S12: Episode 6 – A conversation about Mike Huey’s book titled ’Intimacy with God: Changing You. Changing Your World.

We often hear people say that life is unfair. Well, that may be true, but have we considered the hopeful side of life? Yes, you read that right; there is hope. As the song goes, ‘There’s a rainbow always after the rain.’ There will be times when nothing seems to go right, and problems pile up, but don’t despair, because there’s always a rainbow after the rain.

We had the privilege of speaking with my friend, Mike Huey, who is an author, business coach, leader, and entrepreneur. He is an incredible overcomer, having gone from being a single father of three children, residing in his parents’ basement, getting fired from a job, and experiencing bankruptcy, to becoming a CEO. Mike shared how many times he went down with his career but kept on restarting and now owns his own consulting firm, coaching CEOs.

Mike encourages people to keep learning, just as he has devoted 10% of his time to reading, learning, and attending seminars. His character and resilience in bouncing back after failures have taught him valuable lessons, which is why he has incorporated all of his learning and experiences into the company he owns.

Mike was immensely proud when his eldest son complimented him for his ability to overcome difficult situations and maintain optimism, traits that his son adopted and that have shaped him. His son now owns a company with approximately 200 employees.

Mike wrote a book called ‘Intimacy with God: Changing You. Changing Your World.’ while experiencing all of his adversities. He did not back down but remained hopeful, and those challenging circumstances played a significant role in shaping him into what he has become, teaching him valuable lessons along the way.

Mike shared 6 stages of spiritual growth in a person (this is not his own, but there was a study conducted way back in the 70s):

Stage 1: People turn to faith; if you’re a Christian, your faith is in Jesus Christ. You ask for forgiveness of sins, seeking a fresh start. This doesn’t mean you won’t face struggles, but your sins are forgiven, and you don’t need to work for their redemption.

Stage 2: Learn the fundamentals of whatever the church is.

Stage 3: Follow those principles.

Stage 4: Start experiencing life that does not sync with the sound bite solutions that we heard in stages 2-3 in church life. Then restructure your faith. Going back to what you really believe, what’s real.

Stage 5: Intimacy with God. It is not what we learn in Sunday school or learn in some class; it’s really built on our relationship.

Stage 6: How do we operate like the disciples did in the New Testament in our world? We are God’s instrument in the world.

Mike shared a scientific explanation for why we should rely on or trust the Bible, highlighting its process of canonization and other factors. While Mike wrote a great book, he isn’t willing to die for it. However, many people throughout history were persecuted and willing to die for the sake of preserving the Bible’s existence. For him, this was undoubtedly a sign of something great within it!