VISIONARY | INSIGHTFUL
STRATEGIC | PASSIONATE
ABOUT
When I think about what makes me who I am, I realize that my life is wrapped up in relationships. I cannot be known in isolation. I am a part of a larger community of relationships that make me who I am. When I was seventeen I met someone who changed my life. I had known about him for years - hearing about him from others and seeing them from time to time. But I remember one Sunday afternoon when he stood out to me like never before. Jesus' beauty and radiance was undeniable and I wanted nothing more than to walk with them every day of my life. That Sunday afternoon, Christ changed my life forever. The more I have spent time with him over the years, the more he has rubbed off on me. His desires are becoming my desires. His interests are becoming mine. His mission has become my mission. To know me is to know my God!
It would be careless of me not to mention the other relationships that shape who I am. Unlike Jesus who was in front of me for years before I was drawn to Him, my wife caught my eye in an instant! She was beautiful, gorgeous even. After years of little notes in class, wonderful dates, and serving Jesus on mission, I knew she was the one for me. We got married in 2009 and I have enjoyed every moment of her company. She's my biggest supporter and the sounding board for all of my wild dreams. I appreciate her artistic ability, the way God uses her in my life to be his hands and his voice, and her natural maternal skills with our daughter, Roane. Our adorable child was born in April 2014 and has been such a delight. We've been adjusting to new sleep schedules, a tighter budget, and the endless smiles she brings. I don't know exactly how this relationship will shape me, but there is no doubt that loving and living with my precious daughter will make me a better man.
THOUGHTS
DISTINCTIVE TID-BITS ABOUT ME
THE GOSPEL IS FOR ALL OF LIFE
The one thing that holds me together is the deep conviction that the gospel is for all of life. Its not just for people who have yet to become a Christian. Its not just for those who have walked away from the church. Its for every person to live by - every day. When life is hard, the gospel reminds me that I am no alone. When sin gets the better of me, its the gospel that convicts me, leads me to repentance, and transforms me. When life is good, the gospel tells me it's because I have a good God who did not even spare His own Son. The gospel cannot be divorced from any part of life. It is organically and vitally essential to every aspect of life. So in everything, I try to do it, or see it, through the gospel.
WORSHIP IS LIFE; LIFE IS WORSHIP
For me, all of life is about worship. Our breathing, the scenery we take in on our way to work, the groceries we buy, and clothes we wear cannot be separated from a posture of worship. Since God is intimately involved in the details of our lives, we should be intentionally worshiping him in all that we do. We cannot continue to divide this world into what is sacred and secular. This entire world belongs to God and all of it will be reconciled to him one day.
MISSIONAL ISN'T AN ADJECTIVE YOU ADD TO YOUR CHURCH VALUES, IT'S A WAY OF LIFE
Being missional isn't as radical as everyone makes it out to be. It's really ordinary! That's where its beauty and power is. Being missional isn't about being more relevant or finding more service projects for your church to participate in. Being missional is about everyday, ordinary life. It calls Christians to take the things they already do from week to week and infuse them with the redemptive, reconciling work of Christ. Everything from grocery shopping to dinner and watching your kid's soccer game becomes an opportunity for Jesus to be lifted up as the one true King.
JESUS IS COMING AND THAT GETS ME GOING
When I think about the return of Christ I don't think about the divisive antics surrounding this topic that have plagued the Church for centuries. Instead I am reminded that my King is returning, so I can worship him in uninhibited joy. His return will free me to extend His rule in the new earth. Knowing that the fullness of my salvation is still to come drives me into action now. I want this life to count for the next one.
UNCOMMONLY ORTHODOX
I find the rich history of the church to be a vibrant reminder that I am not alone. The creeds and councils that they formulated have laid an excellent theological foundation for the church today. So many of their ritual practices, like the celebration of lent or epiphany, can and should be recast into the church today. It's time for the Church to stop pretending that they stand alone, forging a new path for Christianity. We are really standing on the shoulders of several generations of men and church tradition that are worthy of our attention and use today.
THE INCARNATION IS THE CLIMAX OF REDEMPTION.
Certainly the death and resurrection is the pinnacle of Jesus' incarnation, but Jesus - The Person - is the climax of redemption. It is in the mixing of man with God that our redemption is even made possible because the hypostatic union is the purest union of all. It creates the necessary bond for subsequent men and women to experience that union with God through faith. Because of that, I find that all of Jesus - His life, His teaching, His miracles, and His death and resurrection - are the climax of His redemptive work.
THE GOSPEL IS NOT SEPARATE FROM THE CALL FOR JUSTICE.
I have become convinced that the community life of the Church is meant to enhance and validate their message, making the gospel and concern for the justice in this broken world as two sides of the same coin. Personal morality is important. Christian friendship is essential. Knowing God is necessary. Yet none of these are meant to be pursued without the outward concern for the hurting people of this world. Our ethics should concern us with poverty. Our community should accept all. Knowing our God more means knowing his restorative heart for all of creation.
INTERESTS
HIKING IN THE FALL
SELF-CONFESSED COFFEE SNOB
SITTING BY THE FIRE
THESE BABY BLUES
DATES WITH MY WIFE
MOTOCROSS
BOOKS & BLOGS
WHAT I'VE BEEN READING
JESUS INSIDE OUR DARKNESS - C. Baxter Kruger
THE E-MYTH - Michael E. Gerber
EXTREME OWNERSHIP - Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
PRAYER - Timothy Keller
GOOD TO GREAT - Jim Collins
SIMPLY JESUS - NT Wright
HOW GOD BECAME KING - NT Wright
INCARNATION - T.F. Torrance
TOTOAL CHURCH - Steve Timmis & Tim Chester
BETWEEN NOON AND THREE - Robert Farrar Capon
THE MEDIATION OF CHRIST - T.F. Torrance
GOSPEL CENTERED DISCIPLEHIP - Jonathan Dodson
COMMUNITY - Brad House
THE BIBLE MADE IMPOSSIBLE - Christian Smith
MISTAKES LEADERS MAKE - Dave Kraft
PRODIGAL GOD - Tim Keller
EVERYDAY CHURCH - Steve Timmis & Tim Chester
ONE WITH CHRIST - Marcus Johnson
BIBLICAL THEOLOGY - Michael Lawrence
MERE CHRISTIANITY - C.S. Lewis
THE GOSPEL COALITION
SOMA COMMUNITIES
THE VERGE NETWORK
WE ARE 3DM
DESIRING GOD
ACTS 29 NETWORK
RELEVANT
ON BEHALF OF ALL
THE URBAN GOSPEL
TODD ENGSTROM
NINE MARKS
LIGONIER
PERSONALITY
INTROVERTED
INTUITIVE
THINKING
JUDGEMENTAL
I have taken the Myers-Briggs personality assessment on multiple occasions and each time I have taken it I have been labeled as a moderate INTJ (Introverted [57%], iNtuitive [58%], Thinking [52%], Judgmental [82%]). I say moderate because only one of my percentages is over 65%. This is a rare personality type that is ascribed to roughly 1-3% of Americans. The basic qualities of this personality profile show that an INTJ is a devourer of knowledge, skilled in structural development, and organized thinking. They are able to take responsibility and make important decisions while not being overbearing in the process. Furthermore, an INTJ personality is always striving for perfection and functionality. When things don’t make sense the INTJ finds solutions and implements them. One thing that really sets this profile apart from the others is that it has an unusual combination of both decisiveness and vivid imagination. This provides the INTJ with the ability to develop new and creative ways of doing things. Unfortunately this profile struggles in the area of interpersonal relationships. This is where my moderate rating is an advantage! While I demonstrate all the characteristics above, I am rated relatively low on the introverted dimension which allows me to create and develop significant relationships. I am also freed from dramatic forms of perfectionism that allow me to provide high quality work without pushing too far.
DOMINANT
INSPIRING
SUPPORTIVE
CAUTIOUS
My DISC results show that I am a C/ID. One report summarzed this personallity well, "While you tend towards a task-oriented perspective, you have both task-oriented and people-oriented traits. You can either be reserved or outgoing depending on the situation. You probably enjoy working on projects that create quality results, and you can comfortably interact with people for that purpose. You probably like to do things properly, and you can move at a quick pace if necessary."