What's In a Name Part 1: The Importance of a Good Name - Pastor Mark Crawford (3/1/26)

Gratitude opens the talk with a call to praise, offering thanks for deliverance from valleys into mountaintops and inviting believers to yield bodies as living sacrifices. The call to prayer shifts to practical urgency: pray for the nation, pray for unsaved loved ones, and remove distractions so hearts become fertile ground for God’s word. Financial transparency follows—a clear account of tithes and offerings funding backpacks, food drives, reading labs, and outreach—framing generosity as service beyond church walls rather than personal gain. A new series about names introduces the biblical weight of naming: names reveal character, carry meaning, and signal identity. Biblical examples—Esau, Jacob, Reuben, Caleb, Joel—illustrate how parents named children with attention to circumstance, hope, and covenantal memory.

The teaching defines name (Greek onoma) as a manifestation of character and insists that reputation springs from choices, not accident. Proverbs 22:1 anchors the claim that a good name outweighs riches, and practical counsel follows: pursue integrity, responsibility, compassion, humility, and perseverance. Integrity includes truthfulness, fairness, and faithfulness even when no one watches; responsibility means keeping commitments and showing up on time; compassion and humility require valuing others above self; perseverance refuses to quit when trials test character. Money and the love of it pose a recurrent danger—pursuit of wealth can erode reputation and lead away from godly ends.

Reputation functions like a key or a lock: a good name opens doors (family trust, job opportunities, influential donors) while a bad name shuts them (background checks, community trust, even vocational ministry eligibility). Personal stories and legal-entry examples underline how past choices affect present access. Repairing a tarnished name proves possible through four steps: face the report, take full responsibility, make restitution where possible, and persist with consistent right behavior. Faithful, steady change rebuilds trust over time; loss of reputation happens fast, restoration takes patience. The closing summons intentional change and an altar call to commit to choices that honor God and keep a good name.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Good name is a chosen path A strong reputation never arrives by accident; it grows from daily moral decisions that prioritize character over convenience. Choosing a good name means rejecting short-term gain when it conflicts with long-term honor and the fear of the Lord. That choice restores agency: anyone can begin making decisions that reflect integrity and godly priorities. [18:49]
• 2. Integrity shapes lasting influence Honesty, fairness, and faithfulness form the backbone of influence in families, workplaces, and ministry. Consistent truth-telling and doing what one promises create predictable trust that opens lasting opportunities. Integrity resists shortcuts that win applause but cost credibility. [29:10]
• 3. Name either opens or closes Reputation functions like a key that unlocks provision, relationships, and doors of favor—or like a lock that bars access despite qualifications. Past behavior shows up in background checks, endorsements, and donor confidence; good names invite stewardship, bad names provoke barriers. Investment in character becomes strategic stewardship of future possibilities. [42:53]
• 4. Repair requires four steady steps Reputation recovery starts by facing facts, owning wrongs, making restitution where possible, and living consistently right over time. Apology alone cannot shortcut trust; tangible acts and patience rebuild what was lost. The process transforms character, not just image, and produces credible change. [50:11]
• 5. Love of money corrupts character Pursuing wealth as primary aim distorts choices and slowly erodes reputation, producing folly and relational ruin. Contentment rooted in godliness reframes success so money serves mission, not the other way around. Guarding motives preserves both soul and witness. [24:13]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:39] - Call to Praise and Gratitude
• [01:05] - Opening Prayer and Focus
• [03:10] - Pray for Nation and Unsaved
• [05:29] - Thanks to Teams and Finances
• [06:08] - Transparency: Where Offerings Go
• [09:32] - Series Intro: What's in a Name?
• [10:41] - Biblical Naming Examples
• [15:15] - Name Meaning in Greek
• [18:49] - Good Name as Choice
• [28:47] - Five Pillars of a Good Name
• [37:34] - Name as Key or Lock
• [50:11] - Repairing a Tarnished Name
• [55:19] - Closing, Altar Call, Prayer

Bible reading
Proverbs 22:1 (ESV) - A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 (ESV) - But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Philippians 2:3 (ESV) - Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Observation questions

1. According to Proverbs 22:1, what two things are compared to having a "good name"?
2. What are the five pillars that build a good name, as outlined in the teaching? [28:47]
3. What analogy is used to describe how a reputation functions in a person's life? [37:34]
4. According to 1 Timothy 6:6-10, what is "great gain" and what dangerous craving can lead people away from the faith?

Interpretation questions

1. Why is a good name described as something to be "chosen" rather than something that happens by accident? What does this imply about our daily decisions? [18:49]
2. The love of money is called a root of all kinds of evils. How does the pursuit of wealth specifically work against building a good name and the character traits listed in Philippians 2:3? [24:13]
3. In what practical ways does a reputation act like a key that opens doors or a lock that closes them? How does this play out in areas like family, career, and ministry? [42:53]
4. The process of repairing a name involves facing the report and taking full responsibility. Why is avoiding blame and excuses a critical first step in this process? [52:34]

Application questions

1. A good name is built on choices, not accident. Which of the five pillars—integrity, responsibility, compassion, humility, or perseverance—feels most challenging for you to live out consistently in your current season? What is one specific choice you can make this week to strengthen that area? [28:47]
2. Reputation functions like a key or a lock, opening or closing doors of opportunity. Is there a relationship in your life where your name may have become a "lock" due to a past choice? What is one tangible step you could take to begin turning that lock into a key? [37:34]
3. Trust is built in drops but lost in buckets. Are you currently in any situation where you are tempted to compromise your integrity for a short-term gain? What would choosing the "good name" over the "great riches" look like in that specific scenario? [55:51]
4. Repairing a tarnished name requires facing the report and taking full responsibility. Is there a part of your past that you have been minimizing or explaining away? What would it look like for you to truly own that choice without blame this week? [52:34]
5. Godliness with contentment is great gain. In a culture that constantly tells us we need more, how can you actively practice contentment this week? What is one area of your finances or possessions where you can choose to be content, shifting your focus from wealth to character? [24:13]
6. The love of money can slowly erode character. Examine your motives: are you making any decisions right now primarily for financial gain? How might those decisions be impacting your reputation with your family, friends, or coworkers? [24:13]
7. Perseverance is a pillar of a good name, refusing to quit when trials test character. What is one difficult situation you are facing where you feel like giving up? How can leaning into perseverance in this area become a testament to your character and trust in God? [35:49]