About

I was born in Wilson, North Carolina on January 10, 1979, to parents who have always had a very unique relationship with the Lord and have had an incredible influence on my life.

When I was four years old, I walked in on my mom as she was spending time with the Lord, crying. So, I asked her if she was sad. She told me, in words a four year old could understand, that she was happy because she just loved Jesus so much. Of course, what I saw in her so deeply impacted my heart that I wanted what she had. That’s when she introduced me to the One Who became my best friend forever. It was this moment that was the start to an amazing journey.

In the early eighties, when I was in second grade at the old New Hope Elementary School here in Wilson, North Carolina, my parents began hearing about the home school movement from James Dobson’s Focus on the Family; soon, after extensive prayer and reflection, they felt the Lord moving them to bring my brother and me “into the ark,” to home school us so they could train us up (Proverbs 22:6).

Over the next many years, leading up to my graduation from high school (I was home schooled from 2nd grade to 12th grade), our little family of four shared the ups and downs of daily life together, growing in love, walking with God, seeing the beauty of God’s creation through all we learned in school, enduring the divorce of my parents, knowing Christ as Comforter, and learning forgiveness. Life was hard at times, but Jesus pulled us through. We were blessed with a strong home school support group in Wilson where we met people with the same passion for God, life, and learning, and as we interacted with the Boy Scouts and various church youth groups, enjoyed various sports and community activities, and eventually attended the prom, we experienced a rather normal life, mixed with the ever-present love of Christ.

In 1997, after graduating from Broken Bread Institute (the name of our home school), I attended Morningstar School of Ministry (now known as Morningstar University) and graduated in 1999 (the same year I met the amazing young woman who would eventually become my wife on May 20, 2000) with a certificate in Biblical Studies and Practical Ministries.

In the Fall of 1998, while I was in my second year at MorningStar, I founded Inner Life Ministries & Media, a prophetic-teaching ministry focused on the “deeper life” message.  Its measured purpose was, and still is, to be a multi-faceted resource to the universal Body of Christ, providing “meat in due season” to those who desire spiritual life and substance.

In 2001, I was ordained as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by Wade Taylor of Parousia Ministerial Fellowship.

Today, whenever I’m not working, catching up on the news (I’m a bit of a news wonk :)), prepping a good meal, meeting with people over coffee, spending time with close friends (who are more like family), or reading a good book (reading is one of my passions), I spend time with my wife and four daughters, watching a good movie or talking about whatever is going on in the world and in our lives.

My wife (with the help of my mother) home schools all our daughters (via Classical Conversations), tackling each day one at a time, yielding to whatever God has in store. Life is so good! After two decades of marriage and molding little hearts, I’ve come to learn, and am still learning, that each moment, no matter how chaotic or messy it is, is important to the Lord. Every moment is sacred and special, and within each moment He’s working in us to help us see our True selves “on earth as it is in Heaven.”

My desire is to see the Body of Christ come into full maturity, which is nothing less than the exact likeness and image of Jesus Christ, demonstrating His nature and ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16 and John 14:12).

Thank you for visiting our website. Please take a look around and let us know what you think. Bless you!

To view my LinkedIn resume, click here.

In Him,

Joel Killion

Some Personal Memories