Faithful Through It All

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this email finds you all having had a great day as a glorious day draws to an end in my Sweet Home Alabama!

You all are in for a special treat this week! I had not yet written Happy Friday when, sitting in a meeting this morning, I got a text from Payton that said, "I'd like to write a Happy Friday before the end of the year." He graciously went ahead and put together today what the Lord had placed on his heart.

People always say, "You must be so proud of him," referencing his choice to serve in the military. Yes, I am proud that he is serving our country however there is nothing like the feeling - I truly don't know the proper word to describe it - to watch your son become the Godly man and husband he was created to become! Thank you, Jesus!

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great evening, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev

Happy Friday Everyone! I have been off the grid for quite some time, and as I have been settling back into reality I have been feeling prompted to write a Happy Friday message, which speaks to the heart of my message as you will see. 

So most of you who read this every week know of the journey that me, Halla, and our entire family have been on with our recent transition to military life. It has been nothing short of God-ordained, challenging, and rewarding, all at the same time. However, I want to spend today talking about faithfulness to God in every area of our lives, but in particular, with our giving.

Our church, Faith Church (igotofaith.com), is an incredible home that has molded our family, counseled us in many ways, and assisted our growth in our relationships with the Lord. Every year, right before the end of the year, they do a week of “Capstone Offerings” where they encourage people to go above and beyond their monthly giving and focus on an area of the church that they would like to see develop (this year is the Kid’s Ministry). As I was thinking about this year’s capstone offering, it caused me to reflect on last year’s and how that was the first time I had truly given a full tithe, and subsequently, carried that into this year of faithfully tithing every month. At first, I was completely scared - giving way to thoughts of “losing” what was mine, not having enough for myself afterwards, worried about what others might do with the money, etc etc - essentially, came up with every excuse in the book as to why I could not give or why it wasn’t the right time. Thankfully, it was the best decision that I never wanted to make, but jumped off the deep end, did anyway, and will never again second guess following what the Lord places on my heart. 

Malachi 3:10 says:

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” 

If you noticed, I put bold around the words “test me in this” because in this verse, God clearly instructs us to challenge Him, because on the other side of your faithfulness, God will pour out blessings, far more than you could ever ask or imagine - and the way my 2024 has unfolded is nothing short of a testimony to this faithfulness. 

You see, to me, being faithful in the tithe is not just about getting money back in return, but in experiencing the true blessings from the Lord on the other side of it. Below, I would just like to offer a few of those blessings I have experienced, along with my wife Halla, and hope to offer you the opportunity to truly give from your heart, be faithful to the Lord, and watch Him bless you beyond comprehension. 

In my journal, I have a section each week titled “blessings after tithing”, and here are the highlights from 2024:

• Married the woman of my dreams (Halla would be proud to be #1)

• Had the opportunity to work with my dad and live in the same town as my family for the last 2 years

• Joined the Navy and commissioned as an Officer 

• Bought a home in Florida 

• Adopted the sweetest black lab

• Had the opportunity to pour into and be poured into spiritually by great people

• Financially: received a higher paying job, was able to pay for my wedding with my wife, received endless wedding gifts and blessings, received money back at the closing of our home, and the list could go on.

The point in sharing this was not to brag, but to simply testify to the ways that the Lord has blessed Halla and I beyond comprehension in so many different ways during this season of life. One of the scriptures that we live by is Joshua 24:15: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

We have made that commitment to the Lord, to each other, and every day, we look for opportunities to serve others, be great stewards of our resources, and follow God’s promptings in our lives. It is no coincidence to me that things have come together this year far better than we could have ever scripted on our own. 

“We are motivated not by what others think about us, but by how God sees us. We make a difference not by what we wear or what we own, but by living out each day in a way that brings glory to Him.” - Tim Tebow, Mission Possible 

With all this, I would simply like to challenge you to think about what you can give - your time, your money, your resources - and ask God where He would like you to direct whatever it is - and then watch Him bless you. You see, at the end of our lives, we will all give an account to the Lord - and I hope that at the end of my life He will say, “well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Thank you for taking the time to read this message. Enjoy your weekend, enjoy your Holidays with your family, and Merry Christmas!

Payton 

The Life I Am Committed to Living

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day has dawned in my Sweet Home Alabama! I also sincerely hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones yesterday! May we all live every day with a heart of gratitude!

This morning, I want to share a scripture that convicted me in a powerful way this week and a quote that, to me, is tied to this scripture. I will share a few thoughts on each and then wrap this thing up.

The Scripture:

1 Peter 4:8-11

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

I have found what I believe will be my life verse. I want to be a 1 Peter 4: 8-11 man, husband, father, leader, and friend!

Thoughts:

·       “Above all, love each other deeply.” No matter the season, situation, or circumstance, love. Whether you are like me, believe what I believe, or if I agree with what you are doing, love. This is also affirmed by Matthew 22:36-39 which says, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Don’t know what to say or do? Love.

·       “Offer hospitality to one another.” I truly believe that the things the Lord has blessed me with like a home and food are to be used to love, care for, and serve others. I can, and should, be more intentional about this one. When I was a coach, I used to have players over all the time for dinner. We would sit and visit for hours. There are so many opportunities…give me eyes to see and ears to hear, Lord.

·       “Use whatever gifts you have received to serve others.” What am I doing with the gifts and abilities God has given me? Am I simply using them for selfish gain? It is quite clear that they are to be used to serve others.

·       “Speak as one who speaks the very words of God.” Whoa, this one is powerful! The only way I can speak the very words of God is if I have a relationship with God, a mind that has been renewed by Him, and a heart that has been transformed by Him. There is no faking this one!

·       “Serve with the strength that God provides.” How many times have I tried to do things in my own knowledge, wisdom, strength, and courage? Sadly, far to many! When I serve with the strength God provides, the source is limitless, and the outcomes are transformational!

·       “So that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.” Amen! Not that the light would shine on me but rather it would shine through me and that it would bring glory, honor, and praise to Jesus! It! Is! Not! About! Me!

Yes, I want to be, and I am fully committed to being, a 1 Peter 4: 8 – 11 man, husband, father, leader, and friend!

The quote I am going to share comes from the book I am currently reading titled, High Road Leadership: Bringing People Together In A World That Divides by John C. Maxwell. It is a phenomenal book, and I offer it my highest possible recommendation.

The Quote:

“This is something that’s super-important for young people to understand, and for parents to preach to young people. It’s really easy for a talented young person to take pride in their gifts. They say, “I’m really athletic,” or “I’m really smart,” or “I’m really good at math.” And that’s fine. You should celebrate your gifts. You should be happy. But you can’t be proud of them because they’re gifts, after all. They were given to you.

What you can be proud of is your choices. How did you decide to use your gifts? Did you study hard? Did you work hard? Did you practice? The people who really excel combine gifts and hard work, and the hard work part is a choice. You get to decide that. And that is something that when you’re looking back on your life, you will be very proud of.” – Jeff Bezos

Thought:

Whatever gifts God has given me I want to develop them to their fullest, to fulfill my potential in every aspect of my life, and then I want to use all that I am – time, talent, and treasure – to love, care for, and serve others.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev

Hmmm

 Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! You do realize that we are never going to experience this great gift – today! – again, right? Let’s make it a masterpiece!

This week I want to share a few things that make me go, “Hmmm.” You know, those moments when you hear or think about something, it strikes you as profound, and you spend some time thinking about it. Yes, that is my hope; to share some thought-provoking things with you and let you think and pray about them.

We talk about “What will your influence be?” all the time. Let me ask you a question this morning; what is influencing you? What are you pouring into your heart, mind, and spirit every day? Perhaps, if you don’t like your attitude, the way things are going, etc., there would be wisdom in looking at what you are pouring into yourself every day.

Every morning, as I eat breakfast, my Beautiful Bride and I listen to Inky Johnson’s message of the day. If you don’t know who Inky Johnson is, I want to strongly encourage you to look him up and make it a habit of listening to what he has to say. A Christian, husband, and Dad, Inky is a former college football player who is an exceptional speaker and inspirational speaker. I love Inky!

To kick off my things that make you go, “Hmmm,” I want to summarize his messages of the last couple of days.

Wednesday

·       “The ability to learn is a gift, even when pain is your teacher.”

·       “Don’t miss the lesson. Get the lesson when you fail.”

Thursday

·      Be grateful for the problems that you have.

·       Your problems are specifically designed for you, your growth, your development, and the things that you need to possess as an individual in order to grow and become the individual you are destined to become.

I was listening to the radio earlier this week and one of the announcers was talking about a conversation he had with his young son. His son asked, “Are we rich?” I remember when my boys asked me that question. The announcer went on to talk about the difference between being rich and being wealthy. If you are a person of character, if you have someone you love and someone who loves you, if you have a place to call home…if you have these things, you are incredibly rich. If you have a lot of money, you are wealthy.

I have been thinking about this one for quite a while. During my prayer several weeks ago, I was thinking about Psalms 37:4. It says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Here is the thing that makes me go, “Hmmm.”

·       Does it mean that if I take delight in the Lord, he will give me the things I desire? He will give me the things I think I want.

Or

·       Does it mean that if I take delight in the Lord, He will give me my desires? That He will give me the things in my heart to desire.

I believe it is the later…I pray for that. That my heart would be pure, that my heart would be broken for what breaks His, that as I allow Him to lead me, He will inspire and convict my Spirit to fulfill the calling He has on my life, not my wish list.

I had an epiphany at my Bible Study on Wednesday morning. We listened to a Craig Groeschel sermon, and he was preaching on Daniel. Real quick summary: the king ordered that nobody could pray to anyone but him. Daniel prayed as he always had – that is a really key point…need to write a Happy Friday about that! – and therefore the king had him thrown in the lion's den. Daniel survived, without a scratch, because, according to Daniel 6:22, “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.”

My epiphany was around the fact that Daniel was set-up. But here’s the thing, he didn’t worry about the set-up. I think of how many times I try to play it safe. According to biblestudytools.com, the term “fear not” is stated in the Bible 365 times. According to christianfaithguide.com, courage is mentioned 33 times in the Bible, and, according to multiple sources, “be strong and courageous” is stated 13 times. What would happen if we actually lived fearless and were strong and courageous? What would our lives look like then? As Pastor Craig said in a completely different sermon that I listened to last week, “At some point you have to determine, is He God, or are you?" 

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev