Engage, Create, & Transform Culture For God's Glory
written words
thorns & thistles
A Message From Dust to Dust
WHY TAKE THESE THORNS & THISTLES? Do you remember the first time your past pricked you? When your habits stung you? When your fears pierced you? When your comfort shook you? When your decisions caused you to bleed? What about when your words convicted you? How do you deal with pain that speaks, but is too difficult for you to articulate? Pain that hurts you in order to help others? Pain that points to purpose? We all struggle to confront our comfy fig leaves, cultivate the fields in which our seed-like realities grow, live in our contaminated freedoms, and digest our unrecognizable fruits. These Thorns & Thistles in poetic form are in this book to help inform, persuade, and compel you to question you, the questioner, meet truth in the flesh, and discover the word in you. You don’t need more reasons to read this book. You have already decided. Whatever your decision, remember this moment. If you refuse to open your present simply because pain is the wrapping paper, your future will not forget.
"As a Pastor of a Church, I am
confident that the author of this book
will bless your life. He is constantly challenging listeners to think at a
higher level of consciousness.
I have been fortunate to experience
his ministry at our church.
I wholeheartedly recommend this
book to anyone who is
seeking
to be informed, encouraged, inspired, and empowered!"
Reviews on book!
THORNS & THISTLES BOOKMARK
See me at any of my speaking events where I am selling my book and ask for a THORNS & THISTLES bookmark free of charge!
"Great book!! I would recommend it for anyone."
"This book challenges you to really dig into yourself and ask the hard questions. It cuts you, but for the purpose of growth."
"These poems are life changing brother!"
Reviews on book!
I Like to read..
Below is a list of books, authors, and resources not in any particular order that have helped me wrestle with particular topics about the human experience. Ask God to help guide you as you engage these resources, specifically on "what fish to eat and what bones to throw away".
Ravi Zacharias
CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST
o Can Man Live Without God
o Why Suffering?
o Jesus Among Other Gods
o Teachings and Sermons
Lois Tverberg
AUTHOR
o Reading the Bible With
Rabbi Jesus
(How a Jewish perspective can transform your understanding)
John Piper
PASTOR, AUTHOR, THEOLOGIAN
o A Peculiar Glory
o Desiring God
o Don't Waste Your Life
o Teachings and Sermons
The Bible Project
ORGANIZATION
Animation studio producing short videos, podcasts, and study guides on the solid story Bible, every book, and various themes
Jude 3 Project
ORGANIZATION
dedicated to helping Black Christian Community know what they believe and why with podcasts, videos, early African Christian resources.
Ray Ortlund
PASTOR, AUTHOR
o Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel (traces marriage in scripture, its eternal significance past, present, & future)
Ryan & Selena F.
AUTHORS
o Fierce Marriage
(Radically pursuing each other in light of Christ's relentless love)
Preston Perry
POET, APOLOGIST
o BOLD TV (A great Youtube Series on and for Urban Christian Apologetics)
Victory Church
Pastor Phillip Anthony Mitchell
o Sermons and Teachings
Chris Durso
PASTOR, AUTHOR
o THE HEIST (How Graces Robs us of our shame)
Matt Chandler
AUTHOR, PASTOR
o Books and Sermons
C.S. Lewis
Writer & Theologian
o Mere Christianity
o The Four Loves
o The Weight of Glory
o The Abolition of Man
FF Bosworth
EVANGELIST
o Christ The Healer
(Christ redemption, our healing)
o Teachings and Sermons
Roberts Liardon
HISTORIAN, PREACHER, AUTHOR
o God's Generals
(Bios of powerful ministers, Why They Succeeded and Why Some Failed)
Ryan R. & Charles H.
AUTHORS, HISTORIANS
o Know How We got Our Bible
(Trace the History of the Bible from its beginnings to the present day, highlight reliability of Scripture)
Timothy Keller
AUTHOR, PASTOR, THEOLOGIAN
o Reason for God | Prodigal God
o The Meaning of Marriage
o Sermons and Teachings
Thabiti Anyabwile
PASTOR, AUTHOR
o Reviving the Black Church (New Life for a Sacred Institution)
o Pastor Anacostia Church in DC
Bart E. & Daniel W
AUTHORS
o The Reliability of the Nw Testament
Abdu Murray
SPEAKER, APOLOGIST, ATTORNEY
o SAVING TRUTH (Finding meaning & clarity in a post-truth world)
A. W. Towzer
THEOLOGIAN, AUTHOR, PREACHER
o Sermons and Teachings
Fleming Rutledge
AUTHOR, SPEAKER
o THE CRUCIFIXION: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ
Beth Moore
AUTHOR, BIBLE TEACHER
o Books and Sermons
Jackie Hill Perry
SPEAKER, POET, AUTHOR
o Gay Girl Good God
(The Story of Who I was, and Who God has always been)
o Teachings and messages
Smith Wigglesworth
EVANGELIST
o Every Increasing Faith
o The Holy Spirit
o Teachings and Sermons
Tony Evans
PASTOR, AUTHOR
o Kingdom Man
o The Urban Alternative Radio show
Dave Buehring
AUTHOR
o The Jesus Blueprint
(Rediscovering his Original Plan for Changing the World, i.e. Disciple Making)
Legacy Disciple
ORGANIZATION
Uniting diverse ministers to train young, urban adults to disciple holistically via conferences, videos, speakers, articles, and resources, etc.
Rick Pino
WORSHIP LEADER
o Heart of David Movement
o Slingshot Youtube series
(teachings on worship through music)
Watchman Nee
TEACHER, AUTHOR
o The Spiritual Man (the human spirit, soul and body by the late Chinese Church leader)
The & Campaign
ORGANIZATION
Biblical Values & Social Justice
addressing sociopolitical issues with compassion and conviction of the gospel.
Jen Wilkin
AUTHOR, TEACHER
o Sermons and Teachings
o Women of the Word
Greg Bahnsen
AUTHOR
o ALWAYS READY: Directions for Defending the Faith
Tim Mackie
PROF., PASTOR, BIBLE TEACHER
o Teachings and Sermons
Rosaria Butterfield
WRITER, SPEAKER, AUTHOR
o The Gospel Comes with a House Key (radical ordinary hospitality)
o The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert
o Teachings and messages
Steven Furtick
PASTOR, AUTHOR
o UnQualified
(How God Uses Broken People to do Big Things)
o Teachings and Sermons
Eric Mason
PASTOR, AUTHOR
o Woke Church
(Urgent Call for Christians to Confront Racism & Injustice)
o Teachings and Sermons
The Gospel Coalition
ORGANIZATION
Network of Evangelical Churches, Pastors, Teachers, Gospel Centered Principles, Articles, Podcasts, Resources, Teachings and Sermons
Nabeel Qureshi
CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST
o Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus
(A devout Muslim encounters Christianity)
Truth's Table
ORGANIZATION
A podcast featuring 3 brilliant Black Christian Women tackling deep topics on racism, social justice, misogyny, etc.
Luke Norsworthy
PASTOR, AUTHOR
o God Over Good (Saving Your Faith by Losing Your Expectations of God)
Christine Caine
SPEAKER, EVANGELIST, AUTHOR
o books and teachings
Timothy L. & Paul T.
AUTHORS
o Relationships: A Mess Worth Making
Francis Chan
AUTHOR, PASTOR
o Books and Sermons