Tag: Purpose

Would Jesus Do This?

STOP SCROLLING.

I have some questions for the Church and the Christian Community.

Would Jesus separate families from each other?

Would Jesus force children off food assistance or healthcare while they are already struggling to survive?

Would Jesus disrespect people, call them names, demean them, and then claim it was all being done in His name?

Would Jesus terrorize an immigrant who is working hard to provide for their family?

Would Jesus use Scripture as a weapon to justify hatred?

Would Jesus turn His back on His neighbor because they were different, poor, undocumented, politically opposed, addicted, broken, or simply didn’t look like us?

When I read Scripture, study the life of Jesus, and look at the way He treated people, I keep coming back to the same answer:

NO.

No.

No.

No.

Jesus touched the untouchable.

Jesus welcomed the rejected.

Jesus fed the hungry.

Jesus defended the vulnerable.

Jesus showed compassion to the hurting.

Jesus loved His enemies.

Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors.

Jesus didn’t tell us to find reasons to hate people.

He told us to love God and love our neighbor.

And here’s the uncomfortable part:

We don’t get to put Jesus’ name on something simply because we believe we’re right.

If our politics make us cruel, something is wrong.

If our theology makes us hateful, something is wrong.

If our Christianity makes us dehumanize people, something is wrong.

If we’re screaming about protecting Christianity while refusing to show the love, mercy, compassion, grace, and truth of Christ…

we may be defending a religion while completely missing Jesus.

I’m not asking you to agree with me politically.

I’m asking something much more important:

Does the way we treat people look like Jesus?

Because one day, we’re not going to stand before Jesus and explain what our political party believed.

We’re not going to stand before Him and defend our favorite politician.

We’re going to stand before HIM.

So before we say, “I’m doing this in Jesus’ name,” maybe we should stop and ask:

“Jesus, would You do this?”

Because if the answer is no…

then don’t put His name on it.

BE THE HANDS.
BE THE FEET.
BE THE LOVE.
BE THE TRUTH.
BE THE LIGHT.

And above everything else—

BE LIKE JESUS.

That’s the Christianity this world desperately needs. ~OC

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A Letter to God

Dear God,

I look at this world and my heart breaks.

There is too much hatred.
Too much division.
Too much violence.
Too much fear.
Too many people hurting while the rest of us keep scrolling.

So, God, don’t just change the world around me. Change Me.

Give me eyes to see the people everyone else overlooks.

Give me ears to hear the cries nobody wants to hear.

Give me courage to stand up when staying silent is easier.

Give me compassion for the broken.

Give me grace for the difficult.

Give me strength to love people I don’t understand.

And God…

Don’t let me just talk about Jesus.

Let people SEE Jesus in me.

When someone is hungry—let me feed them.

When someone is hurting—let me sit with them.

When someone is lonely—let me show up.

When someone is afraid—let me bring hope.

When someone is pushed aside—let me stand beside them.

When someone has fallen—let me reach down and help them back up.

God, make me Your hands.
Make me Your feet.
Make me Your voice.
Make me Your love in action.

Because this world doesn’t need another Christian yelling about Jesus.

This world needs Christians who will LIVE like Jesus.

WAKE UP, CHURCH.

Stop asking God to send somebody else.

Maybe YOU are the somebody.

Maybe the miracle someone is praying for is supposed to walk through your front door.

Maybe the answer to someone’s prayer has your hands.

Maybe the encouragement they desperately need has your voice.

Maybe the love they’ve been missing has your name attached to it.

So, Lord…

SEND ME.

I’ll go.

I’ll love.

I’ll serve.

I’ll stand.

I’ll get into the Good Trouble that love requires.

I’ll keep showing up.

And I’ll keep pointing people back to You.

Not my name.
Not my platform.
Not my glory.

YOURS.

Because if I claim to follow Jesus…

then I better be willing to walk where Jesus walked.

Jesus, make me Your hands and feet.

AMEN. 

~OC

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Classroom or Coffin

Every one of us has made mistakes.

Some of us have made BIG mistakes.

We have said things we wish we could take back.
Made decisions we wish we could undo.
Trusted people we shouldn’t have trusted.
Ignored warnings we should have listened to.
Taken roads we never should have traveled.

But here’s the truth:

Your mistake does not have to become your identity.

A mistake can become a Classroom when you are willing to learn from it.

But it can become a Coffin when pride keeps you from admitting it, repentance keeps getting postponed, and you continue making the same destructive choices over and over again.

Don’t waste your pain.

Don’t waste your failure.

Don’t waste the lesson.

Learn from it.
Own it.
Repent from it.
Grow from it.
Then keep moving forward.

You don’t have to stay buried in yesterday because you made a mistake yesterday.

Grace is bigger than your failure.

Mercy is greater than your mess.

And God is not finished writing your story.

The enemy wants your mistakes to bury you.
God wants to use them to build you.

So get back up.

Take the lesson.

Close the chapter.

Walk forward.

And remember:

YOUR MISTAKES CAN EITHER BE YOUR CLASSROOM OR YOUR COFFIN.

DON’T DIE IN A LESSON GOD INTENDED TO TEACH YOU.

Get up.

Learn.

Repent.

Overcome.

And keep fighting the good fight.

Your story isn’t over.

Jesus still saves. Jesus still restores. Jesus still redeems. And Jesus can take the broken pieces of your life and create something beautiful.

KEEP OVERCOMING. ~OC

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Human-The Soundtrack Of My ICU Battle

Sometimes God speaks through a sermon.

Sometimes through Scripture.

Sometimes through another person.

And sometimes… He speaks through a piano.

While I was lying in an ICU room at a local hospital, fighting for my life, Tommee Profitt’s new project, Human, was released.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

As many of you know, things did not look good.

This was the second time this year that I had been hospitalized and found myself fighting for my life. There were moments when the road ahead looked incredibly uncertain.

But while I was lying there in that ICU room, I put Human on repeat.

Over and over.

And over again.

Human is, in many ways, a simple project—beautiful instrumental pieces centered around the piano. There are no complicated words. No elaborate message being preached through lyrics.

Just music.

But somehow, those piano notes said everything I needed to hear.

That album didn’t just become background music in my hospital room.

It ministered to me.

It brought peace into a room filled with machines, monitors, alarms, medications, uncertainty and fear.

And something else happened that I didn’t expect.

It touched the people who walked through that ICU door.

Doctors.

Nurses.

Hospital staff.

Family.

Friends.

People would come into my room while Human was playing, and for a few moments, the atmosphere seemed to change.

The music became part of the story.

Part of the battle.

Part of the healing.

For me, Human will forever be connected to those ICU days.

Not because the album saved me.

God did.

Not because music performed a miracle.

God did.

Not because I somehow fought my way back on my own.

God carried me.

Today, I’m home.

I’m recovering.

And my new medical team is amazed at how far I’ve come.

After everything that happened, I don’t take that for granted.

All praise, honor and glory belong to God.

He never left my side.

Not in the ICU.

Not in the darkest moments.

Not when things looked impossible.

Not when I was fighting for my life.

And not now that I’m home.

He was there through every breath, every prayer, every tear, every medical treatment and every uncertain moment.

And I’m incredibly thankful.

I’m also thankful for artists like Tommee Profitt, whose music became an unexpected companion during one of the hardest battles of my life.

Especially Human.

Sometimes we don’t realize how powerful a gift we’ve been given until it finds us at exactly the moment we need it most.

For me, Human found me in an ICU room.

And I will never hear those piano notes the same way again.

They will always remind me of a battle I survived…

A God who never abandoned me…

And another chapter in this crazy, beautiful journey called life.

I’m home.

I’m still standing.

I’m still fighting.

I’m still overcoming.

And most importantly…

God is still writing my story.

May you have a beautiful, peaceful and blessed day.

And wherever you are today, whatever you’re facing, remember this:

You are not alone.

Keep fighting.

Keep believing.

Keep overcoming.

And never forget who is carrying you through the battle.

Jesus.

~OC

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The Day Before

SEPTEMBER 10, 2001.

Twenty-five years ago today, America went to bed believing tomorrow would look pretty much like today.

People went to work.

Parents kissed their children goodbye.

Kids went to school.

Planes crossed the skies.

People walked through airports without knowing that the world they knew was about to change forever.

Businesses opened.

Restaurants served dinner.

Families laughed around kitchen tables.

Friends talked about ordinary things.

Sports were played.

Life happened.

And nobody knew.

Nobody woke up that morning thinking, “This is the last normal day America will ever have.”

Nobody went to sleep thinking, “Tomorrow, thousands of families will receive the worst phone call of their lives.”

Nobody knew that the next morning would bring images that would forever be burned into our memories.

Nobody knew that the words September 11th would become more than a date on a calendar.

It would become a scar.

A memorial.

A reminder.

A day we would never forget.

That is what makes September 10th so haunting.

It was ordinary.

And sometimes we don’t realize how precious ordinary is until ordinary is gone.

So today, September 10, 2026, let’s remember something:

Don’t take today for granted.

Call the person you’ve been meaning to call.

Hug your spouse.

Tell your children you love them.

Forgive somebody.

Put down the phone and look someone in the eyes.

Thank God for another morning.

Because none of us are promised tomorrow.

Tomorrow, we will remember September 11th.

But today, let’s remember September 10th.

The last ordinary day.

The day America didn’t know.

The day thousands of people went about their lives completely unaware that history was waiting just beyond midnight.

Cherish today.

Love deeply.

Forgive quickly.

Live purposefully.

And never forget how quickly an ordinary day can become a moment that changes everything.

🇺🇸 God bless America.

🇺🇸 Never forget.

9/10/2001 — The day before. ~OC

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The Power of Prayer

Today’s a new day!

There are things in your life that money cannot fix.

Things doctors cannot explain.
Things friends cannot carry.
Things politicians cannot change.
Things you cannot solve by trying harder.

But there is something more powerful than your circumstances:

PRAYER.

Prayer is not the last thing we do when everything else fails.

Prayer should be the first thing we do because we know WHO holds everything in His hands.

I’ve prayed when I had no answers.
I’ve prayed when I was afraid.
I’ve prayed when my body was broken.
I’ve prayed when the night seemed endless.
I’ve prayed when all I could say was, “Jesus, help me.”

And sometimes God changed the situation.

Sometimes He changed the circumstances.

And sometimes He changed ME in the middle of the circumstances.

That’s the power of prayer.

Prayer doesn’t mean we will never walk through storms.

It means we never walk through them alone.

The Bible says:

“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” — James 5:16

So don’t stop praying because you haven’t seen the answer yet.

KEEP PRAYING.

Pray over your marriage.
Pray over your children.
Pray over your health.
Pray over your enemies.
Pray over your church.
Pray over your community.
Pray when you’re strong.
Pray when you’re broken.
Pray when you have faith.
Pray when you’re struggling to find it.

Because prayer isn’t about convincing God to care.

He already cares.

Prayer is about bringing our hearts into the presence of the One who can do what we cannot.

So lift your head.

Get on your knees.

Open your mouth.

And PRAY.

Because the God who heard Moses, Elijah, Daniel, David, Ruth, Peter and Paul…

STILL HEARS HIS CHILDREN TODAY.

And when you don’t know what else to do—

PRAY.

When you think there is no way—

PRAY.

When the enemy tells you to quit—

PRAY.

When you have nothing left—

PRAY.

Because your circumstances may be bigger than you…

BUT THEY WILL NEVER BE BIGGER THAN YOUR GOD.

DON’T GIVE UP. DON’T GIVE IN. DON’T STOP BELIEVING.

KEEP PRAYING. KEEP TRUSTING. KEEP STANDING.

JESUS IS STILL ON THE THRONE.

And sometimes the greatest breakthrough begins with the simplest words:

“Father… I need You.”

~OC

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When The Argument Runs Out…

Today’s a new day!

Watch what happens when a political party has nothing left to stand on.

The conversation changes.

Facts become insults.
Debate becomes name-calling.
Ideas are replaced with attacks.
Leadership becomes fear.
And when persuasion isn’t enough, suddenly there are promises, favors, and bribes designed to buy your loyalty instead of earning your trust.

That’s not leadership.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth:

If your position is strong, you don’t need to destroy the person who disagrees with you.

You should be able to defend your ideas without calling someone stupid.

You should be able to debate without demonizing.

You should be able to disagree without treating your neighbor like an enemy.

And you should never have to buy someone’s vote to convince them your ideas are worth believing in.

I don’t care what letter is beside your name—D, R, or anything else.

Hold them ALL accountable.

Don’t worship a party.
Don’t surrender your conscience to a politician.
Don’t let fear manipulate you.
Don’t let anger become your identity.

Think. Question. Research. Listen. Then decide.

Because America doesn’t need more political tribalism.

We need people willing to stand on truth, integrity, character, and principle—even when doing so costs them something.

And as a Christian, my ultimate allegiance isn’t to a political party, politician, ideology, or government.

My allegiance belongs to Jesus Christ.

So I’m going to love my neighbor—even when we disagree.

I’m going to speak truth—even when it’s uncomfortable.

And I’m going to refuse to be manipulated by insults, fear, division, or political bribery.

Don’t let a political party tell you who to hate.
Don’t let a politician buy your loyalty.
And don’t surrender your God-given ability to think for yourself.

Stand on truth.
Stand on principle.
Stand on Christ.

Everything else is temporary. ~OC

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The Valley’s

The valley doesn’t get to name you.
The valley doesn’t get to break you.
The valley doesn’t get to bury you.

YOU ARE COMING THROUGH!

Because the Shepherd is with you in the darkness, beside you in the battle, and ahead of you in the victory.

SO GET UP!
LIFT YOUR HEAD!
TAKE THE NEXT STEP!

THE DEVIL DIDN’T WRITE YOUR STORY.
YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES DON’T WRITE YOUR STORY.
THE VALLEY DOESN’T WRITE YOUR STORY.

JESUS DOES!

And if the Shepherd says KEEP WALKING—THEN KEEP WALKING!

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. ~ Psalm 23:4

Did you hear that?

THOUGH I WALK THROUGH.

Not stay in.

Not die in.

WALK THROUGH!

YOU’RE NOT GOING TO DIE IN THE VALLEY.
YOU’RE GOING TO WALK THROUGH IT!

Because the God who brought you this far will not abandon you now.

THE SHEPHERD IS STILL WITH YOU.
AND THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING.

So lift your head.
Strengthen your faith.
Take the next step.

THE VALLEY IS NOT THE END OF YOUR STORY.
THE SHEPHERD IS LEADING YOU THROUGH!

NOW… KEEP WALKING! ~OC

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After the Amen

What happens after I say Amen?

Because the truth is, sometimes the pain is still there.

The diagnosis doesn’t disappear.
The bill is still sitting on the table.
The relationship is still broken.
The grief is still heavy.
The questions are still unanswered.
And sometimes, I still wake up tired of fighting.

Amen doesn’t mean everything suddenly gets easy.

Sometimes faith looks like saying,
“Jesus, I still don’t understand… but I’m still here.”

Sometimes hope looks like getting out of bed when your heart doesn’t want to.

Sometimes courage looks like taking one more step when you have no idea how many steps are left.

And sometimes the greatest miracle isn’t that God immediately changes the circumstance…

It’s that He changes something inside of you while you’re walking through it.

I’ve learned that real faith isn’t pretending everything is okay.

Real faith says:

“This hurts.”
“I’m scared.”
“I’m tired.”
“I don’t have all the answers.”
“But Jesus, I’m not letting go of You.”

That’s honesty.

That’s faith without the religious mask.

That’s hope that has been tested in the fire and still refuses to die.

So when I say Amen, I’m not saying the battle is over.

I’m saying:

Jesus, I trust You in the battle.

I’m going to keep walking.
Keep believing.
Keep praying.
Keep loving.
Keep getting back up.

Because my circumstances may tell me “it’s over,” but Jesus still gets the final word.

And if all I can do today is take one more step…

Then one more step is enough.

Tomorrow can take care of tomorrow.

Today, I’m choosing Jesus.

After I say Amen, I’m going to live like I believe the God I just prayed to is still walking with me.

Because He is.

Amen

~OC

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Be The Calm

Today’s a new day!

There is enough chaos in this world without us adding to it.

Enough anger.
Enough outrage.
Enough arguing.
Enough division.
Enough people reacting before they ever stop to think.

And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do isn’t to speak louder.

It’s to stay calm.

When everyone else is losing their minds, be the person who brings peace.

When everyone else is reacting, be the person who pauses.

When everyone else is throwing gasoline on the fire, be the person who refuses to pick up the match.

When everyone else is looking for someone to blame, be the person willing to extend grace.

Because as followers of Jesus, we were never called to mirror the chaos around us.

We were called to carry something different.

Jesus didn’t promise us a life without storms.

He promised us His presence in the middle of them.

Think about Jesus asleep in the boat while the disciples were terrified by the storm. The waves were crashing. Fear had taken over. Everyone was panicking.

And Jesus got up and spoke to the storm:

“Peace! Be still!”

Maybe sometimes the miracle God wants to work through us isn’t calming the storm around us.

Maybe it’s teaching us how to remain calm while we’re standing in it.

You don’t have to answer every accusation.

You don’t have to win every argument.

You don’t have to respond to every criticism.

You don’t have to match someone else’s anger.

You don’t have to become bitter because someone else is bitter.

And you certainly don’t have to join the storm just because everyone else is standing in the rain.

Be different.

Be the calm.

Be the peace.

Be the person who walks into a chaotic room and changes the atmosphere—not because you have all the answers, but because you know the One who does.

The world doesn’t need more people adding to the noise.

It needs people who carry peace.

People who know when to speak and when to remain silent.

People who choose grace when anger would be easier.

People who choose forgiveness when bitterness feels justified.

People who refuse to let the storm outside determine the condition of their heart inside.

So today, before you react, pause.

Before you respond, pray.

Before you speak, ask yourself whether your words will bring healing or simply add to the storm.

You may not be able to control the storm.

But with God’s help, you can control whether you become part of it.

Don’t join the storm.

Be the calm in the middle of it.

And maybe, just maybe, someone who is drowning in the storm will find their way to Jesus because they saw His peace living inside of you. ~OC

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