Spouse: Lindsay

Children: Libby and Henry

Where I met my spouse: Blind date at a BBQ of a friend who’d been trying to set us up for over 2 years.  Guess she was right.

Where I grew up: Denver, CO

Favorite Passage of Scripture: One of many would be (and this is a little paraphrasing), “Blessed is the man who does not follow the way of fools, but whose delight is the words of God.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that produces reliable fruit and remains strong.” — Psalm 1

How I met Christ: There came a night when I could not ignore God any longer.  I knew I had to get right with him, so I asked Jesus to bring me home.

What I’m most proud of: The hardest three days of my life and my son, Rhett.  I’d love to tell you about it sometime.

Shaping Influences: Athletic successes and failures; Tom Heng; Journey’s in China; Moses Xie; Pastor Julius in Guguletto Township, Cape Town, South Africa; Gene Kissinger; Craig Blomberg; Jim Dixon; Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying; Doctrinal Oral Examination; Jim Greenberg; Marriage and Fatherhood; N.T. Wright; C.S. Lewis; Pastor George in Gulu, Uganda; Auraria Campus.

Highlight Reel: State Championship; Beijing International Christian Fellowship; San Juan River Rainbow; Serengeti hot air balloon; James paper and Dr. Blomberg; Graduation Day; First Communion with Linds as my wife; Birth of Libby (and Henry); Walking into Pennsylvania house; Cape Town.

Books: Evil and the Justice of God, Simply Christian, and The Challenge of Jesus (all by N.T. Wright); The Abolition of Man (C.S. Lewis); East of Eden (John Steinbeck); Bonhoeffer (Eric Metaxas); Moby Dick (Herman Melville); The Divine Conspiracy (Dallas Willard); and, of course, Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien).

iTunes Stash: Josh Garrels, the Beatles, Avett Brothers, Frank Sinatra, Radio Head, Beethoven, John Mayer, Paul McCartney, Charles Wesley

Food: Chipotle: Chicken Burrito, Chips and Guac, Chipotle Tabasco.  Done.

Movies: A River Runs Through It, Ocean’s 11, Shawshank Redemption, Star Wars (the good ones), Scrooged, Cinderella Man, The Sting

Email: James.Cottier@cru.org

Twitter: twitter.com/jamescottier

To listen to messages preached by Pastor James, click here.