Live Freely. Love Powerfully.
Many people think of freedom as complete autonomy to do anything you like. That works fine right up until the day your freedom bumps into someone else's freedom. What happens next? Usually, some form of violence and control. But what if there was another way?
The ancient world thought of freedom as being free to pursue righteousness. A free person could not harm others, because that was an invalid usage of their freedom. Only those who were bound by something caused harm.
I think there's something for us to explore at this intersection of freedom, power and love.
Far more than a nice feeling, love is a transformative force that is busy at work redeeming everything in this world. I call that love God. And I believe God is active, restoring all things and leading all of us toward peace and wholeness. Not only that, I believe God invites us to join in the work and participate in this powerful, cosmos-transforming love.
To that end:
I blog regularly on the intersection of love, freedom and power.
You can grab one of my award-winning, life-changing books.
Subscribe to my provocative interview show, The Puddcast.
Hire me for consulting services.
My Story
I was born in New Zealand—an increasingly long time ago. I grew up in Evangelical Christianity, with parents who were creative arts performers. As a teen, I moved to Canada and joined the Charismatic movement. After marrying and moving to Finland, I entered a spiritual wilderness period in my 20s, quitting church and the Bible. With all my religion stripped away, God rebuilt a living faith around a core of freedom, hope and love, fueled by the indwelling life of Jesus Christ. In my 30s, I was greatly influenced by early Christian Orthodoxy, as well as the Catholic mystics, the non-violent Anabaptists, and the witness of the Black Church in North America. After severe professional burnout, I began receiving therapy and have been greatly impacted by trauma-informed psychology, emotional wholeness practices and the Internal Family Systems therapeutic modality.
Today I’m a writer and speaker (and full-time dad)—who draws from all these many threads of inspiration. I preach at churches and teach seminars all around the world, especially on the topic of learning to love ourselves the way God loves us. I also host a faith & spirituality podcast, that is currently on hiatus. Today, I live in Guelph, Ontario with my wife and our four kids (one through foster care).
I recently served 6 years as a pastor, after spending the earlier years of my career in technology, charity leadership and publishing. I also provide consulting and coaching to pastors, writers and more.
As a hobby, I’m also a trance and progressive house DJ, in case you're into that.
You can find me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Grace and peace to you!
Statement of Faith and Beliefs
I believe in one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.1
I believe in God the Father, the Almighty creator of all, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, boundless in love.2
I believe in God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who perfectly reveals the Father to us.3
I believe in God the Holy Spirit, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, and through whom we participate in the life of Christ today.4
I believe humanity was created good, in God’s image, and was deceived into disobeying God, becoming subject to sin and death.5
I believe Jesus Christ became human for us as Emmanuel—God with us—in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that he lived a sinless life.6
I believe that for the sake of our salvation, Jesus Christ suffered, bled, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead, and on the third day he rose again. Having defeated death and disarmed sin, he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. I affirm Jesus’ statement that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that all who come to the Father do so through him.7
I believe Jesus Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead, and that his kingdom will have no end.8
I believe Jesus Christ is the living Word of God who fulfills Scripture and speaks to us today.9
I believe Scripture is a divinely inspired witness of Jesus Christ, and when read with the illumination of the Holy Spirit, it unveils God, makes him known to us today, is useful for equipping the body of Christ, and is ultimately unfailing in accomplishing its God-ordained purposes.10
I believe God is eternally loving, that there is no evil in him, and that he earnestly desires to draw all humanity into communion with him and with one another.11
I believe the whole church is united in the Holy Spirit, who dwells in each of us. As the body of Christ, the church is dedicated to participating in God's demonstration of love to the world.12
I believe in the resurrection of the body and the renewal of all things in the age to come. I believe we are called to steward the earth until that day arrives.13
1. See Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Proverbs 30:4; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:29; Luke 3:22; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; James 2:19.
2. See Genesis 1:1; Exodus 15:11; Leviticus 11:44–45; 1 Samuel 2:2; Nehemiah 9:6; Job 12:10, 13; Psalm 90:2; 103:19; 147:5; Proverbs 30:5; Isaiah 44:24; Jeremiah 32:27; Malachi 2:10; Ephesians 4:6; Revelation 1:8; 4:11.
3. See Psalm 2:7; John 1:1–5; 10:30, 38; 14:9; 17:25–26; 20:28; Acts 2:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Philippians 2:6; Colossians 1:15; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; Hebrews 1:5–6.
4. See Genesis 1:2; Matthew 28:19; Luke 11:13; John 3:5; John 14:16–17; John 15:26; Acts 2:3–4; Romans 5:5; 15:13; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17–18; Titus 3:5; 2 Peter 1:21.
5. See Genesis 1:26; Ecclesiastes 7:20; 9:3; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:1–10.
6. See Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:27, 35; John 6:38; Romans 1:3; 2 Corinthians 5:20–21; Philippians 2:5–7.
7. See Psalm 110:1; Matthew 16:21; 22:44; 27:26; Mark 15:15; 16:19; Luke 24:5–7; John 3:5–7, 3:16; 6:51; 14:6; 20:17; Acts 1:9; 2:36; 4:2; 5:31; 7:55–56; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Ephesians 1:20; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Peter 3:22; 1 John 2:2; Revelation 3:21.
8. See Isaiah 9:7; Matthew 25:31–46; John 5:19–29; Acts 1:10–11; 10:42; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 1:7.
9. See Isaiah 49:2; Matthew 5:17; John 1:1, 14, 17; Acts 7:38; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12–13; 6:4–6; 10:1–10; Revelation 1:16; 19:13.
10. See Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5; Isaiah 55:10–11; Luke 24:27; John 5:37–40; Romans 15:4; 2 Corinthians 3:14–18; 2 Timothy 3:15–17.
11. See 2 Samuel 14:14; Ezekiel 18:32; John 3:16–17; 8:12; 14:6, 18; 15:9–11; Romans 11:32; Ephesians 2:4–5; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 1 Timothy 2:3–6; Titus 3:5; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 1:5; 4:7–10, 16–19.
12. See Matthew 18:20; 22:37–40; John 17:11, 20–23; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Galatians 3:28; 5:14, 22–25; Ephesians 2:11–22; 4:1–6; Colossians 1:18; James 1:27; 1 John 3:11, 16–18, 23–24; 4:7, 21.
13. See Genesis 1:28; Genesis 2:15; Psalm 19:1–4; Isaiah 65:17–19; Matthew 19:28; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 21–22; Ephesians 2:7; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1–5.