Mike + Emilee Fox
Mike + Emilee Fox
Mike and Emilee’s stories start in very different places — but both are marked by God’s pursuit.
Emilee grew up in church, but her faith was shaped by fear. She shared, “I basically didn’t want to burn in hell… so for years I lived a fake walk with Christ.” Each day felt like a cycle of trying to measure up. She believed God loved others — she just wasn’t sure His love was really meant for her.
Mike didn’t grow up in church at all. He spent years identifying as an atheist. He enjoyed debating Christians and felt confident in his disbelief. “I don’t need an invisible person telling me how to be good,” he once believed.
But God pursued both of them.
For Emilee, that pursuit meant confronting pride, past wounds, and the exhausting habit of categorizing sin to make it feel smaller. “For the first time, I began seeing God as loving… and realizing that His love was meant for me.”
For Mike, it came in a moment of surrender he didn’t expect. Sitting in the front row of a retreat, he prayed, “God, if You’re real, take away my disbelief.” Within moments, everything changed. “That was the first argument I ever lost with God,” he says. “And I haven’t won one since.”
Their individual transformation was only the beginning.
They both walked through painful seasons — including deep struggles in their marriage. Instead of hiding, they chose to bring trusted believers into the process. “The day we stepped into the light,” Emilee shared, “it felt like the enemy lost his foothold.” Over the months that followed, God restored what felt broken.
Their marriage today is not built on pretending. It’s built on humility, repentance, and grace.
One of the strongest lessons they’ve learned is the difference between religion and relationship.
“Religion makes you focus on rules and comparison,” Mike says. “Relationship reminds you that Jesus is the one who changes hearts — not us.”
Emilee adds, “Religion makes you harsh and judgmental. Relationship allows vulnerability. It lets you walk in the light.”
That understanding has shaped how they serve.
Mike serves in prison ministry through Kairos and helps lead and oversee Emmaus weekends. Emilee serves in women’s ministry, leads Emmaus weekends, and supports Kairos Outside, ministering to women impacted by incarceration. Together, they disciple, encourage, and walk with others — not because they feel qualified, but because they’ve learned to say yes.
When asked what they would tell someone who feels unqualified to serve, Mike said: “We’re only called to say yes. God does the work. I can’t change someone’s heart — that’s not on me.” He compares it to a father letting his child “help” with a project. “It might take longer. It might get messy. But God invites us in anyway.”
Maybe the Lord is inviting you into your next yes.
Maybe it’s stepping into a ministry.
Maybe it’s opening up instead of hiding.
Maybe it’s serving even when you don’t feel ready.
You don’t have to know everything.
You don’t have to be flawless.
You just have to be willing.
God is still redeeming.
He is still restoring.
And He is still using ordinary people who say yes.
Emilee grew up in church, but her faith was shaped by fear. She shared, “I basically didn’t want to burn in hell… so for years I lived a fake walk with Christ.” Each day felt like a cycle of trying to measure up. She believed God loved others — she just wasn’t sure His love was really meant for her.
Mike didn’t grow up in church at all. He spent years identifying as an atheist. He enjoyed debating Christians and felt confident in his disbelief. “I don’t need an invisible person telling me how to be good,” he once believed.
But God pursued both of them.
For Emilee, that pursuit meant confronting pride, past wounds, and the exhausting habit of categorizing sin to make it feel smaller. “For the first time, I began seeing God as loving… and realizing that His love was meant for me.”
For Mike, it came in a moment of surrender he didn’t expect. Sitting in the front row of a retreat, he prayed, “God, if You’re real, take away my disbelief.” Within moments, everything changed. “That was the first argument I ever lost with God,” he says. “And I haven’t won one since.”
Their individual transformation was only the beginning.
They both walked through painful seasons — including deep struggles in their marriage. Instead of hiding, they chose to bring trusted believers into the process. “The day we stepped into the light,” Emilee shared, “it felt like the enemy lost his foothold.” Over the months that followed, God restored what felt broken.
Their marriage today is not built on pretending. It’s built on humility, repentance, and grace.
One of the strongest lessons they’ve learned is the difference between religion and relationship.
“Religion makes you focus on rules and comparison,” Mike says. “Relationship reminds you that Jesus is the one who changes hearts — not us.”
Emilee adds, “Religion makes you harsh and judgmental. Relationship allows vulnerability. It lets you walk in the light.”
That understanding has shaped how they serve.
Mike serves in prison ministry through Kairos and helps lead and oversee Emmaus weekends. Emilee serves in women’s ministry, leads Emmaus weekends, and supports Kairos Outside, ministering to women impacted by incarceration. Together, they disciple, encourage, and walk with others — not because they feel qualified, but because they’ve learned to say yes.
When asked what they would tell someone who feels unqualified to serve, Mike said: “We’re only called to say yes. God does the work. I can’t change someone’s heart — that’s not on me.” He compares it to a father letting his child “help” with a project. “It might take longer. It might get messy. But God invites us in anyway.”
Maybe the Lord is inviting you into your next yes.
Maybe it’s stepping into a ministry.
Maybe it’s opening up instead of hiding.
Maybe it’s serving even when you don’t feel ready.
You don’t have to know everything.
You don’t have to be flawless.
You just have to be willing.
God is still redeeming.
He is still restoring.
And He is still using ordinary people who say yes.
victorylife.net | 806-698-6553
12401 Slide Road, Lubbock, TX 79424
Sunday Mornings | 9:30am 11:00am
12401 Slide Road, Lubbock, TX 79424
Sunday Mornings | 9:30am 11:00am
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