One worship pastor has taken a difficult time in life and faith and used it to channel grace and goodness.
2014 was a difficult year for Justin Kintzel and his family. After purchasing a home, an unexpected change led to he and his wife's uprooting from the community. But that change also led to a new opportunity.
Kintzel and his wife, Ashley, were "pushed out" of Virginia's Liberty University, reports Faithwire. It was at that time Kintzel began to write his new song.
"In all this we know that you are good," reads the opening line of Kintzel's song, something he didn't quite believe at the time, he says. The couple had been heavily invested in their community in Lynchburg where Kintzel worked as Liberty's worship pastor. But some changes in staffing began to unravel a happy existence.
Their initial move was just the beginning, with other changes of address and financial issues contributing to family tensions, and significant health concerns topping off their list of worries.
Nora, Justin and Ashley's daughter, was diagnosed with several health complications. Now on the mend, the Kintzel's struggled with how to handle the overwhelming trials they faced.
Through it all, the couple battled personally and with their faith, losing hope in both relationships.
Now working as the communications and worship pastor at Applewood Baptist Church in Arvada, Colorado, Kintzel has been able to reflect on the times that he once never thought he would overcome.
“I was really dejected,” he explained, sharing that he felt as though he was becoming an agnostic even as he stood before his congregation in worship.
One thing, however, kept him from turning his back on Christ. A deep struggle with leaders in the Christian community who, in Kintzel's words, were "teaching false theology on purpose for gain.”
Seeing biblical truths such as these come to life, Kintzel was able to hold onto his faith.
“To me, if there was nothing to it [Christianity], I could see how it would’ve just fizzled out a long time ago,” he shared.
Seeking a sign, Kintzel's church soon announced that they would be hosting a preacher known for his prosperity-focused theological teachings -- the very type of leader with which Kintzel was morally struggling.
That sign was enough for the worship pastor to seriously rededicate his life to Christ.
Ashley, his wife, says that their time of difficulty really showed to her the purpose of suffering that God allows for in our lives. “There are three reasons why we suffer: it’s either our sin, it’s somebody else’s sin, or it is an attack of Satan that is permitted by the sovereign hand of God," she explained.
Continuing, Ashley said: “We live in a culture that’s all about Christian maximizing ... and Jesus is actually the de-maximizer."
Five years after the series of events that shook them so deeply, the Kintzel's are rejoicing in God's goodness. A newly released single, written by Justin, reflects the feelings of gratitude that the couple feels when looking back on their journey.
"It’s been a vulnerable thing over time, but I think the confirmation has been that people have responded with, 'Me too,'" the worship pastor said of his decision to share the vulnerability of that time in his life; a decision he has not come to regret.
Since it's end-of-August release, Kintzel's song, "In All This We Know" has accumulated almost 1,000 views.