About Me

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From the earliest time I can remember in my life, I have always been a part of the Church. Not only was my family involved in regular church life, but every waking opportunity we could partake in something involving our local fellowship, we would be there. Somewhat later in life, I began to show an interest in playing music, but something always felt like it was missing from the music I played. As a result of that feeling, it led me to begin writing and playing my own music. Because of my life being encased within the culture of the church, it only felt natural to write songs to play and sing in church.

While the songs I wrote during that period of my life were of poor quality and craftsmanship of an inexperienced person and writer, I can see how God used that season to shape me. Like many Christian songwriters, I began playing music in my youth group on a regular basis. The wildest and most unusual thing about that season, is that I wasn't even a regenerated believer at that time. I eventually unleashed the rebellion in my heart and lived a life deep in my sins. I fell into things I am deeply ashamed of, but even a wretch like me was not beyond the grace of God. He saw fit to grant me with faith and repentance, and upon doing so, it radically altered the way I viewed my involvement with music. 

The way I wrote songs began to change, and my understanding of who God is and how He saved me affected that process in all the ways you might expect. Even still, as a young songwriter and believer, there was so much room for improvement. I would later in life attend Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) where much of my thinking and theology was shaped. I also had the privilege of attending Open Door Church in Raleigh, NC where much of my understanding of ecclesiology was shaped. While my time at SEBTS was a wonderful time, I would soon be struck with sad news that would alter the course of my life forever: I was diagnosed with cancer. 

While the prognosis was very good from the start, it set me back in ways I did not expect, and was even in denial about for a while. As a result, I returned to my home in Georgia, and got back to work writing music, but this time, it looked very different from anything I had done before. I never really knew what I needed to do with the "church songs" and hymns that I wrote, so I switched over to writing more artistically driven songs from the perspective of a biblical world view under the name "The Hope Arsenal". While that project was fairly successful, I was still writing songs for corporate church gatherings, and I knew I eventually needed to do something with them.

The writing of those songs would be the culmination of "The Greatest End". My goal for this collection of songs, first and foremost, is that they would remind me of who God is, what He has done, and what He will do. Secondly, I hope that in some way, these songs would do the same for someone else. I greatly desire to write songs with lyrics that inspire, teach theology, and awaken  affections for Christ in the hearts of those who hear and sing them. My prayer is that these songs will bless and edify the church. 

My focus with songwriting is also the passion of my life: first and foremost, to glorify God and enjoy Him, but I also want to write songs that help believers to deepen their theology, I want to spark affections in the hearts of believers for Christ and His Kingdom, and I want to impel believers to take action with their faith. I want to be a bridge in the gap between the intellectual church community and the emotional, artistic church community. I desire that those who study deeply about the person of Christ would be moved by the truths they discover, and I desire the artistic and emotional church goers can harness that passion to gaze deeper into the study of who their God is by learning more about the great God they serve.