Is Your Marriage Rad or Bad: 10 Tips to Help

August 19, 2019June 25, 2020 ~ John Johnson ~ 4 Comments

This week is my 4th wedding anniversary! Our marriage is really good, and if you are new to my story, at first glance you would never know that 4 years ago we were also struggling to stay married. Let me tell you, marriage is a rad and beautiful thing, that God entrusts us to manage and maintain. It’s not easy at times, and no matter how much you love your spouse, if you neglect even the smallest things in your marriage you are risking throwing it down the drain. As I said, I know because I’ve been there.

No one goes to bed saying “I’m going to trash my marriage. I invited another person into my life to live with me until death does us part, and I want to destroy this person now.” If you did go to bed saying this, then there are some underlying issues somewhere in your life, but for the most part, this is not a normal thought.

I have loved my wife for a long time, and I never thought that I was ever going to be one of thous statistic. 40-50% of marriages end in a divorce, and that is crazy stupid. So, as mentioned, a few years ago my wife and I were about to split shortly after we got married. Long story short, I was not properly tending to my marriage like I should, and it is only due to God’s grace and mercy that saved it. It was one of the hardest times in my life and I never felt so afraid.

My wife and I have reconciled, and have been working together to make our marriage the way God intends it to be, and everything is great! When we broke up I tried to fix things my way but was only making things worse. I was digging myself deeper and deeper and the only way out was to give up. So I gave up on trying to do it alone, and I gave my marriage to God and trusted that he was going to take care of us. I spent those months not only praying and fighting for my marriage, but studying what it means to love someone, and how to take care of it. I would now love to share all the information that I have came across over the years of studying a Godly marriage because I would never in a million years wish that pain on anyone.

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How an anarchic punk rock spirit led me to the Holy Spirit: How it still fights!

March 30, 2019June 25, 2020 ~ John Johnson ~ 19 Comments

I’m like any other punk rock dude right now, I grew up, got married, had some kids and have found that the things I learned through punk rock music still continue to inform my thinking, and help me make sense of the world. I want to share this with my kids, my friends, and my family what I have learned from both my faith and punk ethics daily. The two of these intertwined have assisted in helping me come to several conclusions about my spirituality that are presumably far outside of the norm of contemporary Christian culture.

This probably isn’t all too surprising, but what may be, is that I am convinced that the combination of these ideas informing my head, heart and hands has led me back to the heart of Scripture. I mean, the way of Jesus is pretty punk rock! Several punk bands, now and then, have several points worth reflecting on if you are a follower of Jesus Christ in the Western world.

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His Legacy

March 28, 2019June 25, 2020 ~ John Johnson ~ Leave a comment

So this song has been in and out of my head for a few weeks now.

There is tons of Christian music out there, and I’m not necessarily a fan of Casting Crowns, but this song has been making me think a lot. (Please don’t read to much into that. I don’t hate them, but there is so much music out there that I listen to a different style, and I’m not the biggest on K Love. Again, not bad, but not my tea)

It’s catchy for sure, and I may have been thinking about the purpose of the church, which has gotten me thinking, what is my purpose as a pastor, and such. Good thoughts for sure! The lyrics popping into my head on repeat are:

“And I, I don’t want to leave a legacy
I don’t care if they remember me
Only Jesus
And I, I’ve only got one life to live
I’ll let every second point to Him
Only Jesus”

Not to get into details, because the pastoral team I’m on have been doing some of the same thinking, so I don’t want to spoiler that, but as I ponder this question for myself, I ask that my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ reflect on this with me.

Are we trying to build an empire for ourselves, or are we directing people to the Kingdom?

Does my daily life reflect that of Jesus? Do my co-workers see this without me being all preachy? Do my students really feel I practice what I preach? Do my kids and wife see it behind closed doors and in private?

I want to say yes and vehemently hope that this points people to the hope of what Jesus can do. Before Him, I was foolish and a legacy I leave behind, without Him is just a man in his foolish ways.

Thoughts are running extra-strong tonight. Lord, thank you for this life!

*Originally my Facebook post from February 18th, 2018

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Only Jesus – Casting Crowns