Eric Eurēn
6 min read ⭑
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
There’s much more to a meal than palate and preference. How does your go-to order at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?
I grew up in a family that enjoyed having family time at the dinner table. Both my parents are great cooks in their own ways. Mom’s style is Southern comfort food, and my dad was military basics and BBQ. Because of my father’s business, I was exposed to a lot of different cultures as a child, which included food.
Going out for a meal was an opportunity to spend time with others and “break bread” like in biblical times. The atmosphere of a restaurant and the acoustics for being able to have a conversation with others is just as important as the food. In 2016, I joined my wife on the Paleo diet, which now influences my food choices, but there are often occasions for a little bit of cheating.
QUESTION #2: REVEAL
We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests, but we tend to hide them. What do you love doing that might surprise (or shock) people?
It’s no surprise to my friends that I like cars and Star Wars. I love building racecars, and I enjoy driving them even more. The day I turned 16, I got my driver’s license and had my own car ready to go. I would go driving on the back roads where I lived, praying to the Lord and seeking out little hideaways where I could get away with him.
I don’t have the time anymore to build cars and go on drives like I used to, but I still collect Star Wars toys and play lightsabers with the kids in my life. As a young kid, I would look for biblical themes in the first six movies, trying to predict the story arc for the next film.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness. Every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?
In the book I wrote, “Are You Being Robbed? 8 Essential Keys to Reclaim Your God-Given Purpose,” I address the five callings people can receive, how we can know the calling God has for us, and the importance of walking in our calling. All of the five callings are essential and important in the body of Christ, but each one also has its own “kryptonite,” which further points to the need for all five callings to work together.
One weakness of my personal calling is that I tend to have a very broad vision and big dreams when it comes to setting goals. This allows me to see the big picture, but I tend to overextend myself.
Fortunately, my wife is a very practical person, and she helps me be more realistic. You may have heard the saying, “The devil is in the details.” It’s true that details are extremely important, so it’s a good thing that she’s always focused on the details and the challenges that need to be addressed. I’m so thankful for her looking out for me.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?
I’ve been involved with many churches and over a dozen different denominations. As a result, I’ve witnessed a recurring theme of spiritual robbery taking place in the body of Christ that needs to be addressed.
God has called us to be the salt and light in this world, and he has provided us with all the tools needed to be prosperous in difficult times. I am passionate about helping people find where the enemy is robbing them and equipping them to make the changes necessary so that they can walk in the purpose God ordained for them.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it's God when it happens?
In 1 Thessalonians 5: 19-21, Paul writes, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good” (ESV).
This is a five-step process:
1. Don’t quench the Holy Spirit.
2. Don’t despise spiritual manifestations.
3. Test the words.
4. Hold onto what is good.
5. Look for confirmations.
I not only try to apply these things in my daily walk but also try to position myself to experience these things as well.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Some people divide things sacred and things secular. But you know, God can surprise us in unlikely places. How do you find spiritual renewal in so-called "nonspiritual" activities?
I find spiritual renewal in so-called non-spiritual activities by inviting God into my daily life. I do this by using my words and heart. I want him to go with me wherever I go and be with me in whatever I do.
I begin every morning by saying, “Good morning, God. Good morning, Jesus. Good morning, Holy Spirit.” There was something in me — even as a child — that never wanted to leave any aspect of God out.
As Christians, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and the robber tries to distract us with all the temporal things of this world so that we forget about our spiritual relationship.
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources — lots of things that have truly impacted our faith. But you know about some really great stuff, too. What are three of your favorite resources?
My three favorite resources are: “The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible,” “Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance” and “Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary.”
When comparing Greek and Hebrew, English ends up looking like a baby language. Greek and Hebrew are more descriptive and precise with a spiritual dimensionality to them. I have found that many questions, even ones that are the birthplace of many denominations, can be resolved when examining the original Greek and Hebrew.
I recommend studying the old-fashioned way, using physical books for hermeneutics instead of electronic programs. It will take longer, but the extra time and dedication give the Holy Spirit more room to bring great revelation to the words.
We all have things we cling to to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season — and tell us what it’s done for you.
My one greatest resource is the Word of God — and Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh. To know the Word is to know Jesus.
It is a book filled with promises for the believer, but most of its promises are conditional. I spent 12 years researching these promises and the conditions to qualify for them and listed them in my book. These promises not only kept me alive through many difficulties and heartaches, but they also made me a better person and positioned me to help others. It is my desire for every Christian to know and walk in the promises of God.
QUESTION #8: dream
God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
God has given me dozens of dreams, over half of which have come true. There are many more dreams that I have never publicly shared, but I believe that God’s timing is close at hand for me to share them. The great burden of my heart is for the equipping and the preparation of the body of Christ for the things to come. As I continue to share my dreams, they will always be prefaced by the most important message that can ever be given: the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When we encounter trial after trial, it’s easy to forget the amazing promises in God’s Word. And yet that’s when we need them most!
The apostle Peter wrote, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Peter 1:3,4, ESV, emphasis added).
Could it be that Peter knew the power of these “precious and very great promises” because of the difficult trials and failures he experienced? Perhaps receiving Jesus’ forgiveness and compassion — even after denying the Lord three times — was enough to show Peter that God’s promises can’t be broken.
What biblical promises are you clinging to right now? And how are they equipping you to live for God?
Eric Eurēn is the author of the new book, Are You Being Robbed? 8 Essential Keys to Reclaim Your God-given Purpose. He is the founder of Everlasting Ministries, pastor of Riverside Christian Church in Roseville, California, and was the Senior Associate of the U.S. National Prayer Council. With a background in theoretical physics, he teaches apologetics and eschatology in addition to being a certified chaplain and biblical counselor. He has produced feature films as well as television and web-based shows. For more information, visit areyoubeingrobbed.org.