Personal Testimony and Calling into Ministry
My walk with Christ began at an early age. My mother was a very committed Christian and made sure that I was actively involved in our church, Bethel United Methodist. I was only 8 or 9 years of age when I asked Jesus to come into my heart (Revelation 3:20). The gospel was clearly articulated to me through my Sunday school teachers, particularly Mrs. Edmondson, and my pastor, Mr. Kenneth Sexton. One particular Sunday, Mr. Sexton gave an altar call at the end of the morning worship service. I went forward and surrendered my life to God. From that time forward my mind and thoughts were constantly on the Lord. I began to read my J.B. Phillips New Testament every night and before getting in bed, I would kneel and pray. Jesus became not only my Savior, but also, my best friend.
During my teenage years, I discovered that my father was an alcoholic. It was during these years that my heavenly Father gave me the strength to place all my cares and burdens on Him. The Holy Spirit became my Shield protecting me from the damage that often is inflicted on children of alcoholics. I can honestly say that I came through those years relatively unscathed because of my relationship with God.
During my college years, I drifted away from the Lord. I no longer had a quiet time and I stopped going to church. Although my fellowship with the Father was broken, I was still his son and He watched over me. After graduating from college, I married a beautiful, young Christian woman named Creecy. God brought us together and gave me a partner and soul mate to walk with me through life. The Lord was at the center of our marriage and we established a goal to follow His Word and be obedient to it. A few years after I was married, I began to attend a Bible study and my fellowship with God was truly restored. Joel 2:25 states, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…” I’m thankful that I serve a God who is merciful and gracious.
I believe God placed a special call on my life the moment I was saved. However, I had a lot of maturing to do. Upon graduating from college, I did not consult God regarding my future career because my fellowship with Him was still broken. I simply chose to be a stockbroker because it seemed exciting and interesting. I worked in the brokerage industry for about 20 years and experienced much worldly success in this. However, during the 1990’s God began to work on my heart. He began to show me the importance of building up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. My career in the financial industry had been very rewarding and for the most part I was thoroughly enjoying the “good life!” However, it was through Bible Study Fellowship that I really began to study God’s Word. As I studied His Word, my faith grew. I came to understand that walking with God involves sacrifice. Jesus said in Matthew 11:38, “Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” In other words, following Christ involves dying to self and being fully yielded to His control.
Additionally, I read a book that greatly inspired me, Through Gates of Splendor, by Elizabeth Elliott. In this book, Mrs. Elliott chronicles the calling of her late husband, Jim Elliott, to the mission field of South America to take the Gospel to the Auca Indians. There, Jim, along with 4 other missionaries literally gave their lives to that cause. They were all speared to death by the Auca’s in January of 1956. Fortunately, Elizabeth and the other wives were able to lead the Auca’s to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ during the following two years. She shares in this book two quotes found in Jim’s journal that stuck with me and influenced me to consider a career change. The first journal entry states, “He is no fool who gives what he can not keep to gain what he can not lose!” In other words, we can’t keep anything that many of us are so desperately trying to accumulate, namely, fortune and fame. However, if a person surrenders one’s life to the Lord, He gives you something you can never lose, which is joy, peace and contentment in this life and eternal life in the life to come. The second quote that influenced me from Jim’s journal states, “Wherever you are, be all there!” In other words, be doing something that you are passionate about. My passion for the financial industry was waning, and in its place God had given me a passion to pursue Him.
Mid-way through the 1990’s I told my partner, Paul Reynolds, that one day I was going to turn my portion of the business over to him and go into full-time ministry. I was simply waiting for God to open the door. As changes in our industry affected our business, I became more restless at work. Finally, during the summer of 1999, I felt God leading me to enroll in seminary to further prepare for full-time ministry. Since there was a wonderful seminary just north of Raleigh I decided to go and check it out. The moment I stepped on the campus I felt God calling me there. So, that summer I enrolled in Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and said good-bye to the financial industry. This four year commitment proved to be one of the highlights of my life. Studying God’s Word with fellow believers under the teaching of godly men was an oasis in this troubled world. It passed by in the twinkling of an eye. As my time at Southeastern drew to a close I began to really wonder and pray about God’s plan for my future. Little did I realize at the time that He already had something in mind. Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you, ‘declares the Lord,’ plans to …give you hope and a future.”
During the summer of 2002, with only one year left at Southeastern, early in the morning I was praying and specifically petitioning God to show me what he had in mind. I was reading through the book of Revelation for my quiet time. On July 2 my reading for the day was Revelation chapter 3. When I got to verse 8, it seemed to leap off the page. It states, “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut! I know that you have little strength yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” In essence, the Lord communicated to me from His Word, that He had prepared an open door that He would lead me to. What a comfort to know that He was guiding me. God has not only led me to the open door, but He has faithfully led me through it and has been at me side the entire journey.
During the summer of 2003, after having graduated from seminary, I was seriously considering joining another ministry. However, I was unsure of God’s leading. My wife, Creecy, and I had been discussing the idea of beginning a new ministry geared toward men. I had all of these ideas about such a ministry floating around in my mind. September 3, 2003 proved to be a sleepless night as I pondered what to do. The next morning I awoke and immediately went into my study and got before the Lord and specifically asked Him to speak to me from His Word. I opened up to II Samuel 7 which is where I had left off the prior day. Verse three leapt off the page. It states, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it for the Lord is with you.” Finding Purpose, although we did not have the name yet, was born at that moment. Looking back, I can now say, “Finding Purpose was God-breathed by His Word.”
Finding Purpose is all about helping men find their purpose in life. Augustine said it well, “O God, You made us for Yourself, and man’s heart is restless until it rests in Thee!” The apostle Paul says in Acts 17:28, “For in him, we live and move and have our being!” It is only in Christ, that is, in a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, that we can live (have peace, joy and contentment in this life, and eternal life) and move (have direction for our life) and have our being (know the purpose for our existence).