From Army Ranger to Ministry Leader: Edward Graham’s Story (Part 1)
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In part one of his conversation with Redeemed Director Nate Dewberry, Edward Graham opens up about growing up in the Billy Graham family, his path to West Point, and his 16 years of service as an Army Ranger. He shares how the discipline and sacrifice of military life prepared him to follow God’s call into ministry with Samaritan’s Purse. This episode explores faith, leadership, and what it means to serve God both in and out of uniform.
Show Notes
Segment chapters
0:00 Intro
0:52 Edward describes his prolific family
6:59 What Edward is trying to pass along to his own kids
10:02 Memories of West Point
15:19 Challenges along Edward’s faith journey
18:37 Transitioning out of the Army into civilian life
Snippets/excerpts
3:45 to 5:52—Edward recalls his dad’s characteristic bluntness—and his reliance on scripture
8:36 to 9:42—An important lesson Edward learned from his grandfather about the Bible, one that he’s now trying to pass along to his own kids: “I don’t understand every word of it, but I take it by faith that every word of it is true”
10:24 to 12:20—The winding and sometimes difficult path that led Edward to a West Point degree
16:28 to 18:21—“It has to be pretty intimidating to come up to Billy Graham’s grandson and say, ‘You’re not living for the Lord’”
21:22 to 23:36—How the story of Jesus walking on water figured into Edward’s decision to leave the Army and take a leadership position at Samaritan’s Purse
Discussion
- Growing up, did you ever feel like you were living in the shadow of a prolific family member? What had they achieved that left you feeling challenged to rise to the same standard? Did you respond by trying to match, or even exceed, those achievements, or did you take a completely different path in an effort to forge your own identity
- Was your father someone you felt comfortable going to in times of trouble? What was his attitude or demeanor when you came to him with a problem? What kind of advice did he usually give you?
- Like Edward, did you have a childhood dream? Did you pursue that dream when you had the opportunity? If so, did you achieve that dream, and was it everything you’d hoped it would be? If not, at what point did you decide to pursue a different goal?
- Have you ever hit a low point and had a trusted friend or family member call you out, making you realize it was time for a major change? What brought you to that low point, and who was the person who eventually inspired you to climb out of it? What did it feel like to receive their discernment that you were on the wrong path
- Have you ever been in a job, educational institution, or organization where you realized that you’d become too comfortable and were no longer being challenged? Describe the moment when you realized that pursuit had become your “comfort zone.” Did you decide to do something different? How did you come to that decision?
- Do you let God and the identity He has given you shape your vision of what success in life looks like? Have you ever let someone else – or an organization – define success for you? How long did you chase that version of success, and what made you realize you needed to put your identity in Christ instead?
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