“I was born and raised in a Christian household, and that came with an early sense of duty and service to the Lord. Initially, I think this both led me to but also away from God. During my adolescent years, I lived in Pennsylvania, and my family attended a church that went through a lot of transition and hardship. This exposed me to the brokenness found in the church. During this time, I also experienced sexual abuse from a trusted friend at our Christian school.
“Then, at age nine, my parents felt called to church planting. We left our entire extended family and friends, and we moved to Colorado Springs. This was when I started to spiral into an addiction to pornography and deep depression that manifested itself into suicidal thoughts. My heart started growing harder towards God. At one point, I wanted nothing to do with the church.
“But then, while we were in Colorado, God pursued my heart through a Bible study. We were reading through the book of Romans, and the first seven chapters felt like I was holding up a mirror. It explained why I was feeling so broken and how I am a sinful person in need of God’s grace. Then when we read Romans 8, God opened my eyes to understand that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Through his sacrifice, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law, setting people free from sin and death—including myself.
“Also, during this time, my grandpa, who was a pastor, passed away from cancer. His favorite verse was 1 Peter 1:24-25: ‘for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you.’
“He lived out this verse daily until his passing. Through Romans and this verse, God revealed to me that the only thing that lasts is the gospel and the Word of God. And in response to the gospel, I responded similarly to Isaiah 6, which says, ‘Here am I. Send me,’ as I started to discern his call leading me towards pastoral ministry.
“Before God, I was depressed and hopeless, not seeing a reason for my life. I was dealing with addiction and the lingering effects of abuse. But when I met Christ, he presented me with this picture of pleasures at his right hand (Psalm 16:11). Now, as an adopted child of God, he taught me what it means to be fully loved and accepted, and I longed to gaze on the beauty of the Lord all the days of my life (Psalm 27:4) and create spaces where others can do the same.
“After I placed my faith in God at 15, my family moved to Hawaii. I was finishing my high school degree online, and this provided extended time to learn more about God through systematic theology. So, I attended theology classes at church, and I read a lot of theological books to help me know God better. Once I graduated high school, I attended the University of Hawaii, where God provided opportunities to use my passions in collegiate ministry, Bible studies, discipleship, and sports ministries. This is when authentic community started playing a huge role in my healing process as I was able to share my sin struggles and past trauma. Through God’s people, I was able to experience the love of God and heal from sin.
“In college, I met my wife, Brooke. We shared similar ministry passions and enjoyed serving together in collegiate and sports ministries. After several years of friendship, we got married, and six months into our marriage, we asked God for our next step in ministry. We felt him lead us to pursue seminary in order for me to be equipped for a lifetime of pastoral ministry.
“Now we have lived in Dallas for over two years, and we are both students at Dallas Theological Seminary. Shortly after our move, we were looking for a church home and God connected us to Watermark. Currently, I serve on the Join The Journey team, where I have the opportunity to write devotionals, occasionally teach on the podcast, and lead a discipleship group for male volunteers.
“Looking back, I can see God’s faithfulness in my life in each season. Not only did he meet me in hopelessness and save me from the pit of sin and addiction, but I continuously see his faithfulness unfold. I’ve not only seen the effects of my sin, but also others’ sin done to me, and the healing that has ensued from that has shown me his faithfulness. I have been able to start healing from the past because of the power of his Word, the Holy Spirit, and the body of Christ. I am excited to see what God continues to do in the future.”
In 2025, our church body is participating in Year of the Word, an initiative to read through the entire Bible together in one year. One way you can join us is through Join The Journey, an equipping resource from Watermark that includes daily Bible reading plans, podcast episodes, devotionals, and discussion questions to help you learn more about the Bible and experience more of God through his Word. You can learn more about Join The Journey, Join The Journey Jr., and download the app at jointhejourney.com
To learn about ways you can serve with the Join The Journey ministry through hospitality, copywriting, editing, or social media, head to watermark.org/JTJserve