A Little About Me…
I am a Christian, husband, father, pastor, professor, & teacher who wants to help fellow pilgrims on our way to the Heavenly City.
Tag Archives: god
Thoughts on Envy
“And Saul eyed David from that day on.” 1 Samuel 18:9 It is well known that King Saul was envious of David’s early success. Instead of recognizing and repenting of his envy, Saul leaned into it. The more David succeeded, … Continue reading
You Should Judge People
Non-believers’ favorite teaching of Jesus is, “Do not judge.” Whenever a Christian speaks about the goodness or badness of an idea, action, or choice, they’re ready to recite it from memory with all the earnestness and pomp of an old-school … Continue reading
What Is a Godly Man?
Edited from a sermon delivered to Chino Valley Community Church men’s gathering on Saturday, May 3, 2025 In a world clouded by confusion about identity, the question “What is a man?” often elicits blank stares or shallow stereotypes. As believers, … Continue reading
The “Least of These” Ain’t Poor Folk
Governor Tim Walz recently cited Matthew 25:40—”To the least among you, you do of me”—to back immigration legislation. Many Christians apply this verse to the poor or marginalized and they’re wrong for doing so. Jesus does call us to care … Continue reading
The Ten Commandments Are Good, Actually
When I was a young Christian I began reading a lot. A lot of Bible and a lot of theology. I picked up some old confessions of faith where the brightest of my Christian ancestors worked together to summarize what … Continue reading
Practice Makes Perfect
You’ve heard it before and likely will roll your eyes when you read it. “Practice makes perfect.” “Cliche!” you say. You’re about to move onto to something more profitable. But, before you do, remember, cliches are phrases of wisdom so … Continue reading
Who Are Your Teachers?
In Marcus Aurelius’ first chapter of Meditations, he makes a list of people in his life and the precious lessons they taught him. It is a chapter that is filled with warmth (he speaks of his mom, dad, grandpa, and … Continue reading
Are You Training Yourself to Be Like Jesus?
I enjoyed a breakout session with Jonathan Morrow on Jesus as teacher at the MAVEN Conference in Southern California today. He said loads of helpful stuff, but one section particularly struck me. He said: “‘What would Jesus do?’ is a … Continue reading
Wisdom That Helps Me Live Happier
The word philosophy means, “Love of wisdom.” That a good word for it because the more I read and discuss philosophy, the more I love it. It doesn’t just stimulate my thinking, but it helps me live happily. The Value … Continue reading
5 Bad Pieces of Advice We Give Teens
I think most of us would like to help the youths of our day grow in wisdom, but sometimes our little nuggets of advice aren’t actually helpful. Occasionally, our sagely counsel, though thoroughly well-intentioned, ends up hamstringing them. In my … Continue reading
A Pilgrim's Friend 