may 2026
books, studies, and thoughts on Kingdom culture
Last week month we had some unexpected events pop up. (Isn’t this every month?) The result was that our ministry update got shelved until the first opportunity we've had to sit next to each other on the couch, with laptops open…which is right now. (Ahh, romance.1) So here you go:
from Vince
As of last week, I am officially working on three books!
I began one of them last year and I’m about 20,000 words in. It’s fiction but unlike my previous books in pretty much every way. This one uses an element of time-paradox2 and explores our impact on others. It essentially asks the question: If I knew then what I know now, what would I do differently, and how might I better influence those around me? No title yet.
The second is my first non-fiction book. It’s titled The Bad Guys (Still Thinking On A Subtitle) and it incorporates and greatly expands on my Bad Guys series of articles.
The third is a spin-off sequel to my Modern War series. It was teased in my last book, Those Who Face Death, and it’s about cops, human trafficking, and will likely touch on Satanic ritualistic abuse. It begins with former PJ Hector Galindo (Aiden McCoy’s best friend) as a cop in San Antonio, Texas. After stumbling on several perplexing cases and learning of rampant corruption in his state, he enlists the assistance of retired CIA officer Dominic Reyes. Together they embark on an eye-opening and dangerous journey.
Also, if you’re fans of our previous books (and if you haven’t done so already) consider heading to Amazon or Goodreads and leaving some 5-star reviews. They really help with visibility so we can reach more people.
from Shannon
classes
I finished my fourth course in April and am currently working on two more that will probably take me into June: History of the Bible and Unseen Realm 102. It’s been pretty slow going this month because these two classes have a lot more online reading and have I told you lately how much I dislike reading on a device? Hates it, we does. I think I’ll start printing everything out from now on. 😵💫
thoughts from a soapbox on Kingdom culture
I had a weird feeling when I read this:
On the surface it seems great. But underneath, a church is manipulating people to give them their info, so the people can get credit for serving the poor, which they’re not actually doing.
No one’s being honest here. It’s subtle and slimy. This is not Kingdom; it’s a church confusing Kingdom growth with corporate marketing.
People want credit for being benevolent as long as it doesn’t really cost anything. The Church should not be appealing to that in order to puff up their email lists.
If a church wants to give meals to the poor, they should do it, not wheedle people into their database as a guise for doing so.
Let’s create a culture that invites people to authenticity instead of gimmicks that make us look good.
It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh.
— Galatians 6:12-13
favorite links we shared this month
If you're feeling left out, pushed out, or on a journey with an unknown destination and/or timeline, you might want to check this out — it's sort of a good news/bad news/best news revelation, and it's also one of the main themes of the Bible. 🤍 Just 5 minutes long, from BibleProject.
Churchy myths do not build the Kingdom. God does not need us to make stuff up or use catchy campaigns so He can build His church. (See also: Pastors or evangelists or any one else who exaggerate testimonies to impress the congregation...but I digress.) This is a great post:
Another good one from Sheila Wray Gregoire: Men in the church need to understand the measurable downstream effects of nefarious programming. Super important stuff to be aware of in this 18-minute podcast, because ignorance is bliss until you realize it’s destroying marriages and church culture. Are Gen Z men really flocking back to church? Ahhh, no…so let’s look at what’s really happening. 👇🏻
Why true evangelism is never about us, it's always about Jesus. And for those of us who loathe watching podcasts on YouTube, here's a Spotify version.
There should never be a class on evangelism. The most basic element of our faith is learning how to hear from God, and we never start with that; we start with theology, and, you know, some discipleship class.
But if we started with how to tune into the communication of God, how to perceive how He speaks to us—which is all sorts of different ways—then it's such good news that you want to tell everyone about it; that's the Gospel.
— Donna Winship
If you’d like to help us continue taking courses, counseling and supporting families, writing books and articles, and sharing Kingdom culture, please consider making a donation or sharing our content with a friend. Thanks!
Thank you so much for your support. Got something you need prayer for? We’d be honored to partner with you.
Bless you,
Shannon and Vince
P.S. If you missed them, here are all of our posts from April:
…and audio:
…and science:
We celebrated the 30-year anniversary of our first date in April. Last Saturday, Vin said, “I’ve been cleaning up your messes in the kitchen since we were 19, I’m not gonna start stressing about it now.” 😁🙌🏻
Time paradox is different from time travel (which Shannon hates) in that it means characters aren’t actually actively seeking to travel through time; it’s more of a crack in the chasm of time kind of thing. (Shannon is still extremely suspicious.)