Health Update

Jamie and I saw Needtobreathe perform in the beginning of 2024. Judah and the Lion opened, and I started listening to their music. While listening to Judah and the Lion, I stumbled across a song by Judah and Ellie Holcomb: Kinda Wild.

The song speaks about the love of God being “kinda wild” and allowing God to redirect our focus and see where he is moving. In some ways this became a theme song for me in summer as I planned the fall.

Well, the journey was “wild.” In the fall of 2024, I was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. It was certainly difficult, but in more ways, this has been gift. Over the next few months, I saw God move in extraordinary ways. He displayed his splendor and majesty in ways I can’t put into words.

He answered prayers I have carried for years, and he sanctified me in ways I didn’t even know needed to be sanctified. Most importantly, my relationship with Christ deepened through greater dependency on him.

After chemotherapy, radiation, and surgically removing the tumor, my bloodwork showed no evidence of disease in June of 2025. We continued to watch and pray with regular tests and scans.

It seems this “kinda wild” journey is not over. At the end of January 2026, we discovered the cancer returned. It’s a few spots near where the initial tumor was discovered. It’s serious, but also treatable. Later today I will have a colon resection. The same surgery I had last year.

I wanted to share this for a few reasons.

First – God is steadfast. He has given me his supernatural peace. From the first moment he told me I had cancer until now.
(Click here for that post.)

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4–7, ESV)

Second – I am certainly not a celebrity pastor, but word gets out. I wanted to let you know what’s happening as well as ask for your prayers. I am confident the reason I have had so much peace through this journey is because of God’s faithfulness and the prayers of the saints.

Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.” (Philippians 1:18b–20, ESV)

(Noting that I have mentioned two passages from Philippians, you should know this Easter we are kicking off a series through the book Philippians. Unshakeable: Joy the World Can’t Take. I would love to have you join us! Click for more information.)

Third, and most important – I want to encourage you. I am deeply aware that some of you are carrying burdens even heavier than mine. Many of you are walking through your own “wild” journey. Let me remind you God is doing more in us than we can see. Our circumstances may seem hard, crushing at times, but God is using our circumstances for the eternal. He is using every trial, every diagnosis, every sleepless night. This season you are walking through is not meaningless. One of my foundational passages through this whole season is found in 2 Corinthians.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18, ESV)

If you are going through a trial, I would love to pray for you. Feel free to shoot me a DM or email.

I love you!

In Christ,
Mike