Author Archives: John-David Culbertson

Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most beautiful man made things I have ever seen. It is simultaneously beautiful and imposing. It sits up on its mountain overlooking the countryside for miles in every direction. It is easy for me to picture a king sitting up in his palace looking down on his domain. IContinue reading “Right to Rule”

When a TV show or football game or youtube video sells an ad to a company, what are they actually selling? They’re not just selling time on the air, they’re selling you. You are their real product (especially in social media). Parents, your kids are their product. You, as a consumer of a certain TVContinue reading “Not 4 Sale!”

Over the years I’ve gathered rings, stormed the beaches of Normandy, conquered the world, and raided tombs. I’ve liberated nations, fought off alien invasions, and battled orcs. I’ve played my share of video games in these endeavors. There are a few of the games pictured above that I have been playing since before my studentsContinue reading “Finding Adventure”

All decisions are ultimately value decisions. We, people in my cultural area, claim to have a certain set of values. Many here would say that their values are God, family, and country. They might add things like community, integrity, friendship, sports, or hard work if they think about it for a minute. None of thoseContinue reading “Broken Values”

I’ve been reading the Chronicles of Narnia again. The books are great fiction. They have stirred a question in me, “What does it mean to choose God?” Or worded another way, “What does it mean to choose to follow God?” Movies and books so often highlight the choice of the hero. There is this momentContinue reading “It’s Not About a Choice”

Texas Tech vs. Texas 2008, 8 seconds left on the clock, it’s all or nothing. Michael Crabtree makes one of the most memorable catches in college football history and Tech wins. Texas vs. USC 2006, 26 seconds left to play and it’s 4th and 5 for Texas, it’s all or nothing. Vince Young takes theContinue reading “All or Nothing”

Are your memories more exciting than your dreams? It is probably one of the best questions my professors asked over the last two weeks of seminars. When your memories of the past are more exciting than your dreams for the future, you have begun to die… Let me say that again: when your memories ofContinue reading “Are your memories exciting than your dreams?”

I had a great week with my students at Student Life Camp in Glorieta, NM last week. I’ll be posting about several things that I learned, but I wanted to kick that off with something that the pastor said that really stuck with me. Our camp pastor this last week was Pastor Alex Himaya (http://www.thechurch.at/our-staff),Continue reading “The Church of Today!”

I can barely remember what I did in line before the smart phone. Every time I lineup at the grocery store or DQ or the DMV I have a half-dozen games, 4 email accounts, several web pages, and a number of other apps that my fingers can find without really even needing conscious thought. AtContinue reading “Fully Filtered – Losing Freedom & Innocence”

Shortly after one of the big west Texas oil booms began I was driving back to Andrews from Dallas fairly late. It’s a drive I’ve made, it feels like, a thousand times. As I left Big Spring to head towards Andrews, I was struck by the flares that just seemed to be burning everywhere. IContinue reading “Flaring Faith”