Episodes

  • Episode S0708: Replay of our First Podcast - What is Finishing Well Ministries?
    Jun 16 2026

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    REPLAY OF THE FIRST FWM PODCAST

    In this episode of the Finishing Well Podcast, Dr. Hal Habecker and Dr. Randy Hess revisit the very first episode of the show, originally recorded in December 2020. The episode opens with Dr. Habecker expressing his deep desire for older generations—parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents—to be active encouragers and mentors to younger generations. He emphasizes the importance of older adults pouring their wisdom, experiences, and love into their families and communities, highlighting the biblical value placed on elders.

    The hosts discuss the mission of Finishing Well Ministries, which is to inspire and equip believers of all ages, especially those in their later years, to live purposefully and finish their lives well in service to God. Dr. Habecker shares his personal journey from pastoring at Dallas Bible Church to founding the ministry, motivated by a passion to counter cultural and even church-based tendencies to marginalize older adults. He points out that, contrary to societal views that equate retirement with the end of productivity, Scripture consistently affirms the ongoing value and purpose of older people.

    Throughout the conversation, Dr. Habecker and Dr. Hess reflect on biblical examples of impactful aging, such as Moses, Joshua, and the apostle John, who accomplished significant work in their later years. They reference key scriptures like Ephesians 2:10 and Psalm 90:12, underscoring that God’s purpose for each person does not diminish with age. Instead, the wisdom and experiences accumulated over a lifetime are meant to be shared, especially with younger generations, to build up the church and community.

    Dr. Hess shares his initial intrigue and eventual conviction about the ministry’s vision, noting that many seniors wrestle with questions of purpose after retirement. He observes that while society often promotes leisure and self-indulgence as the goals of aging, true fulfillment comes from discovering and living out God’s ongoing calling. The hosts encourage listeners to reflect on their own lives and consider how they can continue to serve, mentor, and make a difference, regardless of age.

    The episode concludes with a call to action for older adults to embrace their God-given roles as encouragers and mentors, and for all listeners to pursue a life of purpose and impact. The hosts invite feedback and continued engagement with the podcast, reinforcing the message that the later years can be the most fruitful and meaningful season of life when lived in alignment with God’s purposes.

    Support the show

    "Finishing Well Ministries aims to encourage and inspire aging Christians to understand and embrace God’s calling in their later years, equipping them to actively pursue and fulfill His calling. FWM provides materials, events, and other on-line resources that provide shared insights focused on finishing our lives well. We also recruit and train volunteers who lead and encourage small groups around the world to fulfill God’s mission for them in these critically important years." - Hal Habecker

    Website: www.finishingwellministries.org

    Email us: Hal@finishingwellministries.org
    Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finishingwellministries
    Support Our Ministry: https://www.finishingwellministries.org/donate

    Are there biblical principles to help us understand how to finish well?
    Explore the Seven Essentials for Finishing Well. Learn more.

    Thanks for listening as we all strive to live and finish life well!

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    23 mins
  • Episode E7S07: The Identity of Christ Revisited
    May 27 2026

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    The Podcast for today is one Vicki and I recorded August 14, 2023. The topic is our “Identity.” It is our most listened to podcast of the 178 we’re recorded. I think it is still one of the most critical issues of life and of our advancing years. Who are we? What does our identity of being “in Christ” mean in terms growing older? What is life “in Christ” all about? Here it is again, just as we recorded it then. I hope you’ll enjoy it again.

    Pressing on for all that God has for us “in Christ.”

    Hal

    We exist to call a generation of retiring boomers and aging believers to leverage their lives for the fame of Jesus and the glory of God.

    -------

    Hal’s wife, Vicki, shares her heart about the importance of “Identity” in all of life, and particularly, in the aging years. Perhaps nothing is as important in life than knowing who God created us to be and to see ourselves as He sees us through the life and death of His Son, Jesus. Satan attempts to pull us away from that incredible truth by tempting us to see our value through what we do. Vicki speaks out of her own heart to women, but the truth of her heart speaks to men as well. Let’s press deeper into our identity in Christ and stay focused on His purposes as we grow older.

    Support the show

    "Finishing Well Ministries aims to encourage and inspire aging Christians to understand and embrace God’s calling in their later years, equipping them to actively pursue and fulfill His calling. FWM provides materials, events, and other on-line resources that provide shared insights focused on finishing our lives well. We also recruit and train volunteers who lead and encourage small groups around the world to fulfill God’s mission for them in these critically important years." - Hal Habecker

    Website: www.finishingwellministries.org

    Email us: Hal@finishingwellministries.org
    Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finishingwellministries
    Support Our Ministry: https://www.finishingwellministries.org/donate

    Are there biblical principles to help us understand how to finish well?
    Explore the Seven Essentials for Finishing Well. Learn more.

    Thanks for listening as we all strive to live and finish life well!

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    29 mins
  • Episode S7E06: "Faith During Illness"
    Apr 7 2026

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    "Hope is not destroyed by suffering - it is developed by it." With the certainty of hope that only God instills, Dr. Randy Marshall shares his journey with metastatic prostate cancer. His story will encourage every listener.

    Randy emphasizes the importance of faith, hope, and community, noting how his illness has become a mission field, providing spiritual support to other patients. He discusses the significance of maintaining a positive attitude, focusing on eternal hope, and the role of humor and prayer in coping. Randy also highlights the importance of family support and the discipline of saying no to maintain peace and focus.

    Support the show

    "Finishing Well Ministries aims to encourage and inspire aging Christians to understand and embrace God’s calling in their later years, equipping them to actively pursue and fulfill His calling. FWM provides materials, events, and other on-line resources that provide shared insights focused on finishing our lives well. We also recruit and train volunteers who lead and encourage small groups around the world to fulfill God’s mission for them in these critically important years." - Hal Habecker

    Website: www.finishingwellministries.org

    Email us: Hal@finishingwellministries.org
    Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finishingwellministries
    Support Our Ministry: https://www.finishingwellministries.org/donate

    Are there biblical principles to help us understand how to finish well?
    Explore the Seven Essentials for Finishing Well. Learn more.

    Thanks for listening as we all strive to live and finish life well!

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    43 mins
  • Episode S7E5: Foxhole Buddies
    Feb 25 2026

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    Listen to Vicki Habecker and Karen Brosseau talk about their ‘momma hearts’ during the difficult journey God has led them on as adult sons face critical medical problems.

    Support the show

    "Finishing Well Ministries aims to encourage and inspire aging Christians to understand and embrace God’s calling in their later years, equipping them to actively pursue and fulfill His calling. FWM provides materials, events, and other on-line resources that provide shared insights focused on finishing our lives well. We also recruit and train volunteers who lead and encourage small groups around the world to fulfill God’s mission for them in these critically important years." - Hal Habecker

    Website: www.finishingwellministries.org

    Email us: Hal@finishingwellministries.org
    Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finishingwellministries
    Support Our Ministry: https://www.finishingwellministries.org/donate

    Are there biblical principles to help us understand how to finish well?
    Explore the Seven Essentials for Finishing Well. Learn more.

    Thanks for listening as we all strive to live and finish life well!

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    31 mins
  • Episode S6E04: Ringleaders: Living a Marriage of Oneness
    Feb 10 2026

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    THEOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF MARRIAGE

    In this episode, Hal Habecker and Dr. Ken Wilgus discuss the theological principles of marriage, emphasizing the importance of recognizing Jesus as the creator and sustainer of marriage. They explore the concepts of treating one's spouse as one's own flesh, loving one's wife as oneself, and serving one's wife as serving oneself. Wilgus highlights the significance of prayer, both individually and collectively, in maintaining a Christ-centered marriage. They also address the challenges of over-psychologizing marriage and the importance of mutual respect and appreciation in a Christian marriage.

    Support the show

    "Finishing Well Ministries aims to encourage and inspire aging Christians to understand and embrace God’s calling in their later years, equipping them to actively pursue and fulfill His calling. FWM provides materials, events, and other on-line resources that provide shared insights focused on finishing our lives well. We also recruit and train volunteers who lead and encourage small groups around the world to fulfill God’s mission for them in these critically important years." - Hal Habecker

    Website: www.finishingwellministries.org

    Email us: Hal@finishingwellministries.org
    Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finishingwellministries
    Support Our Ministry: https://www.finishingwellministries.org/donate

    Are there biblical principles to help us understand how to finish well?
    Explore the Seven Essentials for Finishing Well. Learn more.

    Thanks for listening as we all strive to live and finish life well!

    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • Episode S7E03: Ringleaders: Men Leading in Christian Marriage.
    Feb 6 2026

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    FOUR PRINCIPLES TO IMPROVE A MARRIAGE

    In this episode of the Finishing Well Podcast, Hal Habecker and Ken Wilgus discuss the concept of "ringleaders," a framework for Christian men to reflect on and improve their marriages. Ken introduces the four principles:

    I belong to Jesus the Creator of my marriage.

    Jesus has joined me to my wife as one flesh.

    To love my wife is to love myself - to serve my wife is to serve myself.

    I am to my wife as Jesus is to me.

    They emphasize the importance of grounding marriage in Jesus and understanding the deep unity and oneness within a marriage. The conversation highlights the need for men to love and serve their wives as Jesus loves them, reflecting on the theological and practical implications of these principles.

    Support the show

    "Finishing Well Ministries aims to encourage and inspire aging Christians to understand and embrace God’s calling in their later years, equipping them to actively pursue and fulfill His calling. FWM provides materials, events, and other on-line resources that provide shared insights focused on finishing our lives well. We also recruit and train volunteers who lead and encourage small groups around the world to fulfill God’s mission for them in these critically important years." - Hal Habecker

    Website: www.finishingwellministries.org

    Email us: Hal@finishingwellministries.org
    Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finishingwellministries
    Support Our Ministry: https://www.finishingwellministries.org/donate

    Are there biblical principles to help us understand how to finish well?
    Explore the Seven Essentials for Finishing Well. Learn more.

    Thanks for listening as we all strive to live and finish life well!

    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • Episode S7E02: “Walking with a friend through one of life’s greatest challenges – a potential terminal cancer diagnosis.”
    Jan 22 2026

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    Meet Jim Granberry and listen to his story about walking through life with his friend, Steve. God called Jim to walk through life with his friend. In Jim’s words, “Knowing that the diagnosis could be the ultimate cause of his death, we walked the path together, hoping and praying that it would not.” Jim’s story is a holy story. We often never know ahead of time how God uses friendships for eternal purposes.

    Support the show

    "Finishing Well Ministries aims to encourage and inspire aging Christians to understand and embrace God’s calling in their later years, equipping them to actively pursue and fulfill His calling. FWM provides materials, events, and other on-line resources that provide shared insights focused on finishing our lives well. We also recruit and train volunteers who lead and encourage small groups around the world to fulfill God’s mission for them in these critically important years." - Hal Habecker

    Website: www.finishingwellministries.org

    Email us: Hal@finishingwellministries.org
    Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finishingwellministries
    Support Our Ministry: https://www.finishingwellministries.org/donate

    Are there biblical principles to help us understand how to finish well?
    Explore the Seven Essentials for Finishing Well. Learn more.

    Thanks for listening as we all strive to live and finish life well!

    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • Episode S7E01: Pressing on in 2026!
    Jan 12 2026

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    Our founder gives a brief 20-minute encouragement and a challenge for the new year before us. Our mission? We exist to call a generation of aging believers to leverage their lives for the fame of Jesus and the glory of God. Let’s embrace 2026 for this purpose.

    Hal Habecker, host of the Finishing Well podcast, reflects on the mission of aging Christians to lead, influence, and encourage others. He emphasizes the importance of discipleship, regardless of age, and encourages listeners to press on in their faith. Habecker shares personal anecdotes, including his 50-year marriage and the impact of his spiritual gifts. He highlights the need for older believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to continue making an impact in their communities. The podcast aims to inspire and equip believers to live and finish well, emphasizing that retirement should not be seen as an ending but as a time to serve and leave a legacy for God's glory.

    Support the show

    "Finishing Well Ministries aims to encourage and inspire aging Christians to understand and embrace God’s calling in their later years, equipping them to actively pursue and fulfill His calling. FWM provides materials, events, and other on-line resources that provide shared insights focused on finishing our lives well. We also recruit and train volunteers who lead and encourage small groups around the world to fulfill God’s mission for them in these critically important years." - Hal Habecker

    Website: www.finishingwellministries.org

    Email us: Hal@finishingwellministries.org
    Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finishingwellministries
    Support Our Ministry: https://www.finishingwellministries.org/donate

    Are there biblical principles to help us understand how to finish well?
    Explore the Seven Essentials for Finishing Well. Learn more.

    Thanks for listening as we all strive to live and finish life well!

    Show More Show Less
    22 mins