Jealousy

After David killed Goliath, he went from a little known shepherd boy to somewhat of a celebrity with the people of Israel. King Saul even invited him to the palace to get to know this heroic young man. The King’s son Jonathon and David became very close friends and David later married one of the King’s daughters.

King Saul made David a General in his army and he was extraordinarily successful in leading his troops in battle. His military success made David even more popular with the Israelites. Eventually, King Saul started to become jealous of David’s popularity even though David was doing exactly what the King had appointed him to do.

Jonathon, on the other hand, had a different reaction to David. He loved him as a brother and rejoiced in his success. He even gave him his sword and robe which signaled that he was relinguishing his rights to the throne to David. As Saul’s first born son, Jonathon was next in line to be king.

It’s very ironic that King Saul would be the one the be jealous because he was already king. Jonathon was the one being displaced so it would seem more natural for him to be the one to become envious. However, it tells us in scripture that Saul had developed a “jealous eye” for David and appeared to be threatened by the success that David was having. He eventually tried to have him killed and hunted him like an animal for a long period of time.

What caused the starkly different reactions of these two men? They both had an opportunity to respond to the exact same set of circumstances with love and appreciation instead of jealousy. The different reactions revealed the conditions of their hearts and their level of spiritual maturity. Their responses were a choice on their part over which they had complete control.

So how do we determine our responses in our own lives when envy rears its ugly head? How do we become a Jonathon instead of a Saul? I want to share a few truths that can help all make godly choices:

• We envy those whom we most closely identify with (not celebrities) and in areas that we value the most - nicer home, better marriage, achievements etc… This means that we are jeapardizing relationships with those whom we have the greatest opportunity to love. We start to see people as rivals and our attitudes toward them completely change. Having a “jealous eye” toward someone would make it impossible love them and serve them as a Christian brother or sister.

• Envy seems like it may be a minor sin without a lot of consequences but Paul lists it as one of the vile sins.

Romans 1:28-29 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy…

• Envy impacts our attitude toward God. At some level we are saying “God, you are cheating me. I deserve better.” We can become angry at God because we believe that we have been slighted in some areas of our lives instead of focusing on the many things that can be grateful for.

• It can create a very toxic environment for us and those around us. Imagine the difference in being around Saul vs. Jonathon - toxic vs. kind hearted. Our first twinge of jealousy should alert us that we are entering into sin and need to avoid a downward spiral.

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

• Envy exposes our insecurities and our spiritual immaturity. It has no part in the fruit of the spirit.

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 are two key conditions that help us become a Jonathon instead of a Saul - a grateful heart for our own blessings and the ability to celebrate others. We sometimes make the mistake of thinking that the joys of life come from only those experiences that we are personally involved in. Think of how much we are missing out on if we cannot allow ourselves to celebrate others and enter into their joy. It we are able to do that with a grateful heart for our own blessings, envy will not rule in our lives.

Stay hungry,

Big E

Matt. 5:6

Unforgiveness

Our faith is founded in its entirely on the concept of forgiveness. What would Christianity be without it? I’m really not sure but it would have to be called something else because it certainly wouldn’t involve Christ.

Why do we sometimes find it difficult to offer forgiveness to others when we have been given this amazing gift from God?

Grace is is another word for forgiveness. It comes from the Greek word “charis” from which we derive the word charity. Charity involves giving which means that forgiveness is also about giving. It is the gift of grace. It is not always an easy thing to do to give someone something when we have been wronged - especially when we don’t feel that they deserve it.

Unforgiveness has many unsavory consequences for us and for those around us. It is a poison for our walk with the Lord and relationships with His people. As the old saying goes:

Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

We think that we are punishing the other person by withholding forgiveness but we are actually poisoning ourselves. More than just impacting our relationship with the other person, it impacts those around us and our ability to serve as God has called us to. Living in bitter unforgiveness does not bring out the best in us in any fashion.

Here are some basic truths about forgiveness:

1. Forgiveness is not a feeling. If we are waiting until the feeling to forgive comes upon us, it may not occur for awhile - or ever. Forgiveness is an act of obedience to God stemming from gratitude for His grace. How can we expect Him to offer forgiveness to us when we won’t extend it to others?

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

2. Forgiveness is not about being deserving. Pretty simple here - Are we deserving of the grace that we receive from God?

3. Forgiveness is not pretending you were not hurt nor is it condoning the offense. Since someone has betrayed our trust or hurt us in some way, it is OK to recognize and feel the hurt. However, in most cases it is best that we are able to forget the offense and move on. In other cases, we should forgive but keep a memory that protects us or our loved ones in the future. Trust may have to be rebuilt with some people and others might need to be avoided altogether. Ultimately, our forgiveness will free us from bitterness.

4. Forgiveness doesn’t always remove the responsibilities of the offense from the offender. Forgiveness doesn’t eradicate responsibility. It’s not unloving to hold someone accountable. Often, accountability is the most loving thing we can do because it could lead to repentance.

There is a lot that goes into becoming a good forgiver. It requires spiritual maturity to make progress in this area. However, a key starting point for growth is our ability to recognize all of the sin in our own lives. The more that we have full recognition of just how sinful and broken each of us are, the easier it becomes to forgive others.

When we have full recognition of our own sin, it makes us appreciate God’s grace that much more and makes us dependent on His grace instead of our own prideful record. A grateful heart can far more easily “give grace” to others. After all, forgiveness is about giving and is done with full view of the incredible gift that we have already received.

Stay Hungry,

Big E

Matt. 5:6

The Mind - "So he is"

I know that I said that we were going to cover forgiveness this week but sometimes God lays something different on my heart that I want to write about. It actually ties in very well with the series on sins that we are doing and is a perfect stop in that journey. Julie taught me that i need stop and smell the roses sometimes. Thanks sweetie! :-)

All of us enjoy when we have the liberty of completely being ourselves. We don’t have to put up any facades or pretend to be something that we are not. It’s the most comfortable part of life.

Our minds are a place of total personal privacy - a territory that should be off limits to everyone else. For better or for worse, it’s where we are totally ourselves. This verse from Proverbs speaks to this so well:

Proverbs 23:7 - For as he thinks within himself, so he is.

“So he is.” Those three powerful words can at times feel very liberating and at times quite convicting. Our minds can be a place where we think about the goodness of God and how we want to serve Him and others. It’s a place where we can be thankful, offer praise and pray. The mind can be a veritable playground of all that is good and holy in our lives.

“So he is.” The mind can also be a place where the worst in all of us lives and thrives. All sorts of immoral thoughts like ungratefulness, judgment, jealousy, anger and plans for revenge can run rampant in our minds. We can hide those thoughts from other people - at least to some degree. But then, there is that verse - For as he thinks within himself, so he is. In other words, we become what’s in our minds.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

As Christians, we are being transformed into the image of Christ. Part of this process is the “renewal of our minds.” The term “renewal” in this passage means to make spiritually new, restore freshness, life and purity. It means interpreting life through the lens of God’s Word and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, rather than just through the lens of our experience, woundedness, worldly passions, or the opinions of others. Renewal of the mind is life altering.

God wants dominion in our minds. We can’t use our minds as a wicked playground and think that as long as we actually say and do good things, we will be living in accordance with God’s will. Why? Well, there is that verse again - “ For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” Those three words kind of spoil that party, don’t they?

So how do we fight this “good vs. evil” war within the mind? I’ll share another verse with you that has been a great help to me. I wish I could tell you that I was great at scripture memory but I am definitely not. This verse is very powerful and even if you can just remember a portion of it to say when your mind starts to drift toward the dark side, it will help win the battle.

Philippians 12:2 …whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Remember the first phrase of this verse “whatever is true” when you are being tempted. It will redirect your mind from evil to good. Because He is truth and truth wins.

Stay Hungry,

Big E

Matt. 5:6

Anger

A number of years ago I was angry about a couple of things going on at that time. Anger is not usually a big problem for me but these were two lingering issues that were really bothering me and beginning to impact me as I internalized them. I decided to go and speak with an older man from our church that I greatly respected for some guidance.

On the day of our meeting i was very excited about the opportunity to download these issues to him. Looking back, I think that what I was anticipating most was some validation for my anger. I needed someone to justify what I was feeling. What I received that day was a life-changing response from a wise and godly man.

After I shared my issues with him, I sat back and waited the affirmation and empathy that I was seeking. Instead, he responded by asking me a simple but profound question - “Mark, what is your greatest purpose in life?” I was taken aback by his question but scrambled and came up with a solid and biblically correct answer. I said, “My greatest purpose is to glorify God and be the godly spiritual leader for my family that He created me to be.”

Satisfied with my answer, he then asked me a second question, “Are you familiar with James 1:20?” I responded that I had read the book of James several times but couldn’t remember that specific verse. He then opened his Bible and slid it across his desk for me to read.

James 1:20 Man’s anger does not achieve the righteousness of God.

Oh. Wow. Umm. Well, I guess that might change a few things for me. These powerful words cut right into my heart where I had internalized this anger and gave me a completely new perspective on how to move forward. I was allowing these issues to derail me from living out my greatest purpose in life and until, I overcame my anger, it would continue to do so. That was a seismic paradigm shift for me in that moment and one that I greatly needed.

Is anger a big problem for you? Are you easily angered? Can one remark ruin your day or even a relationship?Here are a few key truths about anger that can help us all:

• A huge misconception about anger is that we believe that our sinful anger is caused by other people or events. The truth is that no one makes us angry - we CHOOSE to become angry with how we react to these things. If we have become angry about something it is because we chose that response instead of grace, patience, compassion etc…

Proverbs 19:11 A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.

• Anger is a gateway sin that can lead to all kinds of other sins with a progression that is really destructive. Anger is never static – it will grow into resentment, bitterness, hostility & even revenge…. It must be dealt with. Filing away a record of grievances against someone is a sure road to bitterness.

1 Corinthians 13:5 Love….is not easily angered …Love keeps no record of wrongs..

• Lastly, God knows that we are going to get angry sometimes. We are sinful humans so it is absolutely going to happen - maybe daily. But, look at what Paul is telling us in this verse. He is not condoning anger, he is instructing us not to hold onto it - to keep short accounts. Forgive and move on.

Ephesians 4:26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger

The other critical piece in biblically and effectively dealing with anger is forgiveness. We’ll cover that next week. Until then,

Stay hungry,

Big E

Matthew 5:6

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