Becoming a Man of God

Boy things in our world a little crazy. I'm really glad I had people early in my Christian life push me to memorize scripture, because in times like these, the value in hiding scripture in my heart is very apparent. One verse I memorized a while ago is Philippians 4:8: Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think on such things. Our world is a little crazy right now. Aubrey and I are personally doing pretty well, but there's a lot of fear and concern around our country. Ohio has been issued a "stay at home" order, and that's made a lot of people either lose their jobs or closed their businesses. This all means jobs are lost, bills can't be paid, businesses closing (maybe for good?). It all seems chaotic, especially when you look at what people are saying on the news. This is why this verse is so important. We  must

Not a ton to update you all on. We are still quarantined because of the whole caronavirus thing, and Aubrey and I are getting used to it. We're doing well; maybe a little stir crazy, but we haven't gotten full on cabin fever . . . yet. To be honest, we are just glad to be forced to cook all our meals and eat what we have before grocery shopping, so we are saving a ton of money! Which is great, especially given the uncertainty of what's going to happen. There have been rumors that the whole city is going to be put on lock-down - as in the equivalent of a Level 3 snow emergency. No one will be allowed to be outside their homes unless absolutely necessary. I feel a mix of terror, intrigue, and excitement to see what happens next. It really is unlike anything before. That said, COVID-19 still dominates the mental real estate of our world right now. Hand washing is happening more than ever and hand sanitizer is worth its weight in gold. It seems like being "clean&q

Click Here For This Blog's Podcast Episode It's probably no coincidence that during one of the largest panics over a global pandemic is ocurring, Jesus talks to me about death and life.  The coronavirus has taken a bit more of an impact on our lives personally. Aubrey went to the doctor today and basically said that she cannot leave the house. Luckily she was already working from home, which is great. I'm glad we work for a company that has been so proactive at looking after their employees.  The doctor also told us that I should stay home as well, only leaving for the grocery store if we need something. If I get sick, I won't be allowed in the maternity ward during my baby girl's deliver, and the thought of Aubrey going through that alone is  not something either of us are a fan of.  Fitting that Jesus spoke to me today again in John 12.  *** for those of you who don't know, my quiet times consist of reading 3 chapters a day in the Word. One in th

Click here to listen to the podcast on this quiet time Today is day 2 of the crazy caronavirus phase of life. All restaurants in Columbus, OH are closed down - which makes my job a lot harder has a b2b commission only sales rep. In the end, it's better than getting sick and not being able to be with my wife in the delivery room when our baby girl finally arrives.  To be frank, it's stressful. A lot of people are having a hard time and it's not only impacting our health, but income's as well. But this all will pass, and Jesus is always in control.  My quiet time today was in John 11. One of my favorite passages, and ultimately one that Jesus always seems to speak to me in again and again and again. This time, the verses that specifically made an impact were 39-40:  Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead for four days." Jesus

The Word "disciple" has been thrown around a lot lately in church circles. We've almost used it to replace the word Christian - not because we believe it more accurately describes us, but because the media today have made the word "Christian" too much into a negative label.  Also, churches use the word as a verb, as if it's something we do to another person. When asked what could be improved in their churches, "getting better at discipling people" is a common answer given we hear pastors give; implying discipleship is both a skill and a task.  We come up with these answers because they're mostly true. A disciple is something we  are, discipling others is something we   do  and it is something necessary to be learned and improved.  However . . . I believe that's only the surface of what a disciple is. I believe Jesus himself  defined what a disciple is as so much more than that. This post dives into just how he did that.  Dis