ABOUT
DougLas K. JeffRey
Faith seeking understanding.
— Proverbs 2:6
I have spent much of my life asking questions about Scripture—not because I doubt its truth, but because I believe it deserves to be examined deeply and marvel at the answers found. Theology, for me, is not merely a collection of doctrines to defend. It is the lifelong pursuit of understanding the God who revealed Himself through His Word.
My writing grows out of that pursuit: returning to familiar passages, examining assumptions we may have inherited, and asking whether there is more to see when Scripture is allowed to challenge the ways we have always understood.
My StoRy BeGan EArly
When I was five, after my father left our family, I cried myself to sleep every night. And every night, God comforted me. I remember feeling myself lifted up and held tightly. My ear against His chest, I heard His voice through the echo of His lungs telling me:
“I love you dearly. You are worth Me being around. You are My son.”
I didn’t fully understand it then. I thought, “If I’m His son, then I must be Jesus.” I told my friends—and felt a bit like Joseph telling his brothers they would bow to him. But my misunderstanding anchored the experience in my soul. This could not have been a dream. I would never have known to hear “You are My son.”
I never forgot His voice. It is why I still listen.
A Lifelong PuRsuit Of TRuth
In my twenties, I discovered Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. I was captivated. For the first time, I saw my faith not simply as an assumption of beliefs, but as something that could be studied, questioned, compared, and pursued.
I asked my pastor what I should read next. Then I read it. I asked again. Then again. Before long, I was devouring every book on his list and returning with more questions than when I had started.
Eventually, the recommendations (and probably his patience) ran out.
But I didn’t run out of questions.
That began a pattern that has followed me ever since. I read with a pen in my hand. I question what I read. I compare it against Scripture. And when my spirit isn’t settled, I go deeper.
Somewhere along the way, it stopped merely being about the answers. I was in love with the echoing voice of my Shepherd.
MinistRy & SeRVice
I served in vocational ministy as a biblical counselor with Prison Fellowship Ministries for many years. I am a licensed minister and trained in Stephen Ministries. I am a missionary to Nicaragua and have partnered with Hebron Baptist Church in Jinotega to support pastor Oscar and our family there. I have served throughout the church in many areas of service. A part-time author, woodworker, artist and devoted fan of Houston sports, I am most proud to be a father of two and husband of one.
I am Poppi, and don’t you forget it.
My credentials are not impressive and that is the way they should remain. God has called me to teach and creditials can sometimes make one unapproachable. It is by this motto that God has instructed me to live, “It is not about me and what I can and cannot do, but about Christ and what He can do through me.”
1 Corinthians 1:26–31 · 2 Corinthians 12:10 · Matthew 11:25
Why I Write
I write because I believe the truths God has shown me should not die with me. One day, people far wiser than I will pick up these ideas and carry them farther than I ever could.
I write for my sons—so they will have answers when I am gone. I write because theology has brought me joy and a deeper relationship with God, and I want others to experience that. I write because I have had the same questions you have.
I took the time to puzzle them out so I can share what I’ve found.
The Joy Of CreAting
Whether I’m writing, woodworking, drawing, reading, or building something with my hands, my passions seem to follow the same rhythm.
Set out to do a task.
Take all the time in needs to complete it.
Then stand back with my hands on my hips and say, “That is good.”
Creation reflects our Creator. For me, making something is satisfying not merely because something new exists, but because there is joy in the act of bringing an idea into being. It is one of the ways I understand what it means to be made in the image of God.
The books are simply where the questions have taken me.
There are still more questions to ask.