NCS New Canaan

Founding Chapter

Miracles of Men in Relationship (David Grizzle – 9/9/22 – NCS New Canaan)

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With tremendous NCS transparency, David Grizzle shares how he has experienced and witnessed the miracles that can happen when men are in deep, grace-filled and accountable relationships with each other.

On the eve of the Memorial Service for NCS brudder BJ Weber, Grizzle explains the very special relationship he had with BJ, going back to the first day BJ arrived in New York City. David talks about how, with BJ’s help, he learned compassion through “borrowed suffering”.

David vulnerably describes the irrational anxiety and panic attacks he felt and suffered during the COVID pandemic, not because of the pandemic but because of the devastating impact it had on markets, financial portfolios and businesses he was overseeing as a Board member. He shares how he began to recognize the power of idols in his life, and how he was able to find peace by finally forgiving himself.

Finally, David explains why he believes that men need other men–not only to help pull each other out of the “holes” we dig ourselves into but also to help each other reach all that God intends for us.

Navigating the Narrow Gate (Tom Cole – 4/29/22 – NCS New Canaan)

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With amazing wisdom and humility gained on life’s journey, Tom Cole shares the ups and downs that have allowed God to shape him, as well as the role the New Canaan Society and the friendships he has found in NCS brudders have played in his story. He reveals with tremendous vulnerability how his greatest personal growth came through the hardest moments of life.

From a painful and public divorce to two heart attacks, Tom talks about the importance of his faith in Jesus to his ability to weather difficult storms. He explains how the first heart attack ultimately led to his book “The Narrow Gate: Fatherly Advice for Navigating the Pathway to Your Best Life“. Lying on a hospital gurney not knowing if he was going home to Jesus, Tom shares that the “dominant” thought was he had not poured enough wisdom into his kids.

Tom takes us through a few of the chapters, starting with what he has learned about the source of real joy and happiness–deep relationship with God and others. He explains why money and achievement do not bring happiness.

He also explains the importance of sharing our stories–not only so that others can walk with us through them, but so that we can make a connection with those who need us to walk with them through their stories.

He ties it all back to the core of NCS–growing deeper in friendship with Jesus and friendship with others by “showing up”–“showing up” not for what you can get but because you might be able to impact the life of another man. Tom transparently tells stories of how he has “shown up” for others and how others have “shown up” and walked with him through life’s valleys.

Newly retired from a long and successful career in investment banking, Tom describes navigating the transition to a new season of life. He also explains the importance of being present to the moment, living one day at a time, even as we reflect on the past and plan for the future.

This is God-inspired wisdom for leading a life walking in the Way of Jesus–wisdom from a father to his children, from a brother to his brothers, and from a friend to his friends.

If any man truly wants to be an NCS brudder, he needs to listen to this God-inspired wisdom on what we mean by “showing up”.​

Early in his talk, Tom refers to “a message from our sponsor”. He showed a video produced by Chick-fil-A as an employee training tool. You can watch it below.

Finding Rest for Your Soul (Andrew Palau – 3/18/22 – NCS New Canaan)

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Like a conversation between old friends, Andrew Palau shares his faith journey with remarkable honesty and humility. In fact, it is a conversation between old friends–the Palau family and the New Canaan Society have had a special relationship for over 20 years.

Andrew shares exciting news about the Palau CityFest coming to Southwest Connecticut in 2022 (www.cityfest.org).

He tells about his “wayward” days (as described in his book “The Secret Life of a Fool”) and how his parents never gave up on him. Andrew describes his father’s heartfelt letters and talks and the prayers that came from around the world.

He describes the tortured, sleepless nights wrestling with shame and the direction of his life. He also shares about the trip to Kingston, Jamaica that changed everything–the trip when he met Jesus and Wendy, who became his wife.

Andrew also talks about his father and his legacy and what it has been like to be called to continue that legacy. Those who knew Luis will recognize his uniquely disarming honesty and humility in Andrew.

Finally, Andrew offers a way for us to “find rest for our souls” as he finally did in Jamaica.

The Path of Faithfulness and Dangerous Questions (Pastor Alfred Watts – 2/18/22 – NCS New Canaan)

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Pastor Alfred Watts shares the amazing journey of faith and faithfulness that took a kid from inner city New Haven to the elite boarding school Choate Rosemary Hall to Cornell University to Howard University Law School to a Federal Court clerkship to some of the most prestigious law firms on Wall Street to becoming the senior pastor of a vibrant church in Milford, CT.

Pastor Watts explains that the most important lesson his father taught him was to remember God’s command, challenge and promise in Malachi 3:10-12 (NLT):

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.[a] Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.  “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

He shares how he faithfully gave “a penny from every dime, a dime from every dollar“, from his first job earning $150/week to his career as a Wall Street corporate lawyer and beyond.

Pastor Watts tells about the amazing blessing and provision that has come into this life. He describes how God guided him along the path, even transparently admitting the times he strayed from trusting God’s provision or delayed in his obedience and the way his heavenly Father guided him back.

He also explains how he was able to balance the demands of A Wall Street legal career with serving in his church and prioritizing his family. He talks about the boundaries he established and how he knew it was time to change jobs.

Watts also reveals how he asked God one of those “dangerous questions”. In October 2000, he cried out to the Lord, “I want to know what you can do with one man completely sold out to you!” One month later, he was asked to become the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Church. Pastor Watts left the legal profession and was officially installed as Senior Pastor on June 17, 2001.

It is an amazing story of one man’s faithfulness to God’s commands and directions and God’s faithfulness to His word and a faithful man.

My God, What Do You Want of Me? (Dr. Matthew Suh – 2/4/22 – NCS New Canaan)

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Dr. Matthew Suh tells his story of a Harvard-trained surgeon and his pursuit of the Holy Spirit. Dr. Suh shares the extraordinary events that led him first to pursue medicine and then years later to walk away from his successful surgical practice. Prior to introducing Dr. Suh (whose talk begins at approximately minute 10:45), Peter Hawkins shares his own extraordinary experience of being miraculously and instantly healed through prayer from debilitating rugby injuries as well as any desire for alcohol or drugs.

After providing some fascinating background as to the roots of his faith as well as the history of those who laid the groundwork for his introduction to faith, Dr Suh explains that it was the unmistakable voice of God that led him down, and helped him endure, the difficult road of becoming a surgeon. He reveals that he clearly heard that same voice years later tell him he would receive “the gift of faith”, which was followed promptly by his own miraculous healing at a conference with Ken Fish.

Dr. Suh explains how his healing led him in pursuit of the Holy Spirit. He shares the passion with which he explored faith healing as well as a few remarkable stories of the power of healing prayer that he has witnessed. Dr. Suh also explains how sin can be at the root of ailments and the importance to healing of confessing sins and forgiving those who have sinned against us.

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