James Merritt - Character Still Counts: It Is Time to Restore Our Lasting Values

Table of Contents

Not only does James Merritt offer fresh insights into what it means to be a person of characterand why it matters more today than everbut he is a leader and visionary with exemplary character. The lessons youll gain from these pages will challenge and change you in all the best ways. You cant afford not to read this book.

Margaret Feinberg, author of Taste and See

One of my consistent prayers is that my gifts would never take me further than my character can sustain me. Im so grateful for a book that not only emphasizes the importance of character, but helps cultivate it. This book will inspire you, convict you, and challenge you toward the character of Christ, our highest calling.

Mark Batterson
New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker Lead pastor of National Community Church

I dont know of a more important topic now than this, and I dont know anyone more qualified to speak on it than James Merritt.

Rick Warren
New York Times bestselling author, The Purpose Driven Life

An important leadership book about leaderships most important topic: character . Merritts insights into the human spirit, the nature of leadership, and the mores of contemporary society are always insightful, at times breathtaking. Not only does Merritt give us a clear picture of Christlike character, he shows where that character goes against the grain of society. This book glorifies Jesus and will strengthen you.

J.D. Greear, PhD
Pastor, The Summit Church, Raleigh-Durham, NC

This is a must-read book for all aspiring leaders, parents, and educators. It gets to the heart of the most fundamentally important aspects of lifethat is, the cost of poorly made decisions. Dr. Merritt talks about those decisions, how to make them, and the price one pays when you get them wrong. This book is full of real-life examples of what happens when priorities are misplaced and reputations are ruined. More importantly, it paints a crystal-clear picture of how to prevent that from happening. Read itit could change your life.

Vice Admiral Wm. Dean Lee, USCG (ret)

Character Still Counts is a necessary chalice of cool water in the desert of our anything-goes era. Honest, compassionate, biblically astute and conversational, this book paints a redemptive picture of how the kingdom of God should work its way into our hearts and practices. There is always hope.

Mary DeMuth, author of We Too: How the Church Can Respond Redemptively to the Sexual Abuse Crisis

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE , OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Verses marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Verses marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Cover design by Studio Gearbox

Character Still Counts

Copyright 2019 by James Merritt

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97408

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-6944-4 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-6945-1 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Merritt, James Gregory, author.

Title: Character still counts / James Merritt.

Description: Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2019. | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019014893 (print) | LCCN 2019019020 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736969451 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736969444 (pbk.)

Subjects: LCSH: Character.

Classification: LCC BJ1521 (ebook) | LCC BJ1521 .M56 2019 (print) | DDC 179/.9dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019014893

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It is with deep sincerity

that I dedicate this book to

B OB H AWKINS

More than my publisher, he has become a dear friend

and encourager, and this book is a mirror image

of the character I have seen in him from the first time I met him.

Every time I am around him, I am constantly reminded that

Character Still Counts

Never have I worked harder on anything I have ever written (except my PhD dissertation) than this book. From the time my wonderful publishers at Harvest House suggested this book and my heart caught fire to write it, I have given it my very best effort from day one to write a work that would glorify God, edify the reader, and of course, satisfy my publisher!

I couldnt have done it without some very special people. I cannot brag enough on the great team at Harvest House, including, of course, president Bob Hawkins, editor par excellence Rod Morris, and the entire staff at Harvest House. Thanks for the honor of partnering with you!

I could not have done this without the help of my administrative assistant Kalli Overcash, whose tireless efforts in typing the manuscript was simply indispensable. My mind cannot conceive of a finer Christian lady, loyal servant, and faithful co-worker than Kalli. Thank you, Kalli, for staying sane andyeseven staying with me!

My agent, my chief advisor on writing, and my guardian editor is my BFF and my beloved son, Jonathan. I wouldnt even be in the publishing game without him. I love him and his brothers more than life itself. Thanks, son, for all you have done and do for me!

I must also thank the love of my wife, Teresa. She is the straw that stirs the drink. I couldnt pastor, preach, or publish without her help, encouragement, and support. Sweetheart, I love you forever and for always, and you will always be still the one.

Finally, I must close by praising my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who, as the book closes with, is indeed the main character of all of history, whose personal character is still the only gold standard of what true perfect character looks like, lives like, walks like, and talks like. His presence in my life is a 24/7 reminder to me that Character Still Counts . May my character always reflect his and bring glory to him all my life.

Contents

A while back, I met with the elders of a church, still reeling from learning that their longtime pastor had been involved in numerous adulterous affairs and other kinds of scandalous immorality. Sadly, this wasnt the first time Ive talked to people in this situation and wont be the last. I was impressed, though, by the wisdom and the maturity of the leaders of that church. Their first worry was not about the pastors moral failing but about his evangelistic success. Most of the people in this church first heard the gospel from this pastor, they told me. Most of them were completely secular and disconnected from Christianity. He was the first one they ever heard preach Jesus. He was the first one they ever heard teach the Bible. He baptized all of them. He discipled all of them. Were afraid that they are going to conclude that, since everything they knew of Christianity they learned from someone they now know to have been lying to them, that Christianity must therefore be a lie.