Champion Life Magazine Fall 2009

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FALL2009

OctOber 2 & 3BOLD Men’s Conference

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(Tacoma Campus)

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December 11-20Scrooge the Musical

performances

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December 24Christmas Eve services (Tacoma & Bellevue)

December 25 Christmas Day

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doubt strife worry

F E AT U R E S

4 God is NOT Everywhere by Kevin Gerald

1 0 Relational Realities by Ed Young

1 6 More than Music by Brandon Stewart & Tim Tolliver

I N E V E R Y I S S U E

3 Let’s Talk

8 Champions Foundation Update

1 2 Champion Finds

2 2 Real Life Champions

2 4 K. Wise

Champion Life Magazine

purposes to equip

people to live successful

Christian lives.

ABOUT US

“Some Christians are so caught

up in culture that they abandon

God's word in order to fit in with

popular thinking.”

- Kevin Gerald

16

4

10

8

Fall 2009 | 1

Life is good. We are moving ahead to great things in the upcoming season, while most people just get back to "real life" when autumn rolls around. But even with school buses back on the road and cloudy days potentially ahead, we can choose to live life to the fullest!

Living the good life doesn’t always include blending into culture so much that we lose ourselves. I think some Christians are so caught up in culture that they abandon God’s Word in order to fit in with popular thinking. Let’s be people of God who embrace culture but never shrink back from bringing out God’s truth in our everyday lives. That is what being relevant in today’s society is all about – being in the world, but not of it.

I want to challenge your thinking a bit when it comes to a simple phrase that most people hear growing up that "God is everywhere." I have begun to realize that while I believe in the omnipresence of God and the theology behind it, I also believe that there are some places where God is not (page 4). Knowing the difference will help us mingle with today’s culture, but always keep God’s plan and purpose in focus.

One of the things I believe is crucial for people today is living a life of

healthy relationships. I’m excited for you to hear from my friend, Pastor Ed

Young Jr., about how great relationships are key if we are going to influence our

communities (page 10). He and his wife, Lisa, will be with us this October over the entire BOLD weekend. Don’t miss out!

When it comes to worshipping God, our team has put together some thoughts that

you’ll find encouraging on why worship is “More than Music” (page 16). Also, you'll get to hear from a great man with an incredible heart of worship and about his Real Life Champion Story (page 22) and about how he ended up where he is today.

Let's not forget the lessons we’ve learned so far this year. Take some time today to do a quick self evaluation. Am I going where I planned to go? How do I stay on track or get back on track with the goals I’ve set for this year? How can I apply some of the lessons I’ve learned this past season to my future?

Choose to do life great!

Let’s taLkLET’s TaLK

Fall 2009 | 3

by Kevin Gerald

NOT

4 | Champion Life Magazine

The mother, seeing a teachable mo-

ment, told her daughter that she was

never alone, that God is everywhere.

“He’s present in the daylight and the

darkness, and He’s on the back porch

right now. You don’t need to be afraid,”

the mother said. “Now walk out there

and get me the broom!”

The girl slowly walked to the door,

easing it open. “God if you’re out there,”

she appealed, “would you please hand

me the broom?”

Maybe, at times, we have been a bit

like that little girl. Maybe we have

heard that God is everywhere, but

sometimes we questioned whether

He truly is where we are.

There is a story of a mother who

asked her 10-year-old daugh-

ter to get a broom on the back

porch one dark night. The girl,

afraid of the dark, started to

cry. “i don’t want to go out on

the porch. somebody will get

me if i go out there.”

Fall 2009 | 5

Although this goes against

everything most of us learned

about God, I want to say that

God is NOT everywhere.

The idea that God is everywhere at the same time is what theolo-gians refer to as the omnipresence of God. I believe in the omnipres-ence of God. The prophet Jeremiah said of the Lord, “Am I only a God nearby ... and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him? ... Do I not fill heaven and earth?”1 And, King David wrote, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”2

However, there’s a difference in where God is and where God is able to see and be. The eyes of God are always on us; His ears can always hear us. But, I believe God is not everywhere.

A teacher once stepped out of her classroom, observing her students through a window while they took

a test. When the students com-pleted their work, she told them she would not be looking at the paper. The real test, she said, was on their character and what they did when she was out of the room. The teacher was not in the room, but she knew and saw everything that happened.

In one sense, God is everywhere, but in a relational sense, God is not everywhere, and that’s the point I want to get across. The revealed, relational presence of God is in some places and not others.

This is why scripture says, “the proud he knows from afar.” (Psalm 138:6).

It is why David repeatedly asked God, “Do not be far from me.” (Ps. 22:11, Ps. 35:22, Ps. 38:21, Ps. 71:12).

In Proverbs, we see that “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”3

Have you ever walked into a place and felt that there is no way that God would be there, that He was not invited there, not worshipped there, not honored there? And, when you walked in, did you sensed that He was saying to you, “Let's not stay here!”?

At times, I see people doing all the wrong things and then asking,

“Where is God?” Here are a few examples of where God is NOT.

GOD Is NOT IN OUR STUPID, HE Is IN OUR WISDOM.

God is NOT in our stupid, He is in our wisdom. Have you noticed that intelligent, professional, educated, and church-going people some-times do stupid things? Stupid behavior, not God, ruins lives. The Bible talks about it plainly when it says: "A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD. Or put this way, people ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get blamed?4

I hear people ask, “If God is good, why don’t I experience God being good?” The answer may be they are not experiencing God, but con-sequences of their own life choices. If people thumb their nose at His instruction for life, they experience stupid.

God may not be in stupid, but He is in wisdom.

GOD Is NOT IN OUR DOUBTS, HE Is IN OUR FAITH.

In First Kings 17 is the story of Elijah, he was told by the Lord to go to Zarephath, where a widow was to supply his food. Upon his arrival, the prophet asked the poor woman for a drink and some food. She replied that she had no bread, only a bit of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug with which to make a meal for her and her son. Elijah commanded her to not be afraid. The story goes on to describe how

“The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”

1. Jeremiah 23:23-24 NIV

2. Psalm 139:7-10 NIV

3. Proverbs 15:29 NIV

4. Proverbs 19:3 NIV and Message

5. I Kings 17 KJV

6. 1 Corinthians 14:33 KJV

7. Psalm 46:1 KJV

8. Acts 16:25-34 KJV


the widow’s needs were met con-tinually during a time of shortage.5

God is in the place where hope and faith rise up and doubts and fears are set aside—where men and women choose to pray for the best, hope for the best, and work for the best.

GOD Is NOT IN OUR STRIFE, HE Is IN OUR UNITY.

One day I prayed with a couple in financial trouble. As I started to pray, I felt like I needed to stop and ask them whether or not they tithed. The wife looked at her hus-band as if to say, “I told you so!” I knew there had been resistance, so I told them they could not pray their way out of something they behaved themselves into.

When we have been taught some-thing and then we don’t do it, we walk in disobedience. Disobedience hinders our prayers. The good news is that this couple received my word, made some changes in their life, and ended up with a fantastic turnaround story.

God is in the place of agreement—where individuals set aside differences, pettiness, and small-mindedness to unite around a higher purpose, to accomplish a worthwhile goal.

GOD Is NOT IN OUR CONFUSION, HE Is IN OUR PEACE.

Confusion comes to all of us at times. It can appear in the options of choices we have to make, the variety of voices we listen to, or in a rushing, unconcentrated approach to life.

God is not the author of confusion but of peace.6

Psalm 27:1-3 says this: “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men

advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident."

The truth is, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble7. Instead of living in confu-sion or drama in our lives, let’s look to the promises in God’s Word.

GOD Is NOT IN OUR WORRY, HE Is IN OUR WORSHIP.

In Acts, we read about how Paul and Silas took a unique approach to a tough situation. They were harassed, beaten, wrongly accused, and thrown into jail. Rather than wallowing in the injustice, we read that they burst into prayer and robust singing.8 The other prisoners could not believe what they were hearing, and their jailer asked what he had to do to be saved, to really live life. The jailer asked the men into his house, the whole family put their trust in God, and they cel-ebrated.

Don't let what's wrong about life keep you from worshiping what's right about God.

I’m convinced the eyes of God are

always on us, His ears can always

hear us. But, I believe God is not

everywhere. Let’s make a decision

to live the majority of our lives in

the places where God is welcomed

and worshipped. Choose to live in

the place of God’s promises!

kevin gerald is the lead

pastor of Champions

Centre in Tacoma and

Bellevue, WA. For great

resources from Kevin,

visit kevingerald.tv.

Dont' let what's wrong about life keep you from worshipping

what's right about God.

Fall 2009 | 7

Warren (12) and Glen (10)

have known a life growing

up in Zimbabwe that most

of us cannot even begin

to imagine. Zimbabwe,

once known as the

"bread basket" of Africa,

has endured decades

of deprivation and

starvation due to corrupt

government policies.

Their mother, named Blessing, was forced to flee to South Africa to find a job to support her family.

Mama Blessing ended up as the house parent in our Champions Forever Home and has provided incredible love and stability since the home opened. However, not having her own children with her was heart breaking. It would take a miracle to bring a solution that would allow the boys to come to South Africa.

In December 2008, that miracle took place as the boys were admit-ted to South Africa and approved to attend school locally. Warren and Glen are now part of our Champions Forever Home family and have become brothers to the other children. When the boys first arrived from Zimbabwe, the only thing they wanted to do was eat all the time. They could not believe that food was going to be avail-able every day. No longer having to

struggle just to stay alive, the boys are flourishing in school and are active in sports.

The Champions Forever Home con-tinues to make a difference in this AIDS ravaged area of the world. Mama Blessing said, shortly after the boys arrived, “God is still doing miracles. I prayed so hard, because my heart was torn between the Forever Home family here and my children in Zimbabwe. Now I have both, and I thank God for the Champions Foundation, and every-one who has given to help this miracle take place.”

FOrEvEr hOME uPDaTE

A FAMILY UNITED

"God is still doing miracles."


"My life has been a series

of tragedies, sufferings,

and injustices that have

kept me limping along

and never really being

able to create or have a

"home"—ever. I am alone

and physically limited. It

used to be a wish that one

day I would have a home.

Now it is today!

Thank you, again, for all you have done and are doing. I appreciate the team so much! You guys are not only helping me, but you are also doing so with kindness rather than judgment or criticism.

It is difficult to allow strangers to rifle through your belongings, but if I were to choose a team to do it, The Justice Project would be my first choice. The team has come along side my situation and me and asked, rather than told; supported, rather than demanded. It brings joy to me to know that there is a group out in the community that is truly an example of the love and com-passion of our Lord Jesus Christ – His Heart extended to the world. I pray that God will send each one of you rich reward, far beyond what I could ever give!

Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU! I really like it here. There is an atmosphere of peace at this location. It's starting to feel like I

belong here or something. I have sun, fresh air, I am not SICK like I was at the old place! God has blessed me so much. I honestly think this is the first place I have ever lived that allows me peace. I can come home after work and actually rest. It used to be that I would escape to work and return to conflict. I am so blessed to be here and grateful to God every day that I get to drink this in.

I owe The Justice Project a HUGE thank you! Please know from these words, and the little tears welling up in my eyes, that I am so grate-ful to you all for saying yes to the Lord to get me moved into this new place. I may not be a family or a crowd, but I am one person that is changed because of your willing-ness to demonstrate God's love to me through the works of your hands."

— anonymous letter from a justice Project recipient

jusTicE PrOjEcT 2009

A HEALTHY PLACEJoin the Justice Project atchampionsFoundation.com

Fall 2009 | 9

Notice a trend here? Those were all accounts from the Gospels related to the interaction Jesus had with his closest companions. Jesus needed friends too.

Peter, John, and James were the posse of Jesus. They were his buddies, his homeboys, his friends. It’s hard for us to imagine that the Son of God had human relationships. It’s even harder for us to imagine that he needed them. But since Jesus

was as a man who was made in the image of God, he too was wired for relationships. He craved friends with whom he could share the highest highs. And also the burdens that weighed him down. The friends of Jesus comforted him.

They made him laugh. And cry. Life was better with them. Jesus loved his friends. And if Jesus, the second person in the Trinity needed friends, we do too.

“he did not let anyone

follow him except Peter,

james, and john …”

“When he arrived at the

house of jairus, he did

not let anyone go in

with him except Peter,

john, and james …”

“jesus said to his

disciples, ‘sit here while

i pray.’ he took Peter,

james, and john along

with him, and he began

to be deeply distressed

and troubled.”

“jesus took Peter, john,

and james with him

and went up onto a

mountain to pray.”

an excerpt from Outrageous, Contagious Joy (Berkley Praise) by Ed young


“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” — Albert Einstein

developing quality friends is intentional, not accidental

We don’t just fall into a friendship. We don’t develop friends in a vacuum. Building quality friendships requires intentionality. The good news is that we have the freedom to choose our friends. We step out and meet new people and we’ll often find people on a similar track. Careless choices will yield big trouble because our friends influence us in a huge way. So as we make decisions about the people we want in our inner circle, we need to discern whether a person is going to help us along our journey or hinder us.

If I could just talk to your best friends, I’d know all about you. And that’s without ever even meeting you. The friends you choose says a lot about the kind of person you are. Choosing friends is like looking in a mirror. I would guess that you looked in the mirror this morning before you started your

God graciously cured one of our deepest emotional problems. He cured the problem of inner-core loneliness when God sent His son Jesus to die on a cross and then rise again for all of us. He rebuilt the God-man relationship that was fractured by Adam and Eve.

However, loneliness is still an ongoing issue for many of us. Even those who follow Jesus still have another hole that can only be filled through human relationships. Even if Christ filled the God-gap in their lives, we are incomplete without a close friend and a community where we belong.

God truly wants the best for us relationally. He has some incredible people in store for us that will help us along the journey toward joy.

day. You wouldn’t want any parsley hanging between your teeth or to miss a button on your shirt. A mirror reflects your face. A mirror is limited though; it is meant to reflect physical reality. You can still choose to leave a mirror and say, “Okay, I look alright.” Your friends, on the other hand, do not let you off the hook quite so easily. Your character, your true nature, is revealed by the friends you choose.

Do you ever wonder, “Who am I? I mean, who am I really?” Do you want to see who you are and where your life is headed? All you have to do is take a look at your friends. When you examine your relationships, you’ll see your character plainly just as if you were looking into a mirror. A mirror is one dimensional, but friends take you to a much deeper level. There’s depth and richness to that kind of self-examination. We can know who we really are by the friends we choose. We have choices when it comes to your friends, and God wants us to choose the best relationally.

Parents, one of the greatest opportunities we have is the ability to help our children select great friends. I believe we have the responsibility of monitoring

Fall 2009 | 11

continued on page 14 ...

booksWith topics ranging from leader-

ship to daily living, Kevin Gerald’s

books offer solid biblical learning

and practical takeaway. These

books are sure to motivate and

inspire you in your day-to-day

life. Books include: Pardon Me,

I’m Prospering, Forces that Form

Your Future, Mind Monsters, By

Design or Default, The Proving

Ground, Developing Confidence,

and Raising Champion Children.

champion findsCHaMPION FINDs

Resource YourselfVisit kevingerald.tv to find a

wealth of resources, including

MP3s of messages and free

wisdom tips from Kevin Gerald.

PodcastingCheck out Kevin Gerald’s FREE

Podcast now available through

iTunes. Search for “Kevin Gerald”

or “Champions Centre” in the

iTunes Store. Video streaming

and MP3 downloads are also

available on kevingerald.tv.

Champion Life MagazineGet a FREE subscription!Champion Life Magazine is

a quarterly publication by

Kevin Gerald Communications

and will equip you to live a

successful Christian life! Look

for the online version of CLM

online at kevingerald.tv.


Fueling Your Future3 cDs; DvD

God wants us to live a full life,

a FUELED life, so why is it that

many of us still feel like we are

running on empty? Learn to

Fire up your spirit, Upgrade

your thinking, Exercise self

control, and how to Lift the

people around you. It’s not just

about starting well, it’s about

staying full, strong, and making

the whole journey!

I Heart Usa1 cD; DvD

Live a life that pleases God while being surrounded by a culture that approaches life

differently than we do as Christians. We are not here by accident. We are here on

purpose, on assignment, here to stand firm in love, and to enjoy and love our nation!

approved1 cD; DvD

Even when heaven doesn’t

approve of what you’ve

done, heaven still approves

of you. Something big

happens when we stop

seeking God’s approval

and start accepting God’s

approval in our lives!

God is NOT Everywhere1 cD; DvD

Where is God? Some people assume

that because God is omnipresent,

that he is everywhere. The truth is

that God is NOT everywhere. He is

not in our stupid, our confusion, or

strife. He is not in our doubts. God is

in wisdom, peace, unity, and faith … If

you look in the right places you can

find him there.

High Immunity Households1 cD; DvD

There is a serious virus that is plaguing our communities, neighborhoods, and

households. By applying wisdom, you will protect your house and make it a

high immunity household growing healthy, strong, and positive.

253.475.6454 ext. 361888.935.6914kevingerald.tv

Fall 2009 | 13

our children’s relationships. We can guide them and help them set relational patterns today that will influence them for a lifetime. We can do this whether our kids are 5, 15, or even 25. Do you know what your kids are doing and who they’re with? Let me challenge you to keep your parental radar on high alert when it comes to your child’s friends. You have tremendous power to shape the future of your kids' lives just by helping them to choose great friends who will build them up and help them in this game called life.

And don’t ignore the fact that your kids will examine the kind of friends you choose. They’ll test you at times to make sure you practice what you preach. So parents, who do you run with? Who are your best friends? How are you guiding your children by example? My

oldest daughter is 18. And I know that LeeBeth’s best friends will mirror my best friends. When it gets down to the rugged plains of reality, this reality can hit you pretty heavy.

But, while you are developing those friendships, beware the strong forces of negative peer pressure. It can bring down even the best of us. You might wonder, what does a pastor know about peer pressure? What do you know about real relationships? That brings us to the second statement about friendships.

the friend you are is the friend you’ll attract

Who are you? What kind of person are you? It’s important to know because you’re going to attract that same kind of person as a friend. You want to attract high-quality people? Be a high-quality person. Real friends support, help, and encourage you when times are tough. They’ve got your back. What kind of friend are you? Do you have your friend’s back? Are you there when they need you most? The kind of friend you are is the kind of friend you’ll attract.

"Don’t ignore the fact that your kids will examine the kind of friends you choose. They’ll test you at times to make sure you practice what you preach."


ED yOuNg is a straightforward communicator who uniquely connects God’s unchanging truth with a diverse culture through compelling and creative teaching methods. He is the founding and Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church.

He and his wife Lisa have been married for twenty-five years and have four children. More information about Ed and his various ministries can be found online at EdYoung.com.

"the kind of friend you are is the kind of friend you'll attract."

Fall 2009 | 15

more t

han

music

BrandonStewart& TimTolliver

Worship is the activity of

the human soul. Everyone

worships something.

Every person you have

met on the planet

(Christian or not) is a

worshipper … whether

they realize it or not.


Tim Tolliver is the owner of T3

Performance Fitness and is a strength

and conditioning skills specialist

in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Tim is

an active member and volunteer at

Champions Centre.

Worship is a statement of

value. It is a response to

what we value most.

As Louie Giglio says in his book “WIRED for a Life of Worship”:

“Some of the purest forms of worship are found outside the walls of the Church and have no reference at all to the God of all creation. All you have to do is drop in on a concert at the local arena or go to a sporting event at a nearby stadium to see amazing worship. People going for it, lifting their hands, shouting like crazy, staking their claim, standing in awe, declar-ing their allegiance.”

What is interesting is that these forms of worship are the same as those written about in scrip-ture … the worship that God Himself desires. Worship is the activity of the human soul—and we were designed first and foremost to come together to worship the Living God.

What many people forget is that worship is both an indi-vidual and team sport. In other words, worship is something that God’s people do corpo-rately together in Church, as well as individually throughout each day. Individual worship is not more important than corpo-rate worship, and worshipping together isn’t more significant than worshipping alone. In fact, both are incomplete without each other.

BRANDON: We cannot live in

the full power of God’s pres-

ence without times of intimacy

with the Father, one on one.

And we can’t experience the

strength of Christ’s body to-

gether in any greater way than

corporate worship.

Ephesians 1:22-23 in the Mes-

sage is one of my favorite pas-

sages of scripture. It reads: “At

the center of all this, Christ rules

the church. The church, you see,

is not peripheral to the world;

the world is peripheral to the

church. The church is Christ's

body, in which he speaks and

acts, by which he fills everything

with his presence.”

We come together for corpo-

rate worship because it is the

highest form of worship. It is

the Body of Christ together as

one, in strength and unity. It is

the greatest picture of heaven

we can give to this earth. When

we’ve been together, it sends us

into our various spheres of influ-

ence, armed and ready to make

impact for the Cause of Christ.

TIM: The Bible says, “O’ magni-

fy the Lord with me, and let us

exalt his name together” (Psalm

34:3). The time we share in wor-

ship when we come together

during our weekend services

is far more than an opening

act or the soundtrack to Pastor

Kevin’s message.

When I think of public worship,

I envision an army preparing

for battle. I see warriors prepar-

ing their armor and sharpen-

ing their swords. I see focused

wORshIp: to honor

with extravagant love and

extreme submission.

webster’s 1828 Dictionary

wORshIp is a response to what

we vAlue most

Brandon stewart is passionate

about building the local church.

He is the Director of Champion

Life Groups and serves on the

worship team and teaching

team at Champions Centre.

publicworship

Fall 2009 | 17

BRANDON: Many people consider the Church as a place they

attend or a part of their week. In reality, the Church is intended

to be HOME BASE from which we are sent into our world! We

take the fuel we get from weekend services and apply it to our

daily lives. Additionally, we can refuel on a daily basis through

personal times of worship and connection to God.

As we take a look at the life of David in the Bible, we see he was

not only a leader that brought the people of God together to

worship but he also had an incredible heart of worship. In fact,

David established a new form of worship that would usher in

greater intimacy with God. There are countless times in the book

of Psalm alone that David is worshipping God through song or

prayer on a personal and intimate level. What a great example for

us to look to today.

When we stop and think about all that Christ has

done in each of our lives, I believe the only logical

response is extravagant worship!

TIM: Times of personal worship build deep intimacy and a heart-

to-heart connection with God. It’s been my experience that my

private times of worship and connection with God provide the

fuel for my times of public worship. It’s in these times that I’ve

found my relationship with God has been built up and deepened.

I think of these times as our chance to be “unplugged” with God.

No time limits, always our favorite worship songs, we have a

front row seat, and we have a private audience with our Creator. I

really believe that these private sessions with God create a space

where we can be in His presence without distraction and build

our worship muscles.

It’s in times like these that I’ve been able to reconnect to God’s

strength and His peace, receive direction, and find rest in His

presence. They also allow me to be with God in a way that is real,

raw, and true.

minds and full hearts getting ready

to give everything. I see people

caught in the grip of a common

cause and drawn into a shared vi-

sion. Our public worship is much

the same way, and it’s in this power-

ful atmosphere of worship that we

build one another up in our faith,

encourage each other, and draw

fresh strength for the battles in our

life. It’s more than just for individu-

al’s sake; it’s about moving forward

together with one heart.

I think sometimes we discount the

value of this time together and

either come late or completely avoid

the musical worship of our services

altogether. I wish I could begin to

explain how much I believe we give

up in our walk with God and in our

relationship with others when we

choose not to show up, connect

with other believers, and participate

in this kind of worship.

Public worship in the corporate

setting serves as a reminder that

we, together, are the children of

God. We are what the Bible calls

the “community” or the “household

of faith.” In other words, our public

worship reminds us that we are the

church.

We are the people of

God and we are deeply

connected to one

another in our house

and as believers around

the world.

privateworship


Fall 2009 | 21

I grew up in a Christian home,

and my family attended an ex-

tremely conservative Evangelical

Baptist Church. I am so thankful

for my Christian upbringing and

being brought up in that envi-

ronment, as it gave me a very

solid foundation in my funda-

mental belief in Jesus Christ as

my Lord and Savior.

When I was about nine years old, I formally gave my life to the Lord. I continued to mature and grow in my relationship with Him over the years, I stayed very actively in-volved in my youth group. It was a wonderful time in my life.

I went away to attend college at WSU after high school. The particu-lar group of Christians that I sought to get connected with upon arrival were not exactly “my cup of tea” personality wise. I began to spend time with people who were merely pleasant to be around and fun to hang out with. Unfortunately, my

new friends did not love and honor God. Slowly, I began changing to adopt the value system and ideals that they possessed. This was the beginning of an eight-year period in my life when I did not serve God; my heart had grown hard, and I had become indifferent toward the Lord. Over time, I took on the val-ues of the world, and soon I was no different than the rest of the pack.

I began to date a woman named Liz. After a couple of years, Liz began to bring up the topic of marriage. The idea of marriage made me sick; I was frightened of the commitment. I told her before I could ever consider marriage I would have to start going to church again, that I needed to get my life right with God. Well, even though my words to Liz were true, I had an ulterior motive. I lacked the cour-age to break off my relationship to avoid marriage, so I told Liz I want-ed to go to church and serve the Lord, in hopes she would disagree.

My plan backfired. Liz responded favorably towards attending church. The following Sunday we went to the local Peoples Church. At the end of the service, Liz went forward when they gave the invitation to in-vite Jesus into your life. She became a born again Christian that day.

This, of course, screwed up ev-

erything. Now, I had a girlfriend

who was a Christian. Before I

knew it, Liz had fallen head over

heels in love with Jesus. She

chased after the Lord with all her

might. All I ever did was eat and

breathe the cloud of dust that

trailed behind Liz as she chased

after our Living God.

About a year later, Liz and I got married. Married life was good for a few minutes, but then reality be-gan to set in. Liz had insecurities she was dealing with, and I was an inconsiderate clod who didn’t know how to live under the same

Scot Nicholson & His Family

"My heart had grown hard, and I had become indifferent toward the Lord."

Real life championsREaL LIFE CHaMPIONs


roof with a wife. Arguments, frus-tration, and yelling quickly became commonplace. However, I was still going to church every week simply because I had married someone who was completely in love with God. Whether I liked it or not, good things had been getting inside of me. God’s principles and attitudes were infiltrating my mind and spirit.

As a result of all the good stuff in me, eventually, when the yelling and arguing would occur, I imme-diately would go to God in prayer and ask for help. I began to insist on holding my wife’s hand to pray with her about what had just hap-pened. We would ask God to bless us, help us to choose to love each other, and to have a wonderful mar-riage on purpose. We grew stron-ger together in our marriage.

About 14 months into our marriage, Liz and I were on our way home from playing golf, when a truck did not see a stop sign at an intersection that we were passing through. His vehicle struck our family car on the passenger side, where Liz was sitting. Emergency surgeons desperately tried to save her life once we arrived at the hospital, but the internal injuries proved too severe. Four hours after the accident, Liz died.

I could write for a long time here and still not correctly describe the feelings which I experienced during that time in my life. It felt like half of me was gone; I was numb and in shock. That terrible accident hap-pened on a Thursday. By Saturday, I knew that I wanted to be with my church family the next day. So, I kept going to church.

My story continues from here,

and it gets better and better. I

stayed in church over the years,

met and married a gorgeous

girl who loved and lived for God.

Jeri and I will celebrate our 25th

wedding anniversary next year.

We have three beautiful children

(Chelsea - 20, Haley - 18, Chase

16); the five of us serve and honor

God and remain deeply rooted in

His house!

Pastors Kevin and Sheila Gerald are always encouraging our church family to get planted in the House of the Lord; that way, when the storms of life come at you, you will not be uprooted or blown away. Well it turns out, they are right. I ex-perienced a storm. And I can stand here today and say with boldness and thanksgiving: “I was not blown away! I’m still here!”

"I experienced a storm. I was not blown away! I am still here!"

Fall 2009 | 23

Back in August 2003, a dream vacation to Europe and Bermuda

to celebrate 25 years of marriage ended in tragedy when Sheila

and I were in a motorbike accident on a major thoroughway in

Bermuda. Sheila walked away with only a few minor scrapes, but I

was glued to the pavement with a fractured pelvis.

In life things just happen. Not every bad thing in life that happens

is caused by the devil. The devil didn’t cause my accident in

Bermuda. The combination of inexperienced riders, narrow

roads, left-side-of-the-road driving, fast-moving traffic, and bad

judgment equaled a disaster waiting to happen. Sometimes the

recipes of life include some not-so-good things. However, in those

times, if you train your eyes to look for God, you will see that He is

still at work.

here is how we found god working on our behalf:

We didn’t go over the edge of the road or under the guardrail.•

There was a group of police officers in training jogging •

right at that instant and place of the accident. They had the

accident scene under control within a minutes and a couple of

them joined us in prayer.

The guy behind us had a cell phone for an officer to use.•

The only hospital in the area was only a couple miles away •

(people bleed to death from pelvis fractures).

At the hospital in Bermuda, I had a private room with a view •

of the ocean.

One of the nurses who transported me back to Seattle had a •

daughter who attended our church and was praying for her

mother to come to know God.

Without surgery my pelvis healed with no long-term damage.•

Sometimes seasons of our lives don’t look good. There were

some scary moments throughout that season for our family, but

we kept looking for God at work; and in the end, we saw that

He really did work all things together for the good. I’ve learned

sometimes as experiences touch the taste buds of our lives it

doesn’t taste good. It’s not until it gets mixed into the recipe of

God’s plan for our lives that we can realize … it’s all good.

k.WISE

“And we know that in all

things God works for the

good of those who love

Him, who have been called

according to His purpose.”

(Romans 8:28)


What this world needs is for us to stop hiding behind our relevance. Blending in so well that people

can’t see the difference - and it’s the difference that sets the world free.

Casting Crowns

Champion Life Magazine Fall 2009

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Transcript of Champion Life Magazine Fall 2009