I was born and raised in northern Illinois, and living there now. But having lived in Texas, I’m definitely a Texan at heart. My favorite city is San Antonio, where we used to live. My favorite place is the Riverwalk, where my wife and I have very fond memories. We have 4 kids and 4 grandkids. I’ve been a lifelong fan of fitness and sports, especially college sports. I’m primarily a Longhorns fan, but I also like the UTSA Roadrunners. On the professional side, I’m a big fan of Caitlin Clark and the Indianapolis Fever. However, I’m discovering that the older I get and the closer I get to meeting my Savior, the less important sports are to me. I’m living more and more with eternity in view. You may read what I believe under “What I Believe.” To round it out, here’s some additional information about myself and the positions I hold:
—Not a theologian, BUT I’m wired that way.
—Reformed Calvinist, but NOT an extremist. I strive for a sensible balance. I would describe myself as Reformed-Lite.
—Reformed Calvinist, but NOT the authoritarian type that you see so much of on social media. They not only give Reformed Calvinists a bad name, but worst of all, they’re a really bad testimony for Christ. My experience is, they are not the norm. Twitter-X seems to attract this bad element. I’m one of the nice guys, and I think most are. The commands of the NT are clear: we’re to extend grace and kindness to others, especially to our brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter how much we may disagree doctrinally.
—Reformed Calvinist, but NOT a Presbyterian.
—Essentially in agreement with Baptist Covenant Theology, but NOT a Baptist. I’m Baptistic, but not in a Baptist church.
—Essentially in agreement with the 1689 BCOF, and embrace the five solas of the Reformation: Saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, via Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone.
—Calvinist, but NOT a strict determinist. While God is sovereign and moving everything along according to a grand plan, He is NOT the originator or orchestrator of sin and evil in the world. That comes from within the sinful heart of people themselves.
—I believe God’s plan for Israel is fulfilled in Christ and His Church. Therefore, I’m NOT a dispensationalist.
—In regard to eschatology, I’m an amillennialist. That means I believe in the Kingdom of Christ, but NOT in a premillennial kingdom of this world. The Kingdom of Christ is spiritual (Col 1:13), and continues into the Eternal Kingdom of the new heaven and new earth of Revelation 21 and 22.
—I believe in the return of Christ, but NOT to reign over this world, but to escort us into the Eternal Kingdom of the new heaven and new earth.
—Complementarian, but NOT strictly so. I believe the Bible teaches a sensible balance. I also REJECT the authoritarian model that so many follow. Further, I extend love and grace to my egalitarian brothers and sisters in Christ. I fully understand why they interpret the Scriptures the way they do; they make a good case.
—Cessationist regarding the miracle gifts of the Spirit, BUT in places where Christianity and the Bible are outlawed, I believe God can and does use any gift He sees fit—because in such situations it’s much like the early Church where the NT Scriptures were still being written. I believe God does whatever He needs to do to get the gospel to His elect.
—Patriotic (Navy vet), but I do NOT support Christian Nationalism! CN is NOT Christian. It’s antithetical to the primary mission given to us by our Lord in Matthew 28:19-20. This is another group that gives Christianity a bad name.
—I seek to live a balanced life. I’m always thinking, “in all things, balance.” I avoid the extremes, because I don’t believe God’s will is normally found in the extremes.
If you care to read an expanded version of what I believe, you’ll find that under “Systems of Theology—My Position.”
A little more background about myself: I came to faith in Christ when I was 16 years old via the classic gospel tract titled “God’s Simple Plan of Salvation.” Since that time I’ve always understood the value of using gospel tracts to share the message about Christ, and have used them throughout my life. You’ll find a few on this website. When I was 18 or 19 my love for God’s Word began to develop, and so I’ve been a lifelong student of the Bible. I’ve written verse by verse commentaries on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Revelation. However, they are not published. While I don’t have the credentials of a theologian, I study hard to try and make up for it. However, I want to finish my life with more of a focus on spreading the gospel, and not so much on theology. I’m seeking a better balance between the two. I want to make a difference in people’s lives for all eternity. Theological studies and discussions between Christians are interesting and necessary, but they don’t get anyone into Heaven.