James Sudarsono

My name is James Sudarsono, and I live in Southern California. I’m a real estate developer and private equity fund manager. Our company buys and builds houses and helps people invest in real estate.

I have a wonderful wife and a beautiful little girl who just turned one. One fun fact about us is my wife and I have a history that started long before we were born. My parents were classmates with my wife’s mother in college and our fathers were roommates in their early twenties!

The generosity of God is not just one of his many facets or attributes, it is the essence of who he is, woven into the very fabric of his character. God is love and love gives. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.” (John 3:16) God gives the gifts of salvation and eternal life. Then, he freely gives us his Holy Spirit.

And if our Heavenly Father is a giver, then as his son created in his image, I ought to be a giver as well. Understanding the nature of God empowers me to live a life marked by generosity. I give because he first gave to me.

Giving has been something my parents instilled in me as a young child. I remember being given a $5 allowance each week, and on Sundays during our church service, because I never had coins, I gave a dollar, which was 20% of my income!

While giving has been a principle I understood from a young age, my joy in giving has grown exponentially these past few years. As my businesses have scaled and my income and net worth have grown, I have seen how my life can have a greater impact on the kingdom of God. The more I make, the more I can give. The more my business grows, the more it can be an asset on the balance sheet of the kingdom of heaven. 

The Bible is right, the love of money really is the root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10) The American Dream is the biggest lie that our culture buys into. We are the most prosperous nation in the world with a higher per capita GDP than any other country on the face of the earth, and yet our riches never seem to be enough. There’s always a nicer car, a bigger house, a more expensive purse. The American Dream can quickly become a nightmare of working for costly status symbols to impress people we don’t know by buying things we can’t afford.

Humans seem to have an insatiable demand for things like money, power, and fame—all of which never seem to be enough. I believe our hunger for worldly success and wealth is a misguided desire for the Lord. He alone satisfies our souls. He alone is enough. He alone is infinitely greater and more wonderful than any amount of riches in this life. Our insatiable hunger can only be filled by Jesus Christ. 

I have witnessed the glory of God in my own life. Years ago, as a suicidal and depressed prodigal, I encountered God so powerfully that his love changed my life. Now, God’s presence in my life reminds me of how worthy he is.

One of my favorite passages in the gospels is Jesus’ parable of the man who found a treasure hidden in a field. That man went out, and with joy over it, sold all that he had and bought that field. How deeply would I have to grasp the worth and beauty of Jesus to joyfully sell all I have?

Jesus is worth every bit of worship or praise I could give, every penny I could ever earn. I long for others to know this Jesus who has brought me from death into life everlasting! Nothing in this life can compare to the glorious inheritance Jesus has given me by saving my soul. 

Looking back, what I wish I had known at 20 years old would be two things. First, I wish I understood the deceitfulness of riches. Early on in life, I thought building a successful career and buying luxuries was the goal. As I have grown in maturity, I find myself asking, “What is money, and what are riches that so many of us would spend the majority of our lives working and slaving away for more of it? For what?” All the money I will work for will stay here when I am taken up to eternity. It is my life’s task to put this earthly currency to work for that which will never fade away.

Secondly, I am becoming increasingly aware that life is indeed fleeting. The book of James tells us that our lives are a vapor; here one moment and gone the next. I have a finite amount of time in which I can give what I have towards the advancement of the kingdom of God and of the gospel. I apply the same principle to investing in real estate as I do investing in the kingdom of God. The earlier I start, the more I can do. With time on my side, I have the benefit of compounding interest. The gains begin to accelerate and build on top of one another, and time will only increase my impact for the glory of God. Had I known this at 18 or 20 years old, I wouldn’t have wasted a minute. All is for his glory, and I will do my best to steward the time he has given me on this earth. 

The one simple habit that has never failed me is spending time in the word of God! Reading God’s word on a regular basis reminds me of his thoughts for me, his plans for my life, and the promises that he has spoken over me. I have confidence that I have been called to further the kingdom of heaven through business because I have received the revelation of God’s truth found in his word.

Whether I am deciding to take our business in a new direction or navigate new challenges that have emerged, I bring things back to prayer and God’s word. There have been countless times that a passage, verse, or even a single phrase from Scripture has given me counsel and comfort. Time and time again, I have seen God’s faithfulness and provision in my life and business just as he has promised in his word. 

Our giving is mission-focused. Plenty of organizations meet human needs, but we look for those whose first goal is to spread the gospel. We rally behind causes and organizations that take the gospel to the ends of the earth, while also doing earthly good. We have given to our local church, college ministries, orphanages, etc. but the core mission stays the same: share the gospel.

Beyond that, the right people make a world of difference. Getting to know a founder or leader who has the vision and heart for making an impact helps build trust that the resources allocated to the cause will be stewarded properly. Venture capitalists will often say the same thing when investing in a startup company. Ideas are a dime a dozen, but the right person who knows what they are meant to do and how they intend on doing it is what makes or breaks the company. Leaders matter. 

My mission, simply put, is to exchange the temporal for the eternal and to help others do the same. In my business, within the field of real estate private equity, I aim to allocate earned income into permanent, real assets. Income is temporary. The moment you spend time away from your job or retire, that stream of income either pauses or disappears altogether. Investment properties that produce passive income, however, are real assets and if they are managed well, ought to produce income for multiple generations, outliving its original purchaser.

The same principle goes for temporal wealth here on the earth. There are things that we work for in this life that can be exchanged and put to use for purposes that will last beyond our lifetime - for all of eternity. When our earthly resources are put to task for the work of the gospel, that is something that will last forever. If I can give my resources towards a ministry or organization that will share the good news of Jesus to one more soul, THAT is something worth pursuing.

Three words I’d like to be remembered by are: Lived for eternity.