Episode 19 - Terence Jackson talks Faith and Hope

In Episode 19, Joe introduces Larry to Terence Jackson, and they discuss their common faith in Jesus Christ, and how anyone who freely chooses can also become a Christian. 

00:00 Larry announces that he is getting married in two weeks! Larry talks about his plans to take the CEH and CYSA Certifications

1:30 Joe introduces Larry to Terence Jackson, a former CISO from Thycotic. Terence was named top 10 CISO.

3:15 Terence has 26 technical certifications and is pursuing graduate studies from Albany Law School

5:30 Terence describes how he developed a friendship with the CEO of a company as they shared a common faith

6:00 Joe asks Terence about how faith in God

6:45 Terence describes his faith journey, from being the child of a Minister - growing up “at church” without being “in church” and the period of his life where he wandered away, to returning back to his faith in God

8:30 Joe says if we only talk about career accomplishments, it’s an incomplete picture of who we really are.

Pastor Bobby Schuller from Shepherd's Grove Church (https://www.sgp.church/) developed this creed: 

Try saying this out loud, and pause after each line:

“I’m not what I do.

I’m not what I have.

I’m not what people say about me.

I am the beloved of God.

It’s who I am.

No one can take it from me.

I don’t have to hurry.

I don’t have to worry.

I can trust my Friend, Jesus, and share His love with the world.”

Say that out loud - and note how you feel after saying it. 

 

9:30 Joe describes what it means to have integrity

10:15 Joe describes how faith grounds us.

11:00 God loves you!

11:30 Terence says the secret to success is putting God first. Faith is like a muscle, you have to continue working on it and build it up. It’s important to have community.

12:40 God is Good!

1:00 Does faith without works result in automatic blessing or do you have to put effort into life to have success?

13:41 Proverbs 22:29

15:30 Terence shares how he has found fulfillment in Jesus Christ, and how it has helped him

15:54 Joe and Terence discuss how the death of Jesus Christ allowed for a personal relationship with God

22:40 How can faith help you with the desire to enter a career in cybersecurity

24:40 Terence worked his way up from the bottom (pulling cables and terminating wires) to becoming an executive at Microsoft

25:00 to 31:40 Joe and Terence bring the conversation back to Faith in God

31:40 Larry tries to bring the conversation back to Cybersecurity

33:30 Terence tells a story of hiring a math teach who had no background in cybersecurity, got certifications, Terence takes a chance hiring her, and she is now running cyber for a top 5 bank.

36:00 Terence describes what he looks for in job candidates: curiosity, self starter, and willingness to learn. Thirst. Drive.

37:00 Not all jobs in cybersecurity are hands-on-keyboard

40:00 Joe asks Terence about working for one of the top tech companies in the world

40:20 Your network is just as important as your skill set

41:00 What does Terence do in his day to day work?

TL;DR - God Loves you and while cybersecurity is cool, Faith in God gives meaning to life, hope in the future, and is a sure foundation for when life doesn't go our way. 

Why are these men so outspoken about their faith? Shouldn't they keep it quiet and to themselves?

The Holy Bible says we should not be ashamed of having faith, because it is so cherished and important. The Apostle Paul wrote “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” Romans 1:16 

Jesus said “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” Luke 9:26

To learn more about how to have a personal relationship with God, check out this website developed by the late evangelist Billy Graham https://peacewithgod.net/