Welcome to Wisdom Today with Bill Kelley. Today we will be going over Proverb 10. I will then introduce you to my special guest for the day - Jamie Freeman. Jamie is our financial guy responsible for our finances and is licensed as a Certified Financial Planner. Judy and I have know him for over 20 years. Jamie was on this podcast previously on October 11, 2022 (Episode #138) and has graciously accepted my invitation to become a regular contributor to this podcast. That means he will be coming on every five to six months. On today's podcast he will go over verse 23 of Proverb 10. He will then give a bit of information about the Financial Firm (Freeman Financial) that he began about 10 years ago. He will share a bit about how he was saved at the age of 14, and how he strayed away from God during his years in the navy while he was serving our country. He mentions how his wife kept him on course and got him headed back on the right course. He credits Jesus with the business acumen he has used to steer his business to become quite successful.
[00:00:06] Welcome to Wisdom Today. My name is Bill Kelley and I'll be your host. In this podcast we will be exploring the book of Proverbs.
[00:00:21] Let's open in prayer. Father God, I thank you for anyone listening to this podcast today. Lord, I pray that you give everyone ears to hear and a heart to receive everything you have in store for them through this podcast today. Lord, I pray that you would bless everyone listening. In Jesus' name, Amen.
[00:00:41] This is Proverb 10 beginning in verse 1. The Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death. The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but he casts away the desire of the wicked.
[00:01:09] He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a wise son. He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame. Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.
[00:01:38] The wise in heart will receive commands. The wise in heart will receive commands, but a prating fool will fall. He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known. He who winks with the eye causes trouble, but a prating fool will fall.
[00:02:01] The mouth of the righteous is a well of life. The mouth of the wicked. The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins. Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, but a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.
[00:02:26] Wise people store up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. The rich man's wealth is his strong city. The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
[00:02:41] The labor of the righteous leads to life. The wages of the wicked to sin. He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, but he who refuses correction goes astray.
[00:02:57] Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
[00:03:13] The tongue of the righteous is choice silver. The heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.
[00:03:27] The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. To do evil is like sport to a fool, but a man of understanding has wisdom.
[00:03:40] The fear of the wicked will come upon him, and the desire of the righteous will be granted.
[00:03:48] When the world wind passes by, the wicked is no more. But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
[00:03:58] As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy man to those who send him.
[00:04:06] The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.
[00:04:14] The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
[00:04:22] The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
[00:04:31] The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not inhabit the earth.
[00:04:37] The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut out.
[00:04:46] The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.
[00:04:55] Well, friends, I have a special treat for you today.
[00:04:57] I have Jamie Freeman, my financial advisor who I've known for a long time,
[00:05:03] and I'm going to get into that a little bit later.
[00:05:06] But what I'd like to do, Jamie, is we just finished reading Proverb 10,
[00:05:10] and it's such a powerful proverb, but I'm sure that you have selected a verse
[00:05:14] that you'd like to share with the audience.
[00:05:17] Yeah, the verse that I selected was 1022, which says,
[00:05:23] the blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
[00:05:31] I really like this verse.
[00:05:33] One of the things, you know, I think there's a lot of misconception about, you know,
[00:05:39] the prosperity message and being rich and, you know, people feeling like they're going to God
[00:05:45] because that's, you know, their motivation to get blessed and to get rich or whatever,
[00:05:50] and I think that's obviously not the intention of the gospel.
[00:05:53] But one of the things that I like about this verse is the second part,
[00:05:59] because obviously when God blesses you, he's going to make you rich,
[00:06:03] and he's going to make you rich not just, it's not a financial thing.
[00:06:06] It's overall.
[00:06:08] It's in your spirit.
[00:06:09] It's in your life.
[00:06:10] It's in your children.
[00:06:11] It's in your, everything you do, your life's going to be rich because you have the peace of God,
[00:06:16] and you've got his favor and his blessing on your life everywhere you walk,
[00:06:19] and I've seen doors open for me, and this has nothing to do necessarily with money,
[00:06:25] but just God's favor and his blessing on my life or whatever.
[00:06:28] But the second part of the verse is what I really like,
[00:06:31] and he adds no sorrow with it because as a financial planner and a wealth manager,
[00:06:39] obviously I talk to a lot of people about money,
[00:06:42] and money is very closely tied to people's emotions and their fears and their worries and anxieties.
[00:06:50] I just actually did an advertisement on the local Christian radio station,
[00:06:55] and that's how I led.
[00:06:56] I said, you know, one of the things that makes people anxious is their finances
[00:07:00] and that, you know, but Jesus wants to give us his peace in every area of our life.
[00:07:04] So that's something I focus on in my business a lot,
[00:07:07] and I've seen that people come to me,
[00:07:10] and they, maybe they've had a business or they've done whatever,
[00:07:13] and they've saved a lot of money,
[00:07:14] and they have a lot of investments,
[00:07:18] and there are riches like the Bible would call them,
[00:07:21] but I see that a lot of them are nervous,
[00:07:23] and they're afraid that they're going to lose them.
[00:07:26] And so every time they think about their money and the money they've made or whatever,
[00:07:31] that comes along with this, you know, kind of a spirit of fear,
[00:07:33] like how can I keep this from going away?
[00:07:36] And I do believe when God,
[00:07:38] when you do things and walk in God's path,
[00:07:43] and you trust him,
[00:07:44] you're going to get riches that can't be taken away.
[00:07:48] And basically,
[00:07:50] the other verse I think of,
[00:07:52] like in James 117,
[00:07:53] it says that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.
[00:07:56] It comes down from the Father of lights.
[00:07:59] And everything that's good that I have in my life,
[00:08:01] whether it's my family,
[00:08:04] my marriage,
[00:08:04] my business,
[00:08:06] all my relationships,
[00:08:08] my friends,
[00:08:08] and things like that,
[00:08:09] and everything that's good in my life,
[00:08:11] it's all from God.
[00:08:12] Everything that's good comes from God.
[00:08:14] And I don't think the world realizes that,
[00:08:16] but the best part for me about that is I've learned,
[00:08:20] and it took me a long time.
[00:08:22] I was kind of a survivor and had,
[00:08:26] you know,
[00:08:26] a lot of things happen in my upbringing that weren't perfect,
[00:08:28] like most people.
[00:08:30] But I felt like if I don't take care of it,
[00:08:33] it's not going to get taken care of.
[00:08:35] You know,
[00:08:35] the bottom line,
[00:08:36] you know,
[00:08:36] it stops here.
[00:08:38] And especially with having a big family,
[00:08:41] you know,
[00:08:41] I've got seven kids.
[00:08:42] I'm like,
[00:08:43] if I don't,
[00:08:44] if I don't meet my bottom line,
[00:08:46] if I don't,
[00:08:46] I can't pay the bills,
[00:08:47] this whole family is going to fall apart.
[00:08:49] And God has taught me over the years that he has me in his hands and I can
[00:08:53] trust in him.
[00:08:54] And that was a hard one.
[00:08:57] That was a hard one for me to get a hold of it.
[00:09:00] I knew God was good,
[00:09:02] but I had a lot of trouble really giving up control of the reins and just
[00:09:06] fully trusting him.
[00:09:08] And I was a hard worker,
[00:09:10] which I was always taught by one of my uncles that,
[00:09:13] you know,
[00:09:13] if you work hard,
[00:09:14] good things will happen for you.
[00:09:15] So I've always been a hard worker from a really young age,
[00:09:19] but God had to teach me that if I wasn't out going,
[00:09:23] going,
[00:09:23] going and working,
[00:09:25] you know,
[00:09:25] what he didn't want.
[00:09:26] Of course he wants you to work hard,
[00:09:27] but he's,
[00:09:29] you've got to know,
[00:09:29] you've got to trust in him.
[00:09:30] And he's taught me that over and over.
[00:09:32] There's been times where he's blessed me when there was nothing I was doing.
[00:09:37] There was nothing that I figured out,
[00:09:39] nothing that I worked through.
[00:09:41] And it was just out of left field.
[00:09:42] And I'm like,
[00:09:43] wow.
[00:09:44] And he's done me that.
[00:09:45] He's taught me that over and over.
[00:09:47] I turned 60 this year.
[00:09:48] And sad to say,
[00:09:50] I don't really think I learned that lesson fully.
[00:09:52] And except for the last,
[00:09:54] I don't know how many years I've,
[00:09:56] I've learned it slowly,
[00:09:57] but I'm really at the point now where I'm like,
[00:10:00] I got to trust God in everything.
[00:10:02] Cause I know.
[00:10:04] Jamie,
[00:10:05] you bring up such good points,
[00:10:07] but one thing that I do want to stress that you mentioned that I want to get
[00:10:12] clear with the audience is the fact that God is your source and it's not
[00:10:20] your business.
[00:10:22] It's not your,
[00:10:24] it's not your clients,
[00:10:26] even though it's easy to get into that,
[00:10:29] that they are my source,
[00:10:30] but God is going to meet your needs.
[00:10:34] And that goes back to Matthew 6,
[00:10:36] 33,
[00:10:37] seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
[00:10:42] And he's going to take care of you.
[00:10:44] But that's such a good point.
[00:10:46] But what I'd like to do,
[00:10:47] Jamie is kind of throwing a plug right here.
[00:10:50] Jamie came on previously way back in episode 138.
[00:10:55] Now that is way back in October 11th of 2022,
[00:10:59] when I was pretty much just starting this podcast,
[00:11:02] it was 138.
[00:11:04] And now Jamie,
[00:11:05] you're going to actually be like number 707.
[00:11:08] So it's been a long time since you've been on.
[00:11:12] But one of the things I really would like to stress to the audience is Jamie has
[00:11:16] graciously accepted my invitation to be a regular part of my team.
[00:11:21] And what I'm trying to do is get 26 people who will verbally commit to me and to come on twice a year.
[00:11:29] And what I'm hoping that as people tune in every Tuesday,
[00:11:33] they will remember this is Jamie.
[00:11:35] He's the financial guy.
[00:11:37] So I really like to have a diverse set of people.
[00:11:43] And Jamie,
[00:11:44] you are the financial guy.
[00:11:46] So I can talk to you about business.
[00:11:48] I can talk to you about stewardship and how we can take care of our money.
[00:11:54] And you offer something that really no one else that I have on my team does.
[00:11:59] And I really want to get that across to the audience.
[00:12:02] But Jamie,
[00:12:03] what I'd really like to do is give you an opportunity to talk about your firm.
[00:12:09] If you would tell us a little bit about your firm,
[00:12:13] just in case anyone has a financial need and maybe would like to reach out to you for advice.
[00:12:20] Sure.
[00:12:21] Well,
[00:12:21] Freeman Financial is a family business.
[00:12:24] I have two of my sons,
[00:12:26] Cameron and Caleb,
[00:12:27] working for me.
[00:12:28] Uh,
[00:12:29] Cameron's been with me for over seven years now,
[00:12:32] and he's a certified financial planner like myself.
[00:12:35] And he's such a blessing.
[00:12:37] My business has really been transformed and grown quite a bit since him.
[00:12:43] And then Caleb,
[00:12:43] my fifth son,
[00:12:45] uh,
[00:12:45] has been with us like two and a half years and we have a really good team.
[00:12:48] But like what you were saying about being a good steward and coming from God,
[00:12:54] I've been,
[00:12:55] I've been in the business for about 24 years,
[00:12:57] but the first 10 years I was working for a big company and I've been independent for,
[00:13:01] this is like 14th year being independent,
[00:13:03] which is awesome.
[00:13:04] I love being independent.
[00:13:05] Uh,
[00:13:06] but,
[00:13:07] um,
[00:13:08] God has done so much through my business.
[00:13:10] That's,
[00:13:10] that surprised me.
[00:13:11] Obviously when you're working,
[00:13:12] you've got to pay the bills and you,
[00:13:14] you know,
[00:13:15] doing wealth management,
[00:13:16] they think like,
[00:13:17] okay,
[00:13:17] you got into that for the money,
[00:13:19] which I,
[00:13:20] I did have to leave teaching,
[00:13:22] which I taught ninth grade English of all things,
[00:13:26] you know,
[00:13:26] back in the nineties.
[00:13:27] But it got to a point where I was waiting tables,
[00:13:31] usually five nights a week and sometimes six nights a week,
[00:13:33] never saw my kids.
[00:13:34] So I did leave just because,
[00:13:36] you know,
[00:13:36] to keep things going,
[00:13:37] I had to do something different.
[00:13:39] But what I really realized,
[00:13:41] what's really been just a huge thing for me is that God has used my business,
[00:13:47] um,
[00:13:48] as a,
[00:13:49] as a testimony.
[00:13:50] And it's,
[00:13:51] it's been,
[00:13:52] especially since I'm independent,
[00:13:54] I don't have any corporation telling me,
[00:13:56] Oh,
[00:13:56] I can say this,
[00:13:57] or I can't say that.
[00:13:57] And I don't,
[00:13:58] I'm not a Bible thumper,
[00:13:59] but I love Jesus.
[00:14:01] And like Jesus comes up in every conversation.
[00:14:03] And so,
[00:14:04] and there are people that come into my office that I've never met and they might not go to a church for some reason.
[00:14:09] Maybe they got hurt at some point in their life.
[00:14:11] And God has used my business,
[00:14:14] um,
[00:14:15] to fill some of my spiritual needs because I've been a Christian.
[00:14:18] I've been a Christian since I was 14.
[00:14:21] And some of the things,
[00:14:22] uh,
[00:14:22] the way I was living,
[00:14:23] like when I was in the Navy,
[00:14:24] when I got out of high school,
[00:14:25] I was far from a good witness to put it mildly.
[00:14:29] So,
[00:14:29] and I've had regrets that I wasn't a better witness for people when I knew down deep what the truth was,
[00:14:33] and I was living a different direction.
[00:14:35] And God's made up for that.
[00:14:37] And that's one of the things that I liked about that verse is the blessing of the Lord makes one rich because he's used this business,
[00:14:44] which would seem like an unlikely place to allow me to be a good witness.
[00:14:48] And I've had to make up for lost time.
[00:14:52] And it just blows my mind on a daily basis.
[00:14:55] Like I'll think,
[00:14:55] okay,
[00:14:55] here's my plan for the day.
[00:14:57] I've got so-and-so different meetings.
[00:14:59] We're going to try to do this.
[00:15:00] We're going to do that.
[00:15:01] And God has another plan.
[00:15:03] Just two weeks ago,
[00:15:05] I was,
[00:15:06] I usually have appointments in my office,
[00:15:08] but I was actually out on the road going to see three elderly clients.
[00:15:12] And one,
[00:15:14] the first one,
[00:15:15] I was coming a little early.
[00:15:16] So I called,
[00:15:16] they said,
[00:15:17] that's okay.
[00:15:17] Stop by.
[00:15:18] This is fine.
[00:15:18] And then we got done early.
[00:15:19] So I had some extra time.
[00:15:21] And in my head,
[00:15:21] I thought maybe I'll get lunch today because I hardly ever get lunch,
[00:15:24] which is not a big bill.
[00:15:25] I probably don't need it.
[00:15:26] But so I got to the next appointment early and had extra time.
[00:15:30] And this particular client,
[00:15:32] I've known for over 20 years,
[00:15:33] we have a really good rapport,
[00:15:35] but she's absolutely,
[00:15:37] usually doesn't want to hear anything about God.
[00:15:39] And I don't really press it hard,
[00:15:41] but we,
[00:15:41] you know,
[00:15:42] I just keep the door open and God opened some doors and we spent 15 minutes
[00:15:47] talking about finances and over an hour and a half talking about Jesus.
[00:15:51] And she was asking questions and like really good questions.
[00:15:55] And when I walked out of there,
[00:15:57] I mean,
[00:15:57] I was almost late for the next appointment when I thought I was going to have
[00:15:59] time for lunch,
[00:16:00] but I was like,
[00:16:01] wow,
[00:16:01] that was,
[00:16:01] that was you doing that father.
[00:16:03] And it just,
[00:16:04] on a daily basis,
[00:16:06] it blows my mind what he does,
[00:16:07] but I love what I'm doing.
[00:16:09] My business is very blessed.
[00:16:10] I don't feel pressure to,
[00:16:12] you know,
[00:16:13] go out and hustle and get every client or whatever.
[00:16:16] And I get paid to take care of my clients.
[00:16:18] So I enjoy what I'm doing.
[00:16:20] Like I said,
[00:16:20] I turned 60,
[00:16:21] but I just don't see retiring.
[00:16:23] But if God forbid,
[00:16:24] if something happened,
[00:16:25] my son would be ready to take over,
[00:16:27] but I just enjoy the heck out of what I'm doing.
[00:16:30] I'm going to go ahead and stop.
[00:16:32] You're right there.
[00:16:32] Um,
[00:16:33] Jamie,
[00:16:34] you know,
[00:16:34] what you said reminds me of the book of Ephesians chapter four,
[00:16:39] and I'm going to go to verse 11 and it says,
[00:16:42] and he himself gave some to be apostles,
[00:16:46] some prophets,
[00:16:47] some evangelists,
[00:16:49] some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry,
[00:16:56] for the edifying of the body of Christ,
[00:16:59] till we all come to the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the son of God.
[00:17:05] So Jamie,
[00:17:07] I think you brought that out in a very,
[00:17:10] very clear way,
[00:17:11] but you are not called to one of the five stations of ministry.
[00:17:17] However,
[00:17:18] in the area of business,
[00:17:20] you can use your business to promote God,
[00:17:25] to promote Christ,
[00:17:27] to bring him out.
[00:17:28] And that is what we are all called to do.
[00:17:31] In one of Paul's letters,
[00:17:33] he says,
[00:17:33] we are all able ministers.
[00:17:36] So Jamie,
[00:17:37] I want to refer back to your previous podcast.
[00:17:40] And there was a time that must've been very difficult for you.
[00:17:44] You said you were teaching high school English.
[00:17:46] You were waiting tables at night.
[00:17:49] So that must've been stressful.
[00:17:52] And then you also were taking correspondence courses through Rhema Bible college.
[00:17:58] And I'm sitting here thinking,
[00:18:00] how on earth did you manage that while you're still a husband and you have a wife to take care of?
[00:18:08] And I think you said you had four kids at the time.
[00:18:11] So how on earth did you juggle all of that?
[00:18:15] I would say partly that's God.
[00:18:17] Partly that's,
[00:18:18] I was a lot younger.
[00:18:19] I can't imagine doing that now.
[00:18:21] I mean,
[00:18:21] I'm busy still with that.
[00:18:23] But what's funny is I had actually had my Bible with me studying because I was at a restaurant.
[00:18:31] It was,
[00:18:33] it had a bar,
[00:18:35] but it wasn't like a regular type of bar.
[00:18:37] You know,
[00:18:37] it was just kind of serving the restaurant.
[00:18:38] And I not only waited tables,
[00:18:40] but I bartended at the time when I was teaching high school.
[00:18:43] So I would have my Bible back behind the bar and kind of studying when it was slow in between,
[00:18:49] you know,
[00:18:50] taking care of the restaurant.
[00:18:51] So yeah,
[00:18:52] you kind of had to squeeze in your,
[00:18:53] your study time,
[00:18:54] but like God just gave me strength.
[00:18:56] But yeah,
[00:18:56] I,
[00:18:56] it was,
[00:18:57] it was a tough time.
[00:18:58] The hardest thing for me,
[00:18:59] because I've always had a pretty good amount of energy,
[00:19:02] maybe not as much as 60 as I used to,
[00:19:04] but I would get up in the morning to go teach high school.
[00:19:08] And my,
[00:19:09] my kids at the time,
[00:19:10] four sons would all be sleeping,
[00:19:12] you know,
[00:19:13] so I go in there and just look at them,
[00:19:15] but then,
[00:19:15] you know,
[00:19:15] but I would get off before they woke up.
[00:19:17] And then I wouldn't get home.
[00:19:19] Cause I go straight from my teaching job to my waiting tables job.
[00:19:23] And I'd get home at 10 30,
[00:19:25] 11 or later when they'd be back in bed.
[00:19:27] So there would be days where I wouldn't see them awake or interact with them.
[00:19:31] And so,
[00:19:32] yeah,
[00:19:32] that was tough,
[00:19:33] but God was using it.
[00:19:34] And it's,
[00:19:34] uh,
[00:19:35] there's so many things.
[00:19:36] There's so many stories that he's just blown my mind about the doors that he's opened for me.
[00:19:41] Because when I was young,
[00:19:43] I had zero or maybe even negative financial training.
[00:19:48] And I had the feeling,
[00:19:50] I remember,
[00:19:50] you know,
[00:19:51] once you're saved,
[00:19:51] you're a little more sensitive,
[00:19:53] obviously to things.
[00:19:54] So I,
[00:19:54] uh,
[00:19:56] I realized now that the enemy started attacking me because I was always interested in business.
[00:20:01] And,
[00:20:02] um,
[00:20:03] but I felt like I can't do that because you grew up poor and your family doesn't know anything about investments or finances or whatever.
[00:20:10] So I was always kind of intimidated by that,
[00:20:13] but I know that was the enemy.
[00:20:14] And even when I was going through those correspondence courses,
[00:20:17] I was also taking my,
[00:20:18] working on my MBA at a USF.
[00:20:21] And the devil was trying to keep me away from this business.
[00:20:25] And now I can see why,
[00:20:26] because God's used it,
[00:20:28] you know,
[00:20:28] and he's,
[00:20:28] he gifts me in ways that still blow my mind.
[00:20:32] I'll have somebody call and they're freaking out because the market's down,
[00:20:35] you know,
[00:20:35] and the market's always going to be up and down,
[00:20:37] but sometimes people get panicked and I'll be on the phone for just a couple of minutes with a client talking to them.
[00:20:44] and I can just feel them,
[00:20:45] the fear go away from them.
[00:20:47] And I know that's not me.
[00:20:48] I know that's the Holy spirit.
[00:20:49] So,
[00:20:50] um,
[00:20:51] yeah,
[00:20:51] I,
[00:20:51] I enjoy the heck out of this,
[00:20:53] but it's,
[00:20:54] it took a while to get to this point,
[00:20:57] especially after teaching English.
[00:20:58] So,
[00:20:58] you know,
[00:20:59] I'm going to go to the book of James and,
[00:21:02] uh,
[00:21:02] in chapter one of James,
[00:21:03] I'm going to begin in verse two.
[00:21:05] And it says,
[00:21:06] my brethren counted all joy.
[00:21:09] When you fall into various trials,
[00:21:11] knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience,
[00:21:16] but let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete,
[00:21:22] lacking nothing.
[00:21:23] Jamie,
[00:21:24] what I'd like to do is as a financial advisor,
[00:21:28] how can you get the point of being patient with clients who are losing sometimes 75 or a hundred thousand dollars in one day?
[00:21:40] Yeah,
[00:21:40] it's,
[00:21:41] uh,
[00:21:42] and that goes back to the,
[00:21:44] um,
[00:21:45] being rich.
[00:21:46] I mean,
[00:21:47] people,
[00:21:48] even in a normal,
[00:21:49] uh,
[00:21:50] whatever kind of income they have,
[00:21:52] if they're savers,
[00:21:53] a lot of times if they're investors and savers,
[00:21:55] they'll be rich beyond what they expected.
[00:21:59] You know,
[00:21:59] by the time they're going to retire,
[00:22:00] they might have a really good nest egg that they never thought that they would have.
[00:22:04] And,
[00:22:04] um,
[00:22:06] basically it kind of goes back to the fear thing.
[00:22:09] You know,
[00:22:10] it's,
[00:22:10] they,
[00:22:11] and I try to teach them don't get too wrapped up because,
[00:22:15] you know,
[00:22:16] God is your provider and you can't get worried about this nest egg going away because worst case scenario,
[00:22:24] if it did,
[00:22:24] God's going to take care of us.
[00:22:26] And that's something I've actually have,
[00:22:29] uh,
[00:22:30] a couple of,
[00:22:31] obviously I won't mention him,
[00:22:32] a couple of clients who have been,
[00:22:34] uh,
[00:22:35] pastors.
[00:22:37] And sadly,
[00:22:38] I have had to preach to them more when the market's down than some others,
[00:22:42] you know,
[00:22:43] and I tell them like,
[00:22:44] you know,
[00:22:44] God hasn't given us a spirit of fear.
[00:22:46] You know,
[00:22:46] God's going to provide our needs,
[00:22:47] whatever.
[00:22:48] Don't get in fear because of this,
[00:22:49] because there's always going to be ups and downs in the market.
[00:22:53] Um,
[00:22:53] you just,
[00:22:55] when the market's down,
[00:22:56] you,
[00:22:56] you,
[00:22:57] you don't make a bad decision and you don't do it from panicking and you don't watch too much TV either.
[00:23:03] The news on TV is just set to get people into a spirit of fear because the more they scare you,
[00:23:11] the more you're going to tune in,
[00:23:12] you know,
[00:23:12] so just trying to make good decisions.
[00:23:16] you know,
[00:23:17] Jamie,
[00:23:18] I'm going to go back to scripture.
[00:23:19] That's kind of how I live my life these days.
[00:23:22] And I,
[00:23:23] my favorite verse on fear is found in Isaiah chapter 41,
[00:23:28] verse 10.
[00:23:29] And it says,
[00:23:30] fear not for I am with you.
[00:23:33] Be not dismayed for I am your God.
[00:23:37] I will strengthen you.
[00:23:39] Yes,
[00:23:39] I will help you.
[00:23:41] I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
[00:23:46] And to me,
[00:23:48] that is a verse that you can talk to with every single one of your clients,
[00:23:54] because that is such a power packed verse.
[00:23:57] And it just says,
[00:23:59] just chill.
[00:24:00] That goes back to James chapter one,
[00:24:02] verse two,
[00:24:03] be patient.
[00:24:05] And there's another verse in scriptures.
[00:24:07] Just be still and know that I am God.
[00:24:13] Wow.
[00:24:13] Those are all powerful verses.
[00:24:15] Do you have anything to add to that,
[00:24:17] Jamie?
[00:24:18] Yeah.
[00:24:19] And yeah,
[00:24:20] the verse in James,
[00:24:22] when you're going through things,
[00:24:24] and that's something before I was even in finance,
[00:24:26] because having seven kids and they're 22 years from top to bottom,
[00:24:31] a big widespread.
[00:24:32] So I've got them in their late thirties down to two teenagers.
[00:24:37] Obviously,
[00:24:37] when you have kids,
[00:24:38] there's nothing in your life as a parent that you have more concern or worry
[00:24:43] about as your kids,
[00:24:44] you know?
[00:24:44] So I've had to learn through a lot of different experiences,
[00:24:49] like being a father,
[00:24:51] God loves my children more than I do.
[00:24:53] And I love my kids like crazy.
[00:24:55] You know,
[00:24:56] and everybody does.
[00:24:56] I can't imagine anybody not loving their kids,
[00:24:58] but you love your kids.
[00:25:00] So obviously you're worried about them,
[00:25:01] but God loves them more.
[00:25:02] And he's taught me that through going a lot of things.
[00:25:05] Like I've had to put,
[00:25:07] especially when they get into teenage years and then they're twenties and you
[00:25:10] can't just,
[00:25:11] you know,
[00:25:12] take charge of their life and they're on their own.
[00:25:14] I've had to put them in God's hands and know that he's taking care of them
[00:25:18] because I don't have that control.
[00:25:21] And I think that's something that stopped me that in my,
[00:25:23] in the finances.
[00:25:26] And so many times he's done things for me where if I was to be dishonest,
[00:25:32] I could say,
[00:25:33] Hey,
[00:25:33] look,
[00:25:34] I was able to do this because I've got such financial acuteness and such
[00:25:38] wisdom that I,
[00:25:40] this is why this happened in my life.
[00:25:42] But God,
[00:25:44] God would probably strike me down if I did that.
[00:25:46] But the truth is when I was going through certain things financially,
[00:25:51] when I look back,
[00:25:52] when I was on the backside of them,
[00:25:54] I'm like,
[00:25:55] wow,
[00:25:55] I was questioning all this.
[00:25:56] Why should I do this?
[00:25:58] And I,
[00:25:58] and I would pray and God would tell me to do something that made no sense to
[00:26:01] me.
[00:26:02] And once I did it and six months down the road or a year later,
[00:26:05] whatever,
[00:26:06] I'm like,
[00:26:06] wow,
[00:26:07] I can't believe what you did.
[00:26:08] It's just humbling.
[00:26:09] And so that's why I'm learning now because there's something on a weekly,
[00:26:14] if not daily basis with the family and the business or whatever,
[00:26:17] that's always a challenge.
[00:26:19] And I'm learning like,
[00:26:20] okay,
[00:26:20] I'm not going to get in fear because I know God has me.
[00:26:24] He's proved it over and over.
[00:26:25] And I'm just going to trust in him and I'm going to keep my peace.
[00:26:28] And I'm going to just ask him for guidance and he's going to give it to me.
[00:26:32] You know,
[00:26:32] I'm going to go back to the book of Isaiah and chapter 55.
[00:26:36] And it says,
[00:26:37] beginning in verse eight,
[00:26:39] it says,
[00:26:39] for my thoughts are not your thoughts,
[00:26:43] nor are your ways,
[00:26:44] my ways,
[00:26:45] says the Lord.
[00:26:46] For as the heavens are higher than the earth.
[00:26:49] So are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts,
[00:26:55] then your thoughts.
[00:26:57] And Jamie,
[00:26:57] that goes directly with what you just said.
[00:27:00] We have to consciously be aware of regardless of how we feel about ourselves
[00:27:06] and the job that we're doing.
[00:27:08] And sometimes we get kind of full of it and go,
[00:27:11] Oh,
[00:27:11] I got this going on.
[00:27:13] We always in the back of our mind have to remember that God is God.
[00:27:20] And we are not your thoughts on that.
[00:27:23] Oh yeah.
[00:27:25] On a very regular basis.
[00:27:29] He humbles me in there.
[00:27:30] And I get to a point where I don't know what to do.
[00:27:33] And that,
[00:27:34] you know,
[00:27:34] I think there's a lot of financial advisors who I put in all the diligence and
[00:27:39] the time and figure out what I'm going to do with my portfolio.
[00:27:42] And I'm like,
[00:27:42] okay,
[00:27:43] I want to do this,
[00:27:43] but do I do it now?
[00:27:46] Do I,
[00:27:46] do I do it next month or whatever?
[00:27:48] And if you're honest,
[00:27:51] as a,
[00:27:51] uh,
[00:27:52] like a wealth manager,
[00:27:54] it's nobody knows what the future holds except for our father.
[00:27:59] And so I've got to trust in him.
[00:28:01] So he gave me my brain.
[00:28:02] And so I'm going to trust him to,
[00:28:04] um,
[00:28:05] teach me how to use it.
[00:28:06] So I can do as much as I can do and do my diligence and study a portfolio and
[00:28:11] figure it out.
[00:28:11] But I got to rely on God because his thoughts and his ways are way above
[00:28:16] ours.
[00:28:17] He's,
[00:28:17] he's just,
[00:28:18] and there's things we're never even going to understand about him,
[00:28:21] but he's always trustworthy and he's always good.
[00:28:24] So if I pray and I,
[00:28:25] and I,
[00:28:26] and I really spend some time instead of making a decision,
[00:28:30] he's going to give me guidance.
[00:28:31] He just did that a few weeks ago.
[00:28:33] I had a,
[00:28:34] uh,
[00:28:35] we were going through buying a place that I'm going to rent to a few of my
[00:28:39] sons.
[00:28:41] And I know how I get,
[00:28:42] I tend to get like a dog with a bone,
[00:28:44] you know,
[00:28:44] and,
[00:28:45] and I,
[00:28:46] we were,
[00:28:46] we found a place and we were getting ready to do a contract on it.
[00:28:50] And the night before,
[00:28:52] uh,
[00:28:52] when I was praying,
[00:28:54] I was like,
[00:28:55] Lord,
[00:28:55] you know how I am.
[00:28:56] And I know who I am.
[00:28:57] I know,
[00:28:58] help me,
[00:28:58] please not get ahead of myself.
[00:29:00] And the next day I was actually signing the contract electronically,
[00:29:04] like through DocuSign and going through it.
[00:29:07] And then I got stopped by one little clause and backed up and then rethought
[00:29:11] everything.
[00:29:11] And Michelle and I spent a couple hours talking and praying or whatever.
[00:29:15] And I was confused at the time.
[00:29:17] I'm like,
[00:29:17] I thought this was the right place,
[00:29:19] but within 12 hours,
[00:29:21] he showed us a much better place that made way more sense.
[00:29:25] And that prayer,
[00:29:26] just like saying,
[00:29:27] please don't let me get ahead of myself.
[00:29:28] I got,
[00:29:29] you've got to stop me.
[00:29:30] He totally did the next day.
[00:29:31] And it,
[00:29:32] it didn't make sense.
[00:29:33] But,
[00:29:33] you know,
[00:29:35] a day later,
[00:29:36] I'm like,
[00:29:36] wow,
[00:29:36] thank you,
[00:29:37] Lord.
[00:29:37] Thanks for answering my prayers and not letting me do it in my own power.
[00:29:41] Wow.
[00:29:41] You know,
[00:29:42] I'm going to go back to scripture,
[00:29:44] Jamie.
[00:29:45] I just can't help myself.
[00:29:46] But in,
[00:29:46] in second Corinthians chapter 12,
[00:29:50] verse 10,
[00:29:50] this is a very powerful verse.
[00:29:53] And it says,
[00:29:53] therefore,
[00:29:54] I take pleasure in infirmities,
[00:29:58] in reproaches,
[00:29:59] in needs,
[00:30:00] in persecutions,
[00:30:02] in distresses for Christ's sake,
[00:30:05] for when I am weak,
[00:30:08] then I am strong.
[00:30:11] And Jamie,
[00:30:11] sometimes God gives us lessons.
[00:30:14] He gives us tests that we have to go through to test our mettle,
[00:30:19] to test our faith.
[00:30:21] And it's just so powerful.
[00:30:23] But I think that kind of verse goes with what you were just saying.
[00:30:27] I think it just shows us our humanity and the fact that we are merely flesh.
[00:30:33] And a lot of times we walk in the flesh,
[00:30:36] but the Bible tells us that we're not to walk by,
[00:30:39] but we're to walk by faith and not by sight,
[00:30:42] by what we see.
[00:30:43] But Jamie,
[00:30:44] I'd like to just ask you one more question.
[00:30:46] We're getting ready to close.
[00:30:47] But you said in your previous podcast,
[00:30:50] it says,
[00:30:51] no matter how hard I try as a father,
[00:30:53] I am going to let you down.
[00:30:56] And you had made reference to that,
[00:30:58] to your sons.
[00:30:59] And you said that,
[00:31:00] and I'm sure that was kind of difficult for them to hear.
[00:31:05] I remember when,
[00:31:06] when my daughter first came to the realization that I am not on a pedestal.
[00:31:11] And I have been brought down and,
[00:31:14] oh my gosh,
[00:31:14] you're human.
[00:31:16] So if you would just address that,
[00:31:18] how did your kids handle that?
[00:31:21] Knowing when you told them that you were basically human and you're basically not above them.
[00:31:28] Yeah.
[00:31:28] Well,
[00:31:30] when they're late teenagers and in their early twenties,
[00:31:33] I don't think they have as much trouble figuring out that you're not to catch me out.
[00:31:39] But then,
[00:31:39] you know,
[00:31:40] they tend to come around,
[00:31:41] especially when they start to grow and go through things and they think like,
[00:31:43] oh,
[00:31:44] okay,
[00:31:44] mom and dad probably aren't as dumb as we thought they were.
[00:31:47] But the,
[00:31:49] I think partly just because like,
[00:31:52] I loved my dad like crazy.
[00:31:54] And I know God put him in my life and he was far from perfect.
[00:31:58] And he was a,
[00:31:59] you know,
[00:32:00] a drinker and a smoker and a lot of different things or whatever.
[00:32:03] And there's,
[00:32:04] you know,
[00:32:05] a lot of people in the last 30 years get hung up on,
[00:32:08] oh,
[00:32:09] my parents,
[00:32:10] if they had done this or if they had done that or whatever,
[00:32:12] nobody has perfect parents.
[00:32:13] There's just,
[00:32:14] it's not,
[00:32:14] there's no such thing.
[00:32:16] And so I just focused on,
[00:32:17] you know what?
[00:32:18] Thank you,
[00:32:18] Lord,
[00:32:18] for putting them in my life.
[00:32:19] And no matter what type of shortfalls he had,
[00:32:22] he loved me.
[00:32:23] And,
[00:32:23] and that is irreplaceable.
[00:32:25] If I didn't have him,
[00:32:26] because my mom went through a divorce earlier,
[00:32:28] I would have been a,
[00:32:30] you know,
[00:32:30] not had a dad.
[00:32:31] And so I was so thankful to have him and know that he loved me,
[00:32:35] that that was enough or whatever.
[00:32:37] So then I knew that like,
[00:32:38] no matter how hard I tried and I tried hard,
[00:32:40] like,
[00:32:41] I want to be a really good dad for my kids,
[00:32:45] but you're always going to fall short.
[00:32:47] You know,
[00:32:47] you may be doing really well.
[00:32:48] And all of a sudden you're going to lose it and lose your temper and yell
[00:32:51] something you shouldn't say,
[00:32:52] because that happens.
[00:32:53] That's the,
[00:32:53] that's the way we are.
[00:32:54] And God loves us no matter what.
[00:32:57] But like,
[00:32:57] that's something I've,
[00:32:59] my,
[00:32:59] my biggest job as a dad and it's not the church's job and it's definitely
[00:33:03] not the school's job anymore,
[00:33:04] but it's to point my kids to Jesus.
[00:33:06] Like that's all that matters.
[00:33:09] You know,
[00:33:10] their grades are important.
[00:33:12] Their habits of cleaning up and taking care of themselves are important.
[00:33:15] But the most important thing is no matter what their personality type is,
[00:33:20] I've,
[00:33:20] my job is to point them to Jesus and to be real with them and honest with them
[00:33:24] and show them I've screwed up a hundred different things in my life,
[00:33:27] but Jesus and,
[00:33:28] but God has,
[00:33:30] is the reason where I am,
[00:33:31] where I am.
[00:33:32] So,
[00:33:32] you know,
[00:33:33] that's a good segue and we are almost out of time.
[00:33:36] So Jamie,
[00:33:36] if you would just,
[00:33:39] just continue with what you're talking about.
[00:33:41] So basically I'm asking you to put in a plug for Jesus.
[00:33:45] Why do people need to receive him today?
[00:33:47] And tell us a quick prayer.
[00:33:49] You basically have about two minutes.
[00:33:51] Okay.
[00:33:53] Well,
[00:33:54] I,
[00:33:54] I do not know where I would be without Jesus.
[00:33:58] I,
[00:34:00] I know probably without a doubt,
[00:34:02] that I wouldn't be here.
[00:34:05] I wouldn't have made it this far because I knew God saved me when I was 14.
[00:34:10] He came and got me.
[00:34:12] And so I had the Holy spirit and I had every reason to just walk a good path.
[00:34:17] And I did it for a long time.
[00:34:19] And I made a lot of really foolish decisions,
[00:34:21] but I know no matter what I was doing,
[00:34:24] God loved me no matter what.
[00:34:25] And he loved me just as much when I was screwing up as when I'm,
[00:34:30] you know,
[00:34:31] trying to be a good dad and keeping everything together and praying on a regular
[00:34:34] basis.
[00:34:35] He loved me just the same and saved me,
[00:34:38] you know,
[00:34:38] at that point.
[00:34:38] So anyway,
[00:34:40] I,
[00:34:41] you want me to pray?
[00:34:43] Yep.
[00:34:44] Okay.
[00:34:45] Thank you,
[00:34:46] father.
[00:34:47] I just,
[00:34:47] for this time together,
[00:34:48] Lord,
[00:34:49] and anyone who's listening,
[00:34:50] father,
[00:34:50] I pray that you touch their hearts.
[00:34:52] And if they're searching for you,
[00:34:54] father,
[00:34:55] I just pray that you,
[00:34:56] you show them,
[00:34:57] you reveal yourself to them,
[00:34:58] Lord,
[00:34:59] because,
[00:34:59] um,
[00:35:00] you're a good God.
[00:35:01] If somebody has a sincere heart and they look toward you,
[00:35:04] they will find you father.
[00:35:05] And I pray that,
[00:35:06] um,
[00:35:07] they turn their hearts to you,
[00:35:08] father.
[00:35:09] And I ask you to forgive them of their sins and just come into their life and be
[00:35:13] their Lord and savior,
[00:35:15] father.
[00:35:15] And I thank you for this time together with bill.
[00:35:18] And it's,
[00:35:18] he's been such a blessing in my life,
[00:35:20] father.
[00:35:21] And I just thank you for everything you've done for me.
[00:35:23] Jesus name.
[00:35:24] Amen.
[00:35:24] Amen.
[00:35:26] Well,
[00:35:26] Jamie,
[00:35:27] thank you so much.
[00:35:28] And I invite everyone to go back through the archives,
[00:35:32] check up,
[00:35:32] uh,
[00:35:33] episode number one 38.
[00:35:35] When Jane,
[00:35:35] uh,
[00:35:36] Jamie was on previously,
[00:35:37] I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
[00:35:38] And Jamie will see you back in about five to six months.
[00:35:41] But until then,
[00:35:42] may the Lord bless you and keep you.
[00:35:45] The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
[00:35:49] The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
[00:35:54] Friends,
[00:35:55] please join me again on Monday.
[00:35:56] As we further explore wisdom today.