The Finish Line Podcast Alan Barnhart, Business Leader, on the Story that Sparked a Generation of Givers (Ep. 160)
Alan Barnhart grew up in Memphis, where his parents ran a small crane and rigging company. After college he sensed a call to missions just as his parents invited him and his brother to take over the family business. As he wrestled with the decision, God’s answer was clear; Alan’s full-time ministry was the business world.
From day one, the brothers regarded the company as God’s. To guard against the spiritual risks of wealth, Alan set a “lifestyle finish line,” capping his personal income at the level of a ministry worker. They also committed to give 50% of annual profits to God’s Kingdom. Over the next 39 years, the once-small firm grew toward a billion-dollar enterprise and now channels millions each year into gospel work. Later, Alan and his brother formalized their conviction by transferring 100% of their ownership to a charitable trust, while continuing to lead the company.
Alan’s example has inspired a generation of givers to steward their families, businesses, and resources with wisdom and courage. You won’t want to miss this story.
Major Topics Include:
- Avoiding the dangers of wealth
- Finding freedom in a financial finish line
- How God led him to give away his company while still being it’s steward
- Thinking though what to do with profit
- Developing relationship with the recipients of your generosity
- Generosity decisions as a group
- Responsive giving vs. strategic giving
- Differences between giving from business capital and giving from personal capital
- Making difficult decisions in generosity
- Relational aspects of being as a business and generosity leader
- Managing a capped lifestyle with children
- Thinking through company succession
- Stewarding your generosity story
- “God, I’ll go wherever you want me to go.”
- “My full time ministry was going to be in the business world.”
- “Jesus warned about money more than He warned about anything else.”
- “Contentment doesn’t come from stuff, it comes from enjoying what you already have.”
- “Holding things with an open hand has led to freedom.”
- “God isn’t trying to extract something from us. He doesn’t want our money, He wants us.”
- “Generosity breaks the power of greed.”
- “We say no to 99% of giving opportunities so we can give a big yes to the 1% we support.”
- “We want to be as strategic in our giving of money as we are in our making of money.”
- “What does God want us to do with His money?”
- “There is work to being a steward.”
- “What we’re doing is not crazy.”
- “We didn’t see the company as ours, so our kids never saw it as theirs.”
- “Be a steward of your story as much as you are a steward of your money, because your story may change someone else’s life.”
- Young Life
- Journey to Generosity (JoG) with Generous Giving (see our interviews with cofounder, Todd Harper and CEO, April Chapman)
- Rich Christians in the Age of Hunger by Ronald J. Sider
- National Christian Foundation (see our interview with President Emeritus, David Wills)
- The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
- The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group
Matthew 19:23 | A Warning for the Rich
And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 6:24 | Choose Your Master
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Matthew 6:19-20 | Treasures in Heaven
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[e] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Luke 12:13-21 | The Parable of the Rich Fool
1 Timothy 6:6-7 | Godliness with Contentment
But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.
Luke 21:1-4 | The Widow’s Offering
Matthew 5:16 | Your Good Works Give Glory to the Father
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 6:3-4 | A Time for Giving in Secret
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
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