The Key to Our Country’s Next 250 Years – Top 3 Takeaways – July 6th, 2026
Takeaway #1: The Next 250
I woke up Sunday with a feeling that I typically will only feel on and around New Year’s Day and that you can likely relate to coming out of the holiday season. A renewed sense of purpose and a strong desire to go make things happen that will move the needle. That feeling wasn’t due to some extended break – in fact with numerous national guest and event hosting duties over the prior few weeks – my schedule was busier than it usually is. It also isn’t because Florida’s new fiscal year just kicked in. What I realized Sunday morning was that so much time, energy, emotion and effort had been wrapped around celebrating our country’s 250th birthday – that once the festivities had been completed it was time to move on and to meaningfully move the needle for the next 250 years. Over the prior week or two I’d increasingly brought you the remarkable case for our country, which in case you missed it, was literally founded on Divine Providence, as in that’s literally in the Declaration of Independence – the reminder that the difference between our country and every other country is that our rights are God given as opposed to government given and that if not for the U.S. the most likely outcome is that half of the world’s Jews wouldn’t be alive today, Israel wouldn’t be a country today, and there would be a minimum of 300 million fewer Christians to date (and counting by the day). Also, the statistical likelihood on July 4th, 1776, that the American story would have played out the way it did... ”essentially zero” to 0.001%. What is effectively statistical evidence of divine intervention on behalf of our country’s story. And I’ve pressed the reset button on those few points for the larger point about what needs to happen next. The key to our country’s success over the next 250 years will be getting back to basics and...
Takeaway: #2 Getting right with God
Here we are in the greatest country the world has ever seen, with the highest quality of life the world has ever experienced, all because our country was founded on God-given freedom and with divine providence and what’s the most common reaction by us? To take it all for granted. It’s often the case that during the holiday season we’ll pause to reflect on the meaningful people in our lives and take the time to appreciate what really matters. But much like New Years’ resolutions that almost never stick – those thoughts are often fleeting, and our day-to-day lives kick in and pull us away from what’s most important. I say this as someone with plenty of experience in doing just that thing. The top issue in our society today isn’t China, or Iran, or Russia. It isn’t even the rise of socialism/communism/Marxism within the Democrat Party in this country (or even Ketanji Brown Jackson’s wing of the Supreme Court). Our country’s history shows that when we’re focused on the right things – we can overcome all of those types of things. Our country’s biggest issue is risking losing our way. If you’ve ever read the Bible, you likely know this. For thousands of years wasn’t the story a slightly different version of a similar thing? When the Jewish people, and anointed leaders, would do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, they’d be rewarded with strength, comfort and prosperity. When the Jewish people and anointed leaders would do what was wrong in the eyes of the Lord, it’d all be taken away. In having this conversation with people from time to time a common reaction is...why in the world wouldn’t they just do what God called on them to do?! After all isn’t it obvious what happens when you do what God wants you to do and conversely the consequences? People will commonly refer to “aha moments”. Moments when things suddenly click. And it’s always in that moment – that something rather obvious should click. You can read the Bible, anticipate what will go well and what won’t. You can find yourself thinking...why in the world would these people defy God time and again knowing the consequences. But then realize how we’re no different. Almost all of us are so obviously oblivious in our day to day about living the way that we’re called on to do. And for all of life’s complexities that right there is the key. Getting back to basics. Life is complicated. This isn’t. In 1776 we founded a country on Judeo Christian values evoking Divine Providence to make the seemingly impossible a reality. Through our country’s rise we created a place for the establishment of hundreds of millions of Christians who’d have never exited and through maximum adversity in World War II defeated evil in its purest form which led to the reestablishment of Israel through our victory. While extremely flawed at times, our country spent most of its first 250 years doing God’s work – by allowing to God to work within us. The result in modern times is no different than the stories that played Biblically, and this takes us to the final point on the key to the next 250.
Takeaway: #3 What has God called on you to do?
Something that’s clear in the New Testament is that a) Our primary purpose in life is to live Christ-centered lives and b) to spread the good news of Jesus Christ dying for our sins to bring people to Him. And the Bible is also clear that if you’re doing an effective job, it will get uncomfortable for you at times. I’ve mentioned that as of now at least 300 million Christians can be attributed to the rise of the United States as a country and the world’s leading superpower. Over the past not-quite 2,000 years how many Christian martyrs do you think there have been? The lowest estimates sit at 70 million! The most common estimates sit at about 100 million! Back to where I started...You know you’re probably starting to move the needle at the point when the conversations become uncomfortable, and at the point in which you receive pushback. That would be my challenge for you to consider...This country for most of its history was not a politically correct country. God is our founding principal. God is on our money. God is within our Pledge of Allegiance. But where God within our schools? Where is God within our governments? These days political correctness has removed the foundational principals of this country – Judeo Christian values – from being a daily focus of our lives. God doesn’t do political correctness. The antheses of God does. The #1 key to our country’s next 250 years – is to refocus on how and why this miracle of a country got here. Every one of us plays a role in this. Embrace it and may God bless you and this country.