I'm proud to be married to my wife Christy since 2000, have 4 children together, be pastoring a beautiful congregation in Marseille, France since 2014, traveling Europe teaching and ministering, on top of currently working on a DMin program.
This paper explores theologically-based themes and practices to lead people in France toward Chri... more This paper explores theologically-based themes and practices to lead people in France toward Christian transformation. The paper offers practical insights into ministry in a French context, emphasizing the role of missiology, missional discipleship, incarnational ministry, justice and compassion, imago Dei, and community building in facilitating transformation.
The art and science of Christian preaching have mesmerized many sermonizers, drawing them into a ... more The art and science of Christian preaching have mesmerized many sermonizers, drawing them into a study of science, philosophy, rhetoric, history, theology, and other fields. Since the church's inception, discoveries and developments are hotly debated, while others are widely accepted. Christian preaching embodies characteristics that traverse the ages and those that come
The subject of temptation and testing has intrigued the masses since antiquity. From Greek and Ro... more The subject of temptation and testing has intrigued the masses since antiquity. From Greek and Roman gods and demigods trying the hearts and minds of heroic and not-so-heroic humans to passing from one life to another, we see evidence throughout man’s history of grappling with trials and tribulations. The Biblical story is no different, including its own five-star performance of humanity and nations being taken to the end of themselves. Adam, Eve, Job, Moses, and the nation of Israel are all examples of those having been tried, but to what end? The world creates legendary scenarios with imaginary gods to make sense of the intensity of life. However, the Bible gives us a metanarrative that contextualizes the pain and suffering, bringing significance and purpose, a sense of grounding and hope. The specific testing of Christ is a story similar to those above, except in how Jesus responds. Therein, we find love, faithfulness, meaning, and hope, the very characteristics of the sons and daughters of God. Through this passage in Matthew 4:1-11, I will show that Jesus accomplished several things while being an example for his audience, including being entirely led by the Holy Spirit, acting securely from his identity, fighting the devil with the spoken word of God, and showing his audience that he is the fulfillment of the promised Messiah.
Today’s pluralistic society has challenged the very definitions and ethos of life, death, ethics,... more Today’s pluralistic society has challenged the very definitions and ethos of life, death, ethics, morals, beliefs, and culture. The obstacle has been no small mountain when it comes to terms such as love. In a religious world where many don’t put into practice the beliefs they proclaim while others put into practice many beliefs they don’t realize they have, a question arises of great interest: does the gospel mean love for all at any price? The idea of love’s practice being shallow in the eyes of some juxtaposed against those who in their deepest grief can only muster a minimum of love expression creates a great tension. For the people of God, it is possible that the concept of love has grown and morphed over the centuries, from man’s creation until Christ’s ascension, certainly up until current day. Both God’s love for His creation and His hope for a return of that love is clearly seen throughout scriptures. In this paper, we will examine the story of Peter’s restoration in John 21, a story that shows the love of God in a unique moment in time, between Christ’s resurrection and ascension, after the disciples have received the Holy Spirit. This examination will include socio-historical contextualization, Biblical contextualization, exploring the canonical relevance in understanding love as an ethos, discovering key phrases and words in the passage that proved insight into this love as ethos, uncovering the theological context, and finally a summary of how this passage connects us to the Good News of the gospel.
This paper explores theologically-based themes and practices to lead people in France toward Chri... more This paper explores theologically-based themes and practices to lead people in France toward Christian transformation. The paper offers practical insights into ministry in a French context, emphasizing the role of missiology, missional discipleship, incarnational ministry, justice and compassion, imago Dei, and community building in facilitating transformation.
The art and science of Christian preaching have mesmerized many sermonizers, drawing them into a ... more The art and science of Christian preaching have mesmerized many sermonizers, drawing them into a study of science, philosophy, rhetoric, history, theology, and other fields. Since the church's inception, discoveries and developments are hotly debated, while others are widely accepted. Christian preaching embodies characteristics that traverse the ages and those that come
The subject of temptation and testing has intrigued the masses since antiquity. From Greek and Ro... more The subject of temptation and testing has intrigued the masses since antiquity. From Greek and Roman gods and demigods trying the hearts and minds of heroic and not-so-heroic humans to passing from one life to another, we see evidence throughout man’s history of grappling with trials and tribulations. The Biblical story is no different, including its own five-star performance of humanity and nations being taken to the end of themselves. Adam, Eve, Job, Moses, and the nation of Israel are all examples of those having been tried, but to what end? The world creates legendary scenarios with imaginary gods to make sense of the intensity of life. However, the Bible gives us a metanarrative that contextualizes the pain and suffering, bringing significance and purpose, a sense of grounding and hope. The specific testing of Christ is a story similar to those above, except in how Jesus responds. Therein, we find love, faithfulness, meaning, and hope, the very characteristics of the sons and daughters of God. Through this passage in Matthew 4:1-11, I will show that Jesus accomplished several things while being an example for his audience, including being entirely led by the Holy Spirit, acting securely from his identity, fighting the devil with the spoken word of God, and showing his audience that he is the fulfillment of the promised Messiah.
Today’s pluralistic society has challenged the very definitions and ethos of life, death, ethics,... more Today’s pluralistic society has challenged the very definitions and ethos of life, death, ethics, morals, beliefs, and culture. The obstacle has been no small mountain when it comes to terms such as love. In a religious world where many don’t put into practice the beliefs they proclaim while others put into practice many beliefs they don’t realize they have, a question arises of great interest: does the gospel mean love for all at any price? The idea of love’s practice being shallow in the eyes of some juxtaposed against those who in their deepest grief can only muster a minimum of love expression creates a great tension. For the people of God, it is possible that the concept of love has grown and morphed over the centuries, from man’s creation until Christ’s ascension, certainly up until current day. Both God’s love for His creation and His hope for a return of that love is clearly seen throughout scriptures. In this paper, we will examine the story of Peter’s restoration in John 21, a story that shows the love of God in a unique moment in time, between Christ’s resurrection and ascension, after the disciples have received the Holy Spirit. This examination will include socio-historical contextualization, Biblical contextualization, exploring the canonical relevance in understanding love as an ethos, discovering key phrases and words in the passage that proved insight into this love as ethos, uncovering the theological context, and finally a summary of how this passage connects us to the Good News of the gospel.
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The specific testing of Christ is a story similar to those above, except in how Jesus responds. Therein, we find love, faithfulness, meaning, and hope, the very characteristics of the sons and daughters of God. Through this passage in Matthew 4:1-11, I will show that Jesus accomplished several things while being an example for his audience, including being entirely led by the Holy Spirit, acting securely from his identity, fighting the devil with the spoken word of God, and showing his audience that he is the fulfillment of the promised Messiah.
The specific testing of Christ is a story similar to those above, except in how Jesus responds. Therein, we find love, faithfulness, meaning, and hope, the very characteristics of the sons and daughters of God. Through this passage in Matthew 4:1-11, I will show that Jesus accomplished several things while being an example for his audience, including being entirely led by the Holy Spirit, acting securely from his identity, fighting the devil with the spoken word of God, and showing his audience that he is the fulfillment of the promised Messiah.