Derek Charles Johnson

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, 
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, 
    make His paths straight. 
Every valley shall be filled, 
    and every mountain…

(Originally posted 6-1–17) 

I love Psalm 77.  When I was first starting out writing music and specifically, worship music, I would go to the Psalms.  Of course this was where any budding songwriter would go because the book is literally…

Into Faith I Go - Pat Barrett

I've never been good at change 
If I'm honest, it's always scared me 
But I can't deny this stirring deep inside me 
Now I know it's time to stop resisting 

…

(Originally posted 4-3-19)

If you’ve read much of the Bible, you know the concept of peace is often cited; certainly through the Gospels with Jesus but also in many other contexts.  It can be a very broad term in which…

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.  Share…

The fourth and final installment in this series is really about getting our kids to a place where they attain some level of spiritual maturity and depth in their own walk prior to leaving the nest.  There are two extreme…

In plotting out this series, I wanted to spend 4 weeks focusing on various aspects of raising kids in a Christ-like environment.  Three of the four weeks’ subjects came fairly readily.  But God impressed on my heart that one week…

Going further into our Parenthood series, I believe we need to pivot and look at the home with another perspective.  Last week was mission-focused.  We live our lives on purpose for Christ, always pointing little eyes and ears up to…

At the onset of 2020, I wanted to return to certain topics that are important to so many of us and to hear what the Bible has to say in those areas.  In the 2020 Vision series, I talked about…

When considering Bible heroes to present in this “Profiles In Courage” series, I have to admit that one of my favorite books of the Bible, Genesis, has several characters worth covering.  Abraham is certainly a man of courage; called to…

2020 has been an amazing ride so far, hasn’t it?  In a span of just a few short months we’ve seen some things that appear apocalyptic in nature.  Earthquakes, locust plagues, tornadoes, wildfires, and yes, the widespread pandemic known as…

(Originally posted 7-3-19) 

You’ve probably heard the phrase “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”  It’s seemingly a nod to ingenuity and development; an acknowledgment that any process worth doing or worth building takes time.  “Nothing happens overnight” is another way…

Wow. There are really some godless individuals in the halls of government, entertainment, and the public eye. If not for anything else, this crisis is exposing men and women for how they really think. Whether it’s mocking the Vice President…

For this week’s installment of Profiles In Courage, I’m impressed once again to look at someone whose life didn’t fall in line with the rest of the audience surrounding him.  As we looked last time at Noah, we saw…

What Will Normal Look Like?

I've had enough soft gospel. Enough gospel-lite. Enough hyper-grace. Certainly enough "deconstructing my faith" proclamations from every corner. Now is a time to get right with God. Now is a time for preachers to preach…

We’ve all been through some rough days over the past few weeks.  But even as we come into Easter with the uncertainty of life in general, we have great hope.  Let’s be certain, this is a time in which the…

As I sit here doing social distancing and writing blogs and devotional content, I’m fully aware of one thing:  it is a strange time to be alive.  In 40+ years on this Earth, there have been some big moments in…

If you’ve followed a little of my story and kept up with these blogs, you know I love music.  I love being on the listener side:  being able to consume music, blog and post about music, and do life…

We’ve spent the last 3 weeks looking at the need for men to raise the standard.  From the years growing up at home, to college, to marriage/family and career, there are phases of a man’s life that need proper care…

If I can identify the closest with one age group in this series, this blog is it.  I don’t know exactly the point at which a man becomes a “career and family” man.  Is it when he marries?  Is it…

“Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.”  John F. Kennedy 

When I started brainstorming this series and outlining some key thoughts, I had the natural tendency to think about my life as a teenage and young…

I’ve written quite a few blogs over the past years on dating, marriage, family, and the home.  In all of those blogs, there have been moments to address men specifically on various topics.  It seems as a man, the most…

How can we redeem work and even see that our work is redeeming in this world?  Today’s blog seeks to answer that question. 

Disclaimer:  Today’s post is a bit autobiographical at times just to provide some context.  I hope people…

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does…