Have you ever had your breath taken away by the awfulness of your own sin? Not just embarrassed, but genuinely stunned by the darkness you’re capable of? What is sin? Sin is awful. Most of us prefer to think of ourselves as basically good people with a few character flaws. We minimize our failures, compare ourselves to others, and convince ourselves we’re not that bad. But this comfortable self-deception keeps us from experiencing the breathtaking reality of God’s grace. Sin

What story does your mind tell you about who you are? Maybe it whispers that you’re worthless because of past mistakes, that you’re alone because of current circumstances, or that you’re powerless because of ongoing struggles. These internal narratives can be incredibly powerful, shaping how we see ourselves and how we live. But what if the story your mind tells you isn’t the true story? What if there’s a better, truer narrative about your identity that can transform everythi

We all have a fundamental desire to be chosen.  I still have scars from the daily 3rd-grade recess kickball draft. Because I was one of the youngest and smallest kids in my grade, I was always one of the last chosen for a team. “What’s so wrong with me that no one wants me?” As we get older, the desire to be the one chosen doesn’t diminish.  It hurts when, as singles, no one chooses to ask us out for a date or propose marriage. We feel undervalued when we are not selected for

For most of human history, we lived under the illusion that we were the center of it all. Every star, every planet, every movement in the sky was thought to orbit around us. It shaped how people understood reality, humanity, and our place in the cosmos. Then in the 1500s, a quiet astronomer named Nicolaus Copernicus proposed a shocking idea: the sun—not the earth—was at the center of our solar system. The universe did not revolve around us after all. Today, we need a similar

Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, marked a historic moment for New City Church—our first formal worship gathering.  If God gives us His favor, we will often look back in the years to come to celebrate the birthday of a healthy, growing, maturing church. For almost a year, a small core group of people with big vision have faithfully gathered, generously given, thoughtfully planned, and hopefully prayed in preparation for this day.   Our purpose is not to build a platform or promote an ag

Trent and I are taking down the Christmas decorations and turning our attention toward the new year. But before we do, I had an experience during these holidays that I don’t want to forget. We had such special days at the end of 2025. The trips were completed, presents given, loved ones seen, and Jesus was celebrated and worshiped. There was one day when I had everything planned. I was hoping to create a special day.  But as I laid out my plan and made suggestions, people alw

This week, we come to the culmination of a long season of plowing and preparation. On Sunday, January 11, the seeds of our little church plant, our “church underground,” will finally break ground as a brand new baby church. Over the past year, God has asked us to give ourselves to many things that don’t make headlines—prayer gatherings, living-room conversations, planning meetings, quiet acts of service, faithful generosity, and simple obedience. Much of what we’ve done has f

We are blessed to live in a culture that can’t ignore the annual reminder that “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior , who is Christ the Lord .” (Luke 2:11) Even though the majority of those we share space with may not bow to Christ as Lord, they seem to enjoy the sentimental celebrations that a special baby was born in Bethlehem. The celebrations encompass a wide array of items, such as manger scenes, festive lights, abundant gifts, adorned trees, peaceful

The season between Thanksgiving and Christmas is marked by appropriate feasting. Christmas cookies and other baked goods seem to appear on my kitchen counter out of nowhere. Christmas parties offer a chance to enjoy the company of friends around tables where food is abundant. If you are like me, you show up hungry but end up eating well beyond what you need to satisfy your hunger. Why? Because the food tastes so good. The turkey and dressing satisfy my hunger, but the apple p

This week, most of us will pause long enough from our grumbling and griping to realize we have a lot to be thankful for. But that is very different than actually giving thanks. Thankfulness is a noun. Thanksgiving is a verb. Thankfulness is internal. Thanksgiving is external. Thankfulness is self-focused. Thanksgiving is God-focus. Thankfulness is an emotion. Thanksgiving is prayer. Thankfulness is passive. Thanksgiving is an act of worship. The apostle Paul, after listing a

I have a friend who says, “Anything that makes you need God is a blessing.” While I wholeheartedly agree with the statement, continual neediness doesn’t feel like an advantage!  It often feels precarious, risky, and uncomfortable. As we plant a new church, our need is acute.  Thankfully, I am reading through the Bible with Paul Tripp’s book, Everyday Gospel. This week, we started the book of Acts, and the Lord began to show me a man who was in great need. In Acts 3:1-16, Pete

For most of my ministry, I’ve worked hard to clearly present the gospel as objective truth to be believed. I’ve studied to equip myself with the best philosophical arguments for God's existence, logical defenses for the Bible’s reliability, and evidence for the resurrection of Christ. This is the vital work of Christian apologetics. But in our post-Christian culture, demonstrating truth alone is no longer sufficient. We must also show that the gospel is not only true  but als

Psalm 61 has become one of my favorites. The Psalmist begins by asking the Lord to hear him, to listen. We know our Good Father listens to our prayers, whether they are prayers of gratitude or cries for help. The Psalmist states that he is crying out from the ends of the earth, conveying his feelings of distance and discouragement. The Psalmist notices and names his feelings, but he doesn’t stop there. He presses in with a request. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I  

What if your doctor prescribed you a new medication that, if taken once a week over the course of your life, would prolong your life expectancy by seven years, significantly increase your chance of happiness, and substantially reduce the likelihood you’ll suffer from depression? Would you take it? Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have found a “miracle drug” that does this. What is it? It is the age-old habit of church attendance. Despite what you may have b

God’s single purpose for my life is to bring him glory. He not only created me for his glory, but he is committed to continually transforming me into increasing degrees of glorious-ness. (Or is it gloriosity?) I don’t know.  What I do know is that  “beholding the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) Becoming more like Christ is the result of beholding more of Christ. The more I behold the

Our thoughts of God are too small. Left to ourselves, we tend to reduce God to manageable terms. We tend to think of him as a lot like us on our best days or the nicest person we know. We want a god we can use and control. We want a God who doesn’t alter our plans, who will allow us to meet with him in ways that don’t demand changes to our lives. We want a god who stays out of our business. But that is not the God of the Bible. How big is your God? Theologians use the term “

One of the most basic understandings of the nature of God is that he is everywhere present at the same time. This is what theologians...

This week, three Bible studies that God has been working into me have been released on Amazon . I wanted to feel relieved and experience...

When you start a church from scratch, you don’t have many amenities to offer. We don’t own land. We don’t serve coffee. We don’t have a...

On Monday night and Tuesday of this week, Trent and I were with 100 other church-planting pastors and their wives. We enjoyed some...

When was the last time you were invited to dance? What was your response? Do you remember the last time you danced? What was it like? Our...

Recent events, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk, have prompted cultural commentators to prophetically declare that our nation...

A friend of mine just finished creating a pink princess room for her three-year-old daughter. I was amazed at the finished product and at...

Like many of you, my heart has been wrecked this week with the unceasing reports of the brokenness of our world. From the assassination...