Our Steps

In 1993, Julie and I were 28 years old. We had been married for 5 years and I had been working for Chubb in Atlanta for those 5 years. It wasn’t my plan to work for Chubb for the long haul because I wanted to settle down in one place and get on the sales side of the bond business. I picked a few different people in the industry that I respected and got some guidance with the various options that were available in Atlanta.

During my last two years at Chubb, I handled the state of Alabama and traveled there frequently. In the midst of having these career conversations in Atlanta, I had a regularly scheduled business meeting in Birmingham with McGriff, Seibels & Williams. Out of the blue, they asked me if I had any interest in speaking with them about an open position that they were trying to fill. They really didn’t have an active bond department but needed someone to re-start one.

The opportunity intrigued me because it was a chance to build something from the ground up. McGriff was a great company but floundered in the one area that happened to be my specialty. On the other hand, I had many concerns about the situation as well. Did we really want to move to Birmingham where I knew almost no one? Did I want to take a job that had already been offered to several other more experienced people who all turned it down? Shouldn’t I look for something more well established that I could just slide into in my home city and state?

The next week at church, I ran into Pete Lunati - one of the men that I really respected and sought advice from. I told him about the opportunity with McGriff and he looked me straight in the eyes without hesitating and said “Take the job!” He had great respect for McGriff and saw it as an opportunity that was too good to pass up. His reaction and advice had a great impact on me and I’m not sure that I would have taken the position it hadn’t been for him.

Did these things happen by chance? What if I hadn’t run into Pete Lunati at church? What if I hadn’t taken the job in Birmingham and taken another position in Atlanta instead? What if Catherine never met Paul; Will never met Kate; Emily never met William; Lauren never met…(well, not yet on that one - ha.)

It wasn’t by chance, of course, but by God’s providence. Julie and I were praying and seeking God’s guidance throughout all of this. That doesn’t mean that we always get a crystal clear answer from Him on things - which was quite true in this case. However, He does guide us if we will seek Him and listen to Him. Sometimes He shuts or opens doors, sometimes he speaks to us through other people and sometimes He just gives us a “peace” about a certain direction. But He does answer…

Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Life is full of choices. Sometimes when we are making them, we can’t comprehend the magnitude of how big the decisions really are. This was certainly the case with our move to Birmingham. There was no way that we could see how high the stakes really were and how many people would be impacted down the road. It’s so comforting to know that God will always “direct our steps” if we seek him and look for the answers He provides.

Thank you God for directing our steps to Birmingham and for all of our lives here together - (and thank you for your messenger - Pete Lunati.)

Stay Hungry,

Big E

Matt. 5:6

Judging Others

We are going to cover 10-12 different sins in this series on “tolerable sins.” These are sins that we may tend overlook (blind spots), underestimate their consequences or we have redefined them to the point that we do not consider them to be a sin at all.

The first one that we are going to tackle is judgmentalism. This is one of the most subtle sins of all because it is often practiced under the guise of being passionate for what is right. We are not in sin because we are able to recognize what is right vs. sinful, but we are when we have a self-righteous and critical spirit toward the sinner. So, our sin really comes down to our attitude toward the sinner - not the sin itself.

There is no shortage of judgment in our culture these days. This can be true outside the church (i.e. cancel culture) as well as within the church. Self-righteousness and critical spirits have and will always exist. The advent of social media and the 24 hour news cycle just make it more visible.

It is a very slippery slope to go down the road of judging someone else. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus specifically addresses the perils:

Matt; 7:1-6 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under your feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

There are three different attitudes and actions Jesus speaks of in these verses—judgment, discernment, and discretion. A clear understanding of each will help us properly apply what Jesus is teaching.

The word “judgment” conveys the idea of condemnation. We are cautioned against condemning the sinner along with the sin. We will be held accountable in the same way that we judge others. Jesus explains the hypocrisy of this by using the illustration of the “speck and the plank”

The “speck” in the eye of the person we judge is very small in comparison to the “plank” in our own eye. We need to deal with our own sin, shortcomings and blind spots before pointing out such things in the lives of others.

The solution for being judgmental is to examine our hearts and lives in the eyes of God and not in comparison to others.

Discernment has a similar root meaning as judgment but offers a key difference. It enables us to recognize holy from what is unholy; however, we are able to make the distinction without passing judgment on the sinner. This key distinction effectively allows us to separate the sin from the sinner without condemning them. Proper discernment will lead us away from the unholy and, when necessary, away from the sinner.

Discretion is what Jesus was referring to in the last two verses when he said, “ do not give what is holy to dogs and swine.” He is instructing us to carefully select the instances when we would confront a sinner with their sin. We should always have a crystal clear understanding of our “motives” before we go down that road because it can be unclear even to ourselves what our true motives are. Godly discretion with pure motives must be our guide.

Stay hungry,

Big E

Matt. 5:6

A "net loss" is a "net gain"

Matthew 4:18-20 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

Peter and Andrew were called by Jesus to come and follow him. As fishermen, their nets were very important to them - their sole means to support themselves. Yet, scripture tells us that they willingly “left their nets” behind and followed Jesus. Their nets would have held them back on their new journey so there was no point in bringing them along.

We too have been called by Jesus to come and follow him. What “nets” are holding us back that we need to leave behind in order to be the follower of Christ that we are called to be? A net can be anything that inhibits or prohibits us in pursuing our walk with Christ. “Nets” come in all shapes and sizes and can be anything from a particular sin, an improper relationship or an idol.

We are going to begin a new series sin. Each week we will cover a different sin that we may allow to reside in our lives. In some cases we may not even realize that some of these are sins or we may just give them a free pass for various reasons. In either case, it is dangerous to underestimate the impact that they can have in our lives. They are “nets” in which we have become entangled and this impacts our journey with Christ.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

We won’t ever become sinless but we can “sin less.” Awareness of our sins is the first step toward sinning less. Once we are fully aware of our sin and its consequences, then we can focus on the avoidance of sin. Rooting out the sin in our lives is not a fun process but “self-examination” is part of our sanctification process and necessary for us to continue to grow in righteousness.

As believers, the Cross of Christ gets us into the Kingdom. The process of daily sanctification gets the Kingdom into us.

Stay Hungry,

Big E

Matt. 5:6

Cancel Culture vs. Kingdom Culture

I read a blog that a friend of mine posted recently on “cancel culture.” I really hadn’t thought that much about what it really is even though I hear the term frequently. I decided to take a deeper dive.

The “cancel culture” movement that exists in our society today plays right into the hands of the Enemy. In fact, it is most likely something that he created to add to the turmoil that already exists. If you look at it objectively, you will see that the ideology behind “cancel culture” is in opposition to the “Kingdom culture” that we are taught through God’s Word.

Here are three key areas where they differ:

• First, Satan wants nothing more than for each of us to act as our own individual gods based on our own societal moral code. As such, there is no absolute standard of right and wrong. It becomes only what a particular society at a particular point in time says it is.

• In Kingdom culture, God’s Word is the absolute standard that doesn’t exist in cancel culture and doesn’t change with any cultural movement. We can trust God’s Word to be our moral guide rather than leaning on society’s flawed understanding of morality.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

• Secondly, Satan wants to divide people. Division brings discord, distrust and all sorts of other issues. It’s exactly the type of society that he wants to create.

• Kingdom culture is very clear on the issue that Jesus wants us to seek peace with others. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves and to make every effort to live in peace with everyone.

Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

• Thirdly, Cancel culture promotes vengeance and unforgiveness toward those who have been deemed to stumble. Christ warns those who refuse to forgive will be held accountable for their unforgiveness.

• Kingdom culture instructs us to offer grace, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and restitution .and to help restore the fallen person. In helping people be reconciled with God and with each other, we’re to focus on restoring the sinner, not avenging the sin.

Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

I love cancel culture. Not the one that is referred to in society today but the opposite kind that exists in Christianity. Societal “Cancel culture” hangs on to the sin and cancels the person; Kingdom culture hangs on to the person and cancels the sin. Amen to that!

Stay hungry,

Big E

Matt. 5:6

The Empty Tomb

We loved having everyone at the lake this past weekend! There is nothing like having everyone together.

I wrote this blog last year for Easter. The message of Easter doesn’t change so it bears repeating. God willing, you’ll see it again next year, ha. We love ya’ll!

Matthew 28: 5-7 “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead’”

Everything hinged on the tomb being empty when the women arrived early that morning. We have many symbols for our Christian faith - the manger, the fish and the cross, to name a few. But without an “empty tomb,” what would they really mean?

Christianity was born during Jesus’s public ministry which started around 30 A.D. His entire ministry lasted a short 3 1/2 years before his death on the cross. He was condemned by the Jews and put to death by the Romans. Amazingly, the Roman Empire became a Christian nation about 350 years after the crucification and resurrection.

Roman Emperor Constantine began to give Christians protections under his reign around 300 A.D. He was not even a Christian at that time but did come to the faith in his final days. In 381 A.D., almost 50 years after Constantine died, Christianity became the state religion of Roman Empire - the same Empire that put Jesus to death.

Christianity would have died right after the crucifixion had the tomb not been empty. The promises made in the Bible about the Messiah would not have been true if the tomb had not been empty. The Roman Empire would not have become a Christian nation three centuries after the crucifixion if the tomb had not been empty. Christianity wouldn’t have subsequently spread all around the world if the tomb had not been empty.

What would your life look like right now without an empty tomb? That is an extremely unsettling and depressing thought because the entirely of our lives are based on the fact that it was.

I Peter 1:3 "He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

The empty tomb fulfills the promise of a Messiah that showed us how to live and then saved us through His death. Easter celebrates the “new birth” that we all experienced when we became Christians as well as the “living hope” that helps us navigate this life as we live with the promise of eternal life with God. The empty tomb made it so.

Stay Hungry,

Big E

Matt. 5:6

Springing Forward - Part 2

In last week’s blog I suggested that everyone try picking a verse each day and praying/meditating through it. I use the Bible Gateway app and they have a “verse of the day” that I use for this. I’m sure that there are plenty of other good apps that have this as well but Bible Gateway is a great one for all things Bible.

Praying/meditating on a verse every day is powerful. It’s a great compliment to whatever else you may be doing in your devotional time. Or it can be the only thing that you might do on a given day. Either way, God’s word is alive and takes on life when you pray through scripture.

Hebrews 4:12-13: For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The verse below is one of the “verses of the day” from this past week that I prayed through. I wanted to give you a practical example of how you can do the same.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit

May the God of hope - Prayer: Lord, help me to always know that my hope is in you and not the things of this world. You have given us good things to enjoy but let them never come before you

fill you with all joy and peace as I trust in you - Prayer: Lord, you are my source of joy and peace. Help me to always remember that through good times and bad. Also, please let others see you as my source of joy and peace so that my life is a witness to others of my faith in you.

so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Prayer: Lord, help me to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and not look only to my own strength. Let the Spirit produce fruit in my life so that I won’t be a servant to the flesh.

This is just an example of how to pray though a verse. It’s really easy to do and it’s very rewarding spiritually. You’ll create you own style as you connect with God through His Word. Try it this week and you’ll see what I mean. It’s a life-changing and life-giving spiritual discipline.

Stay Hungry,

Big E

Matt. 5:6

Springing Forward

I love when we get to “spring forward” with Daylight Savings Time. New seasons seem to excite everyone. Spring means longer days and warmer weather. Summer - well, do I even have to say it…? ha. Fall is welcomed because we get cooler weather and football while Winter brings the joy of Christmas. Every season has things about it that we look forward to.

One of the things that I have learned over the years is that our personal devotional lives have seasons as well. Some of those seasons are incredibly fruitful like Spring. Others feel like Summer with a consistent growth of green grass. Some seasons feel like Fall when our intimacy with God is starting to drop off and sometimes it feels like Winter when it’s been awhile since we’ve had some real quality time with God.

The great news is that God never hangs up the phone. He is always there waiting for us reach out to Him. Ideally, it’s an unending conversation that we have with Him all throughout our lives. We we get it right, that is exactly what it feels like - a conversation that never ends. It just has some pauses here and there.

Daniel 2:21 He changes times and seasons;
    he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to the discerning.

God directs the changes in the seasons that we all enjoy. Sometimes I wish for an endless Summer but I don’t have any control over that. What we do have control over is how intentionally we pursue the God of the universe. That level of pursuit determines the seasons in our personal devotional lives.

I encourage each of you to find some “spring” in your quiet times this week and begin a new season of growth. Find an app the gives you a verse/passage of the day and spend a couple of minutes praying and meditating through it. Add this on a daily basis to your quiet times and you’ll be surprised by the fruit that it will bear.

Stay Hungry,

Big E

Ministry "inDeed"

As I have been working on my Deeds Ministry project for the church, I have had an opportunity to speak with some wonderful people from other churches around the country. It's amazing how you can have a conversation with someone that you’ve never met or even spoken to before and have such a kindred spirit. Almost everyone that I spoke with felt like an old friend even though I didn’t know them at all. Our shared faith in Christ binds us together.

Through these conversations, I have received some incredible feedback - great perspectives on the right mindset and heart for serving others in our local community. In today’s blog, I wanted to share a few of those thoughts with you.

• “The Church has left the Building.”

This is the creed for the City Missions ministry of Park Cities Presbyterian in Dallas. I love the heart behind this. We come to Church to worship, grow in our faith and build community. We then leave the building, not just as individuals, but as the church of Christ. We are part of the Church wherever we go and are called to be the Church in all spheres of life. That is a great mindset for being in ministry wherever our feet are.

• “To be a Church of influence, we must have a strong head, heart and hand.”

Having a strong “head” means that we have the right theology. We know the truth and understand why we believe what we believe. Having a strong “heart” means that we have a passion for worship along with a passion for doing the mission of the church. Having a strong “hand” means that we are willing to serve others by helping to address needs in our own community requiring mercy and justice. Head - Heart - Hand.

• “We want to make Kingdom builders. Challenge them with - Whose kingdom are you building? What is your platform?”

Effective ministry for each person is all about finding our “calling.” God has gifted each of us in unique ways with unique combinations of spiritual gifts. Our job is discover what those gifts are, develop them and then put them into practice for Kingdom work. I am enjoying watching both Will and Emily do just that as they are serving at Outback this weekend. I’ve seen each of you serve in your giftedness many of other times as well.

When we find our calling, we cease working out of our own strength and harness the power of the Holy Spirit working though us. We find that calling typically when we are able to identify the people that God regularly puts on our hearts and serve them in ways in which God has equipped us. That is our “spiritual DNA.”

Stay Hungry,

Big E

A Lifeline

Last weekend Julie and I went on our first Lifeline retreat. It was a great opportunity to learn about every aspect of ministry that they do to help vulnerable children. I’m even more excited now that we have chosen this ministry to go deep with.

The girl is this picture above lives in an orphanage in China and is set to be adopted by one of the families working with Lifeline. As soon as travel opens back up, they will be able to go to China to bring her home. They were able to FaceTime her recently and showed her their home, her room and some things that they had bought for her. After they showed her everything, she replied to them through the translator, “I don’t want anything, I just want you.”

“I just want you.” Those words powerfully struck me and capture why Julie and I have such a heart for these children. Every child is born with an innate desire to belong to a “forever family.” That void cannot be filled by anything else on this earth. We can’t help every child fill that void but we can help some. I can’t think of a greater privilege than to help someone find their forever family.

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world

Julie and I have pledged $50,000 for 2021 to help families adopt children. This will help 6-7 families that we select in their adoption efforts. It could be up to 12 children since some of them are adopting 2-3 siblings who are in danger of being separated forever.

All of us had the privilege of growing up in a loving family. It’s an easy thing to take for granted sometimes because it seems so normal. Spend some time this week thanking God for this privilege that not every has. Also, remember the orphans in your prayers as they wake up every day hoping to have a family to go home to. They need our help.

Stay Hungry,

Big E

The True Vaccine

“Are you going to get the vaccine?” That seems to be the question that everyone is asking these days. Vaccines put antibodies into our system that helps build up our immunity to certain viruses or diseases. There are many different opinions and positions that people take on the issue but ultimately it will come down to a yes or no answer for each of us.

While a vaccine may give us temporary or even complete immunity from certain viruses or diseases, our faith in Christ gives us immunity from the eternal consequences of sin. Yes, we do have to face the earthly consequences of our sin but our eternal victory is secure. Like a vaccine, putting faith in Christ ultimately comes down to a yes or no answer for each of us.

Galatians 5: 16-25 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

When we become Christians, instead of getting a vaccine, we get the gift of the Holy Spirit which then lives inside us. Scripture refers to it as our “helper” and the Spirit helps us in our battles against sin. Christ has won the war for us but we have to fight individual battles against sin with our ally - the Holy Spirit. The passage above contrasts the “acts of the flesh” (the bad dog) against the “fruits of the spirit” (the good dog.)

We must regularly feed the “good dog” to help us win our battles against the “bad dog.”

I have a challenge for you. Sometime this week when someone asks you if you are going to take the vaccine, build your response about the true vaccine that we have been given as Christians against sin. It’s a great opportunity to share your faith with someone. I’d love to hear about it.

Stay hungry,

Big E

"L" is for the way...

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you lovebirds out there. I hope that it was a great one! Valentine’s is always special for us because it marks the anniversary of our first date. I can still vividly remember everything about that Saturday night - 34 years ago.

Earlier this week, Julie and I were interviewed by a woman that is in seminary and is taking a family counseling class. Her task was to interview a couple that had been married for a long time and she had a series of questions for us that mostly centered around the secrets to a happy marriage. The questions forced both us to really put some thought into what the key ingredients are.

By no means do Julie and I have a perfect marriage (no one does) but we are blessed with a great marriage and I wanted to share a few of these thoughts with each of you. Obviously, keeping Christ in the center of your marriage is foundational to everything else but here are some additional practical and specific things to focus on:

• Know your spouses love languages and intentionally give them love in those languages every day.

• She needs love and he needs respect. We both have other needs than this but this is where it all starts.

• Be the best possible version of ourselves - spiritually, emotionally & physically. Focus on being “healthy” in all of these areas.

• Know our God ordained roles - embrace them and do them to the best of our ability. Every marriage will look a little different on this but you have to enthusiastically embrace your roles and function as a team.

• Be a good forgiver. ‘A great marriage is the union of two good forgivers.” Ruth Bell Graham

None of us will do these perfectly all of the time but they are great reminders to keep us on the right track. That is why the last one is so important - ha.

Have a blessed week and….

Stay Hungry,

Big E

Faith "works"

I am leading a project for the Church this year. It’s something that God put on my heart a couple of years ago and I am very excited about the opportunity.

The project is to evaluate the effectiveness of our current approach to “Deeds ministry” and to make recommendations for a revised strategy moving forward. Deeds ministry includes what we do in the areas of urban missions, poverty, orphan care, trafficking, etc… It’s basically how we serve the vulnerable segments in our community that we want to target and reach.

Briarwood currently does a lot of this ministry but it isn’t currently being done in an organized way around an overriding vision and strategy. This makes it difficult to onboard church members into the different areas of Deeds ministry and decreases our overall effectiveness.

I am in the process of meeting with 8-10 other churches in our peer group to find out how they are doing Deeds ministry. Once we gather all of this information, I will put together a committee to evaluate the different approaches and determine the best way forward for our Church. Of all of the ways that I have had the privilege to serve over the years, I believe that this role has the opportunity for the greatest impact.

James 2:14-16 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Faith “works.” Works are a byproduct of our faith as James tells us in this passage above. We don’t do works to earn our salvation - works are the evidence of our salvation. A living faith will always produce works just like a living tree will always produce its leaves and fruit.

There is no greater joy in life than understanding how God has uniquely gifted us and using those gifts for Kingdom work. An effective Deeds ministry will help others find their calling as well. I really would appreciate your prayers for me in this role this year.

Stay hungry,

Big E

A Dark Harbor

I love harbors. I’m sure that comes as no surprise to anyone but i do find them especially charming. Harbors give refuge to boats - a habitat to shelter them from the elements. While harbors are a great place to provide safety and cover, there is specific instruction in scripture that warns us against “harboring” the wrong things in our hearts.

James 3:14-16 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

There are a couple of key items in this passage that we need to pay attention to:

1. Living in envy/jealousy shows that we are not operating in the wisdom of God.

2. With jealousy we are opening the door for disorder and every evil thing to operate in our lives.

It’s unwise to underestimate how dangerous jealousy can be. The impact of “harboring” jealousy in our hearts can be far-reaching:

1. It impacts our attitude toward God - “God, you are cheating me. I deserve better.” We can become angry and bitter towards God because we believe that we have been slighted in some areas of our lives.

2. It can create a very toxic environment for us and those around us.

Proverbs 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

3. We start to see people as rivals and our attitudes toward them completely change.

4. Envy exposes our insecurities, worldliness and our spiritual immaturity

Corinthians 3:2-3 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

There is not room in our hearts for both gratitude and jealousy to live. Which one are we feeding? Focusing on what we are grateful for will starve out jealousy.

Stay Hungry,

Big E

Under Control

We had a great time on our ski trip this past week. I’ve really enjoyed getting back into skiing. I figure that since snow is just frozen water, then it qualifies as an acceptable activity for an “aquaholic.” Ha.

As I was on the slopes, I was reminded that skiing is all about being under control.. Some people can fly down the mountain and be under control and others may need to wedge it down slowly to remain under control. Nevertheless, the principal of staying under control applies the same to everyone no matter what level of skier we are.

We also know what it feels like to lose control on the mountain. That brings in a set of emotions that ranges from uncomfortable to flat out terrified. None of us really want that feeling but sometimes we like to push it just to the edge so that we know where our control limits are. This is true in our personal lives as well.

Self-control is the ability to “govern” one’s desires, impulses & emotions.  It’s saying no when we should say no and exercising moderation for the right things.  It’s also saying yes to the key spiritual disciplines we need in our lives.  If we aren’t governing, we will instead be governed or maybe even owned by these same desires.

Self-control is critically important because a lack of it is a “gateway” to all kinds of problems - some with huge consequences. You can tie most any sin back to a failure to exercise self-control at some level. It is our most important defense mechanism against sin.  

Proverbs 25:28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

In biblical times, walls were the chief means of defense against intruders. No walls = no defense. It’s ironic that Solomon wrote these words because he became a sad demonstration of this principal as he took on 700 wives and they ended up leading him away from the Lord into pagan idol worship.

In order to have these walls of defense in our lives, it’s important that we understand a few key principals about self-control:

1.   Biblical self-control is not the same thing as willpower. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and not just our own personal self-discipline. Personal self-discipline is a great thing but it needs to be joining with the leading and strength of the Holy Spirit. We often see people that are very disciplined in certain areas of their lives (i.e. career, fitness) but not so much in other areas like spiritual and family. This is the result of relying on one’s own strength without the leading of the Spirit.

2 Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-control

2.  Lapses in self-control occur when we are willing to trade what we want most for what we want right now. In that moment we willing to risk the things that we want most for the allure of the temporal. We lose our eternal perspective.

3. Exercising self-control does not limit us. Instead, it actually “frees us” to govern instead of being governed or even enslaved.  How? The boundaries (walls) that come through self-control don’t limit our freedom, they protect our freedom. The only way to achieve true freedom  in anything is through obedience & self-discipline. Think about your relationships, your health and your finances - a life without boundaries in any of these areas will lead to disaster.  

The truth is that real freedom doesn’t come without having any boundaries, it comes with having the right boundaries.

Stay hungry,

Big E

Reversing the Flow

Awesome family trip to Chicago!

The Chicago River

I love this picture of us from our last trip to Chicago - a great family memory! We were standing over one of the canals of the Chicago River which is a unique and beautiful element of the city.

A piece of interesting history about the Chicago River is that they actually reversed the flow of the river in the around 1900. The river used to flow into Lake Michigan but that began causing problems when the river was carrying pollutants into the lake. This was a big problem because Lake Michigan is a deep and very clean lake and was the primary source of drinking water for Chicago. They came up with the idea to reverse the flow from the river going into the lake to the lake flowing into the river - quite a novel idea!

They began the dredging in 1892 and by 1900 the main channel of the ship canal opened, with the river permanently reversed and the waste problem solved. I certainly don’t understand all of the engineering that it took to pull this off but I guess that if you feel digging in one direction, gravity will eventually take over.

Our spiritual lives can be like the Chicago River. However, are we more like the river before or after the flow was reversed? Are we drinking the fresh and clean waters from the depth and vastness of the lake (after) or are we taking in the unreliable and polluted worldly tributaries of the lesser (before)? 

Have we allowed God’s Spirit to restructure our passions so that we draw our satisfaction from Him and His clean resources? If we are trying to draw our fulfillment from the world around us, we will be pulling in the debris and contamination that come with it. Our river won’t be clean and pure. Misplaced passions will bring that debris into the sacred seas of our lives. 

We all need the flow to be reversed sometimes. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to reorder our lives but we might need to reorder our loves - our idols. Our priorities must move from the polluted tributaries to the depth and purity of the ultimate water source. 

Like the woman at the well, Jesus offered her living water from a source that will never run dry. He offers that to us as well. 

Stay thirsty,

Big E  

Psalm 1 - A Tree Planted by Streams of Water

The very first Psalm is full of great encouragement for us as Christians. It’s pretty short and sweet - only 6 verses - but there is a wonderful message of hope I want to share with it’s great truths.

1 Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the Law of the Lord,
And on His Law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.

The first verse of the Psalm seems instructional as it tells us that if we want to be blessed, we won’t walk, stand or sit with those who reject our faith. This certainly doesn’t mean that we would never spend time with those who don’t share our faith, it simply means that we want to avoid their secular or even evil influences, attitudes and deeds. Hopefully, we can be “salt and light” to them rather than them influencing us.

The second verse encourages us to “delight and meditate” on the Word of God. This is the process of hiding God’s Word in our hearts. It’s one thing to understand and believe the Bible but it is another that we hide it in our hearts and practice it. This is what transforms our lives.

Do not miss the transformational message of hope and peace in the third verse. It tells us if hide God’s Word in our hearts, we will be like a tree planted by a stream producing fruit and prospering in whatever we do. Most trees rely on the moisture that they get from the soil and from rain to be nourished. However, this Psalm is telling us that since we are rooted in God and his Word, we will be able to continuously draw from the underground streams of the river. The streams will always be there for us to nourish us and no matter what the season or circumstances - there will never be a drought!

Hiding God’s Word in our heart means that we will always be able to draw hope, meaning, joy and strength from something much bigger than the circumstances around us.

Stay hungry,

Big E

Hello 2021 - It's about "Time"

By the title to this blog, you probably think that I am going in a direction that might be derogatory towards 2020. That is not that case. 2020 was a year that will be forever marked by some significant events but I will always look back upon 2020 as a special year with plenty of life lessons and blessings.

Since we are kicking off a new year, you also might think I want to challenge you with some good New Year’s resolutions. However, studies show that most people fail on their resolutions by January 12th and only 8% of people actually accomplish their New Year’s goals. There are many reasons why this is the case but maybe the simplest way to put it is that until one reorders their priorities and manages their time accordingly, no lasting change will occur.

The focus today is about “time.” You can really only do two things with time - spend it or invest it. If you were forced to categorize all of your time one way or the other, how much of it would be labeled at spent vs. invested? I would dare say that successful people would be able to label much more of their time as “invested” as opposed to “spent.”

“Invested time” is time used with a purpose. It could be relational, spiritual, physical, vocational, educational etc… but it is time that is invested in an area of one of our priorities. “Spent time” is done without any intentionality. There no set purpose for it other than it’s just being spent.

Ephesians 5:15-17 So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

There are two key lessons in this passage that relate to how we may spend or invest our time. The first one is that we have to be aware that we live in a world that is full of evil and, if we are not on guard, the culture will draw us into a lifestyle where our time is frivolously spent instead of invested in our priorities.

The second lesson is also on priorities. This passage tells not to be foolish but to “understand what the will of the Lord is.” We have to pursue God to know what that will is.

If the use of our time does not align well with our priorities, then there will be a gap between the life we aspire to and the one we end up with. We must organize and execute our lives around our priorities in order to be great “investors” of our time.

Ambitious people create and focus on goals; successful people create and focus on processes and effectively manage their time around their priorities.

Happy New Year,

Big E

Little Drummer Boy - redux

The Little Drummer Boy is one of my favorite songs of the Christmas season. A fun fact about the song is that it was first recorded in 1955 by, none other than, the von Trapp Family Singers (yes, the von Trapp’s from the Sound of Music.) How is that for a great trivia question?!?

As much as I love the song, the story behind it makes it even better. While it is a fictitious story, there are several aspects from the story of the “Little Drummer Boy” that we can all identify with and learn from.

The song opens with the Magi (Wise Men) inviting him to come and see the newborn King.

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum

A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum

We are all called to seek Jesus just like the Dummer Boy did. 2 Chronicles 15:2 “If you seek Him, He will let you find Him.” A day spent without seeking the Lord is lost forever. Thankfully, He waits on us to come to Him.

The magi brought expensive gifts to baby Jesus.

Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum

To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum….

So to honor him, pa rum pum pum pum

When we come.

But, the boy had none to give.

Little baby, pa rum pum pum pum

I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum

I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum

That’s fit to give our King, pa rum pum pum pum…

The boy came to Jesus in his poverty and identified with Jesus as “a poor boy too.” That is a beautiful connection between him and the King of the universe. We, too, must come to Jesus in our poverty. Yes, we may have some earthly riches, good deeds and try to live the “good Christian” life but we are all inadequate, broken and desperate for a Savior. That is our poverty.

In his poverty, the boy had no gift to bring but he did have a talent to share.

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum…

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum

The ox and the lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum

I played my drum for him, pa rum pum pum pum

I played my best for him, pa rum pum pum pum…

The boy gave the best of all the he had to the King. Do we do that? Do we give the “first fruits” of our time, talent and treasure to our Savior? God has blessed us and equipped us each uniquely. Do we fully understand our unique gifts? Have we opened the box? It’s there waiting for each of us to discover, to develop and to deploy in serving God and His people.

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum

“He smiled at me.” Wow! All Christians look forward to the day that Jesus smiles at us. We all seek God’s favor.

Instinctively, we believe that He favors us the most when we are “good.” However, it tells us in Romans 3:10-12 There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Our instincts appear to be off base. Have we ever thought instead that the greatest gift that we can give to God is for Him to see us “full of joy” because of His gift to us? This will produce a life filled with joy and gratitude as we serve Him and others.

Pa rum pum pum pum

Me and my drum

Our lives will have a certain “tenor” as we play our own drums. What are others hearing from us - the flavor and message of our lives? We can all learn from the purity and simplicity of the Little Drummer Boy.

Merry Christmas,

Big E

Advent - Are You Ready for Christmas?

The season of Advent is like no other. In this season, which are the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, we anticipate the coming of Christ. The word “Advent” originates from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,”

One of the Advent traditions involves the lighting of four Advent candles. A new candle is lit on each of the Advent Sundays with each candle representing the different themes of the season:

1. Hope

2. Preparation

3. Joy

4. Love

During the Advent season, all of us will be asked this question several times:

“Are you ready for Christmas?”

We know the secular answers most people are looking for when they ask - buying presents, decorating and gathering together over meals. These are all wonderful traditions of the season but not, as they say, the “reason for the Season.”

The Advent season is designed not only for us to celebrate Christ’s birth but also to anticipate the fact that He is coming back again one day. I think that the “coming back” aspect of the Advent season gets a little lost on all of us. His birth is certainly to be celebrated but the fact that He is coming back is as well. His birth brings our Savior to this world. His return will bring us to His world.

“Are you ready for Christmas?”

The next time that you are asked this question, it’s a great opportunity to personally ponder the question - “Am I ready for Christ’s return?” We don’t know when that will be but we are called to be vigilant and ready. Meanwhile, we are to be the “hands and feet” of Christ as we serve others.

“Are you ready for Christmas?”

The question may also be a great opportunity to share your faith with the one who asks by pointing to His birth and eventual return instead of our “to do” lists. God will give us the right words to say if our hearts are in the right place.

He has come and is coming back. That’s a lot to celebrate!

Merry Christmas,

Big E

Grateful, Thankful & Blessed

Since last Thanksgiving, so many incredible things have happened in our family - Lauren’s Sweet Sixteen birthday (Nov); Will & Kate’s wedding (Dec) and first year of marriage; Annie’s first birthday (Dec); Emma’s birth (Feb) and the NICU journey for her, Catherine & Paul; Julie’s and I’s 32nd anniversary (April); Emily and William’s engagement (July).

Because we have so many things to be thankful for, it’s overwhelming to make an attempt to try to put words around all of them. One thing that does keep coming to mind for me this Thanksgiving season is a common denominator amongst all of these - God’s involvement in the details of our lives. All of life’s great moments like these involve prayer at some level on our part and then a reliance on God to work out the details.

When we think of the nature of God, we typically get a mental picture of something vast like a mountaintop or an ocean. He seems so big to us because He created everything and stands sovereign over it all. Because of this imagery, we may sometimes forget that He is also in the details of our lives. We have to remind ourselves of this even though he shows us over and over again.

It’s easy to fall into a mindset that God may be too busy or unavailable to bother him with such things. How could a God so vast and sovereign over so much be interested in all of the elements of our daily lives. When we fall into this line of thinking, we have to remember that:

It’s because of His vastness, not in spite of it, that He is a God of details.

Scripture tells us this as well:

Psalm 37:23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

As we remember the many things that we are all thankful for this year, let’s also remember that we can be thankful for the fact that our God delights in the details of our lives and that we can go to Him with any request - great or small. I love each of you and am so thankful for you!

Grateful, thankful & blessed,

Big E