Terry Ewing
I am Terry Ewing, a 51 year-old in a 33 year marriage to Shaun, father of five, and grandfather of five. After serving fourteen years as an United Methodist minister, I founded Plumbline Ministries, a Christian counseling center. In July we will celebrate our seventeenth year. Our seven counselors all serve as missionaries. Each counselor raises their own support and offer their services for free. Our counselees are referred to us by our sponsoring churches.
I have a Bachelor degree in Psychology and a Masters of Divinity. I have authored two books; Stickman Theology and Stickman’s Battles. I am currently working on a fourth manuscript entitled Shades of Hell. This book will illustrate Biblical principles of healing and growth through the experiences of counselees diagnosed with D.I.D. (Disscociative Identity Disorder / multiple personalities). I also love to preach and teach on The Seven Deadly Sins, as presented in Stickman’s Battles.
Do you believe in your mission?
Does Al Gore believe that man-made factors contribute to “climate change”? If it is true that his nuclear family’s carbon footprint is fifteen times that of the average U.S. citizen, I would have to conclude that he is not really very concerned.
Do the TV evangelists who raise money for meeting nutrition and health needs of third world children manage these finances responsibly? If it is true that they paid thousands of dollars for the suit, shoes, and watch they are wearing, I would have to conclude that they are not trustworthy managers of missionary funds.
I am not raising these questions to create an opportunity to judge others (based on information I’m not even sure of). And, I certainly am not trying to establish a legalistic standard for judging your commitment to your calling. What I want to know is if your vision for missions (whatever is God’s calling on your life) is so COMPELLING that it disarms conflicting life visions.
You see, I’ve found that belief in your mission is a direct competitor to our human nature’s sin motivations. Our personal calling is not a task that God dumps on us, but a privilege He bestows. We see our temptations of greed, anger, sloth, pride, envy, gluttony, and lust as direct competitors with the compelling draw of our mission. In this light, our mission is a gift God has given us, as one incomplete work of the Holy Spirit, to facilitate our joy over our own sanctification. …Do you believe in your mission?