About Matt
- Married 35 yearsto Kim
- HomeNorth Texas
- FamilyFour children, three grandchildren (and counting)
- BackgroundGrew up in a chaotic home in Flint, Michigan, raised by a hardworking single mother
- CareerEntrepreneur and businessman, after his share of personal and business failures
- Known forNoticing the gifts, potential, and God-given identity in others
My Story
Before we go any further, a little bit about me. I was a mess. I mean it. A wretched man. You name it, I probably was it. A liar, a cheat… just not a good guy. I had my schemes, my way of doing things. I thought I was pretty clever. Turns out, I wasn’t.
Eventually, I came to the end of it all. That was 1988.
That’s when my friend David and his wife Melinda took me in. They didn’t just talk about the gospel; they lived it. And then they shared it with me. I remember the moment clearly. David laid out the gospel, and I knew I needed Christ. I knew I was a sinner.
When he asked me if I wanted to give my life to Christ, I said, “No.”
Who says no to that? Apparently… me.
He didn’t back off. He kindly asked, “Why not?”
And I said something that, at the time, felt like a dealbreaker: “I like to drink beer… and I know Christians can’t drink.”
He looked at me and said, “What if I told you that you could have a beer?”
I said, “I’m in.”
Now, that might sound funny, but here’s what’s real: over time, God changes your desires. Things that once had a grip on you just… don’t anymore. Not because someone forced you, but because something—Someone—better moved in.
And like everyone, I still have battles. The apostle Paul says it better than I ever could:
But then comes:
That changes everything.
What really gave me urgency to send out messages was something I saw years ago: I was on a college campus tour with one of my kids, and I couldn’t help but notice how many young people seemed unhappy. I remember thinking, This should be one of the most exciting seasons of their lives, with the whole world in front of them. This isn’t right. And yet, they walked around without joy. Even the professors seemed unhappy, disconnected.
It felt like I was watching a generation drifting into hopelessness.
But that’s not what God offers.
That’s real hope! Not wishful thinking. Not crossing your fingers. Rock-solid, promise-keeping, proven hope.
My hope for you is not that you’d just read this book and forget about it, but that you’d do something with it. Maybe you dip your toe in. Maybe you cannonball. I don’t care which, just get in the water.
Hey, let’s get started. These devotionals can be read in order, out of order, over and over again—to find the oxygen you need to not only survive but thrive—and GET REAL HOPE!
– Matt
