August 4, 2023 • 65 mins
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This week in Relentless Hope, Edward Cook shares with us his chief purpose: to impart God's word, commandments, and promises, seeking to leave a legacy of truth and freedom from sin. He also shares with us how he believes legacy is what we deposit in others—our words, wisdom, and examples of character and integrity.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray follow peace with all men, and holiness,
without which no man shall see the Lord Hebrews twelve fourteen.
Dear Father, help me to strive for peace with the
relationships in my life consistently. It doesn't help me to
hold negative feelings in my heart toward others. There's no
benefit in having any feelings that can keep me back
(00:22):
from fulfilling my real purpose and calling. Allow me to
surrender to You instead of seeking control. Allow me to
strive for peace instead of having resentment. Allow me to
forgive when feelings of anger arise. Father, remind me to
always pursue and grow.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
In my faith.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Amen, thank you for joining us in prayer. Now for
the Relentless Hope Podcast, where we bring you true stories
and personal testimonies that will help you love your life,
lead with purpose, and leave a legacy of helping others.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
No matter where we find ourselves at the moment, Faith
will always show us the path to a purposeful life
in which we can strive for a positive impact on
the world through God's unconditional love. Today we learn how
close encounters with God can set us on a path
of humble service and unwavering faithfulness. Shaping our life and
the way we lead, and how we should strive to
(01:30):
lead the way Jesus did, always focused on our purpose,
undeterred by distractions. In this episode of Relentless Hope, Edward
Cook shares with us his cheap purpose to impact God's word,
commandments and promises, seeking to leave a legacy of truth
and freedom from sin. He also shares with us how
he believes legacy is what we deposit in others our words, wisdom,
(01:54):
and examples of character and integrity. Legacy, according to Edward,
is not limited to bequests or material possessions. It's the
impact we make on others through encouragement, purpose, and love.
He encourages us to strive for excellence, support meaningful causes,
and live wholeheartedly with passion. So join us on this
(02:16):
Relentless Hope episode as Edward Cook's wisdom inspires us to
reflect on our own paths and the legacy we will
leave behind. Let's embrace the legacy of authenticity, purpose, and
compassion as we strive to make a positive impact on
the world. Let's begin today's episode of Relentless Hope with
Edward Cook.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I wasn't saved because someone else wanted me to be saved.
I wasn't denying myself happiness or pleasures against a secret
desire for those same things I was denying. I wasn't
fearful that to live differently would lead to hurting my
loved ones. Those were not the reasons I loved God
deny myself. Sought to learn more about the Lord and
(03:03):
give myself to a lifetime of seeking and serving him.
I was saved because that was the life and purpose
of life. I chose for me, and He chose for me.
The only one in life I didn't want to disappoint
was God. I could not conceive of life without Christ
as my Lord and savior. My relationship with Him was
(03:26):
key and valued in my life. Strangely enough, in my
search for me, faith and purpose, I discovered Him not
just as savior, but as Lord.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
On Part one of this three part series, we will
explore Edward's encounters with divine calling, revealing the unexpected paths
that shaped his leadership philosophy. Through failures and triumphs, he
learned the timeless lessons of listening, obeying, and humbly serving others.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Life. Genesis won twenty six reads and God said, let
us make man in our image and after our likeness.
Jeremiah twenty nine and eleven says, for I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord thoughts
of peace and not of evil, to give you an
expected end. So much of our lives are determined by
(04:29):
factors we have little consciousness, awareness of, and even less
control over factors we are not comfortable acknowledging or admitting.
Some of the factors we typically think of as major
influencers in our life are who our parents are, where
we're born, and the circumstances we're born under and into.
(04:51):
Then there are the uncontrollables like our family a mother,
a father, sister or brother, our ethnic culture and traditions,
our DNA and inherited traits. These are all major contributors
and influencers over who we are. It is believed by
many that these things together all work to mold us
(05:13):
and shape us, and all work together to make us
the person we are and the person we become. But
I've learned that there is another factor, an influence and
a determinant that is often the least considered element in
the final determination of who we are or shall be.
An element that is present from our beginning to our
(05:36):
dying day. It is not known by most, and fewery
ever acknowledged that it plays any significant role at all
in determining who we are. Though this influence is not
known by most or may be greatly discounted by others,
it is, in my mind the most significant deciding factor
(05:56):
in determining who we are and who we will become.
It's buried deep but in plain sight in the scripture
Jeremiah twenty nine and eleven. For I know the thoughts
that I think toward you, Saith the Lord, thoughts of
peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
(06:20):
Every human being begins life who God imagined them to
be in his creative imagination, which means we are all
born with purpose. We are all valued by God. We
are all filled with talents and gifts, and have within
us a destiny. We don't look the same. Some are
(06:41):
short and others are tall. Some are black, brown, yellow,
or white. Some have a tendency towards slim, others have
a tendency toward plus size. Some are athletic, and others
are seemingly born with two left feet. We are imagined, created, made,
(07:02):
and born different. The beauty of life is in the
array of difference that exists in this world. Thus, the
living of our lives holds significance and meaning for Him,
for us and those who love us, even if we're
not always as valued, held in significance, or viewed as
(07:25):
meaningful in the eyes and lives of others. God makes
no rejects, and He makes no mistakes. Our finite minds
may not always understand or comprehend the infinite ways of God,
but it doesn't change the fact that God is omnipotent.
God is omnipresent, and God is omniscient. God is in
(07:48):
control and does all things well. When I think about
my life, I think of all of the things I've
said previously about influences and influencers, and of the societal, ethnic,
and family culture and traditions that existed and played a
part in my life. I think of my parents and
(08:10):
grandparents as major influencers. I think of my aunts and
uncles and church members, leaders and pastors, teachers, and friends,
all adding something to who I am. I think of
being inspired to pursue being the best me I could
be by both my mom and my dad. I remember
(08:31):
being the first child, the first son, child, the first nephew,
the first grandchild. Being first was natural and nice and
privileged in my life. But being first was also burdensome
because of its expectations, the expectations of others, and the
(08:52):
expectations that I held for myself. They all helped to
set a high bar for accomplishment in any and every
sphere of my life. I didn't mind it. In fact,
it fueled me, and meeting expectations was never enough. I
sought to exceed everyone's expectations, including my own. It helped
(09:12):
define me to me. But the one thing more than
any that influenced my life, my drive, my sense of
who I was and whose I was, was the knowledge
that before I was born, my mother dedicated me to God.
I don't know what prompted her to do so. Perhaps
it was in gratitude for a firstborn son. Nevertheless, she
(09:35):
returned me to him, submitted my life to his care,
his use, and his perfect purpose. I've lived with this
knowledge all of my life, and early in my life
it made certain things inevitable to me. It was inevitable that,
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at the time of accountability, I would, on my own
free will, dedicate my life to God and his purposes
for my life. It was inevitable that satisfactory life for
me would be filled with acts of sacrificial ministry service
to others. It was inevitable that all that I learned, experience,
and gained would be cataloged, stored away to be later
(10:20):
used in my service to God and others. At the
age of fourteen, though it was not my conscious plan
at that time, I received Christ as my Lord and
Savior and began living. Don't do this and don't do
that saved life. I lived it with no hesitancy, no regrets,
and in my mind, as far as I was concerned,
(10:42):
there was no other way to live. It was also
inevitable that though my grandfather was a preacher and later
a pastor, there was no way I was going to
serve God that way. I wanted to be an architect,
a builder, an engineer, a baseball player, basketball player. Well,
the prospect for that was slim to none, too short
(11:05):
in both stature and talent. I wanted to be a
lot of things, but preacher was not one of them.
I guess I forgot to ask God or sneak a
peek into his imagination when he imagined me and consoled
him concerning his plans from me. He began calling me
to him at seventeen, and I kept choosing to turn
(11:27):
a deaf ear because that was not inevitable, so I thought.
Early in life, I was diagnosed with asthma. For all
of my formative years and will into my adulthood. I
was plagued with frequent and severe asthma attacks. It was
a mighty influencer. I experienced an area of my life
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where there were limits and delimiters placed on those expectations
wherever physical exercise or activity was concerned. The desire to
protect me in my earliest age made me want to
go beyond those diminished expectations and limitations. My grandmother was
my God sent, God ordained savior. In this instance, she
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suggested to my mother keeping me indoors and out of
the cold weather and overprotecting and coddling me was not
the way allow him to reach his limitations on his own.
That released me and fuel that exceed expectations. Mindset that
became and now it is more and more who I was,
(12:35):
who I was to become, and who I am. Thank
God for Mama, Thank God for Louise. At nineteen years old,
I was in college and I had a crisis of faith.
I was challenged by a friend that I was living
an inevitable life, but also a life of fear. Fear
that to do anything different from what was expected of me,
(12:58):
to live any different than I I was currently living,
would cause a disappointment to those who had taught me
and lived in front of me the life I was
now living. He positive that deep down within me, I
desired to do something else. I desired to live as
he was living, to live in another way than the
life I now led. But love and fear kept me
(13:22):
doing and living different than my deepest desires. I dismissed
his words immediately, the very thought of what he said
was dismissed, But immediately at the same time, I began
to be haunted by those very thoughts. I began asking
questions that countless many others have and are still asking,
(13:44):
concerning the truth of their faith and their walk with God.
Was it true? Was my life choice merely a lived
out expectation of others? Was there another way for me
to live that I and discovered that was more pleasing, satisfying, gratifying,
and fulfilling. Was I wasting my life with limitations and rules,
(14:10):
dues and don'ts that robbed me of fun, pleasures, self satisfaction,
and just an opportunity to do what I wanted to
do and not what others wanted from me, of me
or wanted me to do. What was true and real
about me, about God, about faith, my faith. So for
(14:30):
ninety days I wrestled with those fundamental questions and more.
It was my come to Jesus moment, and it was
also my epiphany moment. Well ninety days later I had
answered all of those questions. I came to clear resolution
and conclusion. I wasn't saved because someone else wanted me
(14:52):
to be saved. I wasn't denying my self happiness or
pleasures against a secret desire for those same things I denying.
I wasn't fearful that to live differently would lead to
hurting my loved ones. Those were not the reasons I
loved God, denied myself sought to learn more about the
(15:13):
Lord and give myself to a lifetime of seeking and
serving him. I was saved because that was the life
and purpose of life. I chose for me, and He
chose for me. The only one in life I didn't
want to disappoint was God. I could not conceive of
life without Christ as my Lord and savior. My relationship
(15:36):
with Him was key and valued in my life. Strangely enough,
in my search for me, faith and purpose, I discovered
him not just as savior, but as Lord. I discovered
that he and my mother had joined in presenting me
with a Jeremiah twenty nine to eleven as the pathway
(15:58):
and motivation from my life. I was happy that Christ
was my Lord and my savior, but it was the
Lord part that was the clincher. It settled whose I was,
Knowing whose I was made Knowing who I am quite easy.
(16:19):
I didn't have to look within myself to discover myself
by myself. You know, it's tough for the wondering to
settle the reason for and end of wondering by looking
within the one who was wondering. Sounds like a tongue twister,
but it made good sense to me that in order
to find myself, I had to look at He that
(16:40):
created me, that created me with purpose, that created me
with destiny. My life from that moment on took on
new meaning. Relationship was what God and me was all about.
Salvation was to restore right relationship with God. Jews and
don'ts were no longer important. My submission to God was important.
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I had come to value my relationship with God above
doing the right thing or not doing the wrong thing.
Now there was a different basis of my obedience, a
new and different governor over my actions, my thoughts, and
my desires. How do they affect my relationship with God
became my concern. Does what I do enhance or damage
(17:26):
that relationship? Became the new basis for what I did
or didn't do. As I valued my relationship, I became
more and more the governor and not others and outside forces.
As I value my relationship with my parents as a child,
for example, and sought therefore to respect, honor, and love them,
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I discovered it was for those same reasons that I
valued my relationship with God. It is and was why
I would obey God, honor God, and submit to God.
Loved him and He loved me. That's what I learned
in my ninety day wandering experience. Everything going forward was
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to be put through the prism of valuing the relationship
I now understood and better understand what Paul meant when
he was saying in Romans eight thirty eight and thirty nine,
for I'm persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present or things to come,
(18:30):
nor height nor depth, nor any other creature shall be
able to separate us from the love of God, which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I discovered that that
passage was not merely a declaration from Paul of his
love for God has often thought, but it was also
a bold declaration of how much love God has for
(18:53):
us and is committed to us. Verse thirty five asked
who shall separate us from the love of Christ? I
realized God, Jesus Christ had reconciled me, embraced me, yes,
the unworthy, justifiably guilty me, and sought relationship with me.
(19:15):
That was the most significant ninety days of my life.
Over the course of my life, I've had many more
come to Jesus moments, Moments when I had to remind
myself that he's God and I'm not. He's all right
and I'm not. He's in control, I'm not. He knows where,
(19:37):
how and why of my journey. I don't even in love.
I came to understand that God had a purpose and
a plan, and that to be led only by my
flesh or soul was injurious to my relationship with him,
affected my hearing his voice or seeing his way. As
(19:58):
a young man, I desired to be married and follow
the normal pattern of young men to find my bride.
After several failed attempts at finding that special one on
my own and my own way, I decided to turn
that part of my life over to God as well.
I had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. I
don't know what I'm doing. It was some time later,
(20:22):
but it did happen. One August evening in nineteen seventy one,
while attending the pre musical service to our state convocation,
I walked upon the one God had for me. I
knew it immediately. There were a few early obstacles, though
she wasn't really thinking about me in the same way
I was at that moment thinking about her. We knew
(20:45):
each other, but it was in a casual way. High
and see you around. But that evening, at that moment
I saw the present and the future. I said hello,
But instead of I stopped and waited and the rest
is history. Forty seven years later, we are still married
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and she's still the one, the only one for me.
There are many chapters in my life, as there are
with any life. These are just a few of the
chapters of my life, but they are the significant few chapters.
They helped establish the foundation of my walk, the strength
of my conviction, and the basis of right relationship with God.
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Life is a continuum, and along that continuum there are moments, events, experiences,
and opportunities that come together and present it to us
choices and decisions. Those choices and decisions offer us opportunity
to receive or reject, learn or not to learn, succeed
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or fail. We make decisions and choices, and we seek
to manage and control our decisions and choices because we
can't manage to control our circumstances and the results of
our decisions and choices. At the foundation of who I am,
who any of us are, is the purpose of God.
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For us acknowledge and yield to His purpose, and we
reach the divine destiny he set for us from the beginning, Ignore,
be ignorant of or rebel against His purpose, and we
become nothing but the sum total of our uncontrollables, family, culture, DNA, heredity,
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our experiences, our environment, others, wishes, hopes and dreams, and
on and on. And the end result of that mix
is being unfulfilled living beneath our privilege as God's children,
though created in His image and after His likeness. I heard,
to my surprise, God say these words, I release you.
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I was stunned and began to give God all of
the reasons he was mistaken in releasing me. I reminded
God of the condition of my grandfather, the dependency he
and the church had on me to stay the course,
steady the ship, and hold my pastor's arms up. In
my mind, surely God missed those details in this unexpected
(23:18):
declaration that I was released. But God's response to me
was swift and sure. I've got this. No one monkey
stops the show. This is my church, this is my man,
Pastor Thomas, these are my people, and I will take
care of him. I release you.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
On part two of this three part series, Edward shares
the pivotal moments that influential mentors and the relentless pursuit
of purpose. Edward also shares how he discovered the strength
that comes from walking in the footsteps of Christ and
staying true to or our calling, no matter the challenges
that confront up.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Learning to lead is a journey that begins with learning
how to humbly follow. It is in times of failure
that our greatest lessons for leadership are learned. To miss
those lessons is to guarantee failure in leading. Those two
statements probably best described my pathway to understanding what true
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leadership is and the means by which I can make
any claim to being a good leader. A backward glance
along the path to leadership for me are many remnants
of my failure along the way. Being selected and sometimes
even being thrust into leadership has been common for my life.
(24:46):
This is connected to my being the first in so
many things in my life, the first child, the first nephew,
the first grandson, etc. There was an expectation of leadership.
The qualities emphasized to me concerning leaders and leadership where honesty, integrity, truthfulness, humility, character, trust, excellence,
(25:10):
and know your limitations. That last one know your limitations
emphasized to be by my father was related to me
in the following way. If you know you're not qualified
for a job, have the honesty of heart and presence
of mind to not take it. If after you've taken
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a job and find you're not up to it, have
the honesty and humility to give it back. I've been
surrounded by good and great leaders all of my life.
Several of those leaders had a profound effect upon how
I fashioned myself as a leader. The most obvious influencer
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was and is Jesus Christ. Jesus first and foremost was focused.
He understood who he was, why he was, where he
was going, and how he was to get there. Whenever
Jesus met a problem, he consulted with the father or
follow the pathway that was natural for who he was
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and who he represented. Jesus honored his father and the
purpose he was sent to fulfill on behalf of his father. Therefore,
Jesus was never distracted. He made decisions that kept him
on the pathway he started, and he didn't veer off.
Seeking to be like Jesus in this way was and
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is challenging for me. In life, we have many distractions,
many disappointments, and it is sometimes hard not to be discouraged, dismayed,
and distracted. The lesson that Jesus teaches is that to
remain focused on the call and the task protects the
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precious moments we have to fulfill God's mission in us
and through us from many moments we really don't have.
We must always remember that we are joining God in
what he's doing. We are co missioned, co laborers, co
operating with him. He doesn't need us to initiate anything
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for him. He asks us to join him in what
he's already doing without us. By the way, I say
all the time, I'm going to stop asking God to
bless what I'm doing. I'm just going to do what
He's blessing. And as I've said again so many times before,
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that is not just a turn of phrase or an
example of clever wordsmithing. It's reflective of a knowledge and
attitude that says God is in control. The other major
influencers in my life. As a leadership model on an
example where Elder tt Thomas, my grandfather and my pastor,
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he exemplified faithfulness, was a prayer, carried the virtue of
meekness well, and was long suffering. He showed me what
it means to serve another without ambition or divisiveness and
commit oneself to another man's vision. Bishop George Dallas mc
kinney inspired me to a belief that one could be intellectual, learned,
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and anointed. Early in my life, when I was thinking
of preaching, Elder mc kinny came to our church as
a recent graduate of Oberlin College. He was young, energetic,
and represented someone to aspire to emulate. Elda mc kinny
was approachable, available, and always pleasant. OLDA. Mc kinny left
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Toledo when I was thirteen years old, but his influence
upon me has lasted for over fifty seven years. He
left me with a sense that integrity and character in
person and ministry are critically important. He remains one of
my favorite leader preachers. Bishop Walter Earl Jordan epitomized the gifted, personable,
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eloquent young leader. He assumed his pastoral leadership at a
very young age. I watched him lead a young congregation
through there and his maturity, and he led with dignity
and a sense of purpose and a strong sense that
he knew where he was and he knew where he
was going. He was innovative and he was not afraid
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to take a risk in leading. Eller Jordan was famous
for one liners and leaving you thinking about his pearls
of wisdom and gems of knowledge with HM. My most
frequently used principle I received from Biss Jordan was in
answer to my question of him, how do you maintain
your composure in the face of resistance, rebellion, and slow walking.
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His respet was classic, I don't try to lead people
where they don't want to go. Bishop Jail Patterson, the
first presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ,
was also a great influencer on me as it applies
to leadership. Example, the year of his appointment was nineteen
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sixty eight. Nineteen sixty eight was my first year attending
the Church of God in Christ's Holy Convocation. In that
year's official message, Bishop Patterson's subject was taken from Revelation
three and one and until the Angel of the Church
and sardest right these things saith he that hath seven
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spirits of God and the seven stars. I know thy works,
that thou hast a name, that thou livest and art dead.
That message impacted me in a profound way. It affected
my perspective on my personal walk. It brought me face
(31:00):
to face with the perspective that a church, my church,
needed to take an introspective look at herself and its
leader was bringing that to her. It spoke to me
on what the responsibility of leadership is to those who
choose to follow the leader truth. Bishop Patterson inspired me
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to think broadly, think outside of tradition, but not demean traditions.
He inspired me to excellence in preaching, excellence and leadership.
He served as presiding Bishop for twenty two years. In
the course of Bishop Patterson's leadership, I saw leadership that
was transformative, and it was also full of contention, controversy, resistance,
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and at times chaos and turmoil. But in the midst
and in spite of those distractions of contention and controversy, resistance, chaos,
and turmoil, he demonstrated an ability to take it on
and adapt and lead. There are many others who made
an impression upon me and showed me insights to effective leadership.
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They included Bishop G. Patterson, Bishop Charles E. Blake, Bishop
William James, and Bishop J. Delano Ellis. Each of them
had unique qualities that, if incorporated, would make you a
better leader. I believe leadership is at its best when
it is properly focused away from and beyond the personal
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interests of the leader. Additionally, effective leadership is at its
highest integrity, but it is in alignment with something greater
than the leader. The Christian leader must always remember and
never forget that this is God's mission, God's vision, God's ministry,
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and God's people. He's privileged me to join him in
what he is doing. I say all the time, and
I'm going to stop asking God to bless what I'm doing.
I'm just going to do what He's blessing. That's more,
as I've said many times before, than a turn of
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phrase or an example of clever wordsmithing. It's reflective of
a knowledge and attitude that said, God is in control
and he knows what he's doing. Of course, I have
in the past forgotten that very fact at times. I
can remember once deciding that because of the physical condition
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of my pastor my grandfather, because he had suffered a
stroke which accelerated the uncoming of dementia, which limited greatly
his ability to carry out his pastoral duties, it was
incumbent upon me, and I decided that it was important
for me to be around and support him in the
church and the people that I loved. At the time,
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I was working for IBM as a marketing rep and
had reached a point where I needed to review my
five year development plan. Because of those aforementioned facts, I
informed my manager that I had decided to pursue my
career path in the Toledo branch office rather than pursue
promotion out of the branch along a pathway to upper management.
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We concluded the plan, jointly signed off on it, and
it is entered into my employee file. Two weeks after that,
I heard, to my surprise, God say these words, I
release you. I was stunned and began to give God
all of the reasons he was mistaken in releasing me.
(34:39):
I reminded God of the condition of my grandfather, the
dependency he and the church had on me to stay
the course, steady the ship, and hold my pastor's arms up.
In my mind, surely God missed those details in this
unexpected declaration that I was released. But God's response to
me was swift and sure. I've got this. No one
(35:05):
monkey stops to show. This is my church, this is
my man, Pastor Thomas. These are my people and I
will take care of them. I release you. I went
away from that experience having learned a critical lesson about
God and about myself. About God, I learned this he
is always ahead of us. He knows all things and
(35:29):
never misses a detail. He knows where he wants you
when you are to be there, and what he wants
you to do, and what he wants to do with
you when you're in the place you're supposed to be.
About myself, I learned that, despite honorable intentions, when God speaks,
(35:50):
listen here and obey, regardless of how illogical it may seem.
Listen here and obey, regardless of how inconsistent it may
be with the status quo or what's comfortable, or even
what makes sense, or even what was truth yesterday. If
(36:13):
God says something, listen here and obey. And I learned,
and not for the last time, simply listen here and obeyed.
That lesson would be repeated and experienced a few more
times in my journey to become a leader. Another lesson
(36:35):
on my leader journey was when I was leading New
Jerusalem Church of God in Christ in a new building project.
We had determined that we had reached a point where
we wanted and needed a new church. We wanted and
needed a church that better served our growing congregation that
reflected who we thought we had become as a church,
(36:57):
and as a reward for our faithfulness to mission and
vision of the church. We were enthused, motivated, unified, and
in hot pursuit of our vision. We felt we had
the three elements that guaranteed success in God. We had vision, unity,
and leadership. Genesis eleven records for us that God himself
(37:20):
declared that those three elements were key to man achieving
anything he sets his mind to. And the Lord said, behold,
the people is one, and they have all one language.
And this they begin to do. And now nothing will
be restrained from them which they have imagined to do.
(37:47):
In that passage are the elements of unity, leadership, and vision.
What was missing in the vision of Nimrod and the
people who sought to build the Tower of Babble was
that God had not directed the building of the tower,
and glorifying God was not the purpose of the building
(38:07):
Genesis eleven and four. And they said, go to let
us build us a city and a tower whose top
may reach unto Heaven. And let us make us a name,
lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the
whole earth. What was missing in our endeavor to build
(38:27):
a new church, which was also missing in Nimrod's desire
to build the Tower of Babel that God had not
directed us to build. We felt that a new building
was the next logical thing for our ministry. Secondly, God
had another plan, and the location of that plan was
(38:50):
not Nebraska Avenue but Oakwood Avenue. I didn't understand God's
divine plan because it wasn't revealed to me. But it
wasn't revealed to me because in seeking Him in prayer,
I essentially prayed this prayer, Lord, this is what I'm
getting ready to do. Put your approval on it. Lord,
(39:10):
bless what we're doing. Though things seemed to be working
in our favor. We had enthusiasm to do it, commitment
from the people to make the sacrifices to get it done,
favoring the form of kind services, which saved us tremendous
amounts of money and greatly reduced our development time. But
(39:31):
one thing was missing. We did not have God's directed
purpose as our guide. God was way ahead of us,
and he wanted us to do another work that was
important to him, fit his agenda and fulfilled his vision
and not ours. So what are the lessons in this
short time? I seek to convey what leadership is and
(39:54):
means to me? Leadership is a function of followership, servanthood,
God's will and purpose, and dependingly totally upon God for direction,
purpose and his chosen pathway. The best summary of leadership,
which I have come to understand and now seek to
(40:14):
guide my way is Robert Greenleas's description of servant leadership.
It reads thusly, the servant leader is servant first. It
begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve,
to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire
(40:36):
to lead. The servant first seeks to make sure that
other people's highest priority needs are being served. The best
test is do those served grow as persons? Do they
while being served become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more
(40:58):
likely themselves become servants? And what is the effect on
the least privilege in society? Will they benefit or at
least not be further deprived? That, my friends, is the
essence of being a leader. As a pastor teacher, I
have as my chief purpose to teach impart God's word,
(41:20):
God's law, commandments and promises. In doing that, It's critical
that what remains from that teaching and impartation is truth,
the truth that sets men and women free, a freedom
from the dominance and influence of sin, self and faithfulness.
It begins with me. I must guard against the entrapments
(41:43):
of self, individualism, fame, fortune, popularity, and acceptance. All of
that translates as a life philosophy rooted and grounded in purpose.
We each have a purpose, and that purpose does not
begin and end with us. To follow a life purpose
that begins and ends with me translates to little or
(42:05):
no positive or redeeming legacy left to others. If my
life is defined by stuff, then stuff is all I
can leave, all I can pass on, and time eats
up the value of stuff to others. My name on
a street side, a bridge, a school, a window, or
a bench may cause people to know my name, but
(42:28):
there's nothing of me that is passed on or remembered.
What I do for, with and through others to me
is what constitutes legacy.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
On Part three of this three part series, we shall
explore the very essence of legacy. Legacy not just defined
by what we leave behind, but what we impart to
those around us. The gifts of wisdom, compassion.
Speaker 2 (42:55):
And love.
Speaker 3 (42:56):
Edward will unravel the profound impact we have on the
lives of others and the generations yet to come.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Each man and woman is born with a purpose, talents
and gifts, a God designed pathway, and a destiny. As
we live out our lives, we search for our purpose,
discover and use our talents and gifts, begin to take
steps along our pathway, all of which lead us to
(43:26):
our destiny. Along the way, we make decisions which are
influenced by family, culture, events, and circumstances which impact our
pathway and our destiny. At the end of life, the
sum total of our life experiences, choices, decisions, influences, relationships
(43:50):
all work together to form what some call destiny. So
what is this thing called legacy? What is it? What
does it look like? The common definitions of legacy are
a bequest or inheritance, a gift handed down, endowed, or
(44:12):
conveyed from one person to another, what we leave behind
for the people we serve. Some synonyms for the word
legacy are a state, gift, tradition, bequest, birthright, endowment, and heirloom.
(44:32):
That's what the world says legacy is. Some seek to
put legacy in perspective by asking and answering the question,
how do I want my grandchildren to remember me? And
what have I done that is memorable? That says that
legacy consists of memorable and significant events, accomplishments, and contributions
(44:54):
to life or society. But in my way of thinking,
that perspective is rather limit and dependent upon privilege, opportunity,
resource that is made available to one in life. It
removes large swaths of mankind from leaving a legacy to
succeeding generations, a legacy that they will have to fuel
(45:17):
their visions and dreams. I believe legacy is broader than that.
I believe that legacy is every man's gift to those
who associate with him, are related to him, work with him,
encounter him, succeed or follow him. So how would I
answer the question, how do I want my grandchildren to
(45:38):
remember me? And what have I done that is memorable?
I would say that it is rather difficult to answer.
At this moment. I'm still going through life, still doing,
still giving, still learning, still receiving, serving, teaching and growing.
There's still more to add to my contribution and building
(45:59):
of legacy. But if pressed to answer that question based
upon and up to now assessment, I would have to
say it's the full body of my life and work
in serving God and others, teaching and sharing God's word,
imparting experience, and any wisdom God has graced me with.
I choose to highlight those things in my life because
(46:21):
I firmly believe legacy is what we deposit in others
from those skills, gifts, experience, and any wisdom we receive
from God and life. So how would I define legacy again?
The definition I'm most comfortable with is legacy is what
is deposited in people through their relationship or association with us.
(46:43):
It includes our words, wisdom, life lessons, examples of character,
and integrity. It is connected very closely to impartation. The
word in part means to give, convey a grant. Impartation, then,
is the act of giving or granting something. In the Bible,
spiritual gifts are imparted Romans one and eleven, wisdom is
(47:07):
imparted Proverbs twenty nine fifteen. The message of the Gospel
is imparted first Thessalonians two and eight, and material goods
are imparted Ephesians four, twenty eight and one Timothy six't eighteen.
Some translations use the words share as a replacement for
impart because of the nature of what is passed, shared
(47:30):
or imparted. Legacy is serious stuff. We do it whether
we are aware or not, whether it's intentional or not.
Legacy happens. Legacy happens at the intellectual level and the
spiritual level. The Old Testament speaks to legacy. In Psalms
(47:51):
seventy eight and four. It reads, we will not hide
from them their children, but tell to the coming generation
the glorious d of the Lord and his might, and
the wonders that he has done. Deuteronomy six five through
seven reads, you shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul, and with
(48:13):
all your might. And these words that I command you
today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them
diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when
you sit in your house, and when you walk by
the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
And lastly, Psalms one forty five and four, one generation
(48:35):
shall command your works to another, and shall declare your
mighty acts. So you see, biblical legacy is connected to
our responsibility to our children and succeeding generations. We have
to be aware that God has made in the responsibility
of the fathers to speak into the life of their children,
(48:55):
to speak God's word into his children's life. In addition,
we are to model the life we speak of, teach
the word we live, and show examples in life of
what that looks like. The causes in our life capture
us and elicit from us that which burdens our heart
or our spirit, and inspires our soul. It leads us
(49:18):
to act and react. That are many causes that move me.
We live in a world in which causes are plentiful,
But of late, the one that bothers me and moves
me the most is the attack and marginalization of the
Church in the eyes of people, people outside of the Church,
and so many unfortunately within. I understand that this condition
(49:42):
is not uncommon in the history of mankind, but is
real and now prevalent in the day that I now live.
I believe God, I believe his word. I accept His
authority and sovereignty in the universe, the world, and my life.
The Church is God's gift to the reconciliation of man,
the re establishment of community, among men, the facilitation to
(50:07):
write relationship with God and man. The Church is the
means by which the love of God is demonstrated, taught,
manifested in the lives and relationships of those who are
the Church and represent God's Son Jesus Christ in the world.
The world, and far too much of the Church has
lost any semblance of awareness of the role of the
(50:27):
Church in our society and the unity of God. The
Church is, in some respects God's legacy to prodigal mankind.
Another perspective on legacy is found in the question what
will you be known for when you leave this earth?
The most influential people, those who leave behind incredible legacies,
(50:49):
will live on in the hearts of the people they touch. Physically,
they may no longer be a part of society, but
their principles, philosophies, and achievements will become immortal, spreading from
generation to generation. I often think about the myriad of
challenges that exist in the local church community and for
the community the church lives in. I formulate responses to
(51:13):
many of those challenges, even though I realize that I
don't have the means to solve most of them. However,
I feel it incumbent upon me and every leader to
ponder them and bring intellect and spirit to imagining solutions
to those challenges. It is consistent to our philosophy to
meet a need, make a friend, be a friend, and
(51:37):
win a soul. This it reflects itself in our ministry mission.
We have made the transition as a local church from
a passive in reach church to an aggressive outreach church.
Becoming a part of the community where our church is
located is high on our vision priority list. Our vision
(51:58):
includes the concept of our creating out of seven competency sinners.
As a pastor teacher, I have as my chief purpose
to teach impart God's Word, God's law, commandments, and promises.
In doing that, it's critical that what remains from that
teaching and impartation is truth, the truth that sets men
(52:22):
and women free, a freedom from the dominance and influence
of sin, self and faithfulness. It begins with me. I
must guard against the entrapments of self, individualism, fame, fortune, popularity,
and acceptance. All of that translates as a life philosophy
(52:43):
rooted and grounded in purpose. We each have a purpose,
and that purpose does not begin and end with us.
To follow a life purpose that begins and ends with
me translates to little or no positive or redeeming legacy
left to others. If my life is defined by stuff,
then stuff is all I can leave, all I can
(53:04):
pass on, and time eats up the value of stuff
to others. My name on a street sign, a bridge,
a school, a window, or a bench may cause people
to know my name, but there is nothing of me
that is passed on or remembered. What I do for,
with and through others to me is what constitutes legacy.
(53:29):
Legacy is not only the product of individuals, It is
also the product of people, organizations churches. Our local church
is currently engaged in building a new building. Our emphasis
and intent in the design of that building is tied
directly to our ministry, purpose and vision, not the esthetics
(53:49):
of the building itself. The new building is reflective of
our progressive evolution of our mission vision aimed at our community,
the people of that community, and meeting the needs of
the people in that community. Our mission statement says a
world in which the Saints of New Life are a
growing and caring community of faith, passionately modeling the life
(54:12):
of Jesus Christ, in which it is our aim to
cooperate with God to build a church that is great
enough to impact, greater to leedle, and focus enough to
make genuine disciples. If we as a church are to
be positive legacy contributors to our succeeding generations and the
community we serve, we must seek to be consistently engaged
(54:35):
in establishing and living out our positive biblical principles and practices.
We must impart and share the biblical promises of our faith.
We must live out God's commandments promoting the care and
grace of our Savior. We must remember and never forget
that our relationships and relational encounters in this life constitute
(54:58):
our contribution to this thing called legacy. Scripture does much
to help us understand the place and impact of legacy
in our life and the life of others. Proverbs thirteen
twenty two reads, a good man leaveth an inheritance to
his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner is
laid up for the just. This verse keys our goals,
(55:20):
vision and our legacy front and center. Joshua four and
six reads that this may be a sign among you
that when your children ask their fathers in time to come,
saying what mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall
answer them that the waters of Jordan were cut off
(55:41):
before the ark of the Covenant of the Lord, when
it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off,
and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the
children of Israel forever. A lasting legacy, one that continues
for eternity, is set in stone, written on our hearts
(56:02):
and the hearts of our loved ones. A belief in
Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God and
Savior of the world is the legacy that lasts. Leaving
a legacy is an important part of one's life's work.
A legacy develops from a life dedicated to self reflection
and will and purpose. What will be revealed and what
(56:24):
will endure is a truthful and value driven body of living.
Every one of us is going to leave a legacy.
It just depends on what kind. So what kind of
legacy do you want to leave? I encourage you to
think about it, because knowing how you want to be
remembered helps you decide how to live and work today.
(56:47):
Consider the following ways to leave a legacy. Number one,
a legacy of excellence. Saint Francis of Assisi said, it's
no use walking anywhere to preach. Unless you're preaching is
your walking? To leave a legacy of excellence, strive to
be your best every day. As you strive for excellence,
(57:09):
you inspire excellence in others. You serve as a role
model for your children, your friends, and your colleagues. One
person in pursuit of excellence raises the energy, standards, and
behaviors of everyone around them. Your life is your greatest legacy,
and since you only have one life to give, give
(57:30):
all you can. A second way to leave a legacy
is a legacy of encouragement. You have a choice. You
can lift others up or bring them down. Twenty years
from now, when people think of you, what do you
want them to remember? What stories do you want them
to tell? Who will you encourage today? Be that person
(57:54):
that someone will call five, ten, or twenty years from
now and say thank you. I couldn't have done it
without you. A third way to leave a legacy is
a legacy of purpose. People are most energized when they
are using their strengths and talents for purpose beyond themselves.
To leave a legacy of purpose, make your life about
(58:16):
something bigger than you. While you're not going to live forever,
you can live on through the legacy you leave and
the positive impact you make in the world. A fourth
way to leave a legacy is a legacy of love.
I often think about my mom, who passed away seventeen
years ago, and when I think about her, I don't
(58:39):
recall her faults in mistakes or the disagreements we had.
After all, who is perfect certainly not me. But what
I remember most about her was her love for me
and for others. She gave me a legacy of love
that I now share with others. Share a legacy of love,
and it will embrace generations to come. I recently read
(59:04):
an article on how to leave a legacy entitled how
to make an Impact. Number one, support the people and
causes that are important to you. Number two, reflect and
decide what is most important in your life. Number three
share your blessings with others, and number four be a
(59:25):
mentor to others. And lastly, number five, pursue your passions.
Your passions are your legacy. Passion comes from an outpouring
of the interests and ideas that make a difference in
your life. Finding and pursuing your passion allows you to
live your life wholeheartedly and with full intent. Leaving a
(59:48):
legacy is an important part of your life's work. A
legacy develops from a life dedicated to self reflection and purpose.
What will be revealed and what will endure is a
truthful and value driven body of living. For me, discovering Christ,
(01:00:08):
pursuing right relationship with him, understanding my purpose by and
through Him became my compassion because I believe that legacy
is what we deposit, share, imparting people, the people we influence,
the people we lead, serve and befriend. I can't say
that my legacy is complete. I am, as I said before,
(01:00:31):
still living, learning, growing, discovering, failing and succeeding as a
person in this world, and expanding my circle and sphere
of influence. But I believe that all that works together
to set the legacy of my life and my being.
And I'm not done yet. We all make legacy. It
(01:00:52):
just happens as we live. We don't all pay attention
to the legacy we are making and leaving. For some
consciously aware that as they interact and influence people, that
constitutes legacy. For others, they are so self absorbed self
focused that they give no thought of it or care
(01:01:13):
what their legacy may be. Let me close by reciting
for you the wisdom of others concerning legacy. All good
men and women must take responsibility to create legacies that
will take the next generation to a level we could
only imagine, Jim Rod, carve your name on hearts, not tombstones.
(01:01:40):
A legacy is etched into the minds of others and
the stories they share about you. Shannon Alder. If you
would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead,
either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.
Benjamin Franklin. No legacy is so rich as honesty. William Shakespeare.
(01:02:04):
The great use of life is to spend it for
something that will outlast it. William James. You make your
mark by being true to who you are and letting
that be your staple. Kat Graham. The legacy of heroes
is the memory of a great name and the inheritance
(01:02:26):
of a great example. Benjamin Desireeli. And lastly, your story
is the greatest legacy that you will leave to your friends.
It's the longest lasting legacy you will leave to your heirs.
Steve Saint, legacy we all have one, and we all
(01:02:46):
make one.
Speaker 3 (01:02:50):
Thank you for joining us on this deeply personal and
inspiring journey through the life and purpose of our guest,
Edward Cook. Through this story, we are reminded of the
power of faith, purpose, and surrendering to God's plan for
our lives. Edward's experience shows us that being true to
ourselves and embracing our relationship with God is the key
to unlocking our full potential. His ninety day exploration of
(01:03:13):
faith and purpose led him to a profound realization that
his love for God was not driven by external pressures
or expectations, but by genuine desire to live a meaningful
relationship with his Creator. As Edward discovered, our lives are
not merely a product of external factors or circumstances. Instead,
we are each born with a divine purpose, valued by
(01:03:36):
God and filled with unique gifts and talents. Embracing our
relationship with Him and seeking his guidance leads us on
a path of fulfillment and significance. Throughout Edward's journey, he
found that submitting to God's purpose doesn't restrict us, but
frees us to be our truest selves. It grants us
the strength to face challenges, the wisdom to make decisions,
(01:03:59):
and the capacity to love others wholeheartedly. Life is a
continuous journey of choices and opportunities, and by acknowledging and
embracing God's purpose, we can navigate this journey with confidence
and purpose. Just as Edward's decision to surrender his desire
for marriage led him to be the perfect life partner,
(01:04:19):
we too can find fulfillment when we trust in God's
plan for our lives. Remember, we are fearfully and wonderfully
made by God, and He has a unique purpose for
each of us. Let us embrace our relationship with Him
and live out our destinies with faith, passion, and love.
As we strive to make a positive impact on the world.
(01:04:40):
May we be inspired by Edward's wisdom to leave behind
a legacy of authenticity, purpose, and compassion. I'm your host,
Matthew Potter, and I'd like to remind you to give
hope a voice.
Let us pray follow peace with all men, and holiness,
without which no man shall see the Lord Hebrews twelve fourteen.
Dear Father, help me to strive for peace with the
relationships in my life consistently. It doesn't help me to
hold negative feelings in my heart toward others. There's no
benefit in having any feelings that can keep me back
(00:22):
from fulfilling my real purpose and calling. Allow me to
surrender to You instead of seeking control. Allow me to
strive for peace instead of having resentment. Allow me to
forgive when feelings of anger arise. Father, remind me to
always pursue and grow.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
In my faith.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Amen, thank you for joining us in prayer. Now for
the Relentless Hope Podcast, where we bring you true stories
and personal testimonies that will help you love your life,
lead with purpose, and leave a legacy of helping others.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
No matter where we find ourselves at the moment, Faith
will always show us the path to a purposeful life
in which we can strive for a positive impact on
the world through God's unconditional love. Today we learn how
close encounters with God can set us on a path
of humble service and unwavering faithfulness. Shaping our life and
the way we lead, and how we should strive to
(01:30):
lead the way Jesus did, always focused on our purpose,
undeterred by distractions. In this episode of Relentless Hope, Edward
Cook shares with us his cheap purpose to impact God's word,
commandments and promises, seeking to leave a legacy of truth
and freedom from sin. He also shares with us how
he believes legacy is what we deposit in others our words, wisdom,
(01:54):
and examples of character and integrity. Legacy, according to Edward,
is not limited to bequests or material possessions. It's the
impact we make on others through encouragement, purpose, and love.
He encourages us to strive for excellence, support meaningful causes,
and live wholeheartedly with passion. So join us on this
(02:16):
Relentless Hope episode as Edward Cook's wisdom inspires us to
reflect on our own paths and the legacy we will
leave behind. Let's embrace the legacy of authenticity, purpose, and
compassion as we strive to make a positive impact on
the world. Let's begin today's episode of Relentless Hope with
Edward Cook.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I wasn't saved because someone else wanted me to be saved.
I wasn't denying myself happiness or pleasures against a secret
desire for those same things I was denying. I wasn't
fearful that to live differently would lead to hurting my
loved ones. Those were not the reasons I loved God
deny myself. Sought to learn more about the Lord and
(03:03):
give myself to a lifetime of seeking and serving him.
I was saved because that was the life and purpose
of life. I chose for me, and He chose for me.
The only one in life I didn't want to disappoint
was God. I could not conceive of life without Christ
as my Lord and savior. My relationship with Him was
(03:26):
key and valued in my life. Strangely enough, in my
search for me, faith and purpose, I discovered Him not
just as savior, but as Lord.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
On Part one of this three part series, we will
explore Edward's encounters with divine calling, revealing the unexpected paths
that shaped his leadership philosophy. Through failures and triumphs, he
learned the timeless lessons of listening, obeying, and humbly serving others.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Life. Genesis won twenty six reads and God said, let
us make man in our image and after our likeness.
Jeremiah twenty nine and eleven says, for I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord thoughts
of peace and not of evil, to give you an
expected end. So much of our lives are determined by
(04:29):
factors we have little consciousness, awareness of, and even less
control over factors we are not comfortable acknowledging or admitting.
Some of the factors we typically think of as major
influencers in our life are who our parents are, where
we're born, and the circumstances we're born under and into.
(04:51):
Then there are the uncontrollables like our family a mother,
a father, sister or brother, our ethnic culture and traditions,
our DNA and inherited traits. These are all major contributors
and influencers over who we are. It is believed by
many that these things together all work to mold us
(05:13):
and shape us, and all work together to make us
the person we are and the person we become. But
I've learned that there is another factor, an influence and
a determinant that is often the least considered element in
the final determination of who we are or shall be.
An element that is present from our beginning to our
(05:36):
dying day. It is not known by most, and fewery
ever acknowledged that it plays any significant role at all
in determining who we are. Though this influence is not
known by most or may be greatly discounted by others,
it is, in my mind the most significant deciding factor
(05:56):
in determining who we are and who we will become.
It's buried deep but in plain sight in the scripture
Jeremiah twenty nine and eleven. For I know the thoughts
that I think toward you, Saith the Lord, thoughts of
peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
(06:20):
Every human being begins life who God imagined them to
be in his creative imagination, which means we are all
born with purpose. We are all valued by God. We
are all filled with talents and gifts, and have within
us a destiny. We don't look the same. Some are
(06:41):
short and others are tall. Some are black, brown, yellow,
or white. Some have a tendency towards slim, others have
a tendency toward plus size. Some are athletic, and others
are seemingly born with two left feet. We are imagined, created, made,
(07:02):
and born different. The beauty of life is in the
array of difference that exists in this world. Thus, the
living of our lives holds significance and meaning for Him,
for us and those who love us, even if we're
not always as valued, held in significance, or viewed as
(07:25):
meaningful in the eyes and lives of others. God makes
no rejects, and He makes no mistakes. Our finite minds
may not always understand or comprehend the infinite ways of God,
but it doesn't change the fact that God is omnipotent.
God is omnipresent, and God is omniscient. God is in
(07:48):
control and does all things well. When I think about
my life, I think of all of the things I've
said previously about influences and influencers, and of the societal, ethnic,
and family culture and traditions that existed and played a
part in my life. I think of my parents and
(08:10):
grandparents as major influencers. I think of my aunts and
uncles and church members, leaders and pastors, teachers, and friends,
all adding something to who I am. I think of
being inspired to pursue being the best me I could
be by both my mom and my dad. I remember
(08:31):
being the first child, the first son, child, the first nephew,
the first grandchild. Being first was natural and nice and
privileged in my life. But being first was also burdensome
because of its expectations, the expectations of others, and the
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expectations that I held for myself. They all helped to
set a high bar for accomplishment in any and every
sphere of my life. I didn't mind it. In fact,
it fueled me, and meeting expectations was never enough. I
sought to exceed everyone's expectations, including my own. It helped
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define me to me. But the one thing more than
any that influenced my life, my drive, my sense of
who I was and whose I was, was the knowledge
that before I was born, my mother dedicated me to God.
I don't know what prompted her to do so. Perhaps
it was in gratitude for a firstborn son. Nevertheless, she
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returned me to him, submitted my life to his care,
his use, and his perfect purpose. I've lived with this
knowledge all of my life, and early in my life
it made certain things inevitable to me. It was inevitable that,
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at the time of accountability, I would, on my own
free will, dedicate my life to God and his purposes
for my life. It was inevitable that satisfactory life for
me would be filled with acts of sacrificial ministry service
to others. It was inevitable that all that I learned, experience,
and gained would be cataloged, stored away to be later
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used in my service to God and others. At the
age of fourteen, though it was not my conscious plan
at that time, I received Christ as my Lord and
Savior and began living. Don't do this and don't do
that saved life. I lived it with no hesitancy, no regrets,
and in my mind, as far as I was concerned,
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there was no other way to live. It was also
inevitable that though my grandfather was a preacher and later
a pastor, there was no way I was going to
serve God that way. I wanted to be an architect,
a builder, an engineer, a baseball player, basketball player. Well,
the prospect for that was slim to none, too short
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in both stature and talent. I wanted to be a
lot of things, but preacher was not one of them.
I guess I forgot to ask God or sneak a
peek into his imagination when he imagined me and consoled
him concerning his plans from me. He began calling me
to him at seventeen, and I kept choosing to turn
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a deaf ear because that was not inevitable, so I thought.
Early in life, I was diagnosed with asthma. For all
of my formative years and will into my adulthood. I
was plagued with frequent and severe asthma attacks. It was
a mighty influencer. I experienced an area of my life
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where there were limits and delimiters placed on those expectations
wherever physical exercise or activity was concerned. The desire to
protect me in my earliest age made me want to
go beyond those diminished expectations and limitations. My grandmother was
my God sent, God ordained savior. In this instance, she
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suggested to my mother keeping me indoors and out of
the cold weather and overprotecting and coddling me was not
the way allow him to reach his limitations on his own.
That released me and fuel that exceed expectations. Mindset that
became and now it is more and more who I was,
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who I was to become, and who I am. Thank
God for Mama, Thank God for Louise. At nineteen years old,
I was in college and I had a crisis of faith.
I was challenged by a friend that I was living
an inevitable life, but also a life of fear. Fear
that to do anything different from what was expected of me,
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to live any different than I I was currently living,
would cause a disappointment to those who had taught me
and lived in front of me the life I was
now living. He positive that deep down within me, I
desired to do something else. I desired to live as
he was living, to live in another way than the
life I now led. But love and fear kept me
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doing and living different than my deepest desires. I dismissed
his words immediately, the very thought of what he said
was dismissed, But immediately at the same time, I began
to be haunted by those very thoughts. I began asking
questions that countless many others have and are still asking,
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concerning the truth of their faith and their walk with God.
Was it true? Was my life choice merely a lived
out expectation of others? Was there another way for me
to live that I and discovered that was more pleasing, satisfying, gratifying,
and fulfilling. Was I wasting my life with limitations and rules,
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dues and don'ts that robbed me of fun, pleasures, self satisfaction,
and just an opportunity to do what I wanted to
do and not what others wanted from me, of me
or wanted me to do. What was true and real
about me, about God, about faith, my faith. So for
(14:30):
ninety days I wrestled with those fundamental questions and more.
It was my come to Jesus moment, and it was
also my epiphany moment. Well ninety days later I had
answered all of those questions. I came to clear resolution
and conclusion. I wasn't saved because someone else wanted me
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to be saved. I wasn't denying my self happiness or
pleasures against a secret desire for those same things I denying.
I wasn't fearful that to live differently would lead to
hurting my loved ones. Those were not the reasons I
loved God, denied myself sought to learn more about the
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Lord and give myself to a lifetime of seeking and
serving him. I was saved because that was the life
and purpose of life. I chose for me, and He
chose for me. The only one in life I didn't
want to disappoint was God. I could not conceive of
life without Christ as my Lord and savior. My relationship
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with Him was key and valued in my life. Strangely enough,
in my search for me, faith and purpose, I discovered
him not just as savior, but as Lord. I discovered
that he and my mother had joined in presenting me
with a Jeremiah twenty nine to eleven as the pathway
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and motivation from my life. I was happy that Christ
was my Lord and my savior, but it was the
Lord part that was the clincher. It settled whose I was,
Knowing whose I was made Knowing who I am quite easy.
(16:19):
I didn't have to look within myself to discover myself
by myself. You know, it's tough for the wondering to
settle the reason for and end of wondering by looking
within the one who was wondering. Sounds like a tongue twister,
but it made good sense to me that in order
to find myself, I had to look at He that
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created me, that created me with purpose, that created me
with destiny. My life from that moment on took on
new meaning. Relationship was what God and me was all about.
Salvation was to restore right relationship with God. Jews and
don'ts were no longer important. My submission to God was important.
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I had come to value my relationship with God above
doing the right thing or not doing the wrong thing.
Now there was a different basis of my obedience, a
new and different governor over my actions, my thoughts, and
my desires. How do they affect my relationship with God
became my concern. Does what I do enhance or damage
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that relationship? Became the new basis for what I did
or didn't do. As I valued my relationship, I became
more and more the governor and not others and outside forces.
As I value my relationship with my parents as a child,
for example, and sought therefore to respect, honor, and love them,
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I discovered it was for those same reasons that I
valued my relationship with God. It is and was why
I would obey God, honor God, and submit to God.
Loved him and He loved me. That's what I learned
in my ninety day wandering experience. Everything going forward was
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to be put through the prism of valuing the relationship
I now understood and better understand what Paul meant when
he was saying in Romans eight thirty eight and thirty nine,
for I'm persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present or things to come,
(18:30):
nor height nor depth, nor any other creature shall be
able to separate us from the love of God, which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I discovered that that
passage was not merely a declaration from Paul of his
love for God has often thought, but it was also
a bold declaration of how much love God has for
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us and is committed to us. Verse thirty five asked
who shall separate us from the love of Christ? I
realized God, Jesus Christ had reconciled me, embraced me, yes,
the unworthy, justifiably guilty me, and sought relationship with me.
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That was the most significant ninety days of my life.
Over the course of my life, I've had many more
come to Jesus moments, Moments when I had to remind
myself that he's God and I'm not. He's all right
and I'm not. He's in control, I'm not. He knows where,
(19:37):
how and why of my journey. I don't even in love.
I came to understand that God had a purpose and
a plan, and that to be led only by my
flesh or soul was injurious to my relationship with him,
affected my hearing his voice or seeing his way. As
(19:58):
a young man, I desired to be married and follow
the normal pattern of young men to find my bride.
After several failed attempts at finding that special one on
my own and my own way, I decided to turn
that part of my life over to God as well.
I had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. I
don't know what I'm doing. It was some time later,
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but it did happen. One August evening in nineteen seventy one,
while attending the pre musical service to our state convocation,
I walked upon the one God had for me. I
knew it immediately. There were a few early obstacles, though
she wasn't really thinking about me in the same way
I was at that moment thinking about her. We knew
(20:45):
each other, but it was in a casual way. High
and see you around. But that evening, at that moment
I saw the present and the future. I said hello,
But instead of I stopped and waited and the rest
is history. Forty seven years later, we are still married
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and she's still the one, the only one for me.
There are many chapters in my life, as there are
with any life. These are just a few of the
chapters of my life, but they are the significant few chapters.
They helped establish the foundation of my walk, the strength
of my conviction, and the basis of right relationship with God.
(21:30):
Life is a continuum, and along that continuum there are moments, events, experiences,
and opportunities that come together and present it to us
choices and decisions. Those choices and decisions offer us opportunity
to receive or reject, learn or not to learn, succeed
(21:51):
or fail. We make decisions and choices, and we seek
to manage and control our decisions and choices because we
can't manage to control our circumstances and the results of
our decisions and choices. At the foundation of who I am,
who any of us are, is the purpose of God.
(22:11):
For us acknowledge and yield to His purpose, and we
reach the divine destiny he set for us from the beginning, Ignore,
be ignorant of or rebel against His purpose, and we
become nothing but the sum total of our uncontrollables, family, culture, DNA, heredity,
(22:32):
our experiences, our environment, others, wishes, hopes and dreams, and
on and on. And the end result of that mix
is being unfulfilled living beneath our privilege as God's children,
though created in His image and after His likeness. I heard,
to my surprise, God say these words, I release you.
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I was stunned and began to give God all of
the reasons he was mistaken in releasing me. I reminded
God of the condition of my grandfather, the dependency he
and the church had on me to stay the course,
steady the ship, and hold my pastor's arms up. In
my mind, surely God missed those details in this unexpected
(23:18):
declaration that I was released. But God's response to me
was swift and sure. I've got this. No one monkey
stops the show. This is my church, this is my man,
Pastor Thomas, these are my people, and I will take
care of him. I release you.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
On part two of this three part series, Edward shares
the pivotal moments that influential mentors and the relentless pursuit
of purpose. Edward also shares how he discovered the strength
that comes from walking in the footsteps of Christ and
staying true to or our calling, no matter the challenges
that confront up.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Learning to lead is a journey that begins with learning
how to humbly follow. It is in times of failure
that our greatest lessons for leadership are learned. To miss
those lessons is to guarantee failure in leading. Those two
statements probably best described my pathway to understanding what true
(24:25):
leadership is and the means by which I can make
any claim to being a good leader. A backward glance
along the path to leadership for me are many remnants
of my failure along the way. Being selected and sometimes
even being thrust into leadership has been common for my life.
(24:46):
This is connected to my being the first in so
many things in my life, the first child, the first nephew,
the first grandson, etc. There was an expectation of leadership.
The qualities emphasized to me concerning leaders and leadership where honesty, integrity, truthfulness, humility, character, trust, excellence,
(25:10):
and know your limitations. That last one know your limitations
emphasized to be by my father was related to me
in the following way. If you know you're not qualified
for a job, have the honesty of heart and presence
of mind to not take it. If after you've taken
(25:32):
a job and find you're not up to it, have
the honesty and humility to give it back. I've been
surrounded by good and great leaders all of my life.
Several of those leaders had a profound effect upon how
I fashioned myself as a leader. The most obvious influencer
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was and is Jesus Christ. Jesus first and foremost was focused.
He understood who he was, why he was, where he
was going, and how he was to get there. Whenever
Jesus met a problem, he consulted with the father or
follow the pathway that was natural for who he was
(26:16):
and who he represented. Jesus honored his father and the
purpose he was sent to fulfill on behalf of his father. Therefore,
Jesus was never distracted. He made decisions that kept him
on the pathway he started, and he didn't veer off.
Seeking to be like Jesus in this way was and
(26:37):
is challenging for me. In life, we have many distractions,
many disappointments, and it is sometimes hard not to be discouraged, dismayed,
and distracted. The lesson that Jesus teaches is that to
remain focused on the call and the task protects the
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precious moments we have to fulfill God's mission in us
and through us from many moments we really don't have.
We must always remember that we are joining God in
what he's doing. We are co missioned, co laborers, co
operating with him. He doesn't need us to initiate anything
(27:22):
for him. He asks us to join him in what
he's already doing without us. By the way, I say
all the time, I'm going to stop asking God to
bless what I'm doing. I'm just going to do what
He's blessing. And as I've said again so many times before,
(27:43):
that is not just a turn of phrase or an
example of clever wordsmithing. It's reflective of a knowledge and
attitude that says God is in control. The other major
influencers in my life. As a leadership model on an
example where Elder tt Thomas, my grandfather and my pastor,
(28:03):
he exemplified faithfulness, was a prayer, carried the virtue of
meekness well, and was long suffering. He showed me what
it means to serve another without ambition or divisiveness and
commit oneself to another man's vision. Bishop George Dallas mc
kinney inspired me to a belief that one could be intellectual, learned,
(28:27):
and anointed. Early in my life, when I was thinking
of preaching, Elder mc kinny came to our church as
a recent graduate of Oberlin College. He was young, energetic,
and represented someone to aspire to emulate. Elda mc kinny
was approachable, available, and always pleasant. OLDA. Mc kinny left
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Toledo when I was thirteen years old, but his influence
upon me has lasted for over fifty seven years. He
left me with a sense that integrity and character in
person and ministry are critically important. He remains one of
my favorite leader preachers. Bishop Walter Earl Jordan epitomized the gifted, personable,
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eloquent young leader. He assumed his pastoral leadership at a
very young age. I watched him lead a young congregation
through there and his maturity, and he led with dignity
and a sense of purpose and a strong sense that
he knew where he was and he knew where he
was going. He was innovative and he was not afraid
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to take a risk in leading. Eller Jordan was famous
for one liners and leaving you thinking about his pearls
of wisdom and gems of knowledge with HM. My most
frequently used principle I received from Biss Jordan was in
answer to my question of him, how do you maintain
your composure in the face of resistance, rebellion, and slow walking.
(29:59):
His respet was classic, I don't try to lead people
where they don't want to go. Bishop Jail Patterson, the
first presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ,
was also a great influencer on me as it applies
to leadership. Example, the year of his appointment was nineteen
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sixty eight. Nineteen sixty eight was my first year attending
the Church of God in Christ's Holy Convocation. In that
year's official message, Bishop Patterson's subject was taken from Revelation
three and one and until the Angel of the Church
and sardest right these things saith he that hath seven
(30:40):
spirits of God and the seven stars. I know thy works,
that thou hast a name, that thou livest and art dead.
That message impacted me in a profound way. It affected
my perspective on my personal walk. It brought me face
(31:00):
to face with the perspective that a church, my church,
needed to take an introspective look at herself and its
leader was bringing that to her. It spoke to me
on what the responsibility of leadership is to those who
choose to follow the leader truth. Bishop Patterson inspired me
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to think broadly, think outside of tradition, but not demean traditions.
He inspired me to excellence in preaching, excellence and leadership.
He served as presiding Bishop for twenty two years. In
the course of Bishop Patterson's leadership, I saw leadership that
was transformative, and it was also full of contention, controversy, resistance,
(31:48):
and at times chaos and turmoil. But in the midst
and in spite of those distractions of contention and controversy, resistance, chaos,
and turmoil, he demonstrated an ability to take it on
and adapt and lead. There are many others who made
an impression upon me and showed me insights to effective leadership.
(32:12):
They included Bishop G. Patterson, Bishop Charles E. Blake, Bishop
William James, and Bishop J. Delano Ellis. Each of them
had unique qualities that, if incorporated, would make you a
better leader. I believe leadership is at its best when
it is properly focused away from and beyond the personal
(32:32):
interests of the leader. Additionally, effective leadership is at its
highest integrity, but it is in alignment with something greater
than the leader. The Christian leader must always remember and
never forget that this is God's mission, God's vision, God's ministry,
(32:53):
and God's people. He's privileged me to join him in
what he is doing. I say all the time, and
I'm going to stop asking God to bless what I'm doing.
I'm just going to do what He's blessing. That's more,
as I've said many times before, than a turn of
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phrase or an example of clever wordsmithing. It's reflective of
a knowledge and attitude that said, God is in control
and he knows what he's doing. Of course, I have
in the past forgotten that very fact at times. I
can remember once deciding that because of the physical condition
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of my pastor my grandfather, because he had suffered a
stroke which accelerated the uncoming of dementia, which limited greatly
his ability to carry out his pastoral duties, it was
incumbent upon me, and I decided that it was important
for me to be around and support him in the
church and the people that I loved. At the time,
(33:57):
I was working for IBM as a marketing rep and
had reached a point where I needed to review my
five year development plan. Because of those aforementioned facts, I
informed my manager that I had decided to pursue my
career path in the Toledo branch office rather than pursue
promotion out of the branch along a pathway to upper management.
(34:18):
We concluded the plan, jointly signed off on it, and
it is entered into my employee file. Two weeks after that,
I heard, to my surprise, God say these words, I
release you. I was stunned and began to give God
all of the reasons he was mistaken in releasing me.
(34:39):
I reminded God of the condition of my grandfather, the
dependency he and the church had on me to stay
the course, steady the ship, and hold my pastor's arms up.
In my mind, surely God missed those details in this
unexpected declaration that I was released. But God's response to
me was swift and sure. I've got this. No one
(35:05):
monkey stops to show. This is my church, this is
my man, Pastor Thomas. These are my people and I
will take care of them. I release you. I went
away from that experience having learned a critical lesson about
God and about myself. About God, I learned this he
is always ahead of us. He knows all things and
(35:29):
never misses a detail. He knows where he wants you
when you are to be there, and what he wants
you to do, and what he wants to do with
you when you're in the place you're supposed to be.
About myself, I learned that, despite honorable intentions, when God speaks,
(35:50):
listen here and obey, regardless of how illogical it may seem.
Listen here and obey, regardless of how inconsistent it may
be with the status quo or what's comfortable, or even
what makes sense, or even what was truth yesterday. If
(36:13):
God says something, listen here and obey. And I learned,
and not for the last time, simply listen here and obeyed.
That lesson would be repeated and experienced a few more
times in my journey to become a leader. Another lesson
(36:35):
on my leader journey was when I was leading New
Jerusalem Church of God in Christ in a new building project.
We had determined that we had reached a point where
we wanted and needed a new church. We wanted and
needed a church that better served our growing congregation that
reflected who we thought we had become as a church,
(36:57):
and as a reward for our faithfulness to mission and
vision of the church. We were enthused, motivated, unified, and
in hot pursuit of our vision. We felt we had
the three elements that guaranteed success in God. We had vision, unity,
and leadership. Genesis eleven records for us that God himself
(37:20):
declared that those three elements were key to man achieving
anything he sets his mind to. And the Lord said, behold,
the people is one, and they have all one language.
And this they begin to do. And now nothing will
be restrained from them which they have imagined to do.
(37:47):
In that passage are the elements of unity, leadership, and vision.
What was missing in the vision of Nimrod and the
people who sought to build the Tower of Babble was
that God had not directed the building of the tower,
and glorifying God was not the purpose of the building
(38:07):
Genesis eleven and four. And they said, go to let
us build us a city and a tower whose top
may reach unto Heaven. And let us make us a name,
lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the
whole earth. What was missing in our endeavor to build
(38:27):
a new church, which was also missing in Nimrod's desire
to build the Tower of Babel that God had not
directed us to build. We felt that a new building
was the next logical thing for our ministry. Secondly, God
had another plan, and the location of that plan was
(38:50):
not Nebraska Avenue but Oakwood Avenue. I didn't understand God's
divine plan because it wasn't revealed to me. But it
wasn't revealed to me because in seeking Him in prayer,
I essentially prayed this prayer, Lord, this is what I'm
getting ready to do. Put your approval on it. Lord,
(39:10):
bless what we're doing. Though things seemed to be working
in our favor. We had enthusiasm to do it, commitment
from the people to make the sacrifices to get it done,
favoring the form of kind services, which saved us tremendous
amounts of money and greatly reduced our development time. But
(39:31):
one thing was missing. We did not have God's directed
purpose as our guide. God was way ahead of us,
and he wanted us to do another work that was
important to him, fit his agenda and fulfilled his vision
and not ours. So what are the lessons in this
short time? I seek to convey what leadership is and
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means to me? Leadership is a function of followership, servanthood,
God's will and purpose, and dependingly totally upon God for direction,
purpose and his chosen pathway. The best summary of leadership,
which I have come to understand and now seek to
(40:14):
guide my way is Robert Greenleas's description of servant leadership.
It reads thusly, the servant leader is servant first. It
begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve,
to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire
(40:36):
to lead. The servant first seeks to make sure that
other people's highest priority needs are being served. The best
test is do those served grow as persons? Do they
while being served become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more
(40:58):
likely themselves become servants? And what is the effect on
the least privilege in society? Will they benefit or at
least not be further deprived? That, my friends, is the
essence of being a leader. As a pastor teacher, I
have as my chief purpose to teach impart God's word,
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God's law, commandments and promises. In doing that, It's critical
that what remains from that teaching and impartation is truth,
the truth that sets men and women free, a freedom
from the dominance and influence of sin, self and faithfulness.
It begins with me. I must guard against the entrapments
(41:43):
of self, individualism, fame, fortune, popularity, and acceptance. All of
that translates as a life philosophy rooted and grounded in purpose.
We each have a purpose, and that purpose does not
begin and end with us. To follow a life purpose
that begins and ends with me translates to little or
(42:05):
no positive or redeeming legacy left to others. If my
life is defined by stuff, then stuff is all I
can leave, all I can pass on, and time eats
up the value of stuff to others. My name on
a street side, a bridge, a school, a window, or
a bench may cause people to know my name, but
(42:28):
there's nothing of me that is passed on or remembered.
What I do for, with and through others to me
is what constitutes legacy.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
On Part three of this three part series, we shall
explore the very essence of legacy. Legacy not just defined
by what we leave behind, but what we impart to
those around us. The gifts of wisdom, compassion.
Speaker 2 (42:55):
And love.
Speaker 3 (42:56):
Edward will unravel the profound impact we have on the
lives of others and the generations yet to come.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Each man and woman is born with a purpose, talents
and gifts, a God designed pathway, and a destiny. As
we live out our lives, we search for our purpose,
discover and use our talents and gifts, begin to take
steps along our pathway, all of which lead us to
(43:26):
our destiny. Along the way, we make decisions which are
influenced by family, culture, events, and circumstances which impact our
pathway and our destiny. At the end of life, the
sum total of our life experiences, choices, decisions, influences, relationships
(43:50):
all work together to form what some call destiny. So
what is this thing called legacy? What is it? What
does it look like? The common definitions of legacy are
a bequest or inheritance, a gift handed down, endowed, or
(44:12):
conveyed from one person to another, what we leave behind
for the people we serve. Some synonyms for the word
legacy are a state, gift, tradition, bequest, birthright, endowment, and heirloom.
(44:32):
That's what the world says legacy is. Some seek to
put legacy in perspective by asking and answering the question,
how do I want my grandchildren to remember me? And
what have I done that is memorable? That says that
legacy consists of memorable and significant events, accomplishments, and contributions
(44:54):
to life or society. But in my way of thinking,
that perspective is rather limit and dependent upon privilege, opportunity,
resource that is made available to one in life. It
removes large swaths of mankind from leaving a legacy to
succeeding generations, a legacy that they will have to fuel
(45:17):
their visions and dreams. I believe legacy is broader than that.
I believe that legacy is every man's gift to those
who associate with him, are related to him, work with him,
encounter him, succeed or follow him. So how would I
answer the question, how do I want my grandchildren to
(45:38):
remember me? And what have I done that is memorable?
I would say that it is rather difficult to answer.
At this moment. I'm still going through life, still doing,
still giving, still learning, still receiving, serving, teaching and growing.
There's still more to add to my contribution and building
(45:59):
of legacy. But if pressed to answer that question based
upon and up to now assessment, I would have to
say it's the full body of my life and work
in serving God and others, teaching and sharing God's word,
imparting experience, and any wisdom God has graced me with.
I choose to highlight those things in my life because
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I firmly believe legacy is what we deposit in others
from those skills, gifts, experience, and any wisdom we receive
from God and life. So how would I define legacy again?
The definition I'm most comfortable with is legacy is what
is deposited in people through their relationship or association with us.
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It includes our words, wisdom, life lessons, examples of character,
and integrity. It is connected very closely to impartation. The
word in part means to give, convey a grant. Impartation, then,
is the act of giving or granting something. In the Bible,
spiritual gifts are imparted Romans one and eleven, wisdom is
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imparted Proverbs twenty nine fifteen. The message of the Gospel
is imparted first Thessalonians two and eight, and material goods
are imparted Ephesians four, twenty eight and one Timothy six't eighteen.
Some translations use the words share as a replacement for
impart because of the nature of what is passed, shared
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or imparted. Legacy is serious stuff. We do it whether
we are aware or not, whether it's intentional or not.
Legacy happens. Legacy happens at the intellectual level and the
spiritual level. The Old Testament speaks to legacy. In Psalms
(47:51):
seventy eight and four. It reads, we will not hide
from them their children, but tell to the coming generation
the glorious d of the Lord and his might, and
the wonders that he has done. Deuteronomy six five through
seven reads, you shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul, and with
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all your might. And these words that I command you
today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them
diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when
you sit in your house, and when you walk by
the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
And lastly, Psalms one forty five and four, one generation
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shall command your works to another, and shall declare your
mighty acts. So you see, biblical legacy is connected to
our responsibility to our children and succeeding generations. We have
to be aware that God has made in the responsibility
of the fathers to speak into the life of their children,
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to speak God's word into his children's life. In addition,
we are to model the life we speak of, teach
the word we live, and show examples in life of
what that looks like. The causes in our life capture
us and elicit from us that which burdens our heart
or our spirit, and inspires our soul. It leads us
(49:18):
to act and react. That are many causes that move me.
We live in a world in which causes are plentiful,
But of late, the one that bothers me and moves
me the most is the attack and marginalization of the
Church in the eyes of people, people outside of the Church,
and so many unfortunately within. I understand that this condition
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is not uncommon in the history of mankind, but is
real and now prevalent in the day that I now live.
I believe God, I believe his word. I accept His
authority and sovereignty in the universe, the world, and my life.
The Church is God's gift to the reconciliation of man,
the re establishment of community, among men, the facilitation to
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write relationship with God and man. The Church is the
means by which the love of God is demonstrated, taught,
manifested in the lives and relationships of those who are
the Church and represent God's Son Jesus Christ in the world.
The world, and far too much of the Church has
lost any semblance of awareness of the role of the
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Church in our society and the unity of God. The
Church is, in some respects God's legacy to prodigal mankind.
Another perspective on legacy is found in the question what
will you be known for when you leave this earth?
The most influential people, those who leave behind incredible legacies,
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will live on in the hearts of the people they touch. Physically,
they may no longer be a part of society, but
their principles, philosophies, and achievements will become immortal, spreading from
generation to generation. I often think about the myriad of
challenges that exist in the local church community and for
the community the church lives in. I formulate responses to
(51:13):
many of those challenges, even though I realize that I
don't have the means to solve most of them. However,
I feel it incumbent upon me and every leader to
ponder them and bring intellect and spirit to imagining solutions
to those challenges. It is consistent to our philosophy to
meet a need, make a friend, be a friend, and
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win a soul. This it reflects itself in our ministry mission.
We have made the transition as a local church from
a passive in reach church to an aggressive outreach church.
Becoming a part of the community where our church is
located is high on our vision priority list. Our vision
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includes the concept of our creating out of seven competency sinners.
As a pastor teacher, I have as my chief purpose
to teach impart God's Word, God's law, commandments, and promises.
In doing that, it's critical that what remains from that
teaching and impartation is truth, the truth that sets men
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and women free, a freedom from the dominance and influence
of sin, self and faithfulness. It begins with me. I
must guard against the entrapments of self, individualism, fame, fortune, popularity,
and acceptance. All of that translates as a life philosophy
(52:43):
rooted and grounded in purpose. We each have a purpose,
and that purpose does not begin and end with us.
To follow a life purpose that begins and ends with
me translates to little or no positive or redeeming legacy
left to others. If my life is defined by stuff,
then stuff is all I can leave, all I can
(53:04):
pass on, and time eats up the value of stuff
to others. My name on a street sign, a bridge,
a school, a window, or a bench may cause people
to know my name, but there is nothing of me
that is passed on or remembered. What I do for,
with and through others to me is what constitutes legacy.
(53:29):
Legacy is not only the product of individuals, It is
also the product of people, organizations churches. Our local church
is currently engaged in building a new building. Our emphasis
and intent in the design of that building is tied
directly to our ministry, purpose and vision, not the esthetics
(53:49):
of the building itself. The new building is reflective of
our progressive evolution of our mission vision aimed at our community,
the people of that community, and meeting the needs of
the people in that community. Our mission statement says a
world in which the Saints of New Life are a
growing and caring community of faith, passionately modeling the life
(54:12):
of Jesus Christ, in which it is our aim to
cooperate with God to build a church that is great
enough to impact, greater to leedle, and focus enough to
make genuine disciples. If we as a church are to
be positive legacy contributors to our succeeding generations and the
community we serve, we must seek to be consistently engaged
(54:35):
in establishing and living out our positive biblical principles and practices.
We must impart and share the biblical promises of our faith.
We must live out God's commandments promoting the care and
grace of our Savior. We must remember and never forget
that our relationships and relational encounters in this life constitute
(54:58):
our contribution to this thing called legacy. Scripture does much
to help us understand the place and impact of legacy
in our life and the life of others. Proverbs thirteen
twenty two reads, a good man leaveth an inheritance to
his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner is
laid up for the just. This verse keys our goals,
(55:20):
vision and our legacy front and center. Joshua four and
six reads that this may be a sign among you
that when your children ask their fathers in time to come,
saying what mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall
answer them that the waters of Jordan were cut off
(55:41):
before the ark of the Covenant of the Lord, when
it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off,
and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the
children of Israel forever. A lasting legacy, one that continues
for eternity, is set in stone, written on our hearts
(56:02):
and the hearts of our loved ones. A belief in
Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God and
Savior of the world is the legacy that lasts. Leaving
a legacy is an important part of one's life's work.
A legacy develops from a life dedicated to self reflection
and will and purpose. What will be revealed and what
(56:24):
will endure is a truthful and value driven body of living.
Every one of us is going to leave a legacy.
It just depends on what kind. So what kind of
legacy do you want to leave? I encourage you to
think about it, because knowing how you want to be
remembered helps you decide how to live and work today.
(56:47):
Consider the following ways to leave a legacy. Number one,
a legacy of excellence. Saint Francis of Assisi said, it's
no use walking anywhere to preach. Unless you're preaching is
your walking? To leave a legacy of excellence, strive to
be your best every day. As you strive for excellence,
(57:09):
you inspire excellence in others. You serve as a role
model for your children, your friends, and your colleagues. One
person in pursuit of excellence raises the energy, standards, and
behaviors of everyone around them. Your life is your greatest legacy,
and since you only have one life to give, give
(57:30):
all you can. A second way to leave a legacy
is a legacy of encouragement. You have a choice. You
can lift others up or bring them down. Twenty years
from now, when people think of you, what do you
want them to remember? What stories do you want them
to tell? Who will you encourage today? Be that person
(57:54):
that someone will call five, ten, or twenty years from
now and say thank you. I couldn't have done it
without you. A third way to leave a legacy is
a legacy of purpose. People are most energized when they
are using their strengths and talents for purpose beyond themselves.
To leave a legacy of purpose, make your life about
(58:16):
something bigger than you. While you're not going to live forever,
you can live on through the legacy you leave and
the positive impact you make in the world. A fourth
way to leave a legacy is a legacy of love.
I often think about my mom, who passed away seventeen
years ago, and when I think about her, I don't
(58:39):
recall her faults in mistakes or the disagreements we had.
After all, who is perfect certainly not me. But what
I remember most about her was her love for me
and for others. She gave me a legacy of love
that I now share with others. Share a legacy of love,
and it will embrace generations to come. I recently read
(59:04):
an article on how to leave a legacy entitled how
to make an Impact. Number one, support the people and
causes that are important to you. Number two, reflect and
decide what is most important in your life. Number three
share your blessings with others, and number four be a
(59:25):
mentor to others. And lastly, number five, pursue your passions.
Your passions are your legacy. Passion comes from an outpouring
of the interests and ideas that make a difference in
your life. Finding and pursuing your passion allows you to
live your life wholeheartedly and with full intent. Leaving a
(59:48):
legacy is an important part of your life's work. A
legacy develops from a life dedicated to self reflection and purpose.
What will be revealed and what will endure is a
truthful and value driven body of living. For me, discovering Christ,
(01:00:08):
pursuing right relationship with him, understanding my purpose by and
through Him became my compassion because I believe that legacy
is what we deposit, share, imparting people, the people we influence,
the people we lead, serve and befriend. I can't say
that my legacy is complete. I am, as I said before,
(01:00:31):
still living, learning, growing, discovering, failing and succeeding as a
person in this world, and expanding my circle and sphere
of influence. But I believe that all that works together
to set the legacy of my life and my being.
And I'm not done yet. We all make legacy. It
(01:00:52):
just happens as we live. We don't all pay attention
to the legacy we are making and leaving. For some
consciously aware that as they interact and influence people, that
constitutes legacy. For others, they are so self absorbed self
focused that they give no thought of it or care
(01:01:13):
what their legacy may be. Let me close by reciting
for you the wisdom of others concerning legacy. All good
men and women must take responsibility to create legacies that
will take the next generation to a level we could
only imagine, Jim Rod, carve your name on hearts, not tombstones.
(01:01:40):
A legacy is etched into the minds of others and
the stories they share about you. Shannon Alder. If you
would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead,
either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.
Benjamin Franklin. No legacy is so rich as honesty. William Shakespeare.
(01:02:04):
The great use of life is to spend it for
something that will outlast it. William James. You make your
mark by being true to who you are and letting
that be your staple. Kat Graham. The legacy of heroes
is the memory of a great name and the inheritance
(01:02:26):
of a great example. Benjamin Desireeli. And lastly, your story
is the greatest legacy that you will leave to your friends.
It's the longest lasting legacy you will leave to your heirs.
Steve Saint, legacy we all have one, and we all
(01:02:46):
make one.
Speaker 3 (01:02:50):
Thank you for joining us on this deeply personal and
inspiring journey through the life and purpose of our guest,
Edward Cook. Through this story, we are reminded of the
power of faith, purpose, and surrendering to God's plan for
our lives. Edward's experience shows us that being true to
ourselves and embracing our relationship with God is the key
to unlocking our full potential. His ninety day exploration of
(01:03:13):
faith and purpose led him to a profound realization that
his love for God was not driven by external pressures
or expectations, but by genuine desire to live a meaningful
relationship with his Creator. As Edward discovered, our lives are
not merely a product of external factors or circumstances. Instead,
we are each born with a divine purpose, valued by
(01:03:36):
God and filled with unique gifts and talents. Embracing our
relationship with Him and seeking his guidance leads us on
a path of fulfillment and significance. Throughout Edward's journey, he
found that submitting to God's purpose doesn't restrict us, but
frees us to be our truest selves. It grants us
the strength to face challenges, the wisdom to make decisions,
(01:03:59):
and the capacity to love others wholeheartedly. Life is a
continuous journey of choices and opportunities, and by acknowledging and
embracing God's purpose, we can navigate this journey with confidence
and purpose. Just as Edward's decision to surrender his desire
for marriage led him to be the perfect life partner,
(01:04:19):
we too can find fulfillment when we trust in God's
plan for our lives. Remember, we are fearfully and wonderfully
made by God, and He has a unique purpose for
each of us. Let us embrace our relationship with Him
and live out our destinies with faith, passion, and love.
As we strive to make a positive impact on the world.
(01:04:40):
May we be inspired by Edward's wisdom to leave behind
a legacy of authenticity, purpose, and compassion. I'm your host,
Matthew Potter, and I'd like to remind you to give
hope a voice.
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