The Monday before Easter was not a chill, ordinary day. This was a day of confrontation, clarity, and calling stuff out for what it was. Jesus wasn’t easing into His final week like someone dipping a toe in cold water. He cannonballed straight into the deep end and made waves. Big ones.

Three Minute Theology is a series of blog posts, each designed to offer a quick but meaningful look at a subject related to God and faith - something you can read in just a few minutes but reflect on for much longer. Think of this as a starting point, not the full...

While Duke might be heading home without a trophy, there’s still something to be gained—life lessons. Because if we can’t learn from sports, then we’re just yelling at college kids on TV while slumped on the couch eating nachos and wings, and that seems unkind.

So, let’s redeem the pain and look at three lessons for life and faith that we can take from Duke’s loss to Houston.

Three years ago today, Ashley and I stood onstage with our girls as I was introduced as the Lead Pastor at First Christian Church. I stepped into my role full of vision, passion, and maybe just a little bit of naivety. Or a lot. The journey has been both deeply rewarding and incredibly challenging. There have been wins, losses, unexpected plot twists, and moments of sheer exhaustion. But through it all, God has been good and faithful. And I have grown in some ways I never expected.

I’m definitely still a work in progress, but here are three lessons I’ve learned in these three years that I hope will encourage and challenge you, whether you’re a pastor, a leader, or simply someone trying to live faithfully in the calling God has given you.