About
Song: Far Kingdom from The Gray Havens’s Fire and Stone Album
Biography
I grew up in Texas. That means I enjoy Dr. Pepper, Mexican food, BBQ, swimming pools and anything larger than life.
God saved me from sin and adopted me into his family in 8th grade. I had a normal high school life of hanging out with friends, enjoying leisure, working part-time, and preparing for my calling, which I discovered was pastoral ministry after a summer church camp just before college.
I studied a Bachelor of Business Administration, focused in Marketing, at the University of Texas at Arlington (’04). I then went on to study a Master of Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary (’09). While at Dallas Seminary I served as the GM of Campus Dining Services.
After seminary I served as an Associate Pastor at Fellowship Bible Church Tulsa for four years, primarily working with High School students. Before joining the FBC Tulsa staff, I interned in youth ministry for ten years at Mansfield Bible Church. That means I thrive off of many super cool activities: dodgeball, ultimate, tetherball, knock-out, smash ball (gaga), nerf, and paintball to name a few.
I served as the church planting intern at Redeemer Fellowship in St. Charles, Illinois during 2014 and for the first half of 2015 I was the Pastoral Assistant to Joe Thorn there. God redirected our church planting steps and brought me into a dual call of pastor and student. I am the Pastor of Middle School Discipleship and Communication at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois. Meanwhile, I am studying a Ph.D. in Church History and am the Assistant Director and Senior Fellow of the Jonathan Edwards Center, both at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. My dissertation topic is Jonathan Edwards's Christology; my doctoral advisor is Dr. Douglas Sweeney.
I have been married to Kendall, the most amazing woman ever, for over ten years. She is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University. She gives all her daily attention to our three beautiful children: Chloe, Asher, and Adalie. When she's not caring for them or schooling them, she's attending to our home, repurposing objects, doing crafts, or taking a nap.
Besides developing as a historian and pastor, I enjoy scholarship in the other disciplines of New and Old Testament studies, Systematic and Biblical Theology. I enjoy great conversation, reading, and writing. I do those things while drinking coffee in a local coffee shop or my study at the church.
Purpose of this Blog
jtcochran.com reaches people to edify them with the gospel.
I write to reach people. This includes my family, my church family, my peers in ministry, and my friends around the globe that I've met through education, travels, conferences, and social media.
I write to edify others. I write posts about the gospel, theology, family and Christian ministry. I write book reviews, quote Christian leaders from yesterday and today. I love encouraging you to read other great bloggers and writers, so check out my daily View-Worthy posts.
I write the story of the gospel. Enmeshed within my posts is the story of Jesus Christ who rose from the dead. This unchangeable message has changed me. In God’s mercy the Holy Spirit revealed Himself to me and brought me to repentance. I turned from my sin, and I turned to my God. I hope this story of the gospel transforms your heart too. To learn more about the story of the gospel view the story here: Story4.us/1514.
Comments Policy
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Personal Statement of Christian Belief
- I believe in the inspiration, inerrancy, sufficiency, and authority of scripture.
- I believe that God eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Spirit.
- I believe that Jesus Christ is fully man and fully God.
- I believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, performed miracles, embodied and fulfilled the law, and initiated the Kingdom of God.
- I believe that Jesus Christ was crucified, died, and buried. I believe that He was raised to life on the third day.
- I believe that humanity is spiritually lost, totally depraved, and destined for damnation in an everlasting torment in hell apart from the saving work of the triune God.
- I believe that Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection provided the substitutionary atonement necessary for imputing sin upon himself and righteousness upon His elect people.
- I believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone.
- I believe that the Church is both universal and local and exists to promote the gospel and missions in order to transform both the local and global community to the glory of God.
- I believe in the physical return of Christ, the judgment of the world, and the everlasting life of the elect.
Furthermore, I am a confessing man who affirms the historic creeds of the Church along with the 2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689).
I agree with the affirmations and denials of T4G along with the Preamble and Confessional Statement of the Gospel Coalition.
Top Ten Posts at JTCochran.com (A Countdown)
10. 10 Non-Spiritual but Shameless, Satirical, and Memorable T4G Moments
9. Logos: A Bible Software for Everyone
8. Social Media and the Sensation of Missing Out
7. 4 Reasons I Use Accordance Bible Software
6. Stop Trying to the Read the Bible in a Year
5. Twitter Celebrities, Voyeurism, Purging, and 8 Criteria to Follow
4. 4 Tactics for Improved Writing
3. Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Concerning Docent Research Group
2. Having a Personal Doctrinal Statement
1. Lanier Theological Library and Million Dollar Rooms
Colophon
My blog is built with WordPress (Self-hosted). My site is hosted by ipage.com. My blog uses the Magazine theme from Themify.
All portraits via social media or this website were taken by Robb Davidson. Robb is a professional photograph in Wheaton Illinois. Visit Robb-Davidson.com to learn more. Photos from our family slideshow were taken by Nicole Newsome, a freelance photographer in Tulsa Oklahoma. The slideshow is from photosnack.com. The slideshow song is Far Kingdom from The Gray Havens’s Fire and Stone album, courtesy of my friends Dave and Licia Radford.
Disclaimer
This is a personal blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of Calvary Memorial Church. I make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability or validity of any information on this blog and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its use.