Let’s talk about faith… not the kind that boxes you in, but the kind that sets you free.
Faith, spirituality, and religion can be heavy. It can also be triggering. Trust me, I get it… because I’ve been there.
But before you jump to any premature conclusions, this isn’t a post about walking away from my faith. Instead, it’s about rediscovering a version of faith that’s more alive, more real, and more aligned with the God who actively speaks to his creation. What I’ve found isn’t about deconstructing… it’s about fostering a deeper connection with God. So in this post, I want to share how my faith has evolved, why I still follow Yeshua, and what it means for me to live a life of spiritual alignment in the Aquarian Age.
My Spiritual Roots (and Why They Still Matter)
Christianity and faith run deep in my blood. From the moment I came out my mother’s womb, I’ve been around and involved in the church. But it doesn’t start there. I come from a long line of preachers and churchgoers. My great-great-grandfather (Eldridge Staten) was a career preacher & founded the church my grandparents and parents grew up in. And who knows how much further it goes back.
For my part, since my teens I have felt God’s call on me to be a mouthpiece for his truth. This led me to start online ministries, take the occasional opportunity to teach that came my way, and was active in campus ministry during college. While in college I even switched from being a computer science major to religious studies. But I quickly dropped out after a semester once I realized I was paying to read books that I’d read for leisure.
That same drive later led me to training my pastoral gifts. I studied Greek and Hebrew, dug deep into systematic theology, and even preached a number of times in several churches. For decades, I was steeped in church culture—and I genuinely loved it. Not to mention having a thriving career in Bible software, which gave me access to all the resources I would ever need.
But over time, something felt off. My faith began to feel rigid, performative, and legalistic. I was part of multiple denominations that contradicted one another. Each one claimed to be “right,” and it became clear: the God I was taught to serve looked different depending on the room I was in.
I wanted something deeper. Something more consistent.
Hearing from the God Who Wrote the Bible
So I started searching…
It started with reading the Bible with a different lens. As I read through the Bible for the umpteenth time, I took a different approach. I looked for all the places where God was speaking. I made note of who it was, the circumstances, and what it looked like. And I said to myself, “I want to hear God speak… I don’t want to turn it down like the Israelites at Sinai.”
But it wasn’t just through more Bible reading; my answers came through listening. I wanted to hear from the God who wrote the Bible, not just the one people claimed to find in it. I wanted to hear wherever the Creator was speaking, however he chose to speak.
That journey changed everything.
I began to feel more deeply connected to God than ever before. Not just through doctrine, but through resonance. And I realized I wasn’t losing my faith… I was finding it. No longer was it purely academic; it was experiential.
Why I Say Yeshua (and Why That Matters)
You might’ve noticed I used the name Yeshua instead of Jesus.
Why that name?
I get that it’s Hebrew (Yeshua) to Greek (Iēsous) to Latin (Iesus) that brings us to the English name Jesus that we see in the pages of the Bible.
For me, it’s not just a linguistic choice… it’s relational. Saying “Yeshua” connects me more intimately to his Hebrew roots, his identity, and the part of him that religion has sometimes obscured. (Side note: Yeshua = Joshua… let those dots connect)
This shift has grounded my spirituality in presence, not performance. It’s become more embodied and alive. Doctrine still matters, but it’s no longer centerstage.
The Faith That’s Been Simplified (and Deepened)
At the center of my faith is this: Love God. Love people.
That’s it. Everything else is commentary.
Yeshua said these were the greatest commandments, and I’ve come to see them, not as theological abstractions, but as an invitation to embody the divine. My goal is to align my life with God’s nature—love, truth, grace, and peace—and help others do the same.
Some call that sanctification. I call it alignment. Either way, it’s the journey of becoming more like the One we follow. Each day I wake, getting closer to that objective is the goal.
From Religion to Resonance
I’m not chasing dogma anymore. I’m listening for divine resonance… inside and outside the Bible.
Yes, I still read Scripture. It remains foundational to my faith. But I also hear God through nature, through stillness, through dreams, through others… even through things that mainstream Christianity has often dismissed.
That includes practices like tarot, oracle cards, or intuitive readings. I don’t see these things as evil. No, I see them as tools, like Paul quoting Greek poets or Elihu reminding us that God speaks in ways we often overlook. I’ve found that it’s more about the intention and who you are trying to hear from and less about the modality. Urim and thummim, anyone?
God speaks. The question is: are we still or curious enough to listen?
This Is What Faith Looks Like Now
So no, I haven’t lost my faith. I’ve built a stronger foundation for it. A foundation where God is alive & communicating, and my faith is active & flourishing.
I’m choosing alignment over fear, presence over performance, and resonance over rigid religion.
In this Aquarian Age, faith for me is less about religious structure and getting back to the heart of God and his divine love. That is what I want to share with this world.
If you’ve ever felt torn between your love for Jesus and the limitations of the church… this space is for you.
Let’s Keep This Conversation Going
In my next piece, I’ll share how fitness became part of my spiritual practice… and how movement has become a doorway to healing and connection with the Divine.
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Grace and peace.