Early access to Built to Last (preview inside)
A Six-Week Journey Through Ephesians to Strengthen Your Identity in Christ
Hi friends,
Karen and I just got back from a trip celebrating our twentieth anniversary, and one of the things I was excited to get back to was continuing the work on my upcoming book, Built to Last.
Most of us spend a lot of time trying to figure out what we should do with our lives. We ask questions about purpose, calling, leadership, and responsibility. But before the Bible ever talks about what we do, it talks about who we are. The book of Ephesians begins there. Before Paul tells believers how to live, he reminds them who they already are in Christ.
It’s a six-week journey through the book of Ephesians focused on identity before activity, who we are in Christ.
Over the past couple of weeks I quietly started forming a launch team for the book, and I’ve already had 12 readers volunteer to be part of it. That encouragement means more than you know.
I’m capping the launch team at 40 readers so it stays manageable and intentional.
Here’s how it works:
Launch team members receive early access to an online draft preview (view-only PDF) of the book. In return, they read through it, offer honest feedback, and post a review on Amazon during launch week.
Those first 48 hours after a book releases make a bigger difference than most people realize, and early readers help carry the book further than I could on my own.
If you’d like to be part of the launch team, just reply to this email and I’ll send the details.
To give you a sense of the tone of the book, I’ve included the introduction below.
INTRODUCTION TO BUILT TO LAST
Before You Ever Build a House…
I was almost 23 years old, still living with my Mama and Tom, and by most measures, I was a good guy.
I had a job.
I stayed out of trouble.
I paid my bills.
But I still felt like a kid.
Part of that had to do with the fact that I was still being treated like one. Some nights I’d come home late, and Mama would be sitting there waiting. Not mad. Not lecturing. Just…waiting. I’d reassure her that everything was fine, and she’d remind me, kindly but firmly, that she was my Mama, and that worrying was part of the job.
Eventually, she gently suggested that it might be time for me to look for my own place.
She wasn’t wrong.
I didn’t feel completely ready, but I felt ready enough. And sometimes, that’s how life moves forward.
So I started looking at houses.
The first one I seriously considered was $65,000. That sounded like an astronomical amount of money to a 22-year-old who still felt surprised when adults asked his opinion. Walking through someone else’s house while a realtor talked to me, not past me, not over me, was surreal. At one point I remember thinking, “Oh…she’s asking me what I think.”
The house wasn’t fancy, but it was mine. It had a covered patio, a carport, a big wooden storage barn out back, and a little shed by the side door that I jokingly called “the guard shack.” I signed the papers. I got the keys. And then I walked into an empty house.
No furniture.
No appliances.
Nothing.
I bought a bed and a dresser. Family friends donated furniture that didn’t match in any way, shape, or form. I didn’t care. I had a house. For the first week, I didn’t even sleep in the bedroom. I fell asleep on the couch most nights, watching British comedies on Channel 8, half-excited and half-overwhelmed.
Then reality showed up.
About a month in, I came home and the house felt like an oven. The thermostat read 92 degrees. That didn’t seem right. I called my Uncle John, and he confirmed what I suspected—the central unit’s thermostat was shot. Thankfully, I had purchased a home warranty. The repair cost me $90 instead of hundreds.
That was my first lesson in homeownership.
Owning a house wasn’t a sit-and-wait situation.
Things broke.
Things needed attention.
Small issues could turn into big ones if ignored.
I learned quickly that responsibility had shifted. The house wasn’t just something I lived in—it was something I was responsible for.
At the time, I thought buying a house was a rite of passage and a financial milestone. What I learned instead was that anything worth having requires work and ownership means responsibility.
And here’s the thing,
A lot of people feel the same way about faith.
The Turn Toward Ephesians
Many of us come to Christ and receive something far greater than a house. We’re given forgiveness, identity, inheritance, purpose, and belonging. Scripture tells us we are adopted, sealed, and made alive in Christ.
But then we stand there, keys in hand, wondering:
What do I do now?
How do I live in this?
Am I even ready for this responsibility?
The book of Ephesians was written to believers who had already been given everything…and were still learning how to live like it.
That’s where this book comes in.
Setting Up the “Big Toolbox”
Think of this book as a big toolbox. Not something you read once and put on a shelf, but something you return to as needed.
Inside, you’ll find:
daily Scripture readings
reflections that connect faith to real life
practical “Live It” steps
deeper questions for growth
dinner-table devotionals for families
leader guides in the back for small groups or classes
You’ll also find sections for:
salvation (because you don’t have to be “ready” to begin, God already paid the price)
rededication (because sometimes things pile up and the house needs work)
next steps (because faith is meant to be lived, not stored away)
Whether you feel like you’re building from the ground up, moving into something new, or renovating what’s been neglected, you’re not alone.
God doesn’t just give us keys.
He teaches us how to live in the house.
And He’s really good at renovations.
As we walk through Ephesians together over the next six weeks, we’ll begin where Paul begins — with identity. We’ll look at what God has done for us, what He says is true about us, and how those truths shape the way we live every day. Along the way you’ll find Scripture, reflection questions, and practical prompts designed to move faith from theory into practice.
You don’t have to rush through this study or get everything perfect. Just show up, open the Word, and take the next step.
Because faith that lasts isn’t built in a single moment.
It’s built one faithful step at a time.
And when identity is anchored in Christ, the life built on it is built to last.
Thanks for being part of this community. Your encouragement, prayers, and conversations around these posts are a big reason these books exist in the first place.
Let’s build something that lasts.
— Maury
Looking forward to it