I’m About To Do Something Crazy (and I want to take you with me)

Kent Murawski

This is part 3 of the Something Greater series. You can also check out Part 1  and Part 2.

So I’m thinking of doing something crazy. Maybe it’s because I can’t sleep and I’m up way past my bedtime, but I just can’t stop thinking about it. It’s one of those o crap moments that are sink or swim.

And I want to take you with me.

Photo by Kirstin Mckee via Flickr

I’m turning 40 this year…

I’m almost forty years old; thus the reason for my insanity =). I don’t want to live my life having wondered what I could have or should have done. It seems the older you get the more you desire comfort, want to take less risks and are tempted to rely on your own strength, but we are to walk by faith not by sight. Here is something I’ve learned: faith always involves risk. It’s been said that walking by faith is like climbing out on a limb, unsure of whether or not it will hold you up but knowing God is there to catch you if you fall. I’m not referring to foolish risks, but calculated risks rooted in the will of God and the word of God. Having taken the time to discern His will, you are then able to move in confidence.


When you walk by faith, the impossible becomes probable.
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I want to go on an adventure with God. In my obituary I want it to be said that I pursued God and lived His dreams. I don’t want to have regrets. And I know you don’t either. That’s why one of my dreams is to make the dreams of others a reality.

What does this mean for me?
I’ve decided not to go back to working a part-time job and take God at His word. You see, for the past 5 years, we have been planting a church in Cambridge, MA just across the river from downtown Boston. Home to both Harvard and MIT, Cambridge is one of those very influential, intellectual and urban environments that also make it a very difficult place to start a church. God has done amazing things but it hasn’t been easy. One of the areas that has been the most challenging is the cost of living. As a result, I’ve been bivocational for the majority of the time we’ve been here. Then in September of this past year we officially “launched” Journey Church (it’s like a grand opening) and things went really well. You can read about a little of the process here.  It was a privilege to see many new people either begin a relationship with Jesus or come back to Jesus. In preparing for the launch, we were able to raise enough money both to do the launch and be full time in ministry. Now that it’s over and the extra money is gone, we’ve made the decision to stay in full-time ministry and not go back to work. It is a step of faith and a stretch, but Gina and I feel confident the Lord is in it. That’s what I mean by doing something crazy.

This is His calling for us. As Gina and I have been praying and seeking Him, He’s continually reminded us of this promise:

The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:10 ESV)

What does this mean for you?
Maybe you’re thinking, does that mean I have to leave my job? Of course not (unless that is God’s will for you)! Your step of faith will probably look different than mine, but like me maybe you feel tired of status quo. If so, it’s time to take a step of faith. So what I’m about to ask you to do should be a calling rather than an emotional response.

I’m not saying you should leave your job (unless that is what God is asking you to do). I’m encouraging you to take a step of faith. I’m asking you to pray and respond in obedience. I’m asking you to make a decision. I’m asking you to take a step.

Taking a calculated risk

1) Discern. Do the hard work of discerning God’s will for your life. This could take days, weeks, months, or sometimes even years, but God is not trying to hide it from you. He simply wants you to seek Him. He delights in revealing His will to you. Remember, you are His child and friend (see John 15:15).

2) Prepare. Depending on the step of faith God is asking you to take, preparation may be required. If the step requires moving your family across the country or across an ocean, there is a lot of preparation required. Obeying God’s will and doing something radical doesn’t mean we don’t prepare. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus asks the question, “For who would begin the construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?” (see Luke 14:28 NLT) Take the time to prepare. You won’t regret it.

3) Step out. You can do all the planning in the world but it still comes down to a moment when you have to make a decision! You are one decision away from changing your life. Steps of faith can be both terrifying and exhilarating. I remember clearly when it came time to sign our first lease for an apartment in Cambridge and we were freaking out because the amount of the one-year lease was more than my whole salary the previous year! We had to call our pastors to talk us through it. They encouraged us through the fear and we were able to step out in confidence.

Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Is there something you’ve felt to act on for a long time yet you’ve been scared to death to do? Is there a regret you have or something you wish you could have done or would have done for God?

          If so, it’s time to act.

I’m not telling you to do something rash. I’m simply saying, follow Jesus, regardless of the cost. (see Matthew 16:24-25)

I don’t know what it looks like for you. It could mean:

  • Starting or stopping a habit
  • Making a commitment to daily read your Bible (George Mueller read the Bible in its entirety over 200 times throughout the course of his life. Maybe that’s why his faith level was so high!)
  • Becoming a missionary
  • Writing a book
  • Finding a new job
  • Sharing the gospel with a co-worker

The point isn’t to do what I am doing or what others have done. The point is to follow Jesus. He’s worth it all. He’s trustworthy. He can be taken at His Word. He can be trusted.

Step Out
Pray and ask God if you are trusting him and leaning not on your own understanding. Simply pray and obey.

If you are tired of status quo and ready to take a step of faith, let me know about it and encourage others on their journey by responding to this or leaving a comment on my blog. 

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By Kent Murawski July 28, 2025
When was the last time you ended a summer feeling more energized than when it started? ​​Summer brings changes for many of us—minimizing our motivation to work, disrupting work routines, and altering schedules. With summertime often comes a desire to slow down, and yet, we're not always sure how to do that. This week is my last new post for a little while (though I may resend some popular posts from the 2024-2025 season). I’m pressing pause to create space and pour my energy into finishing my new book. But stay tuned—when I’m back in six weeks, the newsletter will be refreshed with some exciting updates you won’t want to miss! Read to the end to find out more. In this week's edition of Catalyst, I want to share 3 ideas to help you effectively navigate summer. 3 Ways to Master Summer Without Burning Out 1) Stop and Think (Reflect) Socrates famously said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." For Socrates, life was more than pursuing the things that most men occupy themselves with, things like wealth, household affairs, status and position, and political clubs and factions. He believed that life only has value and meaning when we question what we think and know, and by more deeply understanding ourselves and others. The beginning of summer is an ideal time for reflection, and we all tend to occupy ourselves with the things Socrates talked about more than we probably care to admit. Taking a reflection day at the end of each quarter (consider removing "or trimester" for conciseness) can be an effective way to navigate seasonal changes. Finding a place far enough removed from your normal day-to-day life will help you get into a different headspace. A friend of mine often says: Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective. I've used hotels, monasteries, or even a beautiful outdoor location if the weather permits. Here are a few questions you might want to ask: How am I feeling spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically? How are my closest relationships doing? Am I living out my core values? Is my life moving in a direction I feel good about? What do I need to change or adjust? Here are a few ideas for how to conduct a reflection day: Prayer, meditation, or silence Review your biggest wins and assess your goals from the previous quarter Work on high-impact projects that require focus Preview the upcoming quarter and set your Big 3 goals: personal, marriage/family, work/business 2) Cut the Non-Essentials (Reevaluate) Both my wife and I work, so when summer arrives, we need to re-evaluate our schedules to accommodate our twelve-year-old son. In the past, I've made the mistake of trying to keep the same workload despite being home with him two days a week. I ended up frustrated all summer long, living in the tension of wanting to spend more time with him while trying to carry the same workload. Summer requires me to pare down my work roles to the essentials: Writing (currently working on a new book) Executive coaching (6-8 coaching clients) Relationship building and outreach Necessary administration (keeping this to 30% or less of my responsibilities) Moving forward, I will probably keep things this way. It feels more sustainable than the unrealistic expectations I previously held myself to. Once you define your key roles and responsibilities, the question becomes how to achieve better work-life integration not work-life balance. I use the Big 3 System. Choose only three big things to focus on at one time—quarterly, weekly, and daily. That's right, just three. Those three things are usually a combination of personal, marriage/family, and work. Each quarter, I typically choose 1 personal goal, 1 marriage and family goal, and 1-3 work goals, depending on the quarter. Here are a few questions to consider. If you have a partner, discuss them together: How does your schedule change in the summer? What work-related responsibilities and expectations do you need to adjust? What are 3 things you want to do this summer? What do you NOT want to do? 3) Choose What Matters Most (Rest) Paring down expectations isn't only for work, it applies to rest, too. Because it's summer, there is the temptation to want to fit in everything (—vacation, visit family, trips, fun, etc). In the past, we would try to do so much that by the time fall rolled around, we were exhausted. Last year, out of necessity, we planned a staycation instead of going away. It was one of the best vacations we've had in a long time. And besides, summers in New England are gorgeous! 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They understand that rest isn't what you do after the work is done—it's what makes the work sustainable in the first place. You've got this.
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For Socrates, life was more than pursuing the things that most men occupy themselves with, things like wealth, household affairs, status and position, and political clubs and factions. He believed that life only has value and meaning when we question what we think and know, and by more deeply understanding ourselves and others. The beginning of summer is an ideal time for reflection, and we all tend to occupy ourselves with the things Socrates talked about more than we probably care to admit. Taking a reflection day at the end of each quarter (consider removing "or trimester" for conciseness) can be an effective way to navigate seasonal changes. Finding a place far enough removed from your normal day-to-day life will help you get into a different headspace. A friend of mine often says: Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective. I've used hotels, monasteries, or even a beautiful outdoor location if the weather permits. Here are a few questions you might want to ask: How am I feeling spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically? How are my closest relationships doing? Am I living out my core values? Is my life moving in a direction I feel good about? What do I need to change or adjust? Here are a few ideas for how to conduct a reflection day: Prayer, meditation, or silence Review your biggest wins and assess your goals from the previous quarter Work on high-impact projects that require focus Preview the upcoming quarter and set your Big 3 goals: personal, marriage/family, work/business 2) Cut the Non-Essentials (Reevaluate) Both my wife and I work, so when summer arrives, we need to re-evaluate our schedules to accommodate our twelve-year-old son. In the past, I've made the mistake of trying to keep the same workload despite being home with him two days a week. I ended up frustrated all summer long, living in the tension of wanting to spend more time with him while trying to carry the same workload. Summer requires me to pare down my work roles to the essentials: Writing (currently working on a new book) Executive coaching (6-8 coaching clients) Relationship building and outreach Necessary administration (keeping this to 30% or less of my responsibilities) Moving forward, I will probably keep things this way. It feels more sustainable than the unrealistic expectations I previously held myself to. Once you define your key roles and responsibilities, the question becomes how to achieve better work-life integration not work-life balance. I use the Big 3 System. Choose only three big things to focus on at one time—quarterly, weekly, and daily. That's right, just three. Those three things are usually a combination of personal, marriage/family, and work. 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We went to see a movie, ate out, went to Six Flags, had a beach day, and took days in between just to relax. We loved it so much, we're doing a staycation again this year! Write down your list of summer expectations and plans. Now, cross out everything that feels exhausting and unfun. Don't try to fit everything in this summer. Pick a couple of things that feel life-giving and focus on those. Your Move Reflect. Re-evaluate. Rest. Choose one of the three and work on it in the next 24 hours. Plan a day of reflection. Have a conversation with your spouse. Choose how you're going to rest this summer. I don't care which one it is, just take action. Here’s one question to consider: What would you stop doing this summer if no one was watching? Most people think summer is about maximizing experiences and fitting everything in, but the truth is that the most productive leaders use summer to strategically subtract, not add. They understand that rest isn't what you do after the work is done—it's what makes the work sustainable in the first place. You've got this.
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