Aaron Armstrong's Blog, page 2

Three encouragement for graduates

2025 brings another life milestone, with our eldest child graduating from high school. We’re excited for our hardworking big kid, who gets to embark on a new journey in the fall as she begins college. Fellow parents, you know all the feels I’m feeling. I’m sure you’re feeling them to—or you will be soon if your kids are a bit younger than mine.

But all the feelings have had me thinking about what I’d love, not only her, but all graduates to know. So with that in mind, here are a few things ...

“Enjoy the Swim:” Read Trevin Wax’s Foreword to Faith Simplified

My next book, Faith Simplified: What We Believe and Why We Believe It, releases on May 20th. Today, I’m sharing book’s foreword, written by my friend Trevin Wax.

Whenever I see a book that promises to lay out the basics of Christianity or present the big story of the Bible. I become immediately curious. There are countless ways to tell the “old, old story.” So I begin to wonder: How is this author going to sum up the Bible? What themes will they choose to emphasize? How will they handle...

Pray, Work, and Rest as if Everything Depends on God

One of the areas of study I continually come back to is church history. My collection of history books is always growing (partly because there’s always more story to tell). But there are some volumes I keep coming back to. One of those, is Church History in Plain Language.1

Years ago, I remember reading about the events of the Catholic Reformation, itself a response to what we know today as the Protestant Reformation. it was in that era that Ignatius of Loyola founded the society of monks we...

What an Autistic Christian Wants You to Know About Autism

Did you know that I can hear people chewing across a crowded room? It’s true. And irritating. I can hear lights and electrical currents, too. When I’m in social situations for too long, my ability to speak becomes severely impaired for hours afterward. I can quickly see the outcome of different choices and decisions, which can be a good thing—but has also landed me in trouble more than once.

I’ve spent my entire life dealing with these issues. But I never really knew why I had to at all. It ...

God, Wonder, and the Creation Story

On March 16th, 2025, I had the opportunity to preach at Cline Avenue Fellowship Church. Rooted in Genesis 1 and drawing on themes found in Faith Simplified, the message focuses on this important truth:

The creation story does not exist to create debates or conflict between science and Scripture, or to tell us the age of the earth. The creation story establishes God as our authority, the one who rules and reigns over the good world he has made. This core reality is explored through the ...

Don’t underestimate what reading the Bible can do

20 years ago I bought my first Bible. I wasn’t a Christian at the time and I didn’t buy it because I was knowingly on any kind of spiritual journey. Although I had participated in the Alpha program at a friend’s church and we’d had discussions around the faith, I wasn’t seeking Jesus. In fact, I wasn’t really interested in whether or not there is or isn’t a God.

So why did I buy this Bible? As good friends do, my friends and I have always enjoyed poking fun at one another. It’s how we show w...

“And who is my neighbor?”

There’s a story Jesus told that is among the most poignant and also the most ignored. In Luke 10:25-37, a teacher of the Law decided to test Jesus. He asked Jesus, ““Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25 NKJV)

Jesus, naturally, answered his question with another: “What does the Law say?” The teacher correctly told Jesus, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as y...

Writing as You Read: A Different Approach to Bible Time

There are many different approaches to reading the Bible. I love to read in big chunks, for example. But I also have a problem. Sometimes, I read my Bible too quickly. Why? Sometimes I’m distracted. Other times, it’s because I’ve not managed my time well.

My best times in the Bible are those when I slow down. When I can immerse myself in it, lingering over sentences, and meditating on its truths as I read. (And I know I’m not alone in this.)

I genuinely enjoy reading and studying the Bib...

My Next Book: Faith Simplified

One of the things I love most about the Christian faith is that it encourages questions and welcomes the curious. And it can do that because it has good answers. That’s something so many people need today, especially in our meaning-starved moment in time.

My next book, Faith Simplified: What We Believe and Why We Believe It, is for all who have questions—who are curious about what Christians believe and why it matters. This approachable guide will help readers understand what our faith is al...

This is the test. Don’t lose hope.

The whole idea of our faith being tested seems so nebulous, doesn’t it? Sure, we read about how the “testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:3 NKJV), but what does that really look like? Many of us don’t really know. Or at least, we don’t think we do.

What do we think testing is?

There’s something hypothetical about the way many of us view faith and testing. We see it as being related to opposition, persecution, and the need to be bold and unashamed of Christ. And I get that bec...