The Week In Review
October 11, 2025
One Good Thing This Week
Last week, I ruined date night. It had been months since I took my wife out, and I was finally trying to make it happen. Right before we walked into the taco spot, I took a call I didn’t need to take—and it wrecked the whole night.
I was distracted. Distant. Defensive. Honestly, I acted like a child. She didn’t say much, but I knew. It wasn’t about the tacos, it was about time. She didn’t need a reservation; she needed me.
I went home convicted. The Lord gave me one of those quiet "you know better" moments. But here’s the thing about grace: God lets you try again.
This week, I did. Texas Roadhouse.
Phones down. Eyes up. Laughter. Conversation. Connection.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was restored. That’s what God [and that cinnamon butter] does. He doesn’t erase failure, He redeems it. He doesn’t pretend the mess didn’t happen. He meets you in it and says, "Let’s try again."
That’s the gospel in motion. Second chances. Do-overs. Redemption stories written over ordinary nights with ordinary people who keep showing up.
So if you blew it this week—as a husband, a dad, a friend—don’t sulk. Repent. Restore. Redeem it.
Second chances are often the best chances.
It was a good week.
Something Beautiful This Week
I attended the funeral of one of my heroes this week, Dr. Voddie Baucham Jr.
Throughout the entire service, I kept thinking, "A life well lived is a beautiful thing."
Dr. Voddie Baucham was a husband, father, pastor, and warrior for truth. Few men lived with such courage in an age of compromise. Voddie believed that clarity is kindness and conviction is love. His ministry was not marked by comfort, but by courage. He taught men to anchor their lives in Scripture, to lead their homes with strength and tenderness, and to love their families with a gospel-driven love.
We could all use a little more Voddie in us.
As the service began, one of his co-laborers in Zambia opened with these words—an echo of John 1:8:
"There was a man in Africa, sent from God, whose name was Voddie.
He came as a witness, to bear witness about the Light, that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but came to bear witness about the Light."
That’s what a life well lived looks like. Not the pursuit of applause, but the pursuit of faithfulness. Thank you for bearing witness to the Light, brother. You fought the good fight. You finished the race. You kept the faith.
May the Lord grant us the strength to do the same.
Something Worth Imitating
Learned this from Brandon Webb this week:
“Failure + reflection + another rep = competence.”
So. Good.
My 3 Favorite Quotes of the Week
"A big tree has fallen in the village…" — Zambian Proverb [pastors shared this phrase upon hearing of Voddie Baucham’s passing]
"The Church’s greatest temptation isn’t outright rebellion against God but subtle compromise with culture. When we soften truth to gain acceptance, we don’t delay conflict with darkness—we accelerate its advance by signaling that biblical authority is negotiable." —
"Being annoyed is the price you pay for community. It means having guests when you’d rather be alone. It means letting someone live with you even when they get on your nerves. It means showing up for events that you’d rather not go to. It means turning the other cheek." — Divya Venn
Stat(s) I Found Interesting This Week
The University of Texas Longhorns haven’t won a natty' in over 20 years. But they are stacking cash… In FY 2024, the Texas athletic department pulled in $331.9 million in revenue. The football program itself generated approximately $204.7 million that year, with expenses of around $65.8 million [deep in the heart of Texas and deep in the black]. According to The Athletic’s most recent study, Texas is the most valuable college football program with an estimated valuation of $2.38 billion
However, the reality is that none of this matters if they lose the Red River Shootout today.
What’s $2.38B if you can’t beat OU? Boomer Sooner.
My Favorite Pic This Week
How the Holy Spirit talks to me most days…
Book(s) I Read This Week
I had the opportunity to spend time with John O’Leary this week. The movie Soul on Fire, a new film telling his story, hit theaters yesterday.
If you know John, you know his life is proof that pain can become purpose and fire can forge faith [literally]. Burned as a boy, reborn as a man on mission, his story is pure gospel grit.
Soul on Fire isn’t just a movie. It’s a reminder that God loves a comeback story. Absolutely incredible.
Song(s) I Listened To This Week
That was yesterday… Need this song yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
What God Taught Me This Week
"I will restore to you the years that the locust have eaten." — Joel 2:25
This week, the Lord reminded me that His grace is not just about starting over—it’s about restoring what sin, sorrow, and foolishness have devoured.
The locusts represent the losses: wasted time, broken relationships, missed opportunities, barren seasons. But in God’s economy, nothing is beyond redemption. And God does not simply replace; He renews. He doesn’t just make things new; He makes old things fruitful again.
When God restores, He multiplies. He turns famine into feast, ashes into beauty, mourning into dancing. Thomas Watson once said, “God can restore us by giving us more grace than we had before; He can make the latter end of a Christian better than his beginning.”
And if you don’t believe me, watch this VIDEO. Grab a tissue.
My prayer this week…
"Lord, You waste nothing—not my pain, not my failure, not my waiting.
Restore what’s been lost, redeem what’s been broken, and renew my heart to trust Your timing. Amen."
Looking to connect in person? Here are some places I’ll be in the next few weeks:
Wedgewood Baptist, Ft. Worth, TX, October 11
Men’s Night at New Life Baptist, Alexander, AR, October 15
Men Serving God, The Levitt Pavilion, Arlington, TX, October 21
Brothers, my pledge to you…
"You will never suffer at my hands. I will never say nor do anything knowingly to hurt you. If you're down and I can lift you up, I'll do that. I will always, in every circumstance, seek to help and support you. If you need something and I have it, I'll give it to you. No matter what I find out about you, no matter what happens in the future, either good or bad, my commitment to you will never change."
For the King,
—Harp
In Phoenix, Arizona.
With my son.
To God be the glory.
(Finding the tissues)
I appreciate the shoutout. As a lifelong Longhorn (married to an Aggie) I'm not surprised by the valuation of the football team despite the increasingly difficult to stomach years since the last National Title. The Horns are as beloved in central Texas as any NFL team. And we'll clearly take the Red River Shootout once again.
Hook 'em Horns!