Thank you and God bless!

We often hear the phrase "Fight the good fight", but what does it mean?   Today we focus on a mini-series on 2 Timothy 4:7 and find out why we should fight the good fight!   Thank you and God bless!

Life can be difficult, but I have learned that life is all about process.  It's about being consistent as well as focusing on what is important. Today, Dan shares on why the word for the year he will focus on is "Process".   We will compare the process of things in life and how it help us grow closer to Jesus.  For our challenge, please focus on the promises of God to help you through the process of life. Let's have an amazing 2022! Please share and leave a review so that others may know how to live like Jesus in the modern world!

No one likes to be made fun of especially in these modern times, but what if that is what Jesus wants us to go through to bring others closer to him.  Today, we look at the final verse of the beatitudes and see how we can apply them to our lives!  If you need encouragement, please reach out to me in any matter discussed at the end of this episode!

Today, we focus on ways to be a true peacekeeper in our modern world and how we can achieve this despite what the world may tell us!

Matthew 5:8 is clear in that to see God we need to be pure in heart.  We will explore ways for that to be possible and how we can see God in things that we never thought possible!  Be encouraged by the fact that we have the blueprint to do this and all we need to do is focus on the things of God!

Today, we focus on ways to show others mercy.  Most people think it needs to be extravagant, but sometimes the best ways to show Mercy and glorify God is in the small ways!  Be encouraged to be merciful and experience the greatest life that God has for you!

A quick update of the delay of episodes as well as a new podcast being started with some friends in the podcast community!

Matthew 5:6 shows us how to be truly satisfied, but we truly thirst and hunger after righteousness?  I know I have fallen short of that or just do the bare minimum to do what God wants me to do.  So what can we do to fix that? Today, we focus on ways to strive after the mindset of being "all in" in going after righteousness!  Please be inspired and remember to keep your eyes on Jesus!

The word meek is often seen as a weak trait yet we see it in Matthew 5 as one of the beatitudes in the sermon on the mount.  We dive into the trait of being meek and how being meek can actually grow your faith in Christ!

Do we mourn over the right things?  Do we mourn over things that are finite or things that last for eternity?  We dive into Matthew 5:4 and see what that verse entails for our journey of faith.    For our challenge, we focus on looking at our lives and what we should mourn over to get closer to Jesus in our faith!

The sermon on the mount has been known as on of the most influential sermons of all time, but have you really dove into what Jesus was trying to preach to us.  Today, we focus on Matthew 5:4 and go through what it means to be "poor in spirit".  Afterwards, we focus in how to challenge us to give ourselves to God no matter what circumstance we may be in.   Article from the show: https://irememberthepoor.org/3-2/

We are dealt different cards when we are born.  Some are born well off with others growing up in bad situations.  What is great is that Christ can find you no matter if you are at your highest or at your lowest.  Our guest today (Erik Allen) describes has amazing story of how Jesus found Him and how he accepted Christ into his life!   For our challenge, we focus on Romans 12:6-8 and how we all have a purpose for God in our journey if we give  control to Jesus!

In order to glean anything from the Bible, we can't just read it, but we have to act on it.  Our episode title is a very important motto to our guest, Ryan Sweat.  Listen to why we need to go through being engaging, challenging, and practical in order to grow our faith.  In addition, learn how Ryan applies this to his passion of helping young adults and teens grow in their faith in Jesus.  For our challenge, we focus on John 15:12-13 as well as 1 Cor. 13 and how these verses can show us how to truly love others in ways that Jesus would do to others!

Many people believe that the Bible can only be used in a non-fiction manner to lead others to Christ.  However, what if we could write amazing stories with the Bible as a foundation to lead others to Jesus!  Well, our guest today has accomplished that!  Kristen Hogrefe Parnell is an award author who has written fiction in order to bring others towards the truth of Jesus!  Be inspired at her journey and learn about how the Rogues Trilogy can be relevant to our modern times. For our challenge, we focus on 1 Cor. 10:31 and how you can glorify God in your current capacity! God bless my friends! For more information on Kristen, please go to: https://kristenhogrefeparnell.com/

Join us as we bring special guest David Waddell on the show to discuss how beneficial it is to find your story in the stories of the Bible.  Be amazed at how David finds ways to intermingle sports and Christ to help people grow in their faith.  In our challenge, we find out why finding your story and comparing that to a story in the Bible will grow your faith in leaps and bounds!   

Welcome to season two of Finish Last!  This week we talk to Dr. Marcia Ledford.  Listen as we discuss how she incorporates being an episcopal priest and a civil rights attorney.  Be challenged by the parable of the Persistent Widow from Luke 18 and how that story is relevant today!  God bless you my friends!

We often hear of the phrase "political correctness" and how it can create a divide among people.  In Christianity, there is a term that creates that same division called "Biblical Correctness" or people that use the Bible against others for the wrong reasons.  I share in my life what has happened recently with the above term and how we need to find ways to create conversations and not generate divides. 

Finding a community of faith that works for you can be frustrating.  There are many factors that can cause it to be easy or very hard.  Today, we focus on what we can control to be an intricate part in a community of faith!  Our foundation is 1 Peter 4:7-11 on what we should target to help foster that community.  I also will share my personal experiences with community and what I found to work and not work.  

We made it to episode 50!  So thankful for each and every one of you that has supported the show!  In this retrospective, I will focus on the pros and cons that podcasting has brought to my life as well as discuss the future of Finish Last!

There have been times in my life where being an underdog is hard but has had many rewards!  Today we focus on David and his underdog story vs Goliath and how it relates to our modern world. In our challenge, the focus will be on how we can be diligent, prepared, and confident in Christ to grow in our faith and reach others for Christ on our journey!

Have you ever thought who you were named after and how that could give you insight on how to live your life?  Today, our focus will be on why being named after the Daniel in the Bible is so important to me and is an amazing standard to live up to.  Be challenged by the journey of faith that Daniel lived and how we can apply that journey to our lives today!

Discipleship is a process where we learn to grow closer in Christ, but have we thought how God can use us to disciple others?  Please join our conversation with special guest, Cris Rogers.  Cris, a church leader in England shares his experiences as well as how he believes that discipleship is essential to our Christian walk!  Be encouraged and be blessed!

As Christians, it is very easy to fall into the trap that we can be unaffected by sin.  In reality, though we constantly need to be in a state of mind of renewal in Christ not only to grow in Christ, but to walk that straight and narrow path!  Join us as our special guest, Tyler Green, shares his story of the importance of having that renewal mindset and how it has helped him overcome many things in his journey!  In addition, we will learn about Tyler and his passion of helping people get out of debt and how he uses his podcast, Middle Class Money, to help others!

A special episode where we focus on the power of prayer and how God can use your prayers to strengthen others no matter where they are on their journey of faith.  Come and be a part of the prayers we are sending to Texas!   Special guest appearances by: Sherry Jones of the We Are the Church with Sherry Jones Podcast Kim Lengling of the Let Fear Bounce Podcast   Take care and God bless!

Investing money into things is something that we have all considered, but have you ever wondered where that money is put to use.  What if it is to something that we don't agree with or is morally wrong.  Well in today's discussion we bring Jared Williams to go over that topic!  Jared, host of the Biblical Wealth Podcast, goes into detail into how we can invest Biblically and how we can be good stewards of our money.    Jared also is giving you a free e-book for listening to this podcast!  Please go to https://biblicalwealthsolutions.com/finish-last-podcast-with-dan-steuer/ to obtain it!

Have you ever had that moment where you felt lost and reached out to God for help?  If you ever have, how did you respond when God answered.  In today's conversation, please be encouraged by the story of Jerry Dugan.  Jerry, host of "Beyond the Rut" podcast, shares his journey of faith and how God is still a huge part of his life today.  Our challenge will focus on Galatians 2:20 in which if let ourselves "Crucify with Christ" we can let Christ live within us!  

When I was younger, I always heard the term in church, "Stuck in Neutral."  In other words, not feeling like your faith in God was progressing.  I always wondered how to get out that spiritual rut and so did today's guest, Brain Steele.  Brian, author of "The Kingdom Field Guide" explains what it is like to live daily for Jesus and to get out of that spiritual rut.  In our challenge, Brian motivates us to take The Parable of the Hidden Treasure to heart and apply that mindset to our life to consistently live that heaven on earth lifestyle!

Acts 1:8 states that will be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth.  In the Bible, Samaria was the place that the Jews despised yet the Bible wanted Christians to minister to them.  It is a reminder that Jesus is not just for us, but for all people.     Today, we welcome Randy Schmor on the show.  Randy, Gateway Director of the North American Bible Conference, shares his stories of how God has used him to create relationships and communities of faith overseas.  He also shares how God has still done amazing things even in the middle of a pandemic.  For our challenge, we focus on the great commission as well as Acts 1:8 and how we can find ways to spread that Gospel in all areas of our life!

Have you ever wondered if what you actually believe is really true?  Do you ask yourself the tough questions that might make you question your faith in Jesus?  On today's episode, we have Chris Staron, who shares his journey of asking those tough questions.  Chris, the host of the Truce Podcast,  challenges us that not only should we ask those tough questions, but we need to in order to grow in our faith!   Then stick around for our challenge, where we focus on the promise God has for us in Matthew 7:7-8 when we do ask those tough questions!  

We all have our own battles to overcome, but are we doing it the right way.   Are we using our own power or trusting in God to help us overcome that battle?  Please join as we talk with Elizabeth Meyers.  Elizabeth shares her story of overcoming depression and how she fights battles the right way with God as her guide!  Elizabeth is also the author of "Undefeated: From Trial to Triumph" and discusses how this book can help change your mindset to overcome the negativity in your life with help from God!  

2020 was a crazy year, yet God had many lessons for me that I can apply to this upcoming year!  Please join me for a recap of 2020 and  how we can learn that God can make His glory shown in any situation if we let Him!  God bless and Happy New Year!

Most of us have seen a play or a movie rendition of "A Christmas Carol", but have we ever looked at the play from a Christian perspective.  In today's episode, we focus on the lessons that we can apply to our journey with Christ and how we can be transformed through Jesus!     Merry Christmas to all of you!

Most people know that the Magi gave Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrhh, but have you ever thought why?  Was there any significance in those gifts?   In today's episode, we focus on how gifts can have significance and how we can apply that concept to our gift giving and gift receiving even in today's world!  May God bless you all and Merry Christmas!

Life has its moments we wish we could avoid.  Moments that give us anxiety or depression depending on that end result.  What if though we had a strong foundation of faith in Jesus?  Would that make a difference to overcome the trials we face in our life?  Please join us in our interview with Jennifer Perez.  Jennifer, a blogger and author, tells us about her experiences with infant loss and how God used that to show that He can be in all things!     For our challenge, we focus on 1 Peter 5:10. In this passage we see how God can restore us after our suffering and how that can look in our lives!

Have we ever given thought to how being truly faithful to God can have an amazing impact on our life?  In this episode, we discuss the importance of faithfulness with fellow podcaster, Jenna Erlandson.  Jenna, host of the Bridge of the Faithful, tells us why faithfulness is such a big part of her life and what impact it could have on ours!   For our challenge, we focus on Matthew 25:14-30 and how we can apply what God has given to us to help us become more faithful to Christ!