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Putting Off the Old Self, Walk in the New Life You Have in Christ
The title of this article was the transformational aim of the sermon I preached this past Sunday on Ephesians 4:17-32 at my home church, Pillar Church of Jacksonville. This article is what I call a “Cutting Room Floor” article. These are ideas or further helps that had to be cut from the sermon to keep…
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Navigating Post-Deployment: What Has God Taught You?
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates I typically begin these articles with a Bible verse, but this time a quote from a philosopher… It is time for you to examine your life- specifically the last year of it. Your goal is to capture all that the Lord has been teaching you along…
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Let’s Talk About Sex: Prevent Adultery
There is one aspect of my leading you on this pre-deployment journey that is like my being your marriage counselor. And virtually all marriage counseling leads to one thing: Communication Issues. And what is the #1 Communication Issue? Not communicating. Do you and your spouse talk about sex? Have you talked about the challenges that…
Welcome!
I am a veteran Marine, serving for 10 years on active duty from 2003-2013, including time in Iraq, Afghanistan, and a few other countries. For virtually my entire time in the Corps, I was married to my bride, Kelli (Houser) O’Day, who has remained by my side for the rest of life’s journeys since leaving active service.
God saved me just a few months before I joined the Marines and got married. I found it immensely challenging to live for Christ and build a healthy marriage in the Corps. My goal in this blog is to provide biblical wisdom and practical resources for Christian Families serving in the Military. I also host a podcast, which shares the same goal as this blog, with my wife and our good friends: Military Wellness Collective.
These efforts are really an overflow of my primary roles serving as a pastor at Pillar Church of Jacksonville, NC (across the street from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune), and as the Executive Director of The Praetorian Project– a family of multiplying churches in military communities worldwide.
Practical Articles for Your Military Journey
During my time in the military, it took me a while to realize the value of reading the Bible for myself. Having grown up in church with parents who read their Bibles, I knew the importance in my head, but it took far too long for it to become a regular practice. Once I found the discipline of regular Bible reading, the Lord sustained me and grew me in powerful ways. I pray that this short journey of articles will help you start this practice today!
PCS Well: Moving in a God-Honoring, You-Flourishing Way
During my ten years of active-duty service, I moved six times. Moving provides a host of challenges for the military family. However, if you will intentionally engage with the Lord and His purposes throughout your move, your upcoming PCS offers an amazing opportunity to accelerate your spiritual maturity. This series of articles aims to help you do that!
During my time in the military, my wife and I experienced three military deployments and multiple other times of prolonged separation. Since leaving the military to pastor, we have walked with more than 50 married couples as they walk through their deployment seasons. This writing journey is my attempt to capture the lessons learned from these experiences to help you glean from all of these experiences. I am convinced that God intends for you thrive in this season- not merely survive.
Brian O'Day 