By John Roy There is a moment—sometimes so small we almost miss it—when a decision begins to take shape within us. It is not yet action. It is not yet even language. It is a stirring, a hesitation, a leaning. Perhaps it comes when we read a message and wonder how to respond, or when we feel the impulse to speak and hold back instead. And in that moment, something quiet but profound is revealed: our lives do not happen to us. We are, with our choices, participants. Scripture d

By John Roy It’s the year of our Lord, 2026 The timeless impulse is to control. From wars to families, the desire to control appears nearly universal. A person develops a vision, and rarely is it confined to their own life — it extends to others as well. Self-mastery is not enough; the project becomes shaping those around them. While scripture promotes “self-control” most people read scripture with someone other than themselves in mind. They use scripture to control---you! Ye

by John Roy Footnoted but not followed. Quoted, misquoted, used, and co-opted. Turned into slogans, t-shirts, and bumper stickers. Crowds are fickle, and truth has a way of thinning them out. Then and now, most heard but did not follow. Misunderstood, hunted, envied—but also fully alive. Not careful, not measured, a man of no reputation. Jesus said the un-say-able. Others thought it, but Jesus did not care about his reputation so he said it—out loud, in public, without apolog