Big Buts of the Bible: A Revealing Look at Jesus Christ
2013–2026
It is with mixed emotions, considerable gratitude, and only a modest amount of theatrical mourning that I announce the passing of my first Big But.
Big Buts of the Bible: A Revealing Look at Jesus Christ has officially been retired from publication.
It had a good run.
Born in 2013, the book began as an exploration of one of my favorite little words in Scripture: but. Three letters with a remarkable ability to change the direction of a sentence, a story, and sometimes an entire life.
For thirteen years, it has occupied a small corner of the publishing world, introducing readers to some of the remarkable things Jesus said and did in Matthew’s Gospel.
But thirteen years is a long time. And a lot can change.
Including the author.
I was younger when I wrote that first book. I had spent years in pastoral ministry, studied theology, preached countless sermons, and—if I’m being perfectly candid—probably thought I had more answers than I actually did.
Life has since taught me a few things they didn’t teach us in seminary. It’s also deepened my appreciation for some things I thought I already understood.
I’ve learned that people are more complicated, more interesting, and often more wounded than they appear. That listening is frequently more valuable than having the right answer. And that the longer I walk with Jesus, the more I appreciate the extraordinary grace He extends to people who haven’t quite figured everything out.
People like me.
That’s why the new Big Buts of the Bible isn’t simply a revised edition of the old one. It’s a different book, written by a man who still loves the same Jesus but has come to appreciate His grace in ways his younger self couldn’t fully understand.
The original book served its purpose. I’m grateful for it, for everyone who read it, and for the journey it began.
But it’s time to make room for what comes next.
Its successor, Big Buts of the Bible: Where Broken Stories Meet God’s Grace, carries forward the same fascination with Scripture’s most hopeful little conjunction, but with a somewhat different perspective: less preaching, more conversation; fewer assumptions about people’s stories, and a deeper appreciation for the grace of God in the middle of them.
Funeral arrangements are as follows:
There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, please buy the new book.
The old book did its job. It helped begin a conversation I’m still very much enjoying.
Now it can rest.The Big Buts, however, are very much alive.