Aaron Armstrong's Blog

It’s hard not to hate. Which is exactly what the world wants us to feel. I’m not simply talking about feeling angry (although the two are not unrelated).1 I’m talking the way we’re all being shaped by what we consume and who we listen to. Hatred causes us to feel revulsion and disgust toward others. It reduce people’s identities, and their value, into something lesser. To make everything a matter of division and conflict. Us vs them. Hate your enemies. Don’t seek their best—seek their end.

I...

On September 10, 2025, a family was destroyed when Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University. Two very small children lost their dad. A wife lost her husband. That same day, three students were rushed to the hospital in critical condition following another school shooting, this time at Evergreen High School in Denver, Colorado. One them was the shooter, who died of a self-inflicted injury.

The responses to Kirk’s death have been as mixed—and disturbing—as you might expect. ...

This hasn’t been the summer I planned, but that’s okay. (I think.) There’s been a lot going, some of which I’ll talk about in an upcoming article. That said, one of the positive experiences of the last several weeks has been the opportunities to talk about Faith Simplified. But before we get there, there’s something you should be aware of:

Over on Amazon, Faith Simplified is on sale for 50% off! At about $9, it’s an ideal time to get a copy (or 5). This deal is on for a limited time, so I wo...

2025 is officially halfway through, and it’s been… well, it’s been a lot, hasn’t it? While I’m sure we all have thoughts and feelings on it all, I wanted to share a quick life and ministry update.

As I shared elsewhere, it’s been a challenging season for our family. As much as I wish I could say, “But it’s all better now and here’s what God was doing,” the truth is, it’s not all that much better. The hard parts are still really hard. It’s hard to see what...

Depending on what part of the world you’re living in, the summer schedule is either just kicking off or you’re in the thick of it. Whatever the case, there’s a good chance you’ll have some reading time available over the weeks ahead. But what should you read? I’d like to help with that. While I’m always tempted to overwhelm people with reading recommendations, I want to suggest three different books (and maybe one extra) for you to read between now and the end of August.

My Friends by Fredr...

Another Father’s Day has come and gone. I don’t know how this one was for you. People have complicated feelings around their parents, and how they’re doing as parents.

Many of us fathers feel like failures.

We look at families in our churches and in posts on social media—families that seem to be thriving in Jesus—and we love them. But we also can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. After all, despite all the books and podcasts, family discipleship never really came together in a consiste...

Back in college, long before I became a Christian, I worked in a bookstore. It was one of my favorite jobs, despite the pain the lights caused, and constantly being overstimulated by noise and interacting with people. Why? Because I was around books all the time, and I had coworkers I liked. It’s hard to beat that.

One of my coworkers was a young man, a few years younger than me. We’d gotten to be friends. Over time, he shared that he was gay, and it had been difficult for his family to unde...

Church still feels a bit strange every week. It’s been nearly nine months since the last service at Refuge Church. Nine months is a long time. Yet it’s not, especially compared to the more than seven years we called it home.

It didn’t take us long to find a place to land, which is something I’m grateful for. A good friend, the pastor of the church we’re attending, knew our church’s story and encouraged us to come. No pressure to do anything—just be.

Although we visited a couple of other...

It’s official: My new book releases today!

Faith Simplified: What We Believe and Why We Believe It invites the curious, questioning, and committed to discover the truths that make Christians Christian alongside someone who has been in their shoes. In this book, we look at all the big stuff together—who (and what) God is, what we believe about the Bible, the existence of good and evil, angels and demons, what makes a person a person, how Jesus can be God and human, and so much more—to see th...

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 ...