Gentleman Outlaw

Walk In The Snow

Walk In The Snow

by | Jun 22, 2025 | Just for Fun, Personal Stories

Walk In The Snow

Cold Night

He took a walk in the snow to clear his head, for he could not find solace in the warmth of his bed. The thoughts that stirred within were far too heavy to be healed by the crackle and heat of the fire’s blaze.

He needed the crunch of snow beneath his boots, the chill of the wind across his face, and the distant sound of an owl’s cry—haunting, beautiful, like the finest of flutes.

As he walked, it seemed the moonlight split the dark sky like a blade of hope, cutting through the weight he carried. Something awakened in him—something long buried. The frozen night had lit a flame within his soul.

He returned at last to the glow of his little home and lay beneath the covers, no longer seeking warmth from the blankets, but from the spark now kindled in his heart.

Sleep came swiftly—with the promise of many tomorrows and the daring tales they might hold. And the first story his pen would write would be this: how a walk with his Creator on a cold, dark night forever changed his life.

The Truth About Casual Sex

The Truth About Casual Sex

by | Jun 22, 2025 | Personal Stories

The Truth About Casual Sex

The Truth About Casual Sex

No one told me the truth before I had a lot of it…

Not the kind of truth that makes it into schoolbooks or locker room talk.
Not the kind whispered at sleepovers under half-drunk breath.

I had to live it.

I had to wake up in someone else’s bed with my soul scraped thin
And my body pretending it hadn’t just memorized a stranger’s breath like a love story.

I had to learn that the body is an altar—
And not everyone deserves to kneel at it.

They say sex is just physical.
But I’ve felt the aftershocks of a single night echo through my nervous system for months.

I’ve stayed too long with people who weren’t good for me—
Not because I didn’t know better,
But because my cells already believed we were one thing.

Because oxytocin doesn’t understand red flags.
Because dopamine can make a prison feel like paradise.
Because orgasm isn’t just a climax—
It’s a binding contract written in chemistry and signed in vulnerability.

I’ve watched people confuse intensity for intimacy.
I’ve done it.
Skin to skin before heart to heart.
Bed before truth.

And we call it modern.
We call it freedom.

But what if it’s just another kind of enslavement?

One where we give away pieces of our sovereignty
In exchange for a moment of connection we didn’t earn.

What they don’t tell you is this:
Sex rewires you.
It maps your memory.
It softens your instincts.
It makes you stay when every part of your logic is screaming run.

And even if you say it doesn’t matter—
Even if you swear you’re detached—
Your body still remembers.
Your soul still flinches.

Because there is no such thing as “casual”
When your nervous system is that involved.

And no—this isn’t about shame.

I’m not here to condemn the wild.
I believe in sacred chaos.
In lust that tastes like lightning.

But let’s stop pretending we can screw like animals
And not feel like ghosts when it’s over.

Because real sex—soul-deep sex—isn’t just about climax.
It’s about collapse.
It’s about letting someone so deep into your orbit
That your inner world tilts.

And that?

That should be earned.
That should be sacred.

So no—sex was never just a handshake.
It’s a soul exchange.
And if we remembered that,
Maybe we’d stop giving our bodies
To people who haven’t even earned our eye contact.

Jesus Drank Wine

Jesus Drank Wine

by | Jun 22, 2025 | Biblical Perspective, Case Studies, Just for Fun, The Outlaw Faith, The Outlaw Files, Tobacco & Alcohol

Jesus Drank Wine

11 Reasons Alcohol Might Just Be… Biblical

(A lightly cheerful list you can read with a smile—and a Bible in hand)

1. Jesus drank wine.

“I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
— Matthew 26:29

Yep. Real wine. And He plans to have a glass with us in the Kingdom.

2. Jesus gave wine to others.

“Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant…”
— Matthew 26:26–30

At the Last Supper, He served the cup—not just symbolically, but literally.

3. Jesus made more wine when they ran out.

— John 2:1–11

Not just any wine. Good wine. And the guests had already had plenty. Miracle #1: A wedding wine upgrade.

4. The Apostle Paul prescribed it.

“No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.”
— 1 Timothy 5:23

Apostle-approved. Doctor-endorsed. Moderation encouraged.

5. It’s recommended for stress relief.

“Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress.”
— Proverbs 31:6

Sometimes you don’t need a lecture—you need a little peace in a glass.

6. God approves it for celebration.

“Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.”
— Ecclesiastes 9:7

That’s right—cheers, with permission.

7. Even church leaders can have some.

“Deacons… must not be addicted to much wine.”
— 1 Timothy 3:8

Note: It doesn’t say no wine. It says not too much. Big difference.

8. Little old church ladies are in the clear too.

“Older women… not slanderers or slaves to much wine.”
— Titus 2:3

So yes—Grandma can sip her merlot while mentoring the younger women.

9. It’s perfect for after church.

“Eat the fat and drink sweet wine… for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
— Nehemiah 8:10

A holy day? That calls for a holy toast.

10. It was part of Old Testament worship.

“Their drink offerings shall be… a half hin of wine for a bull…”
— Numbers 28:14

God didn’t just allow it—He expected it on the altar.

11. It’s great for the church picnic.

“Buy whatever your heart desires: oxen, sheep, wine, or strong drink… and rejoice, you and your household.”
— Deuteronomy 14:26

There’s a reason potlucks are biblical.

What Was Church Like?

What Was Church Like?

by | Jun 22, 2025 | Biblical Perspective, Case Studies, The Outlaw Faith, The Outlaw Files

What Was Church Like?

What Should Church Look Like?

A return to the Spirit-led, participatory gatherings of Scripture

They Met in Homes

“…breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.”
— Acts 2:46

“Likewise greet the church that is in their house.”
— Romans 16:5

“Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.”
— 1 Corinthians 16:19

“…to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.”
— Philemon 2

They Also Met by Rivers

“On the Sabbath day we went outside the city by a riverside… we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.”
— Acts 16:13

And They Met in Schools

“He departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.”
— Acts 19:9

But as far as Scripture shows, the early Church never built “church” buildings. That wasn’t their priority.

Sacred Space Reimagined

“Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father… the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth… God is Spirit.”
— John 4:21–24

Jesus was saying: You’re both wrong. Something new is coming.

What Was Church Like?

The Holy Spirit Was Evident

“While Peter was still speaking… the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard… they heard them speaking in other languages and magnifying God.”
— Acts 10:44–46

“My speech and preaching were… in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
— 1 Corinthians 2:1–5

It Wasn’t Always Polished

  • Sometimes meetings lasted for days — “They asked him to stay some days.” (Acts 10:48)
  • Sometimes gatherings turned violent
  • Some struggled with serious sin — “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you…” (1 Corinthians 5:1)
  • There were divisions — “There must also be factions, that those approved may be revealed.” (1 Corinthians 11:18–19)

The Spirit Gave Many Gifts

“To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all…”
— 1 Corinthians 12:7–11

Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Discernment, Tongues, Interpretation

The Body Functioned as One

“The body is not one member, but many… God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired…”
— 1 Corinthians 12:12–26
  • No part was unnecessary
  • Weaker parts received special honor
  • When one suffered, all suffered
  • When one rejoiced, all rejoiced

There Were Roles and Callings

“God has set some in the assembly: apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, healers, helpers, governors, tongues…”
— 1 Corinthians 12:27–31

“He gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers, for the building up of the body…”
— Ephesians 4:11–12

Prophecy Was Central

“Earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy… he who prophesies speaks to men for edification, exhortation, and consolation…”
— 1 Corinthians 14:1–5

“Don’t forbid speaking with tongues.”
— 1 Corinthians 14:39

The Gatherings Were Interactive

“When you come together, each of you has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done to build each other up.”
— 1 Corinthians 14:26–31

There was shared teaching, discernment, and space for everyone to participate.

Some Appeared Godly, But Were Dead

“…having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from these.”
— 2 Timothy 3:5

“You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”
— Revelation 3:1

“Because you are lukewarm… I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
— Revelation 3:15–16

Victory Belongs to the Lamb

“They overcame [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony; they didn’t love their lives even unto death.”
— Revelation 12:11

“I heard every creature… saying: ‘To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing, honor, glory, and power forever!’”
— Revelation 5:13
When Church Moved Into the Living Room

When Church Moved Into the Living Room

by | Jun 22, 2025 | Biblical Perspective, Personal Stories, The Outlaw Faith

When Church Moved Into the Living Room

When Church Moved Into the Living Room

A Personal Story of Rediscovering Real Faith

In those days, church was just “doing church.”
We’d get up on Sunday morning, put on our good clothes, go listen to five songs and a lecture, then come home.

I’m sure there were sermons that were inspiring.
We got to know a few people.
But nothing really stuck.

There had to be more.

This couldn’t possibly be all that God intended for Christianity.
It couldn’t possibly be all there is to faith.
It couldn’t possibly be all there is to God.

I wanted to know Him in a real way.
I wanted to know who He really is.
But the church had no real life.

The singing was polished, the preaching was passionate, the programs were well-run—
But it all felt hollow.
Relationships were shallow.
And if we didn’t return, the relationships faded.

We visited other churches—some better than others.
We found great preachers, good people.
But that sense of family, of purpose, of living faith… it wasn’t there.

So we stepped away.

A few families, like ours, were frustrated with how church was operating.
It wasn’t that we were bitter or rebellious—
We just couldn’t find what our hearts were hungry for.

We knew we needed spiritual connection, even if it didn’t come in the form we were used to.
So we got together.
Just a couple families—husbands, wives, and kids.

We started simply:
Sharing some of our struggles, then opening the Bible together.

There were no sermons.
No structured curriculum.
Usually someone would show up with a scripture or topic on their heart,
And we’d just start talking.

It was informal, but not shallow.
Spirit-led, but not chaotic.

We met on Sunday afternoons or evenings—
When everyone could relax, bring a snack, and bring their full selves.

And something began to grow.

Not just spiritual insight—
But relationships.
The kind traditional church often doesn’t have room for.

We shared our homes, our kids, our food, and our lives.
Over time, some of those relationships became the most meaningful we’ve ever had.

We talked about marriage, child-rearing, money, fear, calling, and failure.
We dug into the Bible—
Not because someone told us to,
But because we wanted to.

Some weeks it felt like the Holy Spirit Himself was guiding our questions,
Revealing truth none of us expected.

I started to pray more.
And I started to know God in ways I never had before.

My faith became real and personal in a way that never happened for me in the structure of Sunday services.

“I’ve grown more in the past few months sitting in this living room than in years of sermons.”

That season changed me.
It made me hungry for that kind of shared spiritual life all the time.

I’ve looked for it since,
But often “home church” ends up being a smaller version of the very system we were stepping away from.

What we had back then wasn’t about creating a church or running a ministry—
It was simply a space to be the Church together.

We didn’t need a platform or a plan.
We needed presence—God’s, and each other’s.
We needed time, conversation, and the freedom to ask questions out loud.

And the Spirit met us there.

I can read the Bible alone—
And every preacher says we need to.

But nothing compares to opening the Scriptures together.
Learning, digging, praying, struggling, listening…

It is so much more than daily devotions alone and lost.
The house of the Lord is built using all of us as stones.

Faith was never intended to be walked alone.

That’s why I believe so strongly in this call to rediscover participatory, Spirit-led teaching.
I’ve lived it.
I’ve tasted it.

And once you’ve experienced it, you know—
This is what Church was meant to be.