Is there a better way to live out what you believe — in your work, your home, and your community?
I'm an Elder at Summit Church Apex Campus. I lead a small group and a D Group. I officiate weddings. I hold post-tribulational theological views and ground everything in sola scriptura. Faith isn't a compartment of my life — it's the foundation that everything else is built on. ITABWODI is, at its root, a stewardship question.
The question 'is there a better way' is ultimately a question about stewardship. God gave you time, talent, treasure, relationships, influence, a body, a mind. Are you deploying them well? Are you settling for mediocrity in areas He's called you to excellence? That's not hustle culture — that's faithfulness. There's a difference, and it matters.
I don't have it figured out. I have had a lot of hard moments in life. What's amazing is that in every one of these domains, you figure out what the foundational truths are and dig in, learn, focus, and take the next step. Not climb the mountain — take the next step. And the foundation under every step is Jesus.
The Holy Spirit first stirred my heart at eight years old in a Sunday School room. I gave my life to Christ at Vacation Bible School shortly after. For years I believed in God but treated Him like a good luck charm — nearby for emergencies, but not directing my steps. I prayed when I was scared, praised when things went well, but ran my own life in between. It left me exhausted. The awakening came when I stopped asking 'What do I want today?' and started asking 'Where are You leading today?' That shift changed everything — my marriage, my parenting, my business, my purpose. I'm a man who has stumbled more than he's sprinted. But the Holy Spirit has been faithful — from that Sunday School room to the boardroom where I sit today.
God gave you time, talent, treasure, relationships, influence, a body, a mind. Are you deploying them well? Are you settling for mediocrity in areas He's called you to excellence? That's not hustle culture — that's faithfulness.
I don't have a faith life and a work life. I have one life, built on one foundation. Every business decision, every family conversation, every leadership moment is filtered through what I believe to be true.
Scripture is the authority. Not feelings, not culture, not what's popular. When the question gets hard, go back to the text. It hasn't changed, even when everything else has.
Sunday morning is important. But life change happens in small groups — where people know your name, know your story, and won't let you hide. I lead a small group because I've seen what happens when people show up consistently.
You don't need a title to minister. Texting a struggling friend, showing up for someone's hard conversation, praying over a house — that's ministry. It's a response to what God's already doing.
ITABWODI is sanctification applied to every domain. God entrusts resources, time, talents, and people — and expects faithful, improving management. The question isn't just 'is this profitable?' It's 'am I being a faithful steward of what was entrusted?'
From Nehemiah: God's will lives at the intersection of what you can do, what breaks your heart, and what doors He opens. Not everything that comes from heaven has your name on it — care about all of it, focus on what's yours.
As J.D. Greear puts it: '10 days prayer, 10-minute sermon, 3,000 saved — move your zeros around.' We front-load strategy and append prayer. God's economy works the opposite way.
The obedience of stewardship is delight-based, not duty-based. God rescued first, then gave commands. When ITABWODI feels like a burden instead of a privilege, I've lost sight of the rescue.
Paul said 'a wide door for effective ministry has been opened for me AND there are many obstacles.' Not but — and. Hudson Taylor: 'There are three stages to every great work of God. First, it is impossible. Then it's difficult. Then it's done.'
D-Groups exist so men can bring real life into the light. Not a fixing group — a formation group. Most men don't need more information. They need disruption, clarity, and a new operating system. That starts with being honest.
The question is what you leave behind — and who you blessed along the way. When Tim Tebow talked about using everything he had to care for those who can't care for us back — the least of these — something locked in. Not to build wealth for myself, but to build tools that empower leaders to steward well so they can bless others. That's the mission behind every venture.
Have you ever felt like something essential is missing from your walk with Christ? I have. For years, I believed in God. I prayed. I showed up on Sundays. But there was a gap between what I read about in Scripture and what I actually experienced.
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What We're Actually Trying to Build
A friend called me the other day and asked how I handle it when someone close to me says something hard. I told him the truth — I'm bad at it — and then I told him the one thing I've learned: the Holy Spirit is a much better AI than anything we've built. We've had it the whole time.
The Weekly Question explores one domain each week — with real stories and practical application. Subscribe and you'll be the first to read it.