Ascend (WestBow Press) was published March 31, 2021.

“We were created to live lives of adventure. I believe that my stories will resonate with your own, motivating you to greater things, and a deeper faith.” – Matt Messner

This book is a compilation of true adventure stories, each with a life-lesson. The settings include mountain climbing, marathon running, cave exploration, travel, surfing, and competition. There are stories of disappointments and successes. Each has a powerful life-lesson that will resonate with the reader’s journey.

“This book is the closest thing in form to a kind of modern expression of parables I’ve ever read. Clear, compelling, mysterious, and evocative all at once. Beautiful. Read this!”
-A.J. Swoboda (PhD, Birmingham) is assistant professor of Bible, theology, and World Christianity at Bushnell University and the author of After Doubt.

Ascend is available on Amazon.com and at WestBow Press.

Matt Messner (D.Min.) is a pastor, a distance runner, a coach, and an outdoors enthusiast. Matt competed in the Olympic Trials in the marathon in 1996 and 2000. He is a graduate of Life Pacific University (1991), Fuller Theological Seminary (2001), and Gordon-Conwell (2005). Matt has been married to his best friend and partner in ministry, Heidi Wilson Messner for 30 years. They have two adult children.

Matt has published two other books: Friendship Leadership, and Advent Encounter.