If we met in an elevator I would politely volunteer all the numbers that are supposed to summarize my life. 44 years ago I was born, native of Atlanta, lived around here most of my life. 31 years ago I met Jesus - that is a big plot point. Do you really want more details on that one in the elevator? 22 years ago I finished college with a music degree, and no idea how to make a living doing that. 21 years ago I started leading worship at churches, I ve been involved in that ever since - think keyboard player and backup vocals, that s my jam. 18 years ago I decided it was also fun to pay the bills, so I started a software company with a great friend from college. We still have the same business - better than ever. 16 years ago I married Amy, the most amazing woman in the entire world. Sorry, that might be shocking to learn in the elevator that your wife is not actually the most amazing person in the world (mine is) - but give it time. 13 years ago our first son, Luke was born. Luke, I am your Father... Yes, I did that. 9 years ago our second son Jonah was born. I love that Bible story. Don t get me started on that one, actually - the door is about to open. 5 years ago our family made our latest addition in a 10-pound Shih Tzu puppy named Casey. I have a picture, yes, very cute. Ok, those are the numbers. Ding. We ve arrived at the ground floor now. If you want to know me better then we ll need to sit down over coffee, I know a great place right here in the lobby. That thing that happened 31 years ago needs more explanation - because it s really the ballgame. - Ben Sykes

Preface First, the obvious: God is not simply the sum of a list of qualities. Our relationship with God is not like a job interview where we ask the person/deity in front of us to list their positive traits - what qualities might merit a relationship - then decide whether we want to work together. If this silly scenario were true, then God might say, I am holy, sovereign, just, and good. I am eternal. I never sleep. I am forever faithful. I am unchanging. Impressive (but clearly over-qualified, move on ). A resume is just a place to start. The person is more. We must come into contact with the real person, be touched by him before we truly know him. Christmas teaches us this. If we glanced at that resume we would never expect the new-hire to walk in on Monday morning as a newborn baby, lying helpless in a manger in Bethlehem. Yet He did - and that baby was fully God. The problem is not in God s own list of qualities that He gives us in His Word. The problem is with us. Apart from God and His grace (named Jesus ), we wouldn t know real holiness if it hit us in the face. Our small version of holiness might be don t make any mistakes. God s holiness is about SO much more than Him being a great test-taker. Our small version of sovereignty might be that all the strong people get their way because they must deserve it. From God s seat there is more to it. Our version of justice might just be a fancy synonym for winning (as if life were simply a contest). God s justice is different. You see the pattern? God cannot simply tell us what He is like and hope we appreciate His merits. He has to show us - in person. He has to come down with us and help us reconstruct our understanding of all these qualities first. Only then will the scales come off our eyes and we will say ah, that s holiness, and ah, that s You, God!. Only then will God s command for us to become like Him really resonate. Until we allow God to teach us again, like little children, what it really means to be holy and strong and powerful and just and good then we will treat our relationship with God simply as a means for us to become better versions of ourselves. To be our best selves (by our own definitions). But God has broken into history (Merry Christmas!) and God has taken away our sin and shame and given us GOD S CHARACTER BEN SYKES - "1

His Spirit (Happy Easter!). In light of this good news, the command is to know Him. This requires us re-learning what we thought we already knew but never really did. Yet God is patient with us. We must own our faults and misunderstandings, not because God is disappointed with us and mad, but so that we might label things correctly for the first time. I know what holiness is now. It is Jesus! I know what goodness is now. It is Jesus! And then with God s Spirit always with us, we live our lives in ways that are new because we want to be more like Him. To really know God we must go all in and put our own character on the table too. This is the gift given to us in the Bible: a written history of people from many ages being touched by God, learning more about Him, and in the process seeing their own lives change. GOD S CHARACTER BEN SYKES - "2