Ongoing Theological Work and Ministry Formation

Current Projects July 2026 provides a structured overview of ongoing work in theological writing, pastoral ministry, recovery discipleship, and global church formation. While these areas of work may appear diverse on the surface, they are ultimately directed toward a common goal: equipping the Church through deep discipleship, theological reflection, and the formation of faithful leaders.

Much of this work is intentionally long-term and formative. It prioritizes depth over immediacy and sustainability over visibility. As such, this update serves less as a performance report and more as a public record of vocational continuity, theological integration, and faithful stewardship of the opportunities God continues to provide. As with previous updates, Current Projects July 2026 serves less as a performance summary and more as a record of vocational stability, theological integration, and faithful continuity.

Formational Writing and Theological Publishing

Progress continues across several writing and publishing projects situated at the intersection of academic theology, recovery ministry, and Christian formation.

A revised book proposal for my monograph, Divine Impassibility and the Holy Spirit: Nicene Retrieval, Divine–Human Interaction, and the Healing Work of God, has been completed. Drawn from my doctoral research, the project argues that divine impassibility is not a barrier to God’s involvement in creation but the very foundation for the consistency and efficacy of His saving work.

Additional publishing efforts include:

An article on the twentieth-century rise of theological passibility, currently under review at Evangelical Quarterly.
A submission to the Journal of Reformed Theology on divine impassibility and pneumatology.
A forthcoming review of Osvaldo Padilla’s The Pastoral Epistles: An Introduction and Commentary in Bulletin of Biblical Research.

Ongoing writing projects include:

Publication of the first issue of the Recovery Ministry Handbook, which is now publicly available.
Continued engagement with Covenant Theology through a published review series in The Ledger.
Ongoing interest in the application of classical Christian doctrine to contemporary ministry concerns, particularly through the article Divine Jealousy, Impassibility, and Covenant Fidelity.

My monthly blog series continues through the book of Hebrews, with recent entries focusing on endurance, perseverance, and Christian maturity.

Collectively, these projects aim to retrieve and apply historic Christian theology in ways that strengthen discipleship, recovery ministry, and pastoral practice.

Local Discipleship and Recovery Ministry

Recovery ministry remains a primary context for spiritual formation, leadership development, and pastoral care.

This month included participation in a national leadership gathering focused on sustaining long-term ministry effectiveness. One encouraging observation from that experience was the maturity of the teaching teams and the sustained investment they continue to make in developing leaders.

Several practical initiatives emerged from those conversations, including:

Expansion planning for pastor-focused recovery discipleship groups.
Development of First Responder recovery initiatives.
Exploration of Mental Health Recovery Coaching opportunities.
Planning for future Step Study cohorts and leadership development pathways.

Weekly recovery gatherings continue to provide opportunities for teaching, testimony, accountability, and discipleship. A newly developed seven-day guided prayer devotional has also been published to support spiritual formation within our ministry community.

Together, these efforts reflect an integrated vision of discipleship that seeks to unite theological formation, spiritual growth, recovery, and leadership development.

Global Church and Theological Education

International theological education remains one of the most encouraging areas of growth within this ministry.

In late July, HTI Nicaragua will gather in Somotillo for contextualization training and leadership development. These efforts continue to strengthen pastors and ministry leaders serving throughout Central America.

Expansion conversations are ongoing in additional regions, while planning continues for the launch of a pastoral training school in Colombia. An exploratory site visit and planning trip is scheduled for August 22–30.

Partnership with Ethné Global Services continues to expand opportunities for theological education, church development, and mercy ministries. Upcoming efforts include support for ministry work in Nigeria focused on medical and educational outreach.

These initiatives reflect a growing commitment to contextualized theological education that equips indigenous leaders to disciple and train others within their own cultural settings.

Teaching, Preaching, and Pastoral Engagement

This season continues to provide meaningful opportunities for teaching and ministry engagement.

Recent activities include:

Teaching the recovery lessons Crossroads and Give.
Sharing personal testimony in a cross-cultural ministry setting serving a Japanese audience.
Continuing development of future teaching and pastoral ministry opportunities.

In addition, I continue revising the Counseling Theory and Methods course in preparation for the Fall 2026 academic term.

Ongoing Study and Theological Research

Sustained study remains foundational to all writing, teaching, and ministry activity.

Current areas of focus include:

Year Two of the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan.
Reading in suffering, spiritual formation, and contemporary theology.
Continued engagement with Gregory Palamas and Maximus the Confessor.
Ongoing preparation for a long-term reading plan through Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics beginning in 2027.

Future research priorities include:

The doctrine of the imago Dei.
Theological anthropology and sin.
Integration of theology and counseling methodologies, particularly Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT).

These studies continue to shape both current ministry practice and future writing projects.

Development of Restored Through Communion

One of the most significant developmental projects currently underway is the continued refinement of Restored Through Communion, a theological framework for recovery, counseling, discipleship, and spiritual formation.

At its center is the conviction that God’s purpose is not simply the elimination of destructive behaviors, but the restoration of persons through communion with Himself and healthy relationships with others.

This framework increasingly takes shape around seven interrelated movements:

Identity — Recovering God’s Image
Story — Understanding How the Image Was Formed and Distorted
Attachment — Recovering Secure Connection with God and Others
Recovery — Breaking Cycles that Damage the Image
Covenant — Restoring Faithful Relationships
Discipleship — Being Conformed to the Image of Christ
Mission — Reflecting God’s Image in the World

This progression traces the larger biblical movement from creation, through fall and redemption, toward communion and vocation. It provides a theological framework capable of integrating recovery ministry, counseling, discipleship, and leadership formation under the larger theme of Recovering the Image of the Triune God.

Why This Work Matters

Across writing, teaching, recovery ministry, leadership development, and global partnerships, the central goal remains unchanged:

To form people through deep discipleship so that they, in turn, might faithfully form others.

Whether in a recovery group, a local church, a classroom, or an international theological training context, the objective remains the same: cultivating leaders and disciples who can serve Christ faithfully and help others do the same.

View all Current Projects updates → Current Projects Archive

Pastoral Counseling Disclaimer

Any spiritual or pastoral guidance offered through this ministry is provided solely in my capacity as an ordained Christian minister. Such guidance is religious and pastoral in nature and is not intended as professional mental health counseling or psychotherapy. I do not offer clinical services, diagnosis, or treatment, and I am not a licensed counselor or therapist in the State of Oklahoma. Those seeking mental health care are encouraged to consult a licensed mental health professional.