Kelvin's Faith Unfiltered

This reflection represents what I believe John Mark might have said if he were to introduce his Gospel. I do not present it as infallible, but as an attempt to capture the heart of his message. In seeking to remain faithful to Mark’s perspective, I have drawn solely from his Gospel, without incorporating material from the others, in order to reflect more accurately where Mark was at the time of his writing. I am Mark—John Mark, as some knew me. I did not walk the dusty roads of Galilee with Jesus, but I feel like I know him as if I did. This came about through the faithful testimony of those who had. Chief among them was Peter, who stood close to Jesus through his ministry. What I have written reflects the Jesus that was instilled in me and proclaimed to me and to the believers around me—the Jesus we came to follow, love, and recognize as the Messiah, the Son of God (Mark 1:1). From the very first line, I wanted readers to understand the entire story through this lens: that Jes...

  How to Read the Bible (Even When It Feels Complicated) Reading the Bible is not a one-size-fits-all experience. People come to it from every walk of life—with different cultures, histories, traumas, joys, and spiritual journeys. And each of us brings along a worldview, often shaped long before we even realized we had one. That worldview frames how we read the Bible—sometimes enriching our understanding, but other times clouding it. Think about it: when the Bible speaks of “Father,” what comes to your mind? That image is likely colored by your own experiences with authority, parenting, or even pain. Or take the word “sin.” For some, that word brings shame or fear; for others, confusion, defiance, or a deep hunger for grace. We all come with preconceived ideas about what sin is, what counts as worse, and how it should be handled. Memory plays a role, too. Many of us first encountered the Bible as children—through colorful storybooks, flannelgraph figures, or songs about animals ...

  Meet Kelvin – A Trusted Voice in Theological and Biblical Book Recommendations “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” —Albert Einstein I’m not comparing myself to Einstein, but I’ve always resonated deeply with that quote. I haven’t earned advanced theological degrees, and I didn’t attend an Ivy League school. In fact, I never went to college at all. My wife and I have built our life through hard work—me in banking operations, her in supply chain. And yet, despite all of that, I have become an unconventional, deeply curious student of theology , and someone people turn to for trusted, thoughtful book recommendations. I was born in Akron, Ohio in 1985 and raised in a Christian home where faith was part of the fabric of daily life. I attended a private Christian school, memorized Scripture, went to church on Sundays and Wednesdays, and watched my father sing in a gospel band. That foundation was strong—but not without its challenges. A confusing church sp...