Beyond Sunday
Beyond Sunday is a podcast where we dive into what our Church is up to, what's happening in society, go deeper into topics from Sunday mornings, and hear leadership talks from Pastor Greg Griffith. This is a podcast of King of Kings Church in Omaha, NE. Learn more at kingofkings.org.
Beyond Sunday
Don’t Just Plan for Retirement…Plan for Heaven!
In this Beyond Sunday episode, Dina, Pastor Zach, and Peter reflect on Pastor Roger Theimer’s final message, which challenges us to shift from retirement planning to heaven planning. Rooted in Psalm 90:12, the conversation explores how living with eternity in mind brings purpose to each day—and how the choices we make now can echo into forever.
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Thanks for listening!
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the King of Kings podcast, where we dive a little bit deeper into our Sunday message and see what we're taking beyond Sunday. My name is Dena Newsome and I am honored to have back two of my favorite guests. Oh, that's so nice. Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:I'm Julie Easley, just kidding.
Speaker 3:What would you say 50% of these podcasts? We don't say our real names, that seems accurate, I would say 100% of the last five.
Speaker 1:Yeah, something that we think works.
Speaker 3:it probably doesn't, and we just keep going with it. But I'm going to say who I am today.
Speaker 2:I'm Zach Zender, and you didn't ask, but I'm the multi-site director of King of Kings. Yeah, and I did not ask.
Speaker 1:Nobody asked, I just wanted to say it.
Speaker 2:I'm glad you could say that you are right, though, like what an ineffective way to start a podcast. Like I'm not going to tell you my name just because I want to be difficult you my name just because I want to be difficult or try to be funny.
Speaker 3:So ridiculous.
Speaker 2:I'm Peter Bay campus director of King's Northwest. Happy to be here.
Speaker 1:Thanks for coming today, guys, and I don't know if you know this, but this week there are two, two big international food days. It is no, not inter, it's just national.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:I upscaled it a bit too much.
Speaker 2:That's good, because I don't know international food very well French fries.
Speaker 1:National Lasagna Day this week and also National Chili Dog Day, so my question for you is which one's your favorite, if you had to pick between lasagna and chili dog?
Speaker 2:Yeah, for me this is easy Lasagna hands down. One because it's represented by one of the greatest cartoons of all time, garfield, and two because it's got cheese and like those wide, what are they? Is it lasagna pasta? Is that what it is? Those shells? You mean those big, wide shells?
Speaker 3:Yeah, whatever the pasta is.
Speaker 1:I don't know what the name of the noodles. Is it not lasagna noodle? It's like a whole pan of noodle I'm not a chef, I don't know, I don't cook.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah to have meat and cheese and whatever that pasta is all together chili dogs. I don't know that I've ever had a chili dog that I've enjoyed and not stained my clothes with Quick Google search.
Speaker 3:It is just a lasagna noodle, so that's good. I would go chili dog. Yeah, yeah, I'm a chili dog guy and I would not only put chili, I'd put cheese, or if it's queso, that's even better. I'd put some diced onion on there and I really think that. Is there a food? Tell me this. Is there a food that can go cheap and inexpensive all the way up to like fine dining as a hot dog? You're starting to see hot dogs at fine dining restaurants charging ridiculous amounts for it, but you can also pick an eight pack up still for probably a couple few bucks at a grocery store. I think it's such a versatile food I'm going chili dog all the way.
Speaker 1:All the way, I'm definitely a lasagna girl.
Speaker 3:I knew I was in the presence of enemies.
Speaker 2:You know what I?
Speaker 1:don't know that. I would say a hot dog, really like. They may be trying to bill it like a fine dining experience, but that doesn't make it one.
Speaker 3:This is a podcast. I once listened to a podcast all about hot dogs and how famous and popular the hot dog is getting in these fine dining institutions. So isn't that a commercial? I once listened to a podcast and give you useless knowledge.
Speaker 2:I'm a big fan of hot dogs. Don't get me wrong, I think it's the chili that throws me off. Now, the best hot dogs are the ones with the natural casing, because they just like, they pop and they're juicy and they're just. It's incredible, incredible, a burst of flavor in every bite.
Speaker 1:Are you? I'm a Wimmers hot dog fan.
Speaker 2:Wimmers huh.
Speaker 1:Wimmers red hot dogs.
Speaker 2:Those red ones freak me out. What's going on with that? Aren't those banned now?
Speaker 3:I've been here a while in Nebraska. I still don't know that. I've gotten used to that. The red ones.
Speaker 1:That's what they serve at the stadium, isn't it?
Speaker 2:It is yeah, what stadium? Memorial Memorial Stadium. I've not been there.
Speaker 3:Yes, you have. That's ridiculous. I just haven't had a hot dog there for a while.
Speaker 1:I've been there All right. So this week on Sunday was Pastor Roger Timer's last message. And he is— I doubt that Questionable retirement.
Speaker 2:No, he's retired, but he'll keep preaching all over the place as he enters retirement.
Speaker 1:He talked a little bit about his retirement hobby, paramotoring. My question is what will your retirement hobby be? What do you think right now you will take up as your retirement hobby?
Speaker 3:Easy answer for me.
Speaker 1:Like for sure I will sure I will be the hobby you already have.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay, I was going to say golf, okay, so the one I was going to say that's not so easy, that I've always wanted to do and maybe, maybe at that time I'll have time for it, as I actually I never learned how to play an instrument and I'd like to learn how to play the guitar. So I'm going to go. I'm going to go retirement. Maybe I become a guitarist.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think I'll go back to a job that I worked for eight summers in high school and college, back to the old stomping grounds of Taco Bell, and I'll just just work in Taco Bell till I die. I loved working at Taco Bell.
Speaker 3:Speaking of things, I just saw it was a video, a reel that were the three most nastiest, grossest, dirtiest restaurant chains in America. Number three was Chipotle, number two was Burger King, number one was Taco Bell. And it's just ridiculous because it's not. It's great, right, pete? I love it.
Speaker 2:You know what? I worked there eight summers and I still eat it. Yeah, it's just fear-mongering reels that are out there. It really is. People are like it's great to eat meat, or whatever Talk about rats and rat droppings and stuff. Sure, Occasionally you walk in a Taco Bell and you can't lift your feet off the ground because it's so sticky. But give us a break. People are having a good time.
Speaker 1:I have a friend that used to work at a mall pizza chain.
Speaker 2:Sbarro's.
Speaker 1:Well, I don't know, I'm not going to name it.
Speaker 2:Why.
Speaker 1:Their boss told them when they were stirring the sauce, if they lost the long spoon that they could just stick their hand in to the big sauce pot like elbow deep and stir it with their hand.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's why you didn't say the name.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Oh boy, that was a long time ago, but that kind of ruined it for me.
Speaker 2:The boss gave permission. Yes, that was their that is so funny, yep, just stir it up to your elbow. That is so funny, yep, just stir it up to your elbow.
Speaker 1:Needless to say, mall pasta, pizza places are not my retirement hobby. I think I would like to crochet. I know how to crochet. I vaguely remember I crocheted a few things when I first became a mom, but I just think that seems so soothing and I don't know something Good for you. All right. So Pastor Roger's message was don't plan for retirement plan for heaven. What are you guys taking beyond Sunday? What stuck out to you?
Speaker 3:I was really grateful for his message. It was an early line, right before he said that. That stuck with me. It was like sunscreen, apply it now for benefits later. And I wrote that down and I thought that's really good and that was what he brought in. Don't just plan for retirement, plan for heaven. That sometimes, when we keep our eyes focused on heaven, eternal long-term, you do give up or sacrifice something that you can get for today, but it'll be better long-term, and especially with sunscreen. Nobody likes putting sunscreen on. It's awful, but you do it because your life's going to be better if you put it on and I've seen the effects of not putting it on myself and it's painful.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So Pastor Roger Timer was the director of Kids Count Ministries for years and years. He created the curriculum. I got to come in as director of King of Kings right after Roger, which is very intimidating.
Speaker 1:Big shoes to fill.
Speaker 2:Oh my goodness, he's one of the greats of all time, and I had to learn very early on don't try to fill his shoes, but just try to stand on his shoulders. Essentially, and so blessed by years and years of working with Roger Incredible humility, incredible idea factory, and to hear him last week was an honor. So, yeah, I mean my takeaway is just how blessed I've been to get to work with someone like Roger Timer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really just enjoyed how much he talked about love just so much about love in several different points, in several different ways, and I just thought that was a great start to a message. All right. So he talked a little bit about Psalm 90, verse 12. And his version of it was life is like a toilet paper roll as it ends, it goes faster and faster. But that's not what that Psalm really says.
Speaker 2:I didn't even fact check it.
Speaker 1:I was just like.
Speaker 2:I quoted it immediately.
Speaker 3:It says Our TV, the Roger Timer version.
Speaker 1:Teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. How did that verse speak to you, guys?
Speaker 2:Yeah, he gave another quote that I still don't understand, so maybe you guys can help me. I wrote it down. It says don't let your day shape your life. Let your life shape your days. Someone unpack that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I wrote that down too. He said that right after he talked about purpose, and so when you have purpose, you can shape your days, whereas if you don't have purpose, you just live your days and eventually the days end and like, what was it all for? So, really, what I took from that phrase was I need to have a purpose in my life so that my days actually matter and I'm pointing to something as opposed to haphazardly going with whatever wherever the waves and the wind takes me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, can you read that verse again from Psalm?
Speaker 1:Teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, so when you combine those two thoughts? Thanks for explaining that, zach. You're welcome.
Speaker 3:When you combine those two thoughts, I mean the imminent end of my days, because, if not, what am I living for? That's sobering and can be terrifying or can be inspiring. Yeah, I think I haven't seen this phrase and I actually I'm processing out loud as I'm saying it with you right now, because I haven't. I don't know what it means as much, but I haven't.
Speaker 3:When I think of wisdom, I think of mind, and this is like a heart of wisdom.
Speaker 3:So that's interesting, because I don't think of about a heart of wisdom, I think about a mind filled with wisdom, and so, obviously, what I take from this verse teach us a number are days like there's there is an end to this and, again, the wisdom the wise thing to do would be to know that that end is coming and to form your purpose around. If this is going to end, at some point, my life should more point to where I'll be next, which is eternity, and so there's a mind that has that wisdom. But I think the more we understand that, the more we live with that heart of wisdom, and that, like, my real call in this place is yeah, embody Jesus, but love is is really the thing that Jesus embodied. And so, as I number my days, not only will I get wisdom, but I'll also get a heart that actually is more loving and kind to those that I interact with, and some people around me have said that would be good that I, if I get one of those we'll call him the.
Speaker 3:Grinch. I got different names for him, but you, you also listen really well, right?
Speaker 1:I think so.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like a brick wall, wow, wow.
Speaker 2:Well, I don't even believe that. I just, I just like playing. He just likes to play into it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So in light of that, roger also asked what is your purpose Like? How did that strike you guys? What do you guys feel? He talked a little bit about what God's word says our purpose is and how that relates to what we do. How did that jump out at you?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So, zach, maybe you remember this was maybe a year ago you challenged people it could have been two years ago to create life purpose statements and I thought that was really good and at that time my purpose statement was to be an encourager with joy to the people around me. And I created that out of like how God made me, because if I, if my life purpose, is something that doesn't naturally fit how God made me, it's going to be a constant struggle. Um, but God didn't make me to be an encourager Like I. I get to coach girls golf at Concordia high school and, uh, it's so funny the first day of coaching last year that one of the girls said are you a big golfer? I said I'm big and I golf.
Speaker 2:She said are you really good? I said at encouragement. She's like so you're not good at golf. I was like don't tell your parents, please. But learning how God made you and then, accordingly, creating a life goal or a purpose out of that was really helpful advice and it's helped me to reframe. When I'm getting frustrated with other things is like okay, go back to my target, encourage people to joy. I can do that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, whenever we talk about purpose, I think we've got to look at the two types of purpose. I think if cause that's where I think sometimes we get we get off like our, our macro purpose, like the purpose that everybody has is to glorify God, and I think we do that through through following him as a disciple, so like that's the purpose that the three of us and anyone listening I feel like have in common. The micro purpose is where things get, in other words, what's your individual purpose is where things can get a little more hairy and sticky and I think, really where people not all, I think some struggle with the macro, like that first thing, but I think a lot of people just like what does that mean for me?
Speaker 3:And so that's where Peter, like yours, you know, is what are my gifts and what are my strengths, and I think looking at those and developing that is really important. And so my purpose, I feel like, is that I help all people become greater followers of Jesus. I do that in my own way, through communication, through podcasts, through relationship, through preaching. It's the one kind of common thread throughout, I would say, my work at King of Kings, my work at Red Letter, but then also just my personal life as a dad, as a husband and with the people I'm around, and some are far more intentional, some of those roles and some are a little less, but that's the one I think common thread through what I do is in some way shape or form. I'm hoping this is going to help people with that macro purpose.
Speaker 1:So anyway, when I feel like I'm struggling, I really just break it down to the basics, which is like love God love others, you know love your neighbors, yourselves, and just love God, love others, and that simplifies it for me that I can start there.
Speaker 1:Then everything else is gravy, but I can start just with that simplicity. Gravy, but I can start just with that simplicity. So, in talking about filling your days with purpose, pastor Roger kind of highlighted three ways to fill our days with purpose, and he took these from Ephesians 5, but his points were to keep your heart on the Savior, keep your chin on the windowsill of heaven and keep your feet planted on solid ground. How did those jump out at you? Or was there one that really spoke to you more than the others? Or what were your notes from there?
Speaker 2:Yeah, first off, one of the things he said is the answer is not to try harder, and that's an important thing for me to. To remember, last week I got to be part of something really incredible the youth gathering. Lcms youth gathering happens every three years. It was in new orleans this year and three years from now it'll be san antonio and um incredible event 20 000 youth and adults and I was part of the stadium team. I was a planner for that. So two and a half years of planning culminated last week. Our theme was endure incredible.
Speaker 2:And when I got back I was just feeling like exhausted and it was hard to get plugged back into reality. And my co-director, former pastor here at Kim King's, now a pastor in Federal Way of Washington, dan Weber, sent an email to the team and he pretty much wrote a mini message and it was wonderful. But his whole landing spot was that he got to see it was a near-death experience is what he called it. He said oftentimes when we hear near-death, we think of something scary. He said, but this is as near-death as I've gotten, because I got to see a glimpse of heaven as 20,000 people rejoiced in unison.
Speaker 2:And so when Pastor Roger talked about putting your chin on the windowsill of heaven. I thought back to some of those moments, putting your chin on the windowsill of heaven. I thought back to some of those moments, just like there was this moment where it was on an auxiliary stage in an acoustic set and the band was singing what a friend we have in Jesus and the words were on the screens in the front, but the whole crowd just turned and faced that little stage and it was like we don't need the words and people just saying and it was beautiful and that was like a. We don't need the words and people just saying and it was beautiful and that was like a. It was a glimpse of heaven, it was sweet.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think as he was going through it, my brain is always like, uh, what, what can I grow in and where am I okay? You know where my strength of mind be? So that's where my brain goes a lot of times when I hear preachers preach.
Speaker 3:And in addition to like as a preacher like you can't not evaluate them as a preacher and, like you know, take something. Or there's a thought sometimes that one preacher has that he'll say it a certain way and I'll think of it and I'll, you know, hang on to it for future. But for me, as I'm looking at those, I'm like, yeah, probably the one I can grow on is that, first one, keep your heart on the Savior. How to bucket, that isn't really important, that you know our lives, that our buckets getting filled, and I think sometimes that's probably my biggest challenge is just continuing to fill that bucket and not just pouring out, pouring out stuff based on my past, my history, my seminary experience, my knowledge, my experiences, right, and so cause I think I can, I can more easily go that direction, and that's good that I have those experiences in that education, that theology, that training. But it but I still need to be filling my bucket up more often. And so that's when I definitely feel like, yeah, I need to keep making sure that it's full so that whatever I'm pouring out is fresh water and not what stops at a fresh water, stale water, salt water, salt water. There you go, and then, I think, the windowsill of heaven.
Speaker 3:I feel like the last couple of years that's been a huge growth of mine, and a strength of mine is to get out of this natural eye and get on.
Speaker 3:I like to think of it on that side of the clouds and think about Jesus on the throne in heaven with the angels encircling and the worship that's happening up there.
Speaker 3:And I gave a message like a year and a half ago here called postures, and it's one of my I'd say my top three or three favorite messages of mine, and I've had the opportunity to preach it for other times at different places, and one of those was just a week ago, and so it's like that has continued to keep my mind and my brain and my eyes on that side of the clouds and to remember that this isn't all there is, and I think, especially with my work on generosity, it's coming out later really, that heaven focus is a huge piece of that, and so I need to keep filling my bucket so that I can pour out stuff.
Speaker 3:But I do feel like those images are more vivid now than they were for me a couple of years ago, and I totally agree with what you said, peter, that the youth gathering does that for that sort of near-death experience in a positive way, because that's the magnitude of it. It's so beautiful and to think that we're going to get that like times, who knows how much, it's going to be awesome yeah.
Speaker 1:I really liked when he said keep your heart on the Savior. It made me think kind of in line where you were talking about. You know that verse that teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom where normally we would think mind, I would think a lot. You keep your mind on the Savior. You know you're making intentional choices to serving Him, to talking about Him, to sharing His light, whatever it is, but keeping your heart on Him. How does that direct you differently? How does that lead with emotion? How does that lead with love or joy? Which then leads me back to the love God, love others. I just did a summer connect group with just kind of a random group of people and we did a right now media study by Bob Goff called Love and Chaos and it was really just talking about showing love.
Speaker 1:In this culture where we kind of have forgotten to show love first, everybody judges and points fingers and talks about this or that you know, and it really talked about loving your neighbor and loving your enemy. Like there was a whole week on loving your enemy and it was just who is my enemy? Like who are the people that I don't like or that cause me issues, you know, and how can I show them love? But when he was, keep your heart on the Savior, just all of that really came to the surface for me. These things that I've been doing this last six weeks or so, that, oh okay, that's where my heart is pointed and I'm talking about all this love and really just focusing it on him and not so much the earthly level but on what he's doing. Yeah, all right, so, as we kind of wrap up here, what are your final takeaways from this Roger's last message?
Speaker 3:Yeah, mine is going to be less about the actual content of the message though the content was great and more just the privilege and honor of serving alongside and under Roger. Uh, you know, when we moved here in 1993, he wasn't quite here yet, but he came a couple of years after that and so I got to experience not a lot of hands-on but underneath his direction for, you know, half a decade, and then coming back 20 years later and then still being him, being here and serving with him for four years, it's more. I'm grateful for the man that Roger is, and I feel like in our day, with our social media, technologically crazed world, there are a lot of stories about pastors who fail, who fizzle out, and there are a lot more that don't fail and fizzle out but are faithful, and Roger is one of those. And so anybody that's done ministry and not just pastors, but anybody that's done ministry for more than four decades and finishes well, I'm just like kudos man. I want to be you Like, at the end of the day, well done, good and faithful servant Proud of you.
Speaker 3:I love you, I'm happy for you, I hope retirement's awesome for you. You've made a difference in way more people's life than you know, and we're going to honor him this Sunday at our Millard campus and the content was great, but I was just so happy for him. Thanks, dude, you're awesome. So, yeah, I want to be you.
Speaker 2:I'm going to actually go the opposite route on this one. Yeah, I want to be you. I'm going to actually go the opposite route on this one. I'm kidding, I don't know what the opposite route would be. No, I'll finish with a piece of the content, though. He gave a picture at the end that I've never thought about in my life. He said that there are things that we hold on. Let me remind myself things we can do here on earth that we won't be able to do in heaven.
Speaker 2:What I was like. There's this blasphemy. You're gonna end it with being a heretic, and then he was.
Speaker 2:He talked about like forgiveness, like if there's no, if we're not hurting each other in heaven, like that's an earthly thing. So do it well as christ forgiven you, go and forgive others. You talked about reaching the marginalized and the faithless and really within the scope of his message of purpose and days are numbered to end the message and send me and hopefully many others, thinking about the privilege I have of doing just that. So yeah, pastor Rogers the man side note I got to do a baptism on Sunday and the family that was there. They they came and they had extended family who had never been to our church and I said, oh, today's a fun day. We actually get to hear a message from Pastor Roger Timer, and the guy said he was my soccer coach and the number of people who have told me that in Omaha over the years is more than you'd think. So the impact that he's had, not only in pastoring but also in a life of living for God and outside of his job, has been amazing.
Speaker 1:I've only known Roger for a couple years, like I've known of him, you know, but really it's the stories that people tell about him and everything is, you know, with joy and with love. And so I really thought he said at one point when we are well loved by God, we can love well, and I thought that just really sums up him. He knows he's well loved by God and he shows love to others well. So, yeah, thank you guys so much for being here we will be back next week.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Tina.
Speaker 2:Well, maybe not you. Thanks, You're welcome. Is this our swan song, dina?
Speaker 1:No, it's not your swan song, but you know, as we wrap up speaking of song, you know it's become a tradition. Now, peter, when you're here, so you know what?
Speaker 2:I don't know if I'll do a song today, so you can't see me had all day from a lovely golf course called Castle Pines Golf Course and he's got the only three of the. What do you call these Buttons?
Speaker 3:that it snaps into.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a snapback, so he only has three of them and it still fits me like a child. So, in honor of that, I'm going to finish off by doing my best. Zach Zender impression.
Speaker 3:Oh, wow, great. And you're wearing my hat and I'm wearing the hat.
Speaker 2:You can't see this, but I'm wearing the hat. I've never done a Zach Zender. I doubt that I bet you have. Hey, king of Kings. No, that's me, that's me, hold on Kings. No, that's me, that's me, hold on. Okay, zach Zender, here with the Red Letter Challenge. King of Kings, thank you for loving the Lord and following Jesus and living the red life. This is terrible. Hey, keep living Monday like you learned on Sunday. Is that the tagline?
Speaker 1:No, let's keep living our until next time. Let's keep living our faith beyond Sunday. You can go ahead, Zach Zander it out.
Speaker 2:King of Kings, until next time, keep living your faith like Sunday. Loving it Nailed it.
Speaker 3:Nailed it Beyond Monday.
Speaker 2:Beyond Monday, Sunday you.
