02/03/2026
I grew up going to church right here in Osage, Iowa.
My church had a solid Sunday school program, and by the time I graduated, I knew all the Bible stories. I knew what Christians were supposed to believe.
And yet—despite going to a “Christian” college—I slowly lost sight of God.
As a young man, social pressure made belief in God feel naïve, uneducated, unscientific—even embarrassing. It wasn’t something serious people talked about, and I wanted to be taken seriously. So I stopped talking about it. Then I stopped thinking about it. Eventually, I just let it go.
For nearly twenty years.
—
Then, in 2021, after retiring at 38 from the company my wife Jessica and I built, I was invited into a “Life Compass” process with a trusted friend and mentor. We reflected honestly on the most important areas of life—family, career, finances, health, community, and faith.
When we reached the section on faith however, I dismissively said, “Pass.”
Later that night, my response started gnawing at me. Why would I pass? Was I really so fragile, that I won’t even talk about my faith or lack thereof? Red flag.
I remember telling Jessica later that week,
“I don’t think I’m a Christian.”
She was stunned. “Of course you are—you grew up Christian. We go to church (sometimes).”
“But that’s not what Christianity is,” I said. “It’s deeper than that.”
And that was the uncomfortable truth: my life looked successful on paper—family, friends, business, community—but the faith part of my life felt hollow. I was going through the motions for all the wrong reasons.
So I made a decision. I owed it to myself—and to my family—to re-examine faith as a thoughtful, educated adult.
For more than four years, I studied philosophy, theology, science, and psychology—approaching the question of God with the same seriousness I had applied to our business.
And then something surprising happened.
—
Through my studies, I began to realize that faith wasn’t unscientific or anti-intellectual at all. That idea, I discovered, is a lie inherited from our modern materialist culture.
The moment it all finally clicked, I was on a walk. Overwhelmed, I dropped to my knees in awe.
Reality isn’t random.
That’s what I had missed.
The worldview offered by the modern world teaches that life is meaningless—a cosmic accident in a spiritually flat universe where nothing ultimately matters.
And yet, my lived experience told a different story. Every day my life required hierarchy, sacrifice, and meaning—choosing higher goods over lower ones.
Then it hit me:
When I gave up God, I also gave up “the Good.”
The ancient Christian worldview, on the other hand, teaches that life is filled with meaning—a creation with intention in a world filled with love, truth, beauty, goodness. Only the Christian story makes sense the most important parts of life that we know exist but can’t see.
Living in the first worldview has real consequences. If you want to know why our youth have record levels of depression, self-reported meaninglessness, and seem adrift/aimless/unmotivated… It’s because they’re seeing through the wrong lens.
Only through the lens of Christ does the beauty and meaning in this world become clear.
—
That’s when another realization hit me.
If Bible stories and Sunday services weren’t enough for me, they won’t be enough for our kids either. Taking children to church is essential. Teaching Bible stories is essential. But it isn’t enough.
If we want our kids to have a resilient faith—to live a life marked by purpose, emotional strength, humility, compassion, and meaning—we have to give them more than facts.
We have to help our kids form a Christian worldview.
We have to teach them how to think like Christians.
We have to give them the ability to defend their faith.
We have to give them real meaning/purpose in their lives.
That’s why Jessica and I are building Anodos Academy, a non-profit Christian school here in our hometown. Because any good education also requires spiritual formation.
That’s also we’re offering “Anodos Awakening: How to Think Like a Christian” starting later this month—a mid-day, release-time class for all 8th–12th grade students in Mitchell County.
Why register your student?
- Church is where kids worship.
- Sunday school is where kids learn Bible stories.
- “Anodos Awakening” is where kids learn to think like Christians.
Our first class begins on February 26th at Anodos Academy (Washington School) in Osage.
Public school and homeschool students are welcome to attend. Under Iowa HF 870 (2025), public schools are legally required to allow students to attend release-time courses without academic penalty.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are offering the class at no cost including free transportation for kids attending Osage High School.
The class is 14 sessions, one hour per week, and concludes in May, at the end of the public school year.
If you have questions, reach out.
A link to full class details is in the first comment below.
-Derek Balsley
