Random Information:
Family details: Samantha and I got married in 2015 and have 3 wonderful children; Lincoln, Liberty, and Amelia.
Favorite Foods: San Diego Mexican food, high quality black coffee, pho, Italian, Mediterranean, BBQ. Pineapple is welcome on my pizza.
Favorite Movies: I enjoy movies that are either well thought out and executed or are super fun and ridiculous. A well thought out movie I enjoy is Inception and a super fun and ridiculous movie would be Guardians of the Galaxy. I will say that once I had kids, TV shows are much easier to watch.
Favorite Bible Book: I'm a pastor, am I allowed to have a favorite single book? Some that have had a special impact on me are Galatians, Luke, 1 Peter, Proverbs, Psalms, and James.
Favorite Past-times: Spending time with my family. Dancing West Coast Swing, especially with my wife, Samantha. Watching sports and rooting for the SDSU Aztecs, Chargers, Padres, and Lakers. I've really grown to enjoy woodworking projects, there's something exhilarating to conceptualize and finish a project.
Favorite Bible Verses:
"For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10 (CSB)
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do." Ephesians 2:1-10 (CSB)
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith." Romans 1:16-17 (CSB)
"In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:12-17 (CSB)
Following Jesus:
The process of justification and sanctification in my life took time. I came to know Jesus (justified) when I was 5 years old. I knew the weight of my sin and that without Jesus I would spend eternity separated from God. It wasn't until my later teen years and going through some trauma that I really submitted to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in my life.
I grew up in AWANA, serving in the church, and in a good home. After my dreams of football ended in college I was left wondering what I would do with my life. God called me to spend a summer in Vietnam and it was there that I felt the call to full time ministry.
I didn't know what that looked like so I came back and started serving at San Diego State University through the christian fraternity, Alpha Gamma Omega. That launched a life of following the Lord every time he opened a door and it's led me here today.
Some Background & Ministry Experience:
God has led me to all sorts of ministries. When I was 12 years old I started volunteering in toddler ministry, 1-6th grade, video ministry, did video production for a large church in San Diego, did on campus ministry and led worship for 10 years. Pastorally, I started as a youth pastor and got to launch a youth ministry from scratch where I got to serve middle school, and high schoolers. Then I was an associate pastor for 5 years where the Lord developed me further for pastoral ministry. Then, in 2022 I became the Senior Pastor at Creekside Evangelical Free Church of Merced.
I have a Bachelors in Communication with a Minor in Religious Studies from San Diego State University and a Masters in Christian Ministry from Southern California Seminary.
Family details: Samantha and I got married in 2015 and have 3 wonderful children; Lincoln, Liberty, and Amelia.
Favorite Foods: San Diego Mexican food, high quality black coffee, pho, Italian, Mediterranean, BBQ. Pineapple is welcome on my pizza.
Favorite Movies: I enjoy movies that are either well thought out and executed or are super fun and ridiculous. A well thought out movie I enjoy is Inception and a super fun and ridiculous movie would be Guardians of the Galaxy. I will say that once I had kids, TV shows are much easier to watch.
Favorite Bible Book: I'm a pastor, am I allowed to have a favorite single book? Some that have had a special impact on me are Galatians, Luke, 1 Peter, Proverbs, Psalms, and James.
Favorite Past-times: Spending time with my family. Dancing West Coast Swing, especially with my wife, Samantha. Watching sports and rooting for the SDSU Aztecs, Chargers, Padres, and Lakers. I've really grown to enjoy woodworking projects, there's something exhilarating to conceptualize and finish a project.
Favorite Bible Verses:
"For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10 (CSB)
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do." Ephesians 2:1-10 (CSB)
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith." Romans 1:16-17 (CSB)
"In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:12-17 (CSB)
Following Jesus:
The process of justification and sanctification in my life took time. I came to know Jesus (justified) when I was 5 years old. I knew the weight of my sin and that without Jesus I would spend eternity separated from God. It wasn't until my later teen years and going through some trauma that I really submitted to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in my life.
I grew up in AWANA, serving in the church, and in a good home. After my dreams of football ended in college I was left wondering what I would do with my life. God called me to spend a summer in Vietnam and it was there that I felt the call to full time ministry.
I didn't know what that looked like so I came back and started serving at San Diego State University through the christian fraternity, Alpha Gamma Omega. That launched a life of following the Lord every time he opened a door and it's led me here today.
Some Background & Ministry Experience:
God has led me to all sorts of ministries. When I was 12 years old I started volunteering in toddler ministry, 1-6th grade, video ministry, did video production for a large church in San Diego, did on campus ministry and led worship for 10 years. Pastorally, I started as a youth pastor and got to launch a youth ministry from scratch where I got to serve middle school, and high schoolers. Then I was an associate pastor for 5 years where the Lord developed me further for pastoral ministry. Then, in 2022 I became the Senior Pastor at Creekside Evangelical Free Church of Merced.
I have a Bachelors in Communication with a Minor in Religious Studies from San Diego State University and a Masters in Christian Ministry from Southern California Seminary.