Right now, we have an almost three year old son, Archie, and a one-year-old son, Kingston. And if I’m being honest, most days it feels like we’re learning as we go. There are moments where we look at each other and ask, “Do you think that’s right?” and neither of us are completely sure.

Raising boys is not easy.

It’s loud. It’s messy. It’s exhausting. but it’s rewarding.

Some days it feels like we’re doing everything right. Other days it feels like we’re completely winging it. Most days are probably somewhere in the middle.

One thing I know for sure… boys are different.

They’re strong. They’re adventurous. They’re curious. They’re constantly testing boundaries and trying to figure out where the line is.

My son Archie is always trying to find that line. Not because he’s a bad kid, but because he’s a kid. He wants to know if Mom and Dad mean what they say. He wants to know if “no” really means no. He wants to know if the consequence is actually coming.

And I’ve noticed something.

The more I give in to the whining or tantrums, the more he pushes back.

Children aren’t looking for weak boundaries. They’re actually looking for strong ones. Boundaries create security. Kids thrive when they know where the line is and when they know Mom and Dad are going to lovingly hold it.

At the same time, Archie absolutely adores his little brother.

The first thing he asks most mornings is, “Where’s Kingston?” Although he usually calls him “Ting Tong.”

He wants him around all the time. He loves him deeply. But if you watched them for five minutes, you’d probably think Archie believes Kingston is either a chair to sit on or a wrestling partner. They drive each other crazy, but they love each other fiercely.

And honestly, I love watching it.

I grew up with two younger sisters, so raising boys is new territory for me. I’m learning as I go. But one thing I’m learning quickly is that boys need guidance, boundaries, discipline, love, and consistency.

Lots and lots of consistency.

Recently, I was talking to a mom whose son is now a strong young man who loves Jesus, loves God’s Word, and loves telling people about Christ. She told me that when he was younger, he was aggressive. He pushed limits constantly. He was stubborn. There were moments when she wondered what kind of man he would become.

Then she looked at me and said something simple:

“Just be consistent.”

That encouragement meant a lot to me.

Because sometimes when you’re in the middle of parenting young children, all you see is the challenge in front of you. You don’t always see the man God is shaping them into.

One thing I’m realizing more and more is that my boys are watching everything.

And I mean everything.

They watch how I talk to Caroline.

They watch how I react when I’m frustrated.

They watch how I handle stress, how I worship and pray.

They watch how I treat people.

Archie repeats everything right now. Sometimes it’s hilarious. Sometimes it’s terrifying.

Our children learn far more from what we do than from what we say.

If I want my boys to love Jesus, they need to see me love Jesus.

If I want them to read God’s Word, they need to see me reading God’s Word.

If I want them to honor women, they need to see me honor their mother.

The greatest lessons our children learn are usually caught before they’re taught.

That’s why teaching them God’s Word matters so much.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

“These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

He’s saying teach your children throughout everyday life.

At breakfast.

In the car.

Before bed.

During hard conversations.

During victories.

During failures.

Parents are called to be the primary spiritual influence in their children’s lives.

As a youth pastor, I believe in youth ministry. I believe in church. I believe in Christian education when possible.

But none of those things were ever meant to replace parents.

The next generation needs moms and dads who are willing to intentionally teach God’s truth.

Proverbs 22:6

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

That training doesn’t happen accidentally.

It happens through thousands of ordinary moments stacked on top of one another.

And part of that training includes something that isn’t very popular today.

Discipline.

Let’s just say it plainly.

Your children need discipline.

The Bible couldn’t be clearer.

Proverbs 13:24

“The one who will not use the rod hates his son, but the one who loves him disciplines him diligently.”

Notice the connection Scripture makes.

Discipline and love… Not discipline and anger… Not discipline and frustration… Discipline and love.

I don’t enjoy disciplining my boys and I hate seeing tears.

I hate having those moments.

But love says, “I’m willing to have a difficult moment now so you can have a better future later.”

Honestly, a lot of adults would have benefited from a little more discipline when they were younger. LOL.

But seriously.

One of the greatest mistakes our culture has made is confusing love with the absence of correction.

Real love corrects.

Real love teaches.

Real love prepares.

Real love says no when no needs to be said.

last but not least… raise masculine boys to men

A dad told me how thankful he was that our church wasn’t afraid to raise masculine young men. He had come from a place where many of the messages his children received seemed to be against masculinity rather than teaching what healthy, biblical masculinity actually looks like.

That conversation challenged me.

Because our boys desperately need examples.

Biblical masculinity.

Men who love Jesus. Men who tell the truth. Men who work hard. Men who protect others. Men who serve. Men who stand for what’s right.

Men who are humble enough to admit when they’re wrong and strong enough to lead when it’s difficult.

The Bible says:

Psalm 127:4

“Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons born in one’s youth.”

Arrows aren’t meant to stay in your hand forever.

They’re meant to be sharpened, Prepared and launched.

We’re not just raising little boys.

We’re raising future husbands, fathers, pastors, business owners, leaders and Future men of God.

One day my boys will leave my house. They’ll build families of their own. And if they grow up seeing a father who loves Jesus and a husband who loves their mother, they’ll carry that picture with them for the rest of their lives

.

So to every mom and dad currently in the trenches of raising young boys:

Keep praying.

Keep teaching.

Keep disciplining.

Keep laughing.

Keep loving.

Pray they fall in love with God’s Word.

Pray they encounter the Holy Spirit at a young age.

Teach them what is right.

Teach them what is true.

Teach them what is godly.

And trust that God is working, even on the days when it feels like nothing is sticking.

We’re not just raising boys.

We’re raising men.

And the world desperately needs godly men

— Dylan Ogle

It wasn’t loud.
It wasn’t dramatic.
But it was profound.

A 14-year-old boy walked up to me after service.

I knew he might. His dad had told me a few days earlier, “Hey, my son wants to get your number so you can pray for his girlfriend… or friend that’s a girl. I’m not totally sure.” (Classic dad answer.)

But, He never texted me.

Instead, he did something better.

He brought her.

He walked up and said:

“Pastor Dylan, I brought my friend because she needs healing.”

Let that sink in.

He’s 14.

And the first place he thought to bring her wasn’t a specialist.
Wasn’t Google.
Wasn’t a second opinion.

It was youth group.
It was church.
It was Jesus.

That alone is a miracle to me AND an answer to prayer.

The Injury

She’s a volleyball player. Has played most of her life.

The doctor had told her it looked like a slight rotator cuff tear.

If you know anything about volleyball, you know that’s not small.
You can’t swing.
You can’t serve.
You can’t hit.

I asked her to lift her arm back like she was about to spike.

Pain shot through her shoulder.

“I haven’t been able to hit in weeks,” she said.

So I said, “Alright. Let’s pray.”

But here’s something important.

I don’t like being the one to pray every time.

Because I never want students to think Dylan’s prayers work but not mine.

Jesus heals.
Not me.

So I looked at the boy and said, “Put your hand on her shoulder. You pray.”

And I led him in something simple:

“Jesus, heal her body. Let her shoulder go back to how You designed it. Make it stronger than it’s ever been. Muscles, nerves, tendons, be strengthened in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

That’s it.

No theatrics.
No hype.
No emotional music.

Just faith.

She opened her eyes and said,

“I felt something in my shoulder move.”

I said, “Stretch it back”

She lifted her arm.

Further than before.

Held it there.

Stretched it back like she was about to spike.

Then further.

Then behind her back.

I said, “Still hurt?”

Tears filled her eyes.

“I don’t feel any pain.”

Shock. Pure shock.

The boy who brought her? Tears in his eyes.

I handed her a volleyball.

“Try it.”

She hit it.

Held her shoulder.

Looked at me again.

“No pain.”

And she just stood there… stunned.

Sometimes when you’re in a miracle moment, you almost say to yourself:

“Oh my gosh… it actually happened.”

What Happens Next:

Before she left, I told her:

“Your coaches are going to ask questions. Your family will ask questions. Don’t try to explain it away. Just say… “Jesus healed me.”

That’s it.

No theology degree required.

Just testimony. YOUR TESTIMONY.

This may sound like a “small” miracle.

But here’s the truth:

It won’t be small to her.
It won’t be small to him.
And it won’t be small to the people who hear about it.

And this is just one story.

God is still moving.
Still healing.
Still responding to simple faith.

If a 14-year-old can believe like that, what could happen if we did too?

This was one shoulder.

One student.
One prayer.

But what if this is the beginning of something bigger? HINT HINT… IT IS HAPPENING!

What if we’re stepping into a season where students don’t just hear about miracles —
they carry them?

I have another 40-50 stories like this.
Some bigger.
Some quieter.
All real.

If you want to see what happens when a generation decides to actually believe — subscribe.

Because this isn’t slowing down.

They are real.

Eight months ago, I was standing in a fire.

Not symbolic.
Not poetic.
Physical. Scorching. Violent. HOT!!

I didn’t know what was happening… all I knew was… I was on fire. I screamed, hit the ground, and instinctively did what I was taught back in 1st grade: stop, drop, and roll.
(Who would’ve thought that would ever come into play?)

When I looked up, Caroline was standing there, staring at me, and all I could get out was:
“Is my face gone?”

She calmly reassured me that it wasn’t.
Then I shouted for the guys to grab Archie and get him away from the fire.

All I could think was: “Is Archie okay?”
He’s my little shadow outside. Wherever I go, he goes.
But for some reason, that day… he wasn’t my shadow. He stood back. Watched from the sidelines.

(And that’s the first miracle. If he had been where he normally is… this story ends differently.)

And then it hit me.
I began pacing.
Confused. Embarrassed. Angry.
I thought, “No way. This didn’t just happen. I couldn’t have made such an egregious mistake.”
I even tried to convince myself, “I’ll be fine. Just throw a bandage on it and move on.”

But as we all know… that wasn’t the case.

Over the next few days, I was flooded with emotions—more than I can even name.

Mad. Angry. Sad.
Scared. Frustrated. Prideful.
Insecure. Ashamed. Uncertain.

And to add to the fire, just four weeks earlier, we had our second son—who, like most newborns, wasn’t sleeping at night.

Two weeks after that, Caroline was driving with both our boys when her brakes gave out on the road.
By God’s grace, she remembered what to do, pulled the emergency brake, and slid into a parking lot safely.

So now picture this:
I’m lying in a hospital bed, bandaged and hurting, unable to be the husband or dad I want to be.
We’re down to one car.
I was thinking about hospital bills, car repairs, and how Caroline now has to take care of the boys and me.
Oh… and I turned 30.
“So this is 30, huh?”

It felt like a storm that wouldn’t let up.
When it rains, it pours, right?

“I thought I was going to die.”

But 8 months have passed…

And there were still miracles that I am realizing even now…

My face didn’ burned all the way off... you can’t even tell that I was burned. My lungs weren’t destroyed from smoke inhalation. All my fingers are intact. All my limbs function. No permanent internal damage.

And I was transported to one of the best burn hospitals possible.

Multiple physicians examine me and say the same thing:

“I don’t understand how you got out of what you did with only this amount of damage.”

One medical expert looks at me and says,

“Burns like this usually take more off of you... I don’t know how you survived that without losing more.”

That’s not luck.

That’s mercy.

That’s God

For once, I am not the one praying over someone else.

I am the one needing prayer.

I’m not holding someone up.

I’m being held.

And I realize something humbling… I have more people in my corner than I ever knew.

Friends laid hands on me.
People intercede.

When I say I felt the prayers, I truly mean it.

fast forward to two weeks later… I am Preaching on stage! SHARING MY TESTIMONY OF HOW GOD SAVED ME!

(me two weeks after the hospital… WHAT?!) ONLY GOD!

God used me that day…

So much so that man walks up to me and said just two weeks ago.

“The moment I knew I truly believed in God was when I saw you standing on that stage after your fire. I knew you shouldn’t have survived that on your own. Because of your testimony that God saved your life… I’m here today.”

I know I didn’t survive that by myself.

I know my son should have been closer.

I know my lungs could have been destroyed.

I know I could have lost fingers.

I know I could have lost my life.

But I didn’t.

God saved me.

Not because I’m special.

But because He is good.

Eight months later, I still have scars.

There are bills. (Im still paying)

There are reminders here and there. Im more cautious with fire. lol

But there is also gratitude. There is perspective.

When I look back at the flames, I don’t just see trauma.

I see protection. I see mercy. I see Jesus standing in the fire with me.

What the enemy meant for evil, God is using for good.

This was the second miracle of my life.

Not because I avoided the fire.

But because God carried me through it and saved my life.

I know now more than ever that my life was preserved for a reason.

Not just to live.
Not just to move on.
But to testify.

This was one fire. One moment. One story.

There are many more.

Moments where God intervened. Protected. Spoke. Moved in ways I cannot deny.

I’m going to share them here… honestly and fully.

If you want to walk this journey with me and see the reality of a God who still moves today, subscribe and come along.

Subscribe now

“For God so loved the world…”

And that’s where it stopped.

Blockage.
Silence.
Fear.

Today, I preach weekly.

This is the story of how God took a stutterer…
and made him a preacher.

Growing up, I had a bad stutter. Not the kind where I couldn’t say the word, but a blockage. That’s what the speech therapist called it.

My mind would move faster than my mouth could handle. I would hit certain words… and nothing would come out. Just silence. Which in turn, made me stutter every now and then.

As a kid, that’s not fun.

You know how in movies the kid who gets made fun of usually has a stutter? Yeah. That was me at times. Friends joke. Kids tease. It happens.

And honestly? I’m not bitter. I’ve forgiven everyone. LOL ;)

My dad jokingly blames himself because he used to throw me high up in the air when I was little.
My mom jokes maybe I got dropped on my head.

Who really knows? 😂

But somewhere in early middle school, it developed into a real issue.

Here’s the interesting part:

I loved people.

I could talk one-on-one with anyone.
A 95-year-old man? No problem.
A four-year-old kid? Let’s go.

I loved relationships. I loved laughing. I loved connecting.

But put me in front of a group?
Add excitement?
Add nerves?

The stutter showed up immediately.

Anxiety. Fear. Blockage.

I come from a minister’s household. Third or fourth generation preacher. Ministry is in my bloodline.

And I always felt something pulling me toward teaching the Word.

But how could I?

How could someone who couldn’t speak freely ever preach?

So I decided I’d probably just be a counselor. I’d help people one-on-one. That felt safe. That felt possible.

But my senior year of high school, I felt the pull again.

Maybe ministry.

Maybe teaching.

With that out In the atmosphere, My parents found a speech therapist. Insurance didn’t cover it. Somehow… I don’t even know all the details… the cost was covered. It was a miracle in itself.

As a senior in Highschool, after baseball practice, I’d go sit in a classroom designed for little kids and learn how to speak again.

(you know those rooms that have the little bitty chairs? … yeah that room!)

And by the end of my senior year, I was voted to give a speech.

I shared part of my story.

No stutter.
No blockage.
No fear.

To this day, I still believe it was one of the best messages I’ve ever given.

I believe God healed me! A long with using one of my favorite people in the world… My speech therapist. (SHOUT OUT TO ALL SPEECH THERAPIST YOU ARE DOING THE LORDS WORK!)

Has it been 100% perfect since then? No.

But the blockage left.

The fear left.

The identity of “the kid who can’t speak” left.

Today, I preach every week.

Without fear of stuttering.
Without fear of rejection.
Without fear that I’ll freeze.

If you knew me in middle school or high school, you would say there’s no way I should be doing what I’m doing.

And that’s the point.

Even Moses stuttered.

And I used to think, “God, You might use Moses… but You won’t use me.”

And to this day I can say It is NOT because of me. I have seen to many wonderful miracles and the power of Christ work in ways that a mere human being just simply can’t work in.

But it was never about my strength.
Never about my ability.
Never about my fluency.

It was, and always will be, about the Spirit.

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord. — Zechariah 4:6

God used Moses.
God used Dylan.
God can use anyone.

This was my first miracle.

Part 2 coming soon.

Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing 25+ miracle stories.

Some will be public.

Some will go deeper, the private battles behind the platform, the insecurities, the process, the cost.

If you want to walk with me through them, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Let’s believe again.
Let’s step out of the boat again.

For youth ministry specifically, I believe YOUTH MIN is the best place to teach a Spirit-filled life. It’s a safe environment. It’s a place where things can be corrected, explained, and discipled properly.

Right now, I’m walking with nearly 25 students who are reading the entire Bible in one month.

We’re going to know the Word, and we’re going to be filled with the Spirit.

Imagine a generation that KNOWS Scripture and WALKS in the power of God.

Game changers. World Changers.

There will always be critics. You can do everything right and still be told you’re wrong. That’s nothing new.

So here’s my encouragement:

Step out of the boat.
Open God’s Word.
Read it… especially the New Testament… and pray honestly:
“God, if this is real, make it real in my life.”

When you open yourself like that, God will respond.

Will there be moments you don’t know what to do? Yes.
Will there be moments that stretch you? Absolutely.

Let me be real for a moment.

My Story:

I’ve been in moments where I didn’t know what to do. I’ve had times where something happened in a service that I had never navigated before.

There was a moment where a student spoke out in tongues, out loud, in a room full of nearly 200 students. And I had never publicly given a word of interpretation before. Not once. I asked god to move in His spirit.

And in that moment, fear hit me.

My first thought wasn’t spiritual… it was practical:
What if I have to correct him?
What if this goes sideways?
What if this hurts more than it helps?

I remember, almost arguing with God in my head, asking Him to send someone more experienced. Asking Him to send the lead pastor. Asking Him to send anyone who had done this before, because I hadn’t.

And in that moment, I felt the Holy Spirit say, “Just open your mouth and watch Me work.”

So I did.

And as I spoke, a word of interpretation came out… one I knew wasn’t from me. And as we began asking questions and talking with the student afterward, we realized something wild: parts of what had been spoken lined up directly with Scripture, and even someone who knew Hebrew said that the words I was interpreting were Hebrew words! AND these are things neither of us had planned or manufactured. I DON’T know Hebrew! ha

I stepped out… God moved.

And here’s the point:
That moment didn’t happen because I had it all figured out.
It happened because I trusted God to do what He said He would do.

That’s the kind of expectation we’re missing.

We don’t need less of the Holy Spirit and we need more leaders and students who trust Him, who know the Word, and who are willing to let God move even when they feel uncomfortable.

Yes, there will be moments where you’re unsure.
Yes, there will be moments that stretch you.
But God has always met obedience with presence.

So step out of the boat.

Read the Word.
Teach the Word.
Be filled with the Spirit.

Because it’s not by might.
It’s not by power.
It’s by His Spirit, says the Lord.

— Dylan

Part 1 today. Part 2 tomorrow.

If you’ve known me over the last four or five years, you know I’ve leaned hard into the Spirit. Before anyone checks out, let me say this clearly:

We need the Word.
And we need the Spirit.

It has never been one or the other. It has always been both.

So don’t let the first few lines push you away.

As I’ve been reading Scripture, praying, and genuinely searching the heart of God, I’ve become more convinced than ever that the past two generations, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, desperately need real encounters with Jesus and the Holy Spirit… not just more information about Him.

We have a lot of people who know the Word, or at least know about the Word.

But what we also have is a generation that has heard sermon after sermon. Especially here in the South, the “Bible Belt”, the youth have grown up hearing it all. Even outside the South, they’ve been told:

• What Christians are or aren’t

• What church is supposed to look like

• What faith is supposed to feel like

What many of them haven’t had… is an encounter.

Let me ask a simple question:

If you asked someone under 30,
“When was the last time you truly encountered Jesus Christ?”

What would they say?

I’m not talking about a vague emotional moment. I’m talking about a real encounter where there was no question:

• Was that just emotion?

• Was that random?

• Or was that Him?

A moment where they knew:

• Jesus was in the room

• He healed me

• I was in His presence

• I just got saved

• I will never be the same again

When was the last time for you?

That question isn’t just for this generation. It’s for all of us.

When I read Scripture, I notice something over and over again: everywhere Jesus went, He demonstrated power.

Sometimes He taught first, then power followed.
Sometimes He demonstrated power, then taught.

But everywhere He went, people knew this:

His Power will be on display.

If I can just get near Him:

• My pain will leave

• I will be healed

• I will be set free

That expectation wasn’t hype. It was reality.

About four years ago, I felt the Spirit say clearly:

It’s time to step out of the boat.
It’s time for a real outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
It’s time for real encounters with Me.

As I felt this, I really hadn’t gone very far with allowing the Holy Spirit to use me and fill me as those three statements were put on my heart. But as I started to walk down that path I realized not many people walk that way.

I believe one of the reasons we don’t go there is fear.

• Fear of mess

• Fear of backlash

• Fear of not knowing what to do

Let’s just say it plainly:

Many pastors, youth pastors, and teachers of the Word quench the Spirit, not intentionally, but because it feels safer not to address it. It’s easier not to explain it. It’s easier to stay in control.

Satan is fine with people who “like Jesus.” Treat Jesus as a “Bro.”

What he hates is those who are:

• Filled with the Spirit

• Activated daily

• Walking in power

NOW… Here’s the something i’ve come to realize in ministering to this generation.

When someone gets filled with the Holy Spirit we don’t teach them what to do with it.

So one of two things happens:

• They never use it again and grow numb.

• They use it incorrectly because no one ever taught them how it’s meant to function and never use it again.

And we are witnessing what those two outcomes look like right now.

That’s where fear comes from.

But Paul dealt with this exact issue in the early church. When things were out of order, he didn’t say, “Never do this again.”

He corrected it.
He taught it.
He brought order … not suppression.

And that’s what we need now.

When I talk about a Spirit-filled life, I’m not only talking about tongues or the prophetic every single time — even though those matter.

I’m talking about:

• Discernment

• Faith

• Words of knowledge

• Dreams

• Visions

• Miracles

• Boldness

• Obedience

The Holy Spirit is our Helper! He is present in joy, pain, confusion, need, and growth.

The tragedy is that many young pastors were never taught what a Spirit-filled life actually looks like because of the pain that came before them through misuse or suppression. And now we’re seeing the fruit of that:

• Young people fearful of the Holy Spirit

• Or completely turned off by Him

Yes, it can be messy.

But it’s holy.

We need THE YOUTH to:

• Walk in faith

• Move in discernment

• Operate in spiritual gifts

• Do it well and in order

But that requires leaders willing to teach it and willing to dive into it with them.

I’ll be honest: I’m willing to go places others may not be willing to go. Not because I know more, I don’t. Trust me, I don’t. But because I trust God to do what He said He would do. And I’ve surrounded myself with people who can correct me, guide me, and speak truth when I miss it or affirm when I get it right.

I have watched God do too many things for me not to trust Him!

I believe in this season God is asking YOU AND I something:

Are you willing to step out of the boat?

Part 2 drops tomorrow.

I’ll share a moment where I almost told God,
“Send someone else.”

But instead, I stepped out.

And He showed up.

Subscribe to be kept up to date!

— Dylan Ogle

I’ve seen torn ACLs and ligaments healed, doctors baffled by before-and-after scans. I’ve watched cancer disappear. I’ve seen skin conditions clear. I’ve witnessed minds restored from suicidal thoughts. I’ve watched chains of addiction break. I’ve seen a son intercede for their alcoholic father and come home from a trip and his father was free. I’ve seen scars be removed from past cutting. I witnessed demon possessed people be free.

I’ve watched prodigals come home; people we never thought would surrender to Jesus encounter Him in real time. I’ve seen freedom from self-harm. I’ve seen people filled with the Spirit, step into the prophetic, and begin walking in boldness and obedience.

This isn’t hype.
This isn’t emotionalism.
This is the fruit of a living God.

Scripture says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

If that’s true, and I believe it is, then the God who moved in the Gospels and the Book of Acts is still moving now.

In Acts, wherever Jesus preached, something happened. Healing followed truth. Freedom followed repentance. Power followed obedience. The gospel was never just spoken, it was DEMONSTRATED.

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:4).

That’s what we’re beginning to see again.

Right now, something is unlocking in this next generation that I’m humbled, and honestly grateful, to get to be apart of. Something is breaking. Something is healing. Faith is rising again. Hunger is growing. Jesus is becoming real, not just taught.

And here’s why this matters so deeply to me:

People need to encounter Jesus… YOUNG.

Not just students, but people early in their faith journey need real encounters with God. Because when life gets hard, and it will. When questions come, when doubt creeps in, when someone walks away for a season, there’s something powerful about being able to say:

“I know what God did. I was there. I experienced Him.”

Those encounters become anchors.

So I’m sharing these testimonies not to impress you—but to encourage you to believe again. To stir your faith. To remind you that God is still good, still present, still powerful, and still moving.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be telling these stories… one by one. Not as distant memories, but as living evidence that Jesus is still working among us.

And if He can do it here… He can do it anywhere.

What this series is all about:

This series isn’t about promoting miracles, it’s about remembering what God has done. And “By the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, Satan is defeated”

We MUST share testimonies!

Because when people encounter Jesus for real, especially when they’re young, it marks them for life. Even if they wander. Even if they doubt. Even if they fall away for a season.

They remember.

They remember the healing.
They remember the freedom.
They remember the moment they knew God was real.

And I believe God is doing that again, right now, in this generation.

Over these next few weeks, I pray your faith is encouraged and you start to expect the unexpected.

I will be sharing many things over the next few months. Im telling you, you don’t want to miss out on the Testimonies!

SOO When was the last time you truly encountered Jesus & it marked you for life?

Follow along. Share your story. And step out of the boat!

- Dylan Ogle

First, you have to set the tempo in your family.
You have to model what you believe.

Standards in families don’t come out of nowhere. They don’t magically appear one day, and they definitely don’t magically stay in place once you decide on them. Standards are an everyday, in-and-out practice. They have to be lived, not just talked about.

Let me give you some context.

Caroline and I didn’t stumble into this. I was a psychology major in college. Caroline has her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. We’ve done a lot of work on ourselves—premarital counseling, multiple marriage counselors over the last five years, and consistently being in the Word of God (which is the most important part).

A lot of what we live out has been modeled for us by our parents. Some things we’ve learned the hard way. But one principle that was passed down to us from our parents is this:
Take the best of us, and leave the worst of us.

One of the “best of us” was setting high standards for the family.

Now, does setting high standards mean you’ll have a perfect family?
Absolutely not.

But when people know where they stand and what the standard is, something powerful happens in a home—something you don’t experience without standards.

Here’s one of our core standards:

We love God first.
Then Caroline and I love each other second.
Then come our kids.
Then church / work.
Then everything else falls into place after that.

If we get that order mixed up—
If Caroline comes before God,
If the kids come before God,
If the kids come before our marriage—
everything gets out of alignment.

The foundation is this: we have to love Christ more than we love each other. If we don’t, things will always feel shaky—100% of the time.

Something happens when we honor Jesus Christ.

We spend time with Him.
We make it a priority to be in the house of God every single Sunday—even though we work. No skipping out.
We let it be known to our kids that we love Jesus.
We teach it.
We practice it.
It’s constant—day in and day out.

Second, we have to love each other.

Out of our love for Christ flows our love for one another. Caroline and I have looked at each other more than once and said, “How do marriages survive without loving Jesus and without being filled with the Holy Spirit?” I honestly can’t imagine it.

Third, we let our kids know something very clearly:
“I love your mama more than you. And I love God more than your mama. And I love God more than you.”

That might sound harsh to some people, but it creates health.

When kids know where they stand, they feel secure. There’s safety in order. There’s peace in clarity.

We have to make standards godly again. Not just worldly standards, but Godly standards.

And if you want to know where you really stand, here’s a simple question:

Ask your kids. OR. Ask each other.

Ask them honestly:

• Where do you think you stand in our family?

• What do you think matters most in our home?

• Is it sports?

• School?

• Achievements?

• Or God?

Do they know you love God more than anything else—or do they question it?

That question alone can reveal more than you realize.

This is important.
This is foundational.
And this is how families get strong again.

#MSIFGA —> Make Standards in Families Godly Again

Every family should have values.
Some families have none.
Some have a lot.
Some have just a few.

Whatever the case, a family without values is a family without direction.

So here are some thoughts on creating family goals and values.

1. You Must Go After the Same Goal

If everyone in the family has a different idea of what a “win” looks like, nobody actually reaches the goal. You’ll be busy, active, and exhausted—but not aligned.

Values equal alignment.
They define what matters, what we’re aiming for, and what we won’t compromise on.

2. The Husband Must Lead This

I believe the husband needs to initiate this.

Not in a domineering way.
Not in a “my way or the highway” way.

But in a responsible, loving, spiritual leadership way.

It’s not the wife setting the values and the husband agreeing later (even though that might feel easier at times). It’s the husband stepping up, leading the conversation, and then building it together.

If you’re in a single-parent household, this obviously looks different. But in a home where a husband and wife are together, leadership matters—and clarity flows from it.

Obviously I know people don’t have the perfect situation, but make do with the best God has given you.

What Are Values?

Values are non-negotiables.
They are not goals you hope to hit.
They are not resolutions you try to keep.

Values are the standards you refuse to compromise on in this season of life.

Yes, values can change through different seasons, but at any given time, you should know exactly what your family stands on. If someone asked, “What does your family value?” you shouldn’t have to think long about it.

Start Creating Values Early.

Our boys are young—two and a half years old and eight months.

Do they fully understand everything we say? Obviously, Kingston doesn’t yet.
But Archie does.
And more importantly—they hear us.

I think too often we say, “They don’t understand, so we won’t say anything.” But what they hear—at any age—shapes them.

So we speak life.
We speak values.
We speak expectations.

We tell them who we are as a family and who we’re becoming.

*Side Note*

Creating family values does not start when you have kids.
It starts when you get married.

A husband and a wife are a family. Children are a gift a welcomed addition, as my dad always says… but they’re not the starting point.

That’s why this begins with loving God, then Caroline and me coming together, with me leading the direction.

Be Intentional

Write your values down.
Put them on a wall.
Put them in a document.
Read them monthly.

Ask: Are we lining up with what we say we value?

Intentional families don’t randomly fall into values, they create them.
If you don’t create intentional values, you will end up valuing things you shouldn’t value.

So I want to share with you some of our values in this this season of our lives. We do not have a perfect plan but as we prayed we felt like this was going to be us in our family for a long time. Things may change but as of now, we are focusing on these items!

We will always value these items no matter what we decide to write down… it's just these are what we want to make sure we never forget.

The Ogle Family Values

1. Be in intimate relationship with the Lord DAILY
God is our foundation above all things. Everything we do flows from Him being number one in our lives. Not an add-on. Not a weekend thing. Daily dependence. Daily reverence. Daily pursuit.

2. Love God, love each other, then love our children
We value our family above outside pressure, opinions, and distractions. May we love our family more than anyone else other than God.

3. We will respect and honor authority
Honor reflects humility. Submission reflects trust. Obedience shapes the heart.

4. Walk with the Holy Spirit
We don’t just acknowledge the Holy Spirit—we rely on Him. May we walk with the Holy Spirit and exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit daily.

5. Have fun!
Joy and laughter are values in our home. We want to live life to the fullest.

Final Thought

Too many families don’t know what they’re going after.

Values bring clarity.
Clarity brings alignment.
Alignment brings peace.

Be intentional.
Lead well.
Speak life.

And build a family that knows exactly what it stands on.

-Dylan

This past Saturday, we took about three to four hours and went on a simple coffee shop date. Kid-free. Just the two of us. No big production. No pressure. Just space to breathe and talk.

We weren’t trying to plan every detail of the year. We were trying to get aligned.

Because raising humble kings doesn’t start with the kids.
It starts with the parents.

Alignment Comes Before Direction

I truly believe that if we want to raise kids who love Jesus, we have to be aligned together first. It starts with us. Not with better parenting hacks or stricter rules, but with unity.

If we aren’t healthy, how can our children be?
If we aren’t aligned, how will our kids know where to follow?
If we aren’t moving toward the same goal together, our children will feel the confusion long before they can articulate it.

So instead of making this a “goal-setting meeting,” we made it personal. Honest. Grounded.

We talked.
We listened.
We prayed.

Out of that time came clarity—and peace.

The Framework We Walked Through

We didn’t reinvent anything. We simply gave intentional space to the areas that quietly shape a family over time.

Here are the talking points we walked through as we made a game plan for the year ahead.

1. 2025 Takeaways

Before looking forward, we looked back. We talked through wins and losses, what stretched us, what strengthened us, and what drained us. We named what we wanted to leave in 2025 and what we wanted to carry with us into 2026.

2. Spiritual Game Plan

We talked about where we want to grow spiritually, together and separately. We named what we want our kids to experience spiritually, not just what we want them to know. We also talked about the kind of spiritual atmosphere we want in our home; peace, consistency, grace, and reverence for God.

Faith sets the tone before anything else does.

3. Marriage Goals

We reminded ourselves that our marriage is the foundation our kids stand on. We talked about rhythms, one date night a month, weekly check-ins, and what a “win” year actually looks like for us. We also named how we feel loved so we can love each other better: physical touch for me, quality time for Caroline ✨.

Strong marriages don’t happen accidentally. They’re chosen… over and over.

4. Physical Health

We talked about health not as a number on a scale, but as energy, consistency, and stewardship. What does health look like for our family? What does it look like for each of us individually? And how can we support each other without pressure or shame?

Our bodies matter because they carry us into the lives we’re called to live.

5. Finances

We aligned on budget, savings, giving, and future goals. We talked about peace over pressure, clarity over chaos, and how to steward what God has given us well—including side interests and extra income opportunities—without burnout. Money doesn’t define a family, but misalignment around it can divide one.

6. Other Goals

Some goals don’t fit neatly into categories. We gave space for personal goals for each of us—things that matter, even if they don’t sound impressive or public.

7. Prayer

We talked about how we want to pray over each other this month and this year. We named a few specific prayer points and committed to lifting each other up intentionally—not just reacting when things feel heavy

.

8. Family Biblical Principles

We finished by anchoring everything back to our family’s biblical principles—the foundation everything else is built on. I’ll share those another time, but they shape every decision we make.

Why This Matters

We didn’t do this to be impressive.
We did it to be aligned.

Because when parents are aligned, children feel secure.
When parents are unified, children aren’t confused about what matters.
And when a home has order, peace follows.

This is part of how we’re raising humble kings—not by perfection, but by intentionality. By choosing alignment before the year chooses for us.

And we’ll keep choosing it again tomorrow.

It’s like when we see in movies or read in books a young girl picking petals off a rose, trying to find her answer with each one:

“To be alone or not to be alone…”
“To marry him or not to marry him…”

But alone and loneliness are not the same thing. Both are needed. Both require you to be… yes, lonely. But the difference between them will determine whether you find despair or encounter God.

The Enemy’s Twist

The world and Satan want you stuck in loneliness, but God wants you to come to Him alone. Those are not the same thing.

• Loneliness is a painful feeling of isolation, emptiness, or lack of connection. It is emotional, mental, and spiritual.

• Aloneness is a physical condition of stepping away from distraction and being with God.

Satan twists the words and blurs the lines. He thrives in lonely places, but God meets us when we are alone.

What Loneliness Feels Like

Think about the last time you were lonely:

• What were you doing?

• Where were you going?

• Who were you around?

Loneliness feels like emptiness, darkness, and disconnection. It looks like this:

• You’re surrounded by people but feel unseen and unheard.

• It seems like everyone has it together, but you feel behind.

• You believe everyone else has it better than you.

In lonely places, shame and fear rise. Self-talk becomes destructive. You begin believing lies about yourself and about God.

Satan Prowls in Lonely Places

Scripture warns us:

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
— 1 Peter 5:8

What does it mean to prowl?

• To move stealthily, restlessly, watching for weakness.

• To circle quietly until the right moment to strike.

• To hunt vulnerable prey that is separated from the herd.

Lonely people are not alert people. They’re tired, distracted, distressed, and drifting. That’s exactly who Satan targets.

How People Become Lonely

Loneliness doesn’t just show up suddenly. It grows slowly, secretly, until you finally ask,

“How did I get here?”

• Isolation by Circumstance – moving, losing someone, or facing unexpected change.

• Withdrawal from Community – pulling back because of shame, hurt, or pride.

• Comparison & Disconnection – believing lies through social media or others’ lives.

Loneliness grows when circumstances put us apart, when choices keep us apart, or when lies make us feel apart.

What It Means to Be Alone

Being alone is not the same as being lonely. In fact, God calls us into solitude with Him.

• Mark 1:35 – “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.”

• Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God.”

• Exodus 33:11 – “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.”

When you are most discouraged, you need to be alone with God, not endlessly scrolling social media.

Social media feeds loneliness—it makes people feel connected while actually keeping them isolated.

God invites you away from distraction, to be still before Him.

Stepping Out of Loneliness

So how do we move from loneliness to being alone with God?

1. Draw near to God – “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

2. Seek intentional community – “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)

3. Find a mentor – Someone Spirit-filled who can speak truth into your life. (You know I love a good spirit filled friend that KNOWS the Holy Spirit)

4. Renew your mind – Take captive every thought and replace lies with truth. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

5. Serve others – Loneliness shrinks when you live beyond yourself.

The Call for This Generation

This is the most “connected” generation in history, yet it is also the loneliest.

Why? Because Satan has made loneliness feel normal.

But God is calling this generation not to be stuck in loneliness, but to seek Him alone.

Loneliness isolates.
Aloneness with God restores.

It’s time to step away from the noise, draw near to Him, and let His presence fill the emptiness.

SOOOOOOOOOOOO…… REMIND SATAN!

Satan, you are not the roaring lion, you only prowl LIKE one.

We recognize your tactics, and we resist you in the name of Jesus but the Holy Spirit living in us. This generation will not be swallowed by loneliness. We will be alone with God and what God use us in a mighty way to break the chains of loneliness.

- Dylan

The common phrase we hear often is: “He owns a thousand cattle on the hill.”
Psalm 50:9–10, it says:

“I do not need the bulls from your barns
or the goats from your pens.

For all the animals of the forest are mine,
and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.”

Here’s what God was really saying. He doesn’t literally own only a thousand hills with cattle. The word “thousand” in Hebrew is an expression meaning an uncountable number. It symbolizes completeness and abundance.

This verse emphasizes that everything in creation belongs to God. He’s reminding His people that He has unlimited resources. God is completely self-sufficient. He is not dependent on human beings.

GOD DOESN’T NEED US

God doesn’t need sacrifices from people as if He were lacking. And if we’re not careful, we sometimes think God needs what we give Him. But no… sacrifices were never meant to fill a hole in God’s life.

Sacrifices were meant to reflect worship and obedience.
It’s as if God is saying:

“It’s not about what you give Me—I already own it all. I can give you whatever you need. What I want is your obedience and your worship.”

Think about it like this: if someone said today, I own all the gold in Fort Knox, every stock on Wall Street, every barrel of oil in Texas and all of Saudi Arabia… Etc.

They wouldn’t be listing their literal assets—they’d be making a point of ultimate wealth and control.

That’s what God is saying:

“All resources, wealth, and provision in the world are Mine. I lack nothing. I don’t depend on you… you must depend on Me.”

So what do you need today? Tell Him. He owns it all. Every resource you can imagine is already in His hands.

When you sacrifice, do it not because He needs it, but because you’re offering your worship and obedience. And from that place of obedience, true worship flows.

Remember, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. That’s more than our minds could ever comprehend.

Who doesn’t love serving a God like that?
A God who owns all the gold, oil, food, stocks, Crypto and anything else you could need in this world.

And guess what? That’s the God I serve.

(Good song to sing… HES GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS…)

For many, Charlie Kirk was an instrumental voice. Whether you agreed with everything he said or not, he stirred conversation and conviction. Now, one week later, the question remains: How do we respond—especially as middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college students—in schools and systems that often push you away from Christ rather than toward Him?

1. Remember that life is short

The Bible says our lives are like a vapor, a wisp in the wind (James 4:14). If this week has reminded us of anything, it’s that we are not promised tomorrow. Don’t waste your life on things that won’t last.

Scripture reminds us of this again and again:

• “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” — Psalm 90:12

• “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” — 1 Peter 1:24–25

• “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” — Proverbs 27:1

Life is fragile, but God’s Word is eternal. That means the wisest way to live is to anchor yourself in what lasts forever.

2. Decide now who you will live and die for

That may sound extreme, but it’s the call of Jesus: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). You can’t straddle the fence anymore. Your decisions today reveal where your allegiance truly lies.

Every generation of believers has had to decide—will we follow Christ when it’s costly? Paul declared, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). That’s not just theory, it’s a commitment to live fully for Jesus now and to be ready, if needed, to suffer for Him.

And remember, Jesus promised: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). Your bold stand for Him at school is never wasted… it echoes into eternity.

3. Rise up as priests in your generation

For two months I’ve been preaching on this: 1 Peter calls us a “royal priesthood.” Priests were coal-carriers. They carried God’s fire, His presence, and His truth wherever they went. Nobody wondered if someone was a priest—it was obvious. The same should be true of us in school.

Your “rising up” might not look like Charlie Kirk posting to millions, but it might look like:

• Standing for truth when everyone else walks the wide road to destruction.

• Being a friend to the lonely or vulnerable.

• Ending a relationship that pulls you away from Christ.

• Defending your faith online when it costs you something.

• Choosing to speak about Jesus when it would be easier to stay silent.

• Starting a small prayer group before school even if only two people show up.

• Refusing to laugh along when classmates mock faith, morality, or other students.

• Choosing to carry your Bible at school and not hiding that you’re a Christian.

• Using your talents—sports, music, academics—as a platform to point people to Jesus, not just yourself.

• Inviting a friend who’s searching or hurting to youth group, camp, or church, even if you risk rejection.

God doesn’t need one more Charlie Kirk… He needs 10,000 more voices willing to rise up, imperfect but surrendered to Him.

4. Respond with wisdom, prayer, and the Spirit

Jesus told His followers to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). That means don’t rush to react on social media or in conversations without thinking. Ask for discernment. Pray like you’ve never prayed before. And above all, be filled with the Holy Spirit—because it’s the Spirit who will guide you, comfort you, and strengthen you to stand when it feels impossible.

We don’t honor Charlie by becoming him—we honor him by becoming more like Jesus. And that happens when we rise up as priests, coal-carriers, and standard-setters in our schools and in our generation.

Your school is the collision point—where ideas, ideologies, theologies, and preferences crash together every single day. That’s exactly where Jesus calls you to stand firm, rise up, and shine His light.

Tonight is the night.

Three years ago, I sat on a mountaintop in Tennessee, praying and asking the Lord what He wanted from me in the next season of life. I had just left a church I had poured four years into. My wife and I had moved to North Atlanta—newly married, no kids yet, house hunting, full of excitement for what was ahead.

And in that quiet place, God spoke.

He gave me four specific things—one of which was this:

An event for Gen Z.

A rally.

A gathering.

A Jesus night for the next generation in North Atlanta.

I tried to start it three… maybe four different times over the years. But for some reason, it never worked. The timing was off. Doors kept closing. The vision never fully came together.

Until now.

And tonight—on June 26—it’s finally here.

JESUS RALLY.

Not just an event. Not just hype.

But something holy.

A night I believe people will look back on and say:

“I was at the first JESUS RALLY. I was saved there. I was healed there. I met the real Jesus there.”

Not an idea.

Not a version.

But Jesus Christ Himself.

This rally has been bathed in prayer—over and over again.

And I believe with all my heart: this won’t be a one-time moment.

It’s just the beginning.

A spark that becomes a wildfire.

A movement.

A revival.

This is for Gen Z—ages 13 to 30(ish)—those who are desperate for more. Those who are tired of fake, done with religion, and ready for a real encounter with God.

Like in Mark 2, where the friends tore off the roof to get their paralyzed friend in the room with Jesus… tonight is about one thing:

Just get in the room.

Because when Jesus is in the room,

something happens.

So, if you know someone who’s hurting—

if you’re feeling empty, numb, confused, addicted, anxious, or just far from God—

GET IN THE ROOM.

🙌 JESUS RALLY

📍 North Atlanta

📅 Thursday, June 26

🕖 [410 Rucker road @ 7pm]

🔥 Revival. Healing. Salvation. Freedom. Encounter.

⸻

PS: Mark your calendar now:

🗓️ December 19 — JESUS RALLY II (Roman Numeral 2)

Because we’re just getting started.

Pilate’s question—“What is truth?”—is echoing again. But now it’s not asked with curiosity. It’s asked with sarcasm, suspicion, or even scorn.

Truth has been rebranded as “whatever works for you.”

But as followers of Jesus, we don’t invent truth—we inherit it.
And we’re called not just to believe it, but to stand firm in it, even when it’s unpopular.

Point 1: Truth Is Not Flexible—It’s Foundational

Truth doesn’t bend to culture, preference, or personal emotion. It’s not something we create—it’s something revealed in the character of God.

“Truth isn’t something we shape—it’s something that shapes us.”

If we’re trying to squeeze God into a truth defined by the world, we’ve already lost the battle. That’s not a biblical worldview. That’s compromise dressed in Christian language.

Point 2: Culture Redefines, God Defines

Isaiah warned:

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil…” (Isaiah 5:20)

That’s our moment.

• Culture says: “Truth is personal.”

• God says: “My Word is truth.”

• Culture says: “Live your truth.”

• Jesus says: “I am the truth.”

A biblical worldview means calling things what God calls them—even if it’s uncomfortable, unpopular, or misunderstood.

Point 3: If You Don’t Stand for Truth, You’ll Fall for Anything

Paul told Timothy:

“People will not put up with sound doctrine… they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Tim. 4:3–4)

That time is now.

Truth isn’t just informative—it’s confrontational.
It challenges the lies we’ve accepted and the comfort zones we’ve built.

Without Scripture as your anchor, you’ll be tossed around by every trend, every opinion, and every “new normal.”

Point 4: Standing for Truth Will Cost You—But It’s Worth It

Truth doesn’t always trend.

It might cost you:

• Comfort

• Popularity

• Friendships

• Reputation

But it will give you:

• A clean conscience

• A clear mind

• A life built on solid ground

The Gospel was never meant to be crowd-pleasing—it’s soul-saving.

Application: How to Stand Firm in Truth

1. Know the Word.
   You can’t defend what you don’t understand.

2. Speak the Truth in Love.
   Truth without love is harsh. Love without truth is hollow.

3. Practice Discernment.
   Not everything that sounds spiritual is from God.

4. Don’t Compromise for Acceptance.
   Popularity fades. God’s approval lasts forever.

Closing Charge:

Truth isn’t just on trial in courtrooms or culture—it’s on trial in your heart.

Will you let the world define what’s real?
Or will you let God’s Word shape your view?

Truth matters.
It defines how you think.
How you live.
And who you become.

Let your worldview be built on truth that never changes—even when the world does.

“Follow your truth.”
“Make your own meaning.”
“Define yourself.”

Those are the mantras of modern life—and they sound empowering. But they’re also hollow. Confusing. Dangerous.

Because God has already spoken.
He’s not asking us to invent meaning—He’s revealed it.
He’s not inviting us to define truth—He is Truth.

This first message in our Biblical Worldview series asks one essential question:

👉 Are you seeing the world the way God sees it?

What Is a Biblical Worldview?

A biblical worldview means seeing and interpreting all of life through the lens of God’s Word.

In simple terms:

• 📖 God is the ultimate authority.

• ✝️ Jesus is the center.

• 🧭 The Bible defines truth, meaning, and morality.

Or put another way:

• We see what God sees.

• We call things what God calls them.

• And we live like it’s all true—no matter what culture says.

Romans 12:2 makes it crystal clear—transformation starts with renewal.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...” – Romans 12:2

When we come to Christ, we bring all kinds of baggage:
Old beliefs. Cultural lies. Flawed assumptions. Wounds. Pride. Prejudice.

If we don’t replace those with God’s truth, they’ll stick around—quiet, sneaky, and dangerous.

Like a Trojan horse, they sabotage from within.

You wouldn’t clear out an enemy city and leave hidden bombs behind.
But that’s what many Christians do in their minds.

God doesn’t want a partial renovation—He wants a total renewal.

“You must drive out all the people… But if you fail to drive them out, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides.”
—Numbers 33:52–55 (NLT)

Leftover lies always come back to haunt us. Always.

A renewed mind isn’t a band-aid fix. It’s a spiritual overhaul.

It means:

• Fully surrendered to Jesus.

• Shaped by Scripture—not emotions, culture, or opinions.

• Not half-baked or patched up—but completely transformed.

“We have the mind of Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 2:16

If it’s not the mind of Christ—it’s just religious noise. And religious noise breeds:

• Doubt

• Confusion

• Frustration

Most people don’t walk away from God—they walk away from a false idea of God.

“I lost my faith.”
Maybe.
But was that faith in the real God… or a distorted one?

Sometimes, the more devout someone becomes, the uglier their faith looks—because it’s rooted in a lie.

Ask yourself:

• Is the God I worship the God of the Bible?

• Do I see Him clearly—or through a fog of tradition, pain, or culture?

• Am I following who He really is—or who I imagine Him to be?

Doubt lives in fog. Clarity breaks it.

When we help people trace their false beliefs to their end, two things happen:

1. They see those beliefs aren’t just wrong—they’re not even Christian.

2. They’re faced with a choice: believe or disbelieve. But no more drifting.

Clarity exposes counterfeits.
And once you’ve seen the truth—you can’t unsee it.

“Choose this day whom you will serve.” – Joshua 24:15

It’s time.

• Time to stop mixing God’s truth with the world’s lies.

• Time to tear down the leftover altars in your mind.

• Time to fully choose the mind of Christ.

God doesn’t want half. He wants all.
And He’s given you His Word to see the world like He sees it.

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (v. 37)

Paul doesn’t say we’re survivors.
He doesn’t say we escape with a limp or crawl across the finish line.

He says: You are more than conquerors.

The Greek word is hypernikaō—to overwhelmingly, completely triumph.
Not barely. Not “just enough.”

To be more than a conqueror means:

• The fire didn’t just not kill you—it built you.

• You didn’t just survive—you were refined.

• You didn’t just get through it—you got something from it.

I’m not coming out burned—
I’m coming out brighter.
I’m not coming out bitter—
I’m coming out better.

This fire didn’t leave me defeated.
It left me more dependent on the God who delivers.

It looks like:

• Worship in weakness

• Peace in pressure

• Obedience in uncertainty

• Purpose in pain

Being more than a conqueror doesn’t mean I didn’t feel the heat.
It means I didn’t bow to it.

Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3:

“Our God is able to deliver us… but even if He doesn’t, we still won’t bow.”

That’s what real conquering faith looks like.

I had a choice:

• Mope?

• Cry?

• Or praise God all the more?

Yes, some days were brutal.
Yes, I had a panic attack.
But I’ve also felt more joy, more love, more peace after the fire than before it.

Because in the fire—I found God is enough.

Your creed is what you say you believe.
But crisis proves if it’s real.

“Consider it pure joy… when you face trials of many kinds…” — James 1:2-4

Faith doesn’t grow in comfort.
It grows in crisis.

Fire reveals who’s in the furnace with you.

Let me remind you of some fire-tested faith:

• Joseph — Pain positioned him for purpose.

• Moses — Obedience that split seas and shaped a nation.

• David — Heart after God formed in battle.

• Esther — Courage that saved generations.

• Daniel — Integrity louder than lions.

• Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego — Fire couldn’t touch their faith.

• Job — Loss revealed God’s sovereignty.

• Paul — Scars became Scripture.

• Jesus — Crucified. Resurrected. The fire couldn't hold Him.

Every fire had purpose.

So how do you live like this?

Let the Church Carry You

“Carry one another’s burdens…” – Galatians 6:2

Don’t isolate. Don’t pretend.
Let people in. We heal in community.

Fight in the Spirit

“We wrestle not against flesh and blood…” – Ephesians 6:12

The real war is unseen.
You don’t need more effort. You need spiritual armor.

Choose “But If Not” Faith
Like the boys in the fire:
“Even if He doesn’t… we won’t bow.”

Faith isn’t proven when things go right.
It’s proven when they don’t—and you still praise.

Refuse to Quit

“Don’t grow weary in doing good… you will reap if you don’t give up.” – Galatians 6:9

It’s always too soon to quit.

There comes a moment in everyone’s life—
When quitting looks good.
When the mountain seems immovable.
When the giants feel unbeatable.
When defeat feels like the only option…
And retreat feels like the only plan.

But I came to tell you:

It is always too soon to quit.

Because persistence—true, God-breathed, Spirit-led persistence—
Stands in front of 10,000 enemies and says:

“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.” – Psalm 91:7

They may fall around me, but they won’t come near me.
I am covered. I am protected.
I am not just a conqueror—I’m more than a conqueror.

I am the Lord’s.

Every page of this Bible declares:

• Press on.

• Endure.

• Push forward.

• Don’t grow weary in well doing—for in due season… you WILL reap.

In my weakness… His power shows up.

You will never outgrow warfare.
You will never "graduate" from the fight.
You just learn how to fight smarter—in the Spirit.

You ask, “When will the warfare stop?”
When you die.

But listen to me:

You’re not some victim in a storm—
You’re a priest, a king, a child of the Most High God.
The royal blood of heaven runs through your veins.
Greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world.

And if God is for you, who can be against you?

So, what does it look like—not if, but when—you come out?

It looks like:

• Peace where anxiety used to live

• Worship louder than your wounds

• Boldness where fear used to sit

• Purpose born out of pain

Because when you walk with God through the fire—
You don’t just say, “I made it.”
You say, “He brought me through—and I’m not who I was.”

So lift your head, warrior.
The fire didn’t finish you.
The valley didn’t define you.
The giant didn’t defeat you.

Through Christ, who loved you—
You. Are. More. Than. A. Conqueror.

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed in today’s ministry landscape, it’s this: this generation is hungry for something real. They don’t want empty words. They don’t want recycled religion. They want to experience the Jesus many of us have talked about for years.

Spend any amount of time with this generation, and you’ll find they are more open, more honest, and more willing to be vulnerable than many realize. They're not as closed off to Jesus as some might assume—they’re just tired of hearing about Him without ever meeting Him.

Sermons Haven’t Saved This Generation

Let me be clear: teaching matters. I love preaching the Word. But if sermons alone could save this generation, we’d have millions more walking with Jesus. We’ve had sermons on every podcast, YouTube channel, and church stage imaginable.

What’s missing isn’t content—it’s encounter.

This isn’t to dismiss the importance of doctrine or discipleship. It’s both/and. We need teaching and power. We need wisdom and wonder. But the truth is: many of our kids have been starved of the experience of Jesus Christ. Why?

Maybe we’re unsure how to explain it.

Maybe we’re afraid of the mess.

Maybe we’ve seen prayers go unanswered and don’t know what to say when healing doesn’t happen.

Maybe we just don't think it'll connect.

But when I read Scripture, I can’t escape the reality that Jesus not only taught—He healed. He delivered. He encountered. And He said we would do greater works.

“Do I Really Believe This?”

Over the last few years, I’ve found myself asking hard questions:

Do I really believe in the God of the Bible?

The One who heals?

The One who sets people free?

The One who still moves today?

I was preaching at a youth conference not long ago and asked the room:

“How many of you have ever experienced physical, emotional, mental, or relational healing?”

Out of a few hundred people, maybe 8 to 12 hands went up.

And I knew, right then: God wanted me to teach on healing.

And as I stood there preparing to preach, I had a moment of panic.

“God, if You don’t move… I’m not sure what I’m going to do.”

And I sensed the Holy Spirit say:

“Dylan, even if I don’t move the way you expect, they need to see you still be faithful. They need to see you still believe.”

That was hard. But I preached anyway.

And wouldn’t you know it—the Spirit moved.

The Healer Still Heals

A kid who broke his back and couldn’t bend without pain for a year—bent over and touched his toes, pain-free.

Another student, traumatized after witnessing his brother be abused, finally experienced mental healing and peace.

Swollen ankles reduced instantly.

Knees healed.

And stories are still unfolding…

Over the past two years, I’ve seen:

ACL tears healed (confirmed by doctors)

Scars from self-harm completely disappear

Kids walk in with injuries and leave whole

Depression lift

Fear broken

Students leave with their own testimony

Not someone else’s story. Their own experience with Jesus Christ.

What If We Just Said Yes?

I’m not sharing this to hype up a moment.

I’m sharing this because I believe this generation is crying out:

“Show us Jesus.”

Not just His words.

Not just His principles.

His power. His presence.

And Jesus is simply asking for a willing vessel—someone to step out of the boat and trust Him in the deep.

So here’s what I’m praying:

That this generation won’t inherit borrowed faith or secondhand testimonies.

But that they would say with full confidence:

“You may not believe, but let me tell you my experience with Jesus…”

Because He still heals.

He still speaks.

And He’s still looking for someone who will say yes.

Two weeks ago, I was literally caught in a fire.
It wasn’t symbolic.
It wasn’t poetic.
It was physical. Scorching. Unexpected. HOT. Real.

I didn’t know what was happening… all I knew was—I was on fire. I screamed, hit the ground, and instinctively did what I was taught back in 1st grade: stop, drop, and roll.
(Who would’ve thought that would ever come into play?)

When I looked up, Caroline was standing there, staring at me, and all I could get out was:
“Is my face gone?”

She calmly reassured me that it wasn’t.
Then I shouted for the guys to grab Archie and get him away from the fire.

All I could think was: “Is Archie okay?”
He’s my little shadow outside. Wherever I go, he goes.
But for some reason, that day… he wasn’t my shadow. He stood back. Watched from the sidelines.

And then it hit me.
I began pacing.
Confused. Embarrassed. Angry.
I thought, “No way. This didn’t just happen. I couldn’t have made such an egregious mistake.”
I even tried to convince myself, “I’ll be fine. Just throw a bandage on it and move on.”

But as we all know… that wasn’t the case.

Over the next few days, I was flooded with emotions—more than I can even name.

Mad. Angry. Sad.
Scared. Frustrated. Prideful.
Insecure. Ashamed. Uncertain.

And to add to the fire, just four weeks earlier, we had our second son—who, like most newborns, wasn’t sleeping at night.

Two weeks after that, Caroline was driving with both our boys when her brakes gave out on the road.
By God’s grace, she remembered what to do, pulled the emergency brake, and slid into a parking lot safely.

So now picture this:
I’m lying in a hospital bed, bandaged and hurting, unable to be the husband or dad I want to be.
We’re down to one car.
I’m thinking about hospital bills, car repairs, and how Caroline now has to take care of the boys and me.
Oh… and I turned 30.
“So this is 30, huh?”

It felt like a storm that wouldn’t let up.
When it rains, it pours, right?

But now, I’m on the back side of it.
I’m not fully healed, but I’ve had space to reflect.
And as I sit here, voice-recording this because I can’t fully use my arm yet, my perspective is different.

Honestly… I shouldn’t be doing this well.

And yet—I’ve felt more love, prayer, and support in the last two weeks than maybe any time in my life.
People have spoken prophetic words over me.
They’ve laid hands on me.
They’ve interceded for me.

When I say, “I’ve felt the prayers,” I truly mean it.

We’ve felt surrounded.
Our family rallied.
Our friends stepped up.
People came out of the woodwork to serve us, check on us, and love us well.

I’ve realized—I have more people in my corner than I ever knew.
And for once… I wasn’t the one giving the prayer.
I was the one needing it.
I wasn’t holding someone else up—I was the one being held.

I needed some Aarons and Hurs in my life.
And boy, y’all showed up.

Are things perfect?
No.

Do we still have medical bills?
Yes.
Do I still have someone else’s skin grafted onto my arm?
Yes.
Is our baby still waking us up at night?
Absolutely.
Did we spend thousands fixing the car?
Yep.

But even still…
God is good.

I’m thankful.
I’m grateful.
I’m alive.
I’m here.

I’m in the middle of healing—physically and spiritually.
And I believe with all my heart: God is using even this fire to refine me.

What the enemy meant for evil…
God will use for good.

Through it all… God is still good.

And when I look back at the flames,
I realize…

I wasn’t in the fire alone.
There was Another Man in the fire with me.
And His name is Jesus.

Subscribe now