🧠 Context / Why I Did This

I've always believed that tools should serve people, not the other way around. And as a developer who's both deeply technical and deeply rooted in my faith, I started asking a different kind of question: What can I build that strengthens discipleship, community, or personal growth in the church? Not just another Bible app, but tools that actually solve pain points I see in families, small groups, and Sunday services.

A lot of these ideas came out of conversations with other believers, experiments I wanted to try for my own family, or gaps I noticed while serving at church. Most of them are lightweight prototypes—apps built in a weekend or over a couple late nights. But each one taught me something about what resonates, what falls flat, and where the real needs are.

This isn’t a list of polished products. It’s a builder’s journal of experiments in faith + tech.

⚙️ Setup / What You Built

Each of these apps was built as a solo effort, mostly using React, Supabase, and lightweight backend services like Firebase or Express. I typically scaffolded the frontend with Vite, managed state with Zustand or simple hooks, and deployed prototypes via Render or Docker containers in my homelab. For mobile-first designs or native functionality, I used Flutter or Capacitor.

The goal wasn’t scale—it was to answer one question: Would this be useful enough for me or someone I know to actually use it?

1. BibleLense

Image-to-Scripture reflection tool.

BibleLense takes a photo (or upload) and uses AI to generate a relevant Bible verse and short reflection. Originally built as a spiritual journaling tool for myself, it evolved into a possible group reflection resource.

• Tech stack: Next.js, OpenAI Vision API, Supabase
• Hosted on: Homelab
• Status: Functional, needs better UX

2. IronMan Groups

Simple accountability app for men’s groups.

Designed around the small group format I’m part of: 5 guys, weekly check-ins, verse memory, and prayer accountability. The app lets users create weekly challenges, log completions, and nudge each other.

• Tech stack: Flutter + Firebase Auth + Firestore
• Hosted on: Homelab
• Status: MVP complete, not yet user tested

3. FaithChoices

"Would You Rather" game with spiritual themes.

Think family game night meets theological conversation starter. Each question poses a dilemma (e.g. "Would you rather share the Gospel with a stranger or forgive someone who wronged you deeply?").

• Tech stack: React, Supabase
• Hosted on: Homelab
• Status: Usable and fun, but still adding content

4. CouplesDevo

Faith-based devotional prompts for couples.

Aimed at couples who want to grow spiritually but don’t know where to start. Sends twice-weekly questions or verses to discuss, with journaling space.

• Tech stack: React Native, Express API, SQLite
• Hosted on: Homelab
• Status: Works, but only local deployment

5. SteelSharpens

Discipleship tracker for 1-on-1 mentoring.

Helps track growth conversations, Scripture memory, and spiritual milestones. Initially built to support mentoring relationships at church.

• Tech stack: Flutter, Supabase, background jobs via Supabase Edge Functions
• Hosted on: Homelab
• Status: Early beta, needs UI overhaul

🔐 Specifics / Details That Matter

I kept all the prototypes lean—login with email or Apple Sign-In, minimal backend logic, and mobile-friendly UI. Where it made sense, I used serverless functions to keep the architecture simple.

I also created a shared component library in a private monorepo to accelerate future builds. Each app used Tailwind for styling, with DaisyUI for fast prototyping. I managed code in GitHub and occasionally spun up CI/CD via GitHub Actions to auto-deploy builds to my VPS or Firebase.

For apps like IronMan Groups, I experimented with weekly SMS reminders using Twilio and saw good engagement even without a polished frontend.

Because everything was built modularly, I can now re-use authentication, database schema templates, and even UI logic across multiple apps. That’s starting to feel like a small internal platform—which might become its own project soon.

🧠 Lessons Learned

• Real feedback beats polish: The apps that got the most useful feedback were the ones I showed early, even if they were ugly.
• Text > notifications: People are more likely to respond to a well-timed SMS than a push notification or email.
• Less is more: Every time I added a "cool" feature, it created friction. Stripping the UI down to the core experience always helped.
• There is hunger: People want tools that reinforce their faith. But they need them to be dead simple.

🚀 What's Next

Next up, I'm refining IronMan Groups to support more flexible group formats and better verse tracking. I'm also experimenting with a new tool called DiscipleshipManager that lets pastors or small group leaders track engagement across many people without it becoming surveillance.

Eventually, I'd love to wrap a few of these into a shared platform—call it FaithStack, maybe—to give churches and families lightweight tools that actually meet them where they are.

As always, I'll keep building, testing, breaking, and sharing the lessons along the way.