Who Are You, Really?

In May, our older son, Cody, secured a summer internship with a construction company in Houston—Jamail & Smith—which will help him in his current degree field at Texas A&M.  He’s in the University Studies Program in the College of Architecture that allows you to tailor a degree to your interests, so he’ll focus on construction project management; and the program will take the coursework he has already completed toward Hotel & Hospitality Management.

When Cody mentioned he would live at home for the summer, he asked if we could complete a Bible Study together. Since our younger son, Tanner, is entering his senior year of high school, I thought the three of us should focus on a Bible Study about identity.  Cody is always asked, “What do you plan to do after college?”  Tanner is consistently asked, “What will be your college major?”  It’s easy for our identity to get wrapped up in those things.

We found a study by the Kendrick Brothers called Defined: Who God Says You Are, which focuses on understanding and embracing one’s identity from a Christian perspective. The authors, Stephen and Alex Kendrick, explore how knowing one’s identity in Christ can profoundly impact various aspects of life. In fact, the book formed the basis of their movie Overcomer.

The three of us worked through this 8-week study this summer, which was enriching for all of us.

Click here for a summary of the Defined study and what I learned from it

Live Well Now

Would you live differently today if you knew when you were going to die?

In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, bitter old Ebenezer Scrooge needed a glimpse of his death before he changed his miserly ways. After he is visited by the three ghosts of Christmas—past, present, and future—Scrooge is transformed from a miserly and self-centered businessman into a generous and joyful person.

Scrooge’s change in attitude is evident in his behavior:

  • He becomes more humble and willing to learn
  • He becomes a better employer to Bob Cratchit by giving him enough coal to keep his office warm and a large turkey for Christmas dinner
  • He gives money to a man in need
  • He places more importance on family and less on money

Like Scrooge, we all know we are going to die, so we must ask: will that fact change the way we live today?  How will we move towards living well now rather than later?

The truth is, later never lasts as long as we think it will.

What will it take before we start living the life God intended?

Click here for more from Pastor Tommy Nelson on living well now from Ecclesiastes 9