Jimmy’s Table Podcast

We live in a world that encourages us to "dream big" and "shoot for the stars." Everyone from politicians to preachers to self-help gurus say we need to be bold visionaries who "change the world" by setting "harry audacious goals." Personally, I'm starting to find such talk rather boring and uninspired. And I worry that perhaps, all of our "dreaming big" talk is getting in the way of the small and noteworthy things of value in this life. In a world full of dreamers that want to put a man on the moon and become titans of industry, I dare to dream small. I don't want to change the world. I simply want to be a better neighbor, love my family, and look out for the marginalized and those in need. And in the end, when we have to give an account of our lives to God and stand before the Lord in judgment (Matthew 25:31-46), it is the small things we will utlimately have to answer for. We will be judged on the small things that we did for “the least of these,” not on whether or not we fulfilled our big dreams. Dare to dream small.

Hi, I'm Jimmy Humphrey. I was born in the North but raised in the South. Originally from Chicago, I moved to the greater Charlotte area when I was about 5 years old, where I've lived ever since. In me exists the tensions of a man that enjoys both ice hockey and sweetened iced tea. I went to Bible college and seminary to study theology and prepare for ministry at Lee University and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. But as I like to say, "life happened" and somehow I ended up with a career in the mortgage industry at one of the nations' largest banks. I'm currently a jumbo mortgage underwriter for a living. I married in my early thirties, and unfortunately divorced by the time I was 40. Through this experience I learned a lot about sorrow, joy, and understanding how Christ helps carry our burdens. (Listen to "A Man Of Sorrows" - Episode #118 where I share my story further). Growing up, I saw the importance of the kitchen table in the life in my family. The kitchen was the central room in our house, by which we entertained and fed family, friends, strangers, and neighbors. We had important and lively conversations about anything and everything, and ate some pretty legendary food along the way. Family and community were ultimately built simply by breaking bread together. I don't believe this is by accident. I believe this is by Divine design. Eating a communal meal together is one of the most basic primal and spiritual things we can do as humans beings, and often distinguishes us from animals, who tend to eat with a much more competitive "dog eat dog" mindset. In the Bible we see the importance of eating together, and in the Scriptures, eating together is one of the great redemptive themes of Scripture. When God wanted to change the world, He didn't lead people to march in the streets with clinched fists lifted in the air. When God wanted to lead a revolution, He did so by initiating a common meal. We see this in the Passover meal celebration, by which God liberated the Hebrew people from slavery and Egyptian bondage. We see this in the Last Supper, in which all of God's redemptive work in Christ was forever memorialized by sharing bread and drinking wine. We see this in the apocalypse and in the book of Revelation, where all of the redeemed come together to celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. So, I invite you to enjoy my podcast, and most importantly, have ongoing conversations with me about the intersection of faith, life, and culture. Thanks for stopping by! Jimmy Humphrey [email protected]