Writing on Faith, Identity, & the Work of Living by Design
My writing returns to a few central themes: the formation of the inner life, the role of desire, the difficulty of lasting change, and the way Scripture reveals what is true about the human person. Some pieces are reflective. Others are more explicitly biblical. Many follow a question over time rather than trying to resolve it in a single piece.
Writing on Faith, Identity, & the Work of Living by Design
My writing returns to a few central themes: the formation of the inner life, the role of desire, the difficulty of lasting change, and the way Scripture reveals what is true about the human person. Some pieces are reflective. Others are more explicitly biblical. Many follow a question over time rather than trying to resolve it in a single piece.
What You’ll Find Here
What You’ll Find Here
My writing returns to a few central themes: the formation of the inner life and the role of desire. It also explores the difficulty of lasting change and the tension that often goes with it. Most of my work is grounded in the belief that formation happens slowly and rarely in the ways we expect.
I am interested in how Scripture reveals what is true about people and the life we have been given. Some pieces are reflective, while others engage the text more directly and with greater focus. In both cases, the aim is not to rush conclusions but to allow what is there to come into clearer view.
Most of my essays don't resolve the question in a single piece. They return to the same ideas from different angles, allowing the weight of them to surface over time. This approach reflects the way formation actually takes place—through attention, repetition, and a willingness to stay with what matters.
What You’ll Find Here
What You'll Find Here
My writing returns to a few central themes: the formation of the inner life and the role of desire.
It also explores the difficulty of lasting change and the tension that often goes with it. Most of my work is grounded in the belief that formation happens slowly and rarely in the ways we expect.
Most of my essays don't resolve the question in a single piece. They return to the same ideas from different angles, allowing the weight of them to surface over time. This approach reflects the way formation actually takes place—through attention, repetition, and a willingness to stay with what matters.
My writing returns to a few central themes: the formation of the inner life and the role of desire. It also explores the difficulty of lasting change and the tension that often goes with it. Most of my work is grounded in the belief that formation happens slowly and rarely in the ways we expect.
I am interested in how Scripture reveals what is true about people and the life we have been given. Some pieces are reflective, while others engage the text more directly and with greater focus. In both cases, the aim is not to rush conclusions but to allow what is there to come into clearer view.
Most of my essays don't resolve the question in a single piece. They return to the same ideas from different angles, allowing the weight of them to surface over time. This approach reflects the way formation actually takes place—through attention, repetition, and a willingness to stay with what matters.
start with a series
Naaman | The Pattern of Change
A series exploring one of Scripture’s clearest pictures of transformation through resistance, obedience, and surrender. It traces the movement from control to humility and shows how real change often takes shape over time. Along the way, it exposes the expectations we bring to God and how those expectations can stand in the way of what we most need. It invites a slower reading of the story, one that allows its implications to reach beyond the moment and into our own lives.
start with a series
start with a series
N A A M A N
The pattern of change
A series exploring one of Scripture’s clearest pictures of transformation through resistance, obedience, and surrender. It traces the movement from control to humility and shows how real change often takes shape over time. Along the way, it exposes the expectations we bring to God and how those expectations can stand in the way of what we most need. It invites a slower reading of the story, one that allows its implications to reach beyond the moment and into our own lives.
Feeling Desire
Most people don’t wake up one day and decide to shut their desire down. It happens gradually, quietly, almost responsibly. There’s no denying it, desire becomes complicated. It asks for things we’re not sure ...
Feeling Unseen
If I had to assign a proverbial step one in the emotionally healthy Christian life, then awareness is it. In a time when, thankfully, there is more information out there than could be consumed in a lifetime ...
Feeling Desire
Most people don’t wake up one day and decide to shut their desire down. It happens gradually, quietly, almost responsibly. There’s no denying it, desire becomes complicated. It asks for things we’re not sure ...
Feeling Unseen
If I had to assign a proverbial step one in the emotionally healthy Christian life, then awareness is it. In a time when, thankfully, there is more information out there than could be consumed in a lifetime ...
Off Axis Podcast
Off Axis is my podcast on Substack, where I host conversations that move beyond quick answers and into the deeper questions that shape a life. These conversations are designed to slow things down, making space for reflection, clarity, and a more thoughtful engagement with the issues that matter most.
Off Axis Podcast
Off Axis is my podcast on Substack, where I host conversations that move beyond quick answers and into the deeper questions that shape a life. These conversations are designed to slow things down, making space for reflection, clarity, and a more thoughtful engagement with the issues that matter most.
Copyright 2026 | Ben Derrick