S02E07 | CH (COL) Joe Willis, USA (Ret.) & Dr. Tracy Foster
July 26, 2022
The military is the common denominator of this episode. Currently serving with Foundations Baptist Fellowship International, Chaplain Joe Willis never wanted anything more than to serve in the military. He joined the National Guard at 17 and then entered ROTC. While on duty in Germany, he was invited to evangelistic meetings where he heard the Gospel and got angry. Nonetheless, returning the second night, he was saved. Appointed commander of a chemical company in Kansas, Joe felt the Lord had given him his heart’s desire, but mere months later, sensing the Lord wanted him in ministry, he faced great conflict until finally relinquishing his ambitions. Then 9/11 changed his status, and the Lord reactivated his dream in a way he never anticipated.
Dr. Tracy Foster, Maranatha’s Dean of the School of Business, shifts the focus to finances, having served as an Army Lieutenant Colonel in defense financial management at the Pentagon. He offers a glimpse at the daily routine in that hub of our national security. Having taught finances and accounting in the army, he and host Dr. Matt Davis concentrate their discussion on budgeting, a topic many people avoid. Dr. Foster mitigates avoidance, clarifying that a budget is merely a plan. Robust planning with long-term strategic goals is key, and he explains that the purpose of a budget is three-fold: planning, control, and accountability. This logically leads to consideration of wise stewardship and to the ultimate account we must all one day give.
