Somewhere in the middle of yesterday and tomorrow lies this little thing we call today. It’s the only part of life we are guaranteed. The “present” it is often called. Today started a long time ago (forgive the pun) when God made the very first day. At that moment, there was no yesterday, only today and tomorrow. It’s hard to imagine such a thing because we are so accustomed to time marching on to...  Read More

J.S. Bach was the most important composer of what we call the baroque period- an era of music marked by dramatic expression, sudden shifts in volume or sound, expressive melodies, and intricate counterpoint (multiple melodies woven together).This past week, I wrote a paper for my History of Worship class on Bach’s Cantata BWV 80: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott. The title is German for, “A Mighty Fo...  Read More

A Journey to Joy – Lessons from John Piper This morning, on my way to the office, I listened to a sermon by John Piper entitled, ‘How God Made Me Happy in Him: John Piper’s Journey to Joy.’When we think about happiness in God, we must ask ourselves: How are we called to self-sacrifice and self-denial (Luke 9:23), but also called to be happy and joyous in God (Phil. 4:4; Pro. 29:18)? To Piper, thes...  Read More

After the resurrection, there was a period that transpired before Jesus ascended to Heaven. It isn’t given a name exactly, but we do know that it was 40 days in total. The events that occurred between Jesus’s resurrection and His ascension were some of the most consequential, life-changing things that impacted His disciples. In fact, the radical transformation that occurs in their lives is one of ...  Read More

At the beginning of the calendar year, I created a year-long Bible reading plan for myself with the help of AI called “Forging the Family Man.” Since Ezra is due in June, I made the first 6 months of the plan for soon-to-be fathers, and the next 6 months for first-time fathers.  Before I get into the weeds, I want to make clear that I did not use AI to write any devotionals, commentary, or lessons...  Read More

One of the greatest criticisms leveled against the events of the Resurrection are the perceived “inconsistencies” that exist in the four Gospel accounts. Unbelievers love to point out the fact that each of the Gospel writers capture the events of that Sunday morning a little differently than the others. They say these “inconsistencies” invalidate the veracity of the events. Is there merit to such ...  Read More

Simon was his name. He had just arrived in Jerusalem with his wife and two small boys for Passover when we catch up to him in Scripture. Together, they traveled from their home in Cyrene, a region in northern Africa we know today as Libya. His journey to Jerusalem would have been no small matter – a journey of about 800-900 miles. Despite its lengthy nature, though, it would have been a time of gr...  Read More

Psalm 121 – The Mountaineer’s Favorite VerseThis past week, Cheyenne and I took a vacation to the Smokey Mountains. It was a nice, relaxing getaway; we wanted to get one last vacation in before the baby arrives in June. In preparation, I created a playlist full of soft, acoustic folk music (James Taylor, John Denver, etc) as well as bluegrass. It was a very aesthetic experience; there’s just somet...  Read More

The McNugget TheologianThe Apostle Paul is widely regarded, by believers and unbelievers alike, as one of the most profound theologians to ever live. Whether it was because he was classically trained by one of the most prominent Jewish leaders of his day – Gamaliel – or whether it was because of his close, personal time in the Judean wilderness with the Lord (or likely a combination of both), ever...  Read More

The Beauty of Covenant Commitment: Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” -Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭42‬ ‭CSB‬‬I was studying for a midterm for one of my seminary classes, and I came across this verse. It was foundational for the development of Christian worship.  It also affirms something I’ve been thinking about lately, which i...  Read More

I sometimes think about Frodo's journey to the Undying Lands to that of the believer's journey to heaven. You see, Frodo was asked to do the impossible: take the Ring of Power to Mordor and destroy it. He was asked to do it against incredible odds too. He was up against the deepest hate, darkest foes, and greatest obstacles anyone could ever imagine.A little Hobbit - the "most remarkable of creatu...  Read More

Thank you to everyone who prayed for James and me as we traveled to New Orleans this past weekend! If you didn’t know, I am currently pursuing a Masters of Divinity (MDiv) at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Most of my classes are online, but I occasionally get the opportunity to attend a weekend hybrid class in person. James had expressed some interest in seminary, so he made the 8-hour ...  Read More