A Journey

I am a strong believer in the power of a story.  We are a culture of storytellers, whether it be in the classroom, at home, or in the pulpit.  We tell story to capture our imaginations to lead us to a greater understanding of the subject.  Sometimes those stories are funny.  Sometimes serious.  Sometimes tragic.  Sometimes inspirational.  Regardless of the effect, stories matter.  Therefore, as the family pastor here at First Baptist in Elgin, I believe it is important for you to know my story of faith.  It is a story of ups and downs but most certainly reflects the consistent and merciful nature of God.  For that I praise Him and thank Him!

My journey of faith began early on in my life as I attended West Clermont Lutheran Church in Clermont, Iowa.  My mother and her family had this as their home church and though we weren't "every Sunday" attenders, we went enough for me to understand the importance that God played in the lives of those that went there.  I remember being involved in everything from Sunday school to Junior Choir.  Confirmation and youth group were then the necessary steps to take but yet church stuff became more of a religion of things to do.  It didn't feel powerful or necessary and so my journey away from the church began.  That is not to say that there wasn't any value in my upbringing because there certainly was.  My church experience taught me much and gave me a Godly worldview and that stuck with me throughout my life.  For that I am eternally thankful.

As I grew, I lived a life that was not honoring to anyone.  I led a broken life chasing temporary things.  Whether it was relationships with girls, alcohol or just simply going through life living for the world, my life was empty.  I knew it.  Many in my family knew it.  But you know what, sometimes the more that you know, the more one walks further away until a breaking point occurs.

That leverage point came during the Fall of 1999 as I moved to LaCrosse, WI to do my student teaching.  I was introduced to some people my age through family acquaintances.  I immediately noticed a difference about them.  They were joyful, passionate and professed to be followers of Christ.  But in my world, I had never seen or been around individuals like this---I was intrigued.

Over the course of the next several months a gentlemen by the name of Clint West took me under his wing.  He challenged me with questions.  He listened intently about my successes, struggles, dreams and wants.  He directed me to the Word of God and pointed out several things that would shake the foundations of what I thought I knew.  Overtime, things began to make sense.  I understood them in my mind and was eager to share these new ideas with friends from my days at the U of Iowa.  One night in early December it all came to a head.  I was trying to share with my friends and I wasn't prepared for the pushback that came nor was I ready to work through the questions they posed.  In fact, as a result of their challenges I fell back into the same behaviors that I had previously exhibited while with them before I had met Clint and the others in LaCrosse.

It was that very next morning as I woke that the Spirit of the living God grabbed ahold of me.  I began sobbing.  Sobbing because I realized that in my own understanding I was not able to be that which God was calling me to be.  Rather, it had to be from my heart.  That morning in 1999, I realized the magnitude of what God had done for me through His Son and it was no longer head knowledge but for the first time in my life it was heart knowledge.  I accepted this gift of salvation and sought to live and grow in a way that is honoring to God, my redeemer, my Father, my King. 

I hope that no matter where you might be with the Lord, that you understand that He is there.  He is waiting for your heart to fall into His hands so that He can mold you, shape you and lead you to live this life for Him and His eternal kingdom! 

For God so loved...