David Hockney, Jr.

America has become so accustomed to seeing “self-proclaimed Christians” live out a false watered-down version of the faith… that when real Christians actually take the Bible seriously and live with genuine conviction… it seems too extreme.

People: "I worship and follow Jesus." Same People: "My Jesus doesn't judge anyone, affirms all lifestyles, celebrates all faiths, and is only loving." Many people aren't worshiping the Jesus described in the Scriptures, but rather, a made up Jesus formed by opinions.

“For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4

Don't put your Pastor on a pedestal where he can be knocked off. Put your Pastor on a Prayer List where he can be lifted up.

Having a bad experience with a Christian or a local church is not a reason to avoid the Church or Christianity as a whole. Just like having a bad experience with a nurse or a hospital is not a reason to avoid all healthcare as a whole. God didn't mistreat you. People did.

Any belief about Jesus that does not line up with what the Bible says about Him… is a false belief about Jesus.

The Gospel is not about trying harder to become a good person. It’s about trusting in Jesus to become a new person.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF IT'S REALLY REVIVAL? There are rumblings of revival happening across the United States. Many are calling what has been/is happening at SEU a true revival. Thousands of college students are praying, surrendering, singing and calling out to God. It's exciting. It may be another Asbury moment. Revival is what many (including me) have been praying for and pushing for for decades. With all the buzz about revival one of our younger team members asked me a great question: “What is revival? And how do you even know if it’s real?” She went on to say that for a lot of people in her generation, the word revival feels fuzzy. Almost mythical. Like something older Christians talk about from “back in the day.” And honestly? She’s right. For many younger believers, revival feels like church folklore. For some older believers, it’s something they remember—or at least think they do—through the rear-view mirror of history. So how do you know if it’s really revival? Let’s talk about it. Revival in the Rear-View Mirror I’m old enough to remember the tail end of the Jesus Movement, the last sweeping move of God across the United States. It was characterized by newly converted hippies, bell-bottoms, baptisms in the ocean, and bold evangelism. I also witness a revival of sorts in my own family growing up in the 70's. The Spirit of God radically transformed my own violent, inner-city family from street fighters into street preachers...almost overnight. I’ve spent years studying revival movements—especially the First Great Awakening. Read about guys like George Whitefield and John Wesley, and you’ll discover something interesting: Revival is messy. Whitefield and Wesley were theological opposites on some major issues. There were rumors, accusations, heated letters, divided camps. There were emotional extremes. Critics everywhere. And yet? Unbelievers were converted. Churches were ignited. Communities were transformed. So here’s the first thing we need to understand: Excess doesn’t automatically cancel authenticity. In almost every major spiritual awakening in history, there were extremes on the fringe. But the real question isn’t what’s happening on the edges. The real question is: What’s happening in the main? What Is Revival? Here’s something fascinating: the word revival never appears in the New Testament. Not once. Maybe because what we call revival, God calls normal Christianity. But the concept? It’s everywhere. Look at Acts of the Apostles. In Acts 2, the Spirit falls and 3,000 are saved. In Acts 4:31, they pray, the place shakes, and they preach boldly. In Acts 19, believers publicly burn their occult scrolls and the Word of God spreads widely and grows in power. That’s revival. Hearts awakened. Sin confessed. Jesus exalted. The Gospel unleashed. Communities transformed. Forty years later, in Book of Revelation 2:1–5, Jesus tells the church at Ephesus they’ve left their first love. They were doctrinally sharp and morally devout—but their love for Him had cooled. And what does Jesus tell them to do? Remember. Repent. Return. That’s revival language. So how do you know if it’s really revival? Let me give you three Biblical markers. 1. Upward Fixation on Jesus Real revival is obsessed with Christ. Not personalities. Not hype. Not production. Not emotional experiences. Jesus. In Acts 19, the name of the Lord Jesus was “held in high honor.” That’s where it started. In Revelation 2, Jesus calls the church back to their first love. Not back to better programming. Back to Him. If Christ is central—if worship, preaching, confession, and conversations all orbit around His glory—that’s a powerful sign. Revival starts when Jesus moves from being part of the conversation to being the blazing center of it. 2. Inward Consecration from Sin When Jesus is lifted high, sin doesn’t get comfortable. It gets exposed. In Acts 19, believers didn’t just feel emotional—they got serious. They dragged their secret sin into the open and burned it. Publicly. Costly. Decisively. That’s revival. Not just tears. Not just songs. But genuine confession, consecration and surrender. Paul told Timothy that if we cleanse ourselves "from ignoble purposes", we’ll be useful to the Master (2 Timothy 2:19–21). God only serves revival on clean plates. The great evangelist Gypsy Smith was once asked how to start revival in a church. He said: “Go into a room. Draw a circle on the floor. Kneel inside it. Ask God to start revival inside that circle.” That’s inward consecration. If there’s no repentance, no believers forsaking their sin, no hunger for holiness—it’s not revival. It’s excitement. 3. Outward Activation for the Gospel Here’s the deal: If it stays in the room, it’s renewal. If it spills into the streets, it’s revival. In Acts 19:10 we’re told that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. How? Not because they all showed up to hear Paul teach. But because revived believers took the Gospel everywhere they went. Real revival doesn’t create spectators. It creates witnesses. It doesn’t just deepen worship. It multiplies disciples. It doesn’t just stir emotions. It mobilizes mission. If the lost are being saved… If the saved are being sent… If the Gospel is spreading farther and faster… That’s revival fuel. So…How Do You Know? How do you know if it's really revival. You evaluate it the way Scripture does. Not by the fringe. Not by the critics. Not by the hype. But by the fruit. Is Jesus being exalted? Are believers being purified? Is the Gospel advancing? Are communities being transformed? Upward fixation. Inward consecration. Outward activation. That’s the pattern in Acts. That’s the pattern in Revelation. That’s the pattern throughout church history. But here’s the bottom line: Revival isn’t about a moment. It’s about a movement of God that transforms hearts and unleashes the Gospel. It’s when a group of believers remembers their first love, consecrates their souls, returns to Jesus full force and can't stop telling others about Him. And honestly? We don’t need to argue about whether this is the revival that we've been praying for. We need to keep praying for it. We need to pursuing it. We need to keep cheering on what is happening at SEU and other pockets across the nation. And we need to be willing to let it start with us. Time will tell if what is happening at SEU is a true and lasting revival. My prayer is that it is and that the fruit is changed lives, saved souls and God's kingdom mightily advancing. But maybe the better question isn’t just, “How do you know if this is really revival?” Maybe the better question is: “Lord, would you start the revival in my heart?” #SEUrevival #Revival

Stop looking for the perfect church. Instead, go worship the perfect God with a congregation of flawed people who need grace just as much as you do.

56% of high school coaches have considered quitting. 82% say it’s harder to coach today than ever before. Nearly half have experienced verbal abuse, most of it from parents. And still… 92% say coaching has had a positive impact on their own lives. Why? Because when you change lives, yours changes too. 3D Coaching exists to help you maximize that impact and build real alignment with parents so they become partners in process and purpose. #3DCoaching #CoachingCulture #LeadWithPurpose

Marriage doesn't take two to make it work, it takes three. God at the center is the One who holds everything together.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 Growth isn’t a solo journey. Who’s sharpening you?

No one has ever lived above the need for God’s rescuing, forgiving, accepting, transforming, empowering and delivering grace. No one.

It’s sobering to think that there’s a lot of people who have grown up in church, but have never grown up in Christ.

Don't follow your heart, it is wicked. Follow Jesus, He is wise.

3 Coaching Nuggets: 1. Catch the person doing the right things and tell them. Too many coaches today just criticize. 2. ⁠To win the player, you need to win the person. Trust comes from connection. 3. ⁠Always be honest and compassionate when delivering feedback or bad news.

For spiritually blind Christians (including me), we're always denying our spiritual blindness. I would encourage you to humbly admit that you don't see yourself and your world with accuracy.

It’s so easy for us to forget the gospel. That’s why the author of Hebrews tells us to stir one another up. By meeting regularly and encouraging each other, we’ll be reminded of the Lord Jesus.

When I read the Bible, and when I honestly examine my own life in light of the Bible, there’s one thing I always find: I am a gospel amnesiac.

Observing how our guest show up can give context clues to how they want to be treated: dfranks.com/2025/09/16/qa-…