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More Than Money: The Inheritance Worth Passing Down · My Brother's Journey

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, welcome again to my brother's journey.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: I am one half of uh the Proverbial Podcast uh tech team.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Greg Joseph Chuckka with me as Baron.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_01: Baron, great to see you.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: You may just take the best half.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: You're the best half.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: No, we're we're all good.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: Another unbelievably gorgeous day, fall day here in Statesville.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: Finally.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: Finally, yeah.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, yeah, it was hot before and now, you know, but although today was 75 degrees.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: So, but 75 and 40 at night.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: I'm in the weatherman now, but uh that's a beautiful day.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, as you know, we always start off with prayer.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: Would you mind leading us?
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Sure, absolutely.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, amen.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: Dear Lord, thank you for this day.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's a beautiful day as it is.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for the opportunity to share your goodness, Lord, and and to be thankful for all that you provide with, including this day, and the opportunity to serve you and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Lord, help us to do your will always and help us to do it with uh with a great deal of excitement and gratitude and uh um perseverance.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Christ's name we pray.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_01: Amen.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: So um I think I briefly mentioned this to you, but I'll repeat it on my drive over here today.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_01: I wasn't sure what topic, but as you know, we put it all in the in the hands of the Holy Spirit, and uh whatever kind of pops up in our mind or in our on our hearts uh usually is where we go.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: And uh so I'm driving over here today, and the the topic that popped into my head uh is the topic of inheritance.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, I think for a lot of different reasons, it's a timely topic.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I think one of them is, you know, both you and I are are are are I guess what they would call middle-aged now in our in our in our 60s.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: And um I think you know, a couple things uh generally happens when you start reaching your 60s.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: If you're fortunate uh to still have parents that are alive, uh uh and aunts and uncles, uh generally speaking.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, if you're in their your 60s, they're in at least their late 70s or 80s.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and you know those those conversations are are uh not unusual for you to be having with your with your parents and they with you.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I know that was certainly the case uh somewhat recently on my wife's side of the family.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: Uh my father, as as you recall, passed away uh a month ago.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: But uh leading up to that, I mean, you know, he was suffering from cancer, but uh certainly uh the conversations around inheritance and what and what his wishes were and uh and how his estate was going to be handled and all that uh uh was was you know I would say fresh on our hearts and minds.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um and then most recently I had an aunt pass away, and she was an aunt that had no children and uh that we loved dearly, and uh certainly didn't expect any anything, but uh found out that uh she was passing an inheritance uh to me and my brother and sisters and and my uh some of my cousins.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: And um that was unexpected, and it was certainly uh a blessing.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I know just in my own planning, I've I've you know, I've already started uh my wife and I uh have had conversations and have started uh planning our state and how we want it handled and things like that.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: And so um, and so you know, why do I mention all this?
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: Well, um as I was driving, I was thinking about that, and I was thinking about, and again, you you know that I I don't know exactly the verse and chapter in the Bible.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I'm not even sure which gospel, although I think it's Matthew, but I I don't know.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: But uh but in there I I recall that um there's a young, I believe it's a young man, that uh comes up to our Lord and he asks um, Lord, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: And that was what popped into my head as I was driving, uh, you know, on this whole inheritance thing.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: And it I don't know, it just seemed to me like like one of those one of those uh moments in time where you're like what I don't want to call it a revelation because I've read that before, heard it before, right?
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: That question, but it just occurred, like really occurred to me that isn't that the question that should be the one that is on our mind and on our hearts, Lord, what must I do and and my spouse and our family?
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: What what must we do to inherit eternal life?
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I don't know, do you have any I mean any thoughts about this topic?
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean I think well, first of all, I mean the the Bible verse you bring up is interesting because it's not what do I what must I do to inherit a pile of money?
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's what do I need to do to inherit eternal life?
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I think that that's when we think about inheritance, I you know, obviously oftentimes that conversation goes to to money and estate planning, and as you you know, you as you were talking about with your aunt.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, and I think that, you know, I I pose this question to our Bible study a long time ago.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, I said, if you could pass down one thing to your kids, and just think of it right now, what would it be?
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: And and you know, the to me, the the most important thing I could pass down is not a pile of money.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: I agree.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: I agree with that.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: I agree with that.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: To me, if the most important thing I could pass down, if there was an answer to that, the the question that the that the uh that you post in scripture is eternal life.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Because there, you know, the money is not going to be an issue anymore.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: We don't talk about that.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: You know, heaven is in a totally different different realm.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: But we got to get there.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: And if I've uh you know, if I have have evolved in my faith and my faith walk, and it's and it's much more focused now on Christ and less on the material world, why would the one thing I choose to leave to my kids be the material world?
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: You know, would it would I not be focused on that?
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: Now, that brings up a really interesting question, though, and that's well, okay, fine.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: So what are you saying?
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Are you saying that you're going to turn around and leave that to charity and not give your kids something?
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that's if that's a unilateral move and that's all you did, but you didn't work on the other piece to have them grow and help them grow in their faith walk and inherit eternal life, then you haven't really solved a problem.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: You simply just moved it to somebody else.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um and and also I think part of it too, Greg, is also whether or not you view things as a possession or as a as being a steward of things.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: If if you're a steward of things and passing them on to somebody else to do something good with them, just like somebody passed them on to you or you've earned them by the grace of God to do something, you know, for for the effort, that's there's nothing wrong with that.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: The question is whether or not there's a there's a maturity on the receiving side to understand that that's what that's for.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: That it it's you know, and and you know, it's funny, I was just having a conversation with my with my father today, and you know, who's 86, and and you know, he and I were talking about, he was expressing some some, you know, uh uh just not uh very hopeful about the youth of the world because they are challenged with so much, and and especially now with AI and everything else and all this kind of stuff, and and how they don't necessarily see God as the answer, they're looking to all these other places.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I was relating to him actually a conversation we've had recently about about this age of you know, as we go through our faith walk, all of us in some form or fashion, that 20 to 40 year old time of uh uh that you are of that age, there's so many other things that that are are you know are are coming at you.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: And I asked my dad at point, I said, would you are you the same person now that you were then?
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: Especially in your faith walk.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: He says, Of course not.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: Because I that was the furthest thing, I was the first thing from that.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: I said, then have a little hope, you know, that uh and have a little faith that that even the youth will come around.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: And so you know, there's a sense of maturity there.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: And so we're talking about inheritance.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you know, somebody receiving uh anything when they're 60 or 70 is going to be, you know, I think received differently than if they were receiving it when they were 30.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: I think that I think that's the there's solid uh truth in that and wisdom.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um you're right.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_01: I think uh, I mean, let's face it, you know, you 20 years old or whatever you come out of college, you're you think it's one thing to think that you're ready for the world.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I'm college educated, right?
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_01: It's a whole new thing when you actually get into your career and your job, and now you're getting married, you're raising kids.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's not like someone hands you a book and or or an instruction manual and says, you know, this is how to do it, right?
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I think you're so right.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_01: I think, I mean, really, you're in my opinion, I don't uh uh maybe I should say it this way, this is maybe a better way of saying it.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_01: Certainly looking at my own life at that age, uh in my early 20s, I was not mature in how I handled money or financial.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: I I I mean, I don't I don't even know if I I I don't think I I don't think I invested in money.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, in uh like stocks and bonds or anything like that until I was maybe uh 25 or 20.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: I had no knowledge.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: My parents didn't invest, they weren't they just didn't believe in that.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um so the only thing uh they did, and the only thing I knew was like certificates of deposit, which you know paid nothing, relatively speaking.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: But you know, but at least your money's safe in the bank, you know.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_01: And so um, and you know, knowing my lifestyle before I got married, uh, because I got married, uh I think I was 25 when I got married.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but leading up to that, I probably would have taken any any money I got and just blown it on good times, you know.
• 10:26
  unknown: Yeah.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I wish I had actually learned that deposit when I was instead of trying to master the options market when I was 25.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: And uh that didn't work out.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: But um, but to your point, I think um as you get older, hopefully you you mature, you you gain wisdom, you you you you gain understanding, and and you and you begin to realize that um, especially I guess when we get to our uh our our uh age of where we are right now, um, that this is a blessing and that it it can be used in very in many ways, obviously, but it can be used in a way that is um pleasing to the Lord versus in a way that's just pleasing to yourself.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I think there's you know, there's probably some balance there.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_01: I mean some of it can go to please, you know, use it for yourself and certainly help.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_01: But I think I think to your point, I think the um I think it's really important that um we help our children understand that inheritance when you hear the word, don't necessarily immediately go to money and assets.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: But really the the the first thing hopefully that you should think about is Lord, what do I need to do to inherit eternal life?
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: And everything beyond that is okay, you know, deal with that.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_01: But that's the focus and preparing them for how do I get to heaven?
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: How do I get to eternity?
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_01: What is it that I need to do, or you know, um, or how do I need to live my life and serve the Lord in doing that?
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_01: I mean that that's where you gain your riches.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_01: The riches on earth are nothing.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_01: They you know, they you're not gonna take it with you.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: So but the riches that you can gain in heaven, that's where that's where you're rewarded, right?
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: Well, and I think you I think you're you're challenged with something here, Greg.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: Because you you know, because I think that we talked about setting the example and about again if you asked me what was what I'd try to pass down to my kids, it would not be, you know, yes, they're gonna they're they're probably gonna get something from the financial side of it, but that's not what's important to me.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: So in your case or in my case at some point, you know, perhaps I'll you know be, you know, uh receive an inheritance.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: What I do with that can be an opportunity to teach my kids by example, okay, here's here's here's something that you've been entrusted with.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: Here's something that you've now become the steward of because your your parents or your aunts or whatever else are are no longer, you know, they've trust they've now entrusting you with the stewardship of this.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: What do you do with that?
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: And and again, to your point, it hasn't have to be all or no.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't have to be, oh, we're gonna you're gonna, you know, give it all away or we're gonna spend it all on our own lottery tickets.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: Right, you know, it can but but demonstrating it in a visible way, I think has benefited.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's true.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's true.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I think there's I think it's wise to look at when you are talking about uh, I guess a financial inheritance, it's good to look at it with maturity and and and responsibility and to say what's the I guess the responsible thing to do, not just from you know, preserving that capital, but more importantly, putting it to use in a way that would that would really please the Lord.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: And so you're right, there's you know, there's gonna have to be some real prayer prayerful reflection on my part and and our family's part as to and again, you know, I mean, like I said, we're we we still have aging parents ahead of us.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_01: So uh yeah.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_01: But uh anyways, it was uh it was just an interesting conversation, you know, topic that popped in on our heart.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, so have you have you started having those conversations with your kids yet?
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: Or uh I have, and and it's interesting.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um fortunately, I don't think anyone listened to this one.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: You're you're not alone in that because I think I think you know, I think what I'm gonna do, you know, again, this is all yeah, of course, this is according to my plan.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, my plans don't matter.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: God's plans really matter.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: But should it be that that uh that that uh you know my parents perceive me, I know that that's gonna benefit not only me, but from my my kids.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: And and I'm gonna take that opportunity, Greg, to, you know, my my wife and I will take the opportunity to to sit down with them and say, all right, so here's, you know, you've now been entrusted with this.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: Here's what we're gonna do.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: You know, here's here's some ideas we've got.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: You know, and here's here, and this is all based on the fact that this is, you know, it it isn't ours necessarily to enjoy what we're saying.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's ours to enjoy, we can enjoy in a lot of different ways.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: I can enjoy it by actually, you know, uh giving some of it to charity or funding it, funding some great endeavor.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: I can, you know, but but having a conversation, an open conversation about it, again, I think it starts to sow the seeds of, okay, well, some point this is going to skip from this generation to the next one.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: Pretty soon it'll be my wife and I who are leaving, right?
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: And and so they will say, Oh, we've we've been through this before.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and we know we know what's important.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um so yeah, but uh it's it can be an uncomfortable conversation.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: Right, it doesn't have to be, right?
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_01: But I I do agree.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: I I mean I totally agree, and I I I'm in the same boat.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: I I need to have that conversation with uh my wife and I need to have that conversation with our three sons and and just have open dialogue and and say, you know, mom and I have been prayerful about this, and this is kind of what we're thinking.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: And and I think to your point, uh, especially if we're inheriting at that, you know, uh time or or whatever, to begin to set the stage for how do you handle what will be some sort of inheritance, um, and what are our wishes and and you know, so yeah, it's an interesting topic.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it was it's one that'll probably be on my mind and actually your mind in the coming you know months and and years ahead of us, right?
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_01: So uh sure.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: But I can't believe it, you know, time flies.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_01: Well, uh it's so uh all right.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_01: I uh so uh hey, listen, thank you for tuning in and being part of my brother's journey.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_01: Seek Jesus in all you do and be fishers of men.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: God bless you, and please join us again viva Jesus.