But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
—Psalm 3:3
It feels vulnerable to share bits of my testimony, but we have them for a reason — to glorify God and encourage each other. So here is mine. Relatedly, I’ve also laid out two bits of my story and the accompanying mindset overhauls that helped me overcome a couple of very common obstacles to discipleship: what I call “sundae bar spirituality,” and the ideological stronghold I call the social justish pseudo-gospel.
As shocked as folks from my old life might be to see me ~ in my Jesus era ~, trust and believe no one is more shocked than I am! But that’s the thing about getting to know the Creator of the universe — it changes you. For much of my life I have mentally assented to the idea that God existed. (“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.” —Romans 1:19) But the more life I’ve lived, the harder it has become to deny the reality of my own sinfulness and need for God’s mercy, as well as how clearly the Bible explains how human sinfulness got us into the giant mess that haunts our headlines and daily lives, and how gracious God is to have made a Way for us to overcome it.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to geeking out with y’all about evidence for God and the Bible, as well as unpacking some of the sneaky manifestations of spiritual warfare (deceptions that divert us from fully following God) that pervade our culture. In the meantime, I just wanted to share a glimpse of how I got here. I am so indescribably grateful that God has redeemed not only my soul, but so many of my past mistakes. I pray my story and reflections encourage you in your faith, and hope to hear many of yours!
Relevant recommended reads:
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norm Geisler and Frank Turek
Another Gospel by Alisa Childers
Live Your Truth (And Other Lies), also by Alisa Childers
Purchases made through the Bookshop.org links above support Swordplay at no extra cost to you — thanks for considering!
