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From the Cutting Room: Habakkuk 3:17-19
What is the secret to finding joy, salvation, and strength in all circumstances? The short book of Habakkuk answers that question: In all circumstances, find joy, salvation, and strength in the LORD. I had the privilege to preach the ending of this powerful book this Sunday. You can listen to it here if you’d like.…
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Books that Have Shaped Me: Preaching
“Where do preachers come from?” I once asked that question the leadership of a church that was in transition between pastors. Their response scared me: “God just calls them and they automatically know how to do it.” Their view was that God just downloaded the ability to preach into a man who was called to…
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Books that Have Shaped Me: Productivity and Rest
Do you ever have this nagging feeling that you should be doing more? Do you ever have this nagging feeling that you’re doing too much? If you answered “yes” to both of those questions, you and I are dear friends. You are not alone. I have been on a journey of learning true productivity and…
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Books that Have Shaped Me: Books about the Bible
The most important book I have read is the Bible. The next most important books I have read are the ones that have helped me read and understand the Bible better. What the Bible says about the Bible. We first have to realize what the Bible says about itself. It may surprise you how much…
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Books that Have Shaped Me: the Bible
God wrote a book. Technically, He wrote a book of books- a small library. The Apostle Paul wrote to his younger protege, Timothy, that “all scripture is breathed out by God…” (2 Tim. 3:16 [ESV]). The 66-book Protestant Bible is God-breathed. God did not breathe out a television series or a YouTube video- He wrote…
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Books Shape You
“Television, radio, and all the sources of amusement and information that surround us in our daily lives are artificial props. They can give us the impression that our minds are active… But the power of those external stimuli to keep us going is limited. They are like drugs. We grow used to them, and we…
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 