Making My Plans While Surrendering My Steps

Seminary is over. The season of lectures, research papers, and deadline-driven theology has come to a close. And now? Now begins the process of planning the next chapter—while trusting that God will establish the steps.

There’s a lot I hope to do—some dreams that have been on hold for years, some new opportunities in ministry, and a few creative projects I’m eager to dust off. Whether all of them happen, time will tell. But for now, here’s what’s on my mind as I move forward.

Relearning the Joy of Writing

For the past several years, writing has been more of a survival skill than a passion. Academic papers, theological arguments, research-heavy exegesis—it was all necessary, but it left little room for the kind of writing I actually enjoy. Now that seminary is behind me, I want to get back into writing about the ideas, musings, and concepts that excite me.

Before seminary, I started (in one way or another) over 25 books—and then abandoned them when I ran out of air to breathe. I’d love to circle back to those projects, dust them off, and see where they take me.

Reviving My Blog and Newsletter (Maybe?)

Writing for myself is one thing, but I also want to get back into writing for others. I used to enjoy sharing thoughts through my blog and a weekly newsletter, and from what I’ve heard, others found them meaningful. I don’t want to make any big commitments just yet, but I’d like to try again—to see if I can rediscover the rhythm.

Stepping Into a New Pastoral Role

Alongside my current role as an Associate Pastor over discipleship, I’m stepping into a new role as Executive Pastor at Cross Community Church. In short, I’ll be helping oversee the organized chaos we call church planting. Church planting has always been something I’ve loved getting my hands around, and with our church’s growth and future plans, this role will be an exciting (and likely exhausting) challenge.

The Launch of Lovewell

One of the reasons an Executive Pastor role was needed at our church is because of our rapid and expected growth—driven by community shifts, historical trends, and an exciting new ministry we’re launching called Lovewell. I’ll share more about it in a later post, but let’s just say it’s a big deal, and I’m eager to see where God takes it.

Returning to Video Teaching

I had a blast creating videos for The Making of a Godly Man, and I want to continue that series by diving into the qualifications listed in Titus. Beyond that, I’d love to create more teaching videos—maybe less intensive, but still informative. Right now, I’m toying with the idea of doing a verse-by-verse teaching series on James.

The Dream That Won’t Die: A Graphic Novel

This one has been in my heart for over twenty years. I’ve dreamed of creating a five-volume graphic novel, and over time, I’ve worked on it in fits and starts. During seminary, I managed to sneak in short moments to develop the story, and I’ve now drafted large portions of the first book. I even have some artwork in progress (which I’ll share in a later post). Whether this dream takes off remains to be seen, but I’d love to give it the treatment I’ve always felt it deserved.

Seeing the World (If We Can Afford It)

Finally, I want to experience new sights and sounds around the country with my wife. How we’ll manage it—financially or timewise—I have no idea, but we’ve longed for this. More importantly, she deserves it. She sacrificed so much for me to complete seminary, and I’d love nothing more than to step away for a while and just breathe in God’s glorious creation together.

Of course, there’s also the small detail of paying off my student loans… so we’ll keep dreaming.

What’s Next?

Some of these plans will unfold as I hope, some may not, and others may take a completely different path. But if seminary taught me anything, it’s that God is always working—even when I can’t see the full picture. I can make my plans, but surrendering my steps to Him is where peace is found.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9

So, here’s to the next season. Here’s to rediscovering creativity, stepping into new ministry, and (hopefully) taking some deep breaths along the way.

Let’s see what the Lord establishes.

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