Category: Digging Deeper

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV)

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STEPPING OUT IN FAITH

 

We learned on Sunday that God had a blessing in store for Abram, but to receive the blessing, Abram had to trust God’s Word, step out in faith, and leave all that was comfortable to him. This required a lot of faith because he was a successful businessman with established relationships and connections. God’s call was a call to separate himself from the corruption around him, and Abraham obeyed by faith. His faith opened the door to God’s blessings.

 

Imagine two letters that are sent to the post office. One letter is typed beautifully by a word processor. It is typed on exquisite, expensive stationery. There is not a word misspelled. It is beautifully framed. Everything is perfect, not a smudge, not a smear. It is perfectly addressed and it’s placed in the mail.

 

Another letter is written. This letter is written on common notepaper like a yellow legal pad. It’s stuffed into an envelope. It is written in pencil. It is full of grammatical errors. It is smudged and dirty. It has erasures on it. But there’s a difference in the two letters. The first letter, so beautifully written, has no stamp on it. The second letter, written in pencil, with smudges and smears, has a stamp on it. Question: Which letter will be delivered?

 

Faith is the stamp that gets your letter on through—faith. Some people may pray beautiful prayers; I mean they are eloquent, and they may be right, and the content may be good, but there is no stamp on the letter. (Adrian Rogers)

 

Bible scholar, Warren Wiersbe, writes, “The life of Abraham is an example for all Christians who want to walk by faith. Abraham was saved by faith (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:1–5; Gal. 3:6–14) and lived by faith (Heb. 11:8–19), and his obedience was the evidence of his faith (James 2:14–26).”

 

Reflection

Obedient faith hears what God’s Word is saying to me and responds with appropriate action. What did you hear from God’s Word in the sermon this week? What was God saying to you? How did you respond?

 

Prayer

Praise God for His faithfulness to keep the promises in His Word. Ask God to grow your faith to step out and trust His promises.

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Dr. Larry Grays is the father of four and lives in the Canton area. Larry consults with churches, schools, city governments, and businesses nationwide. He’s been a member of the NorthStar family for over 20 years.

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Colossians 3:12-14 (NLT)

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DRESSED TO LOVE

Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Albert Einstein all shared something in common. They often would be seen wearing the same outfit. Every day, they would get up and put on the same outfit as the day before, or one so similar that no one would know the difference. The idea is that this is a choice that you need to make every morning, so rather than spending time choosing their daily look, they would wear the same thing every day, so they would have more brainpower to put into the tasks that matter.

Paul encourages his readers to clothe themselves in the same outfit each day. Read the passage above and imagine how clothing yourself in mercy, kindness, humility, and patience would look in your daily life. How would making this your daily routine change your life and the people around you?

I have heard of people praying through the armor of God. They mention each piece of armor and imagine putting it on. What if we did the same thing with this passage, clothing ourselves for the day in love and forgiveness? We could pray through each attribute, consciously adding it to our daily ensemble. Then, if you are one of those who put on the armor of God daily, add that on top. After all, armor without clothing under it would be much less effective.

Take a moment and pray through Colossians 3:12-14. Ask God to clothe you in the attributes it lists. Ask him to prepare you to show love today. Pray that all who see you will see the love of God in all you do and say.

 

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Chris Boggess is the Next Generation/Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.

1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (NLT)

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THE ONLY WAY TO WIN

There is a scene in the movie Elf (if you will indulge a Christmas movie reference here on the cusp of summer) where Buddy, the protagonist of the movie, is walking around New York City when he sees a neon sign in a window that reads “World’s Best Cup of Coffee.” Buddy immediately turns back, walks into the diner, and says, “Congratulations, you did it!” while everyone in the restaurant stares blankly at him. In Buddy’s childlike perception, he believes the sign, but we know it is just an advertising ploy.

We live in a world where winning matters. Everyone wants to be the best at whatever they are doing. I play games with middle schoolers often; they want to win no matter what we are playing! I have heard serious arguments over a foul ball in a kickball game where the only prize was winning, and for them and many of us, winning matters!

In the passage above, Paul describes someone the world would say is a winner by any measurement. The person is an intellectual polyglot who can speak with angels. They know what God is planning. They can perform miraculous acts. They give things to people in need and will do whatever for others. If you need an organ, they are your donors! This person scores on every measurement. But Paul explains that the final score needs one more calculation. Add all these things together and subtract love, and your final answer is zero, nothing! Anything minus love becomes valueless. Just doing things without loving the people is like putting a sign in the window that says “World’s best cup of coffee.” It’s meaningless – or worse – it is deceptive. Love is what gives our actions meaning.

Take time to pray and ask God to show you the area in your life where everyone would say you are “winning,” but you have missed out on the love. Ask God for help injecting his love into everything you do.

 

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Chris Boggess is the Next Generation/Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;^[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (ESV)

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WHERE SHOULD WE LOVE?

There are places where I am not good at showing love. One is my truck. It’s just that there are so many people on the road who are actively making themselves difficult to love! My dashcam proves it! They cut me off, change lanes without their blinker, or turn on their blinker and start coming into my lane even though I am here next to them in my bright red truck, which has somehow been rendered temporarily invisible. It’s easy to write people off whom you don’t know and who are separated from you by a wall of glass and steel.

But really, the truck is just a symptom. To tell the truth, I am not very loving in many places, and you probably aren’t either. Look at the list above in verses 4-7. We love that list. We read it at weddings and hold it up as an example, but it is a mirror. It shows us how far we are from being loving people.

If you don’t think that’s true, just put your name in place of love and see how far you get before you feel a bit convicted. “Chris is patient and kind; Chris does not envy or boast; he is not arrogant or rude. He doesn’t insist on his own way…” You get it, right? It gets tricky in verse 7 because of that recurring phrase “all things.” That includes the times when things don’t go your way. This passage shows us the ideal and how far we miss the loving mark.

Take time now to pray through the first verses of 1 Corinthians 13. Ask God to show you where you are falling short, and ask him to make you more loving. Ask God to show you (or perhaps you already know) the places where you tend to be less loving and ask him to help you change that.

 

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Chris Boggess is the Next Generation/Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV)

 

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)

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WHO SHOULD WE LOVE?

Commander Mitsuo Fuchida was a Japanese pilot during World War 2. He was a leader in the attack on Pearl Harbor that started the war and was active throughout. He devoted his life to the warrior culture that permeated the Japanese military. Revenge and honor were the two things that drove him. He survived the war with several near misses on his life.

After the war, many Japanese went on trial for war crimes because of the mistreatment of American POWs. Fuchida assumed that the U.S. had treated the Japanese POWs just as severely. When he spoke to a friend who had been a prisoner, his friend relayed a story of the kindness of an American woman, Peggy Covell, whose missionary parents were killed by Japanese soldiers. She showed compassion instead of taking revenge on these men who were her enemies.

Fuchida became interested in Christianity because of the actions of this one woman and eventually became a believer, preaching around the world and leading many to Christ.

Most of us are mindful of the passage above from Mark 12. After all, we hear it every Sunday, “Love God, love people, live sent.” But Jesus had a more difficult call than just loving our neighbor. The “love people” part of our challenge includes people who are actively opposed to us. God calls us to love our enemies because that is not the world’s culture. Loving our enemies stands out.

Take a moment to pray and ask God to show you who you need to love, not just your neighbor and those who are easy to love, but also the tough ones. Maybe it is someone you work with or perhaps someone from a different political party. Maybe it’s a family member who gossips behind your back or someone whose lifestyle differs from yours. It will be difficult, but it is not beyond what the Holy Spirit can do in your life, as Jesus says at the end of the passage in Matthew, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Pray that God will perfect your love.

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Chris Boggess is the Next Generation/Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Colossians 3:12-14 (NLT)

 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 

1 John 4:7-10 (NLT)

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WHAT IS LOVE?

What is love? This seems like a straightforward question. I mean, we all know what love is, right? I love my wife, I love my job, I love my neighbor, and I love… pizza? We throw around the word love a lot. But what do we mean by love? Pizza isn’t a genuine rival for my affection for my wife. That would be weird. I know what I mean by love in those examples, but if you didn’t know my definition, you might not understand who I am. You need to know what I mean when I say love, and if we want to understand the scriptures above, we need to know what they mean by love.

God wants us to love like he does. In 1 John, we read that God is love. It’s not that He is good at loving or even the best at loving, but he IS love; it’s part of Him. So we can learn to love from Him. The prime example of God’s love is Jesus dying for us.

The verse from Colossians tells us to “clothe ourselves” in love. What we wear is a choice we make, just like the kind of selfless love that Scripture suggests we have toward others. In the same way, earlier in the verse, it tells us that God chose us to be his holy people whom He loves. He loves us, not because we are worthy of love, but because He chooses to love us. Then He calls us to love others similarly, not because they are worthy, but because we choose to love like God.

Take a few minutes to pray and ask God to show you the people today who need to see the love of God through you.

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Chris Boggess is the Next Generation/Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.

8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

2 Peter 3:8-9 (NLT)

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THE GAME GOES ON (FOR NOW)

 

I’ve now completed the baseball life cycle: I was called out and safe by umpires as a player, I yelled at umpires as a coach, and I am now getting my due as an umpire. And with all this talk of anger, patience, and long-suffering this week, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share a relevant umpire story on the matter.

It was just a couple weeks ago. I was behind the plate for a 16U rec game at a local park. In the bottom of the first inning, I had to call “time” and walk out to the mound to speak with the pitcher. He was upset because I wasn’t calling pitches “strikes” to his liking. He let me know this through facial expressions, shaking his head, and waving his arms in protest.

“I don’t expect you to agree with every call I make,” I said. “But you’re not going to continue to act this way when I make a call you don’t agree with. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. But you need to exercise some self-discipline and keep it to yourself. This is a warning.”

Later in the inning, with a 2-2 count on the hitter, the catcher tried to frame what he believed should have been Strike Three. The problem was that it was a foot off the plate and in the other batter’s box. The pitch hit the mitt, and he took a couple steps toward the dugout and was about to roll the ball out the mound, thinking the inning was over. Not hearing anything from me, he looked back over his shoulder.

“Where are you going?” I asked. “Don’t try to pull that stuff with me. Especially on a pitch that far off the plate.”

“I thought it was a strike,” he replied.

“You thought THAT was a strike!?!?” I exclaimed. I then showed him with my foot where the pitch was. “It was way out here in the other batter’s box.”

The catcher didn’t like that I was giving him the business and started mouthing off. I called his coach out and explained what was happening, and that I was doing all I could to keep his catcher in the game. We eventually continued and finished the inning. This was only the beginning.

The next inning, the same pitcher and catcher were out there again for this team. Same thing was happening – pitches missing inside or outside, between 6-12 inches off the plate. The catcher certainly wasn’t helping, as he held the pitch for 2-3 seconds each time.

Finally, one of the assistant coaches had seen enough. “Come on, Blue. You’ve got to give him something!”

I called “time” and held up my hand. “We are NOT arguing balls and strikes. Especially when they are a foot off the plate and in the other batter’s box!”

The assistant coach chimed in again, and once more I stated sternly that we would not be arguing balls and strikes. The head coach then replied, “Well, SOMEONE needs to!”

As you may suspect that coach was ejected from the game. And it only got uglier from there. More arguments, more unkind words from coaches on one team towards parents from the other. It was snow-balling, and I was doing all I could to avoid a melee.

One parent (on the well-behaved team) asked, “Why don’t you just end the game? This is miserable for everyone!”

I replied, “The only reason I haven’t ended the game is for the kids who are doing the right thing out here. They deserve an opportunity to play.”

Some of us wonder the same thing about God: why hasn’t He just ended this “game”? With all the misery, tragedy, and evil in the world, it’s a valid question. On that note, let’s revisit our verse of the day from 2 Peter 3:8-9.

Time as we experience it here and now is not the same as how God views it or experiences it. And, there’s one reason why He is patient with humanity in Jesus’ second coming: He wants everyone to come to know Him!

When you see and feel the pain of this world, remember His plan is perfect, as well as His timing. His love for us all keeps the gates of heaven open and provides an opportunity for the lost to find their way Home!

 

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C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.

12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us…

14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins

Matthew 6:12, 14-15 (NLT)

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ONE ANTIDOTE TO IMPATIENCE

 

We’ve been wrestling with patience and long-suffering this week, and it occurred to me that we often endure these epic struggles far longer than God ever intends. The culprit: unforgiveness.

I journeyed through this topic with my men’s small group a couple years ago, and it was a doozie. Using R.T. Kendall’s Total Forgiveness as our guide, we clashed head-on with this universal struggle and had some memorable – and occasionally fiery – exchanges along the way. Some guys in the group had been dealing with deep hurt that had held them captive for decades. Others carried bitterness and resentment with them because of excruciating pain they had endured as a result of another’s choices.

Kendall shared candidly in his book that he sought the counsel of a trusted friend when he, too, was amid a trial. He confided in someone far removed from the situation – someone who lived in another country, in fact. Hoping to draw a sympathetic ear, Kendall shared the details with his friend.

“Is that all?” the friend asked.

“Yes, that’s it,” Kendall replied.

“You must totally forgive them,” the friend stated.

“I can’t,” said Kendall.

“You can, and you must,” the friend insisted.

Perhaps you get a bit agitated when you read this exchange. After all, Kendall had been wronged and was grieving over it. Certainly, he is justified in his bitterness and resentment!

In the flesh? Absolutely. As a follower of Jesus Christ – quite the contrary!

The Lord’s Prayer even addresses this. Perhaps you recite it from rote memory, and you miss the clear message Jesus shared on this very issue. Take another moment to read the words above from Matthew 6:12, 14-15.

We are asking God to forgive our sins AS WE FORGIVE others’ sins against us! And, if that isn’t enough, Jesus says our Heavenly Father will forgive us to the extent we choose to offer forgiveness to others. It goes both ways!

Not to be confused, Jesus isn’t talking about revoking our salvation if we don’t forgive. What he is saying, however, is that our relationship with God will be broken if we don’t offer forgiveness. Likewise, our relationship with Him is restored when we choose to forgive and place it at His feet.

Does forgiveness always remove the hurt? Of course not. But it prevents us from compounding that hurt by holding ourselves hostage through bitterness, rage, and resentment.

Kendall shares, “Having been on both sides, I can tell you: the peace is better; the bitterness isn’t worth it.”

When we place it in God’s hands, and make the conscious (yet difficult) decision to forgive, we are set free!

 

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C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)

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LOVE AND LONG-SUFFERING GO HAND-IN-HAND

 

There are two different types of patience spoken about in Scripture. One is the patience needed in a season of waiting. The other is equally challenging: when we have had our fill of someone’s attitude or behavior; or, in our righteous indignation our fuse has neared its end. This is known as long-suffering.

Webster’s Dictionary defines long-suffering this way: “patiently enduring lasting offense or hardship.”

In the Bible, long-suffering is comprised of two Greek words meaning “long” and “temper.” The Lord is often described as being long-suffering in Scripture, particularly in the Old Testament. Time and again, we see His people (Israel) falling into a vicious cycle: walking with God > pulling away from God > God’s hand of blessing being removed > hardship > repentance > God’s mercy and compassion (REPEAT).

The Lord is a self-proclaimed jealous God! He has our very best in mind, and when we stray, it hurts Him deeply. He will discipline us and allow painful consequences to re-direct our paths, but in his loving-kindness, He will eventually comfort us and restore us if we turn to Him.

If you have ever weathered a storm of life in which a loved one has made a series of poor choices, you know exactly how brutal long-suffering can be. We want so desperately for our family member or friend to get on a healthy path – one with direction, joy, and meaning – one with God at the helm! In the meantime, however, we suffer, not knowing when the pain will end, and if this person will ever make a lasting change.

So, what’s our response in the interim? To love them. As the Apostle Paul wrote in the scripture above, we are to “be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” But we’ve got to take it a step further and ask this question: Why is love the proper response?

In a different letter – one he wrote to the Church at Colossae – Paul explains why we must choose love over anger:

Make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:13-14 (NLT)

It can be tough to reconcile this, but you’re not excusing someone’s actions by loving them! But you are letting them know that love is more powerful than whatever has led them to this difficulty. And, as we read in yet another of Paul’s letters: love never fails.

 

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C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.

And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NLT)

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PATIENCE OPENS UP ‘A WHOLE NEW WORLD’ OF OPPORTUNITY

 

Perhaps my all-time favorite animated movie is Disney’s Aladdin. I love everything about it: the soundtrack, the story, the characters – particularly Genie, portrayed by the vocal talent of the late comedian Robin Williams. But a great story isn’t the same without villains. In Aladdin, the villains are Jafar, the grand vizier of Agrabah – the sultan’s most trusted advisor – and his cantankerous parrot, Iago.

Jafar is a cold, calculating schemer with his eyes on supplanting Jasmine’s father as Sultan. While Jafar is determined to make his desire for power a reality, he is willing to play the long game. Iago is equally motivated by riches and power but has reached his boiling point. Getting his beak incessantly stuffed with crackers has made him rather salty, and he’s ready for a change in leadership. As Jafar and Iago attempt to gain access to the hidden treasure in the Cave of Wonders, they ultimately come away empty-handed.

Iago is incensed, and goes into a tirade:

“We’re never gonna get a hold of that stupid lamp! Just forget it – look at this, I’m so ticked off I’m molting!”

And then comes Jafar’s famous response: “Patience, Iago. Patience!”

I can’t tell you how many times my wife has uttered these words to me and our sons through the years when we’ve gotten a bit impatient. But, as we see in Iago’s actions, as well as later in the movie, when Jafar is insulted by Aladdin, anger and impatience are closely aligned – and it’s a dangerous pairing.

We’ve all likely heard this marriage advice from friends and family: Don’t go to bed angry. It’s wise counsel for several reasons, but Ephesians 4:26 without 4:27 is incomplete. Why shouldn’t we go to bed angry? Because “anger gives a foothold to the devil.” Another translation says, “Give no opportunity to the devil.”

In our anger, we are unable to think clearly, and the enemy pounces! He only has a few weapons in his arsenal, and chief among them are accusing and lying. In fact, here’s what Jesus had to say about Satan:

“He (Satan) has always been a murderer and a liar. There is nothing truthful about him. He speaks on his own, and everything he says is a lie. Not only is he a liar himself, but he is also the father of all lies.”

 When you’re drawn toward anger (and it very well could be justified), you need to heed these warnings! Instead of allowing the enemy to gain an advantage over you, lean into Christ and remember his love for you, and recall all the times He has forgiven you! You’ll likely drift off to sleep a little quicker when you do!

 

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C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.