Shedding the Culture

By Jr. Carl Sherman

The truth is, your spiritual foundation is not what you project it to be. As a result, life is stagnant, purposeless, and unfulfilled. Now what?

Our world is dark. If the light that shines within us isn't bright enough to light our path, our timidity and lack of relationship with the divine planner will keep us stuck. Our

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: May 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9798893332285

Jr. Carl Sherman

Carl Sherman, Jr., is a Christian, prominent, nationally recognized progressive thought leader in education, and a trusted consultant among elected officials. After many public successes in elected office and business, God revealed just how far Carl had walked away from Him through a failed re-election bid, marital distress, financial distress, and isolation. His life crumbled around him until only Jesus could bring life into his future. Now, all things have become new, and Carl's success is a product of His faithfulness.Website: www.shermanvii.comInstagram: carlshermanjr

Book preview

Dedication:

To God: Who created all things and knows the beginning from the end. For Christ, Who conquered death and the grave and has all power and authority. My life is Yours.

To my family: Veronica, Trey, and Danielle. Here is another example of God including our lived experiences in His divine purpose. I love you.

Foreword:

When people reflect on their lives and select a Bible character they are similar to, most pick the most heroic moment of the most heroic character to make their case. Jesus could trust them to deliver His message to the world; they wouldn’t be the ones to deny Him. For me, my life to this point has been more along the lines of Samson, a man who was within the will of God but had allowed his relationship with the world to supplant his relationship with God. It wasn’t until God took me to the depth of distress and despair, with failure after failure, that He had my undivided attention and unwavering commitment.

Wherever you are on your journey, I pray that the Holy Spirit speaks into your life to give you God’s perspective of your current season. May my lived experiences strengthen your walk and/or serve to repair the breach, if any has occurred. May our lives give Him glory in victory and not in defeat so that our lives reveal His glory in the present as He gives us breath.

Preface

We live in a dark world that is increasingly critical of organized religion and overpowers Christian values, which leaves many to navigate life experiences devoid of the power that lives within us. Even those who have been converted sometimes lack the practical support to overcome the influences of worldliness, which limits their ability to be the kingdom men and women God has called us to be. This brief narration is written to serve as a practical guide for individuals seeking to live a Christian lifestyle, move beyond past experiences, identify and address the sin that separates them from God, build a healthy relationship with and expectations of God, and assess what is needed to follow the path God has outlined for them to follow. The intent is for the reader to repair and support their spiritual foundation so that God can work in and through them so that they can become the healthiest version of themselves and execute their Kingdom assignment.

Personally, it was almost as if the weight of the world had always been resting on my shoulders, a weight I never felt before then. Everything was falling apart, and the thought of letting it fall so I could begin building again was the strongest it had ever been. After I had done everything I knew to do and called everyone I knew to call, it was almost like a switch flipped in my mind, and things began to line up for me. There was a series of events that led me to surrender to God and see what happened – nothing else was working, and I had absolutely nothing to lose.

Over several months, slowly at first and then, all at once, it seemed life was the best it had ever been. It wasn’t that things were fixed overnight, but rather the significance of everything I had been carrying became more of an optical illusion than real weight when life was placed in the right context. I changed my approach and began asking God what He wanted me to learn and do with the experiences He had given me. Unfortunately, the right context can be hard to come by in a world full of distractions and competing agendas, so it was difficult at times. Peter Drucker said, Culture eats strategy for breakfast, and in the business world, he is right. No truer words were spoken on this topic. But why stop in the world of business when culture is destroying the power that rests in all believers? Adopting the belief of Dr. Tony Evans, all things visible and physical are rooted in the invisible spiritual realm, meaning that if all you see is