Micah leads a community of High School Students at Northview Church in Carmel, Indiana. He regularly speaks at churches, businesses, and conferences across the Midwest. He is currently working on his first book, Trailblazers: Living A Life Like No One Else. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife Rylei and their Australian Kelpie, Leo. In his free time, you’ll find him playing basketball, hiking, or reading.
#1 Where did you grow up and how has that shaped your life and career?
“I moved around a lot. I’ve moved upwards of 20 times in just 25 years of life. My childhood was pretty transient. The most stable stays were in Indianapolis, Indiana and Nashville, Tennessee. The pros and cons were similar as a result of that lifestyle. I learned how to adapt and conform to whatever environment I found myself in which allowed me to make friends easily. The downside is that I never really learned how to grow roots in one my place. My relationships—for the most part—stayed surface level at worst and emotionally convenient at best. When it was time to pack up and move again, I learned to compartmentalize the pain of transition and focused solely on the challenge that laid ahead. All my moves were a mixed bag of contexts. Some stops were in apartments while others were in large houses. Some schools were private Christian schools and others were unruly public schools where I was an ethnic minority. The assortment of my experiences have grown in me a high tolerance for people from all backgrounds of life. There’s an openness and acceptance that I try to present as I pastor an array of people. I never want someone to feel like their skin, sexual orientation, or sin is a deterrent to friendship.”
#2 When did you first become interested in ministry, was there a specific moment?
“For most of my life, I’ve been publicly involved in ministry but after a church scandal involving my father when I was 10, I started to develop a private disdain for the Church. That didn’t fully manifest until my freshman year of college. I like to call that season of life, “the boring prodigal son.” I left home and I rebelled, but my rebellion wasn’t spent drinking, doing drugs, or having sex. Rather, I just became extremely apathetic. It was the first time in my life I didn’t have to go to church and wasn’t known as, “the pastor’s kid.” It was liberating and petrifying all at once. My freshman year, I really had to form my own identity and wrestle out a personal faith in Jesus. It was towards the tail end of that year that I felt miraculously called into ministry. I had changed my major twice (avoiding ministry at all costs) and in a strange series of events, opened my Bible for the first time in months to the book of Exodus. It was there that I read Exodus 3; the story of, “Moses and The Burning Bush.” I felt like Moses’s story was my story. That night, I committed myself to serving the Lord in full-time ministry for the rest of my days.”
#3 What has been the most interesting part of your journey?
“The most interesting part of my journey has probably been the winding road on and off the straight and narrow. I unfortunately (or fortunately?) don’t have the wild conversion story. My life has been fairly steady. There’s just been many seasons of doubt, apathy, anger, and confusion that I’ve had to sort out. And yet, every time, I’ve come back to the conclusion that Jesus is Lord and He’s worth serving with my whole life. In some ways, it’s fairly uninteresting. However, God’s constant pursuit of my heart in spite of my—at times—lack of reciprocation is humbling to me. The high point up to this point has probably been my ordination service. The elders of our church are men whom I deeply respect. Their public affirmation and confirmation of my calling means a great deal to me. That day was a pretty incredible day, officially stepping into the pastorate with those men, my family, and my wife, all by my side.”
#4 What is something people don’t know about you?
“Most people don’t know how high of an appreciation I have for music. There isn’t a particular kind that I fancy. Rather, I’m just an appreciator of skill and talent in all forms. I was a classically trained violinist and spent a year travelling in the Nashville Youth Symphony before retiring to pursue an athletic career. I know how difficult it is to master the craft of an instrument and I have a genuine appreciation for artists who are able to display God’s beauty and creativity through sound and word.”
#5 Who is your favorite author/public figure that you look up to?
“The most impactful author in my lifetime has been—without a doubt—John Mark Comer. He describes the teachings of Dallas Willard as the most life formational words (outside of Scripture) that he’s encountered. What Dallas is to John Mark, John Mark is to me. His words, teachings, and books have been deeply impactful in my own life. He was the first person that I can recall who taught me how to follow Jesus, not just what a follower of Jesus is. The practical applications of his work are—in large part—a catalyst for who I am today as a man, husband, and pastor. “
#6 Where do you see yourself in the future? What are your goals?
“My life’s calling has three facets: to preach, to teach, and to write. I feel called to preach the way of Jesus in the context of the local church, teach the way of Jesus in the context of community, and write about the way of Jesus in the context of books. So long as I am living out of that calling, I feel like I’m right where I need to be. In some ways, my future is secure in that I can rest in what I’m doing, not in a particular title or context I’m attempting to get to. However, I do hope that as I continue to grow as an apprentice to Jesus, my calling continues to move into positions that allow me to exercise and develop that calling more and more. In all of that, my goals are to, in the words of Comer, “be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did.” So long as I’m doing that, life and life to the full is in reach.”
Many thanks to Micah for the time he took to thoughtfully answer these questions and for the support he has given to Philosophical Rambler. I encourage you to check out his work on his website here.
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