How Do You Know He’s Real: God Unplugged by Amy Hammond Hagberg
© Copyright 2006 – Amy Hammond Hagberg All rights reserved. This book is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Permission will be granted upon request. Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Please note that Destiny Image’s publishing style capitalizes certain pronouns in Scripture that refer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and may differ from some publishers’ styles. Take note that the name satan and related names are not capitalized. We choose not to acknowledge him, even to the point of violating grammatical rules. Destiny Image Publishers, Inc. ® P.O. Box 310 Shippensburg, PA 17257-0310 “Speaking to the Purposes of God for this Generation and for the Generations to Come.” For Worldwide Distribution, Printed in the U.S.A. ISBN 10: 0-7684-2388-0 ISBN 13: 978-0-7684-2388-4 This book and all other Destiny Image, Revival Press, MercyPlace, Fresh Bread, Destiny Image Fiction, and Treasure House books are available at Christian bookstores and distributors worldwide. For a U.S. bookstore nearest you, call 1-800-722-6774. For more information on foreign distributors, call 717-532-3040. Or reach us on the Internet: www.destinyimage.com 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 / 09 08 07 06
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Introduction How Do I Know He’s Real? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Jeremy Affeldt: Major League Baseball Pitcher – Colorado Rockies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Aaron Baddeley: Professional Golfer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Alyssa, Lauren & Rebecca Barlow: Rock Group BarlowGirl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Matt Beacham: Professional Surfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Alana Beard: WNBA Player – Washington Mystics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Melissa and Tricia Brock: Musicians Punk/Pop Group Superchic[k]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Tim Byrne: Professional Skateboarder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 David Carr: NFL Quarterback – Houston Texans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Chrissy Conway: Pop Group ZOEgirl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 John Cooper: Rock Group Skillet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Bruce Crisman: Professional BMX Athlete. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Clay Crosse: Recording Artist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Josh Davis: Five-time Olympic Medalist – Swimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Dave Downing: Professional Snowboarder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Shannon Dunn-Downing: Olympic Medalist – Snowboarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Kate Earl: Recording Artist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila: NFL Player – Green Bay Packers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Mick Hannah: Professional Downhill Mountain Bike Racer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Lauren Harf-Loveless: Professional Wakeboarder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Katie Harman: Miss America 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Jud Heald: Professional Skateboarder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 CJ Hobgood: World Champion Surfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Christian Hosoi: Professional Skateboarder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Dwight Howard: NBA Player – Orlando Magic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 George Huff: “American Idol” Finalist and Recording Artist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Bethel Johnson: NFL Player – New Orleans Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 Jontez: Pop/R&B Musician and Actor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 Kalel: Rock Band Pillar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 Heather King: Pop/Rock Band Daniel’s Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 Jonny Lang: Recording Artist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287 Vince Lichlyter: Rock Band Jonah33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297 Jimmie McGuire: Professional Motocross Rider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307 Trevor McNevan: Rock Bands Thousand Foot Krutch and FM Static . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Mark Mohr: Reggae Group Christafari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323 Leah O’Brien-Amico: Olympic Gold Medalist – Softball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333 Kristi Overton Johnson: World Champion Water-skier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341 Cat Reddick: Olympic Gold Medalist – Soccer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349 Joseph Rojas: Rock Band Seventh Day Slumber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 Brandon Slay: Olympic Gold Medalist – Wrestling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365 Kimiko Soldati: Olympic Athlete – Diving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 Hannah Steffens: Professional Freeride Mountain Biker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 Jon Micah Sumrall: Rock Group Kutless. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395 T-Bone: Actor/Rap Artist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405 Zoro: Award-Winning Drummer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417 Epilogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431 Quick Topic Finder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
Acknowledgements
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RITING this book has been a colossal leap of faith. From the onset, I gave this project completely to the Lord, and He came through with flying colors. This book is dedicated to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, with whom all things are possible. Thank you for reminding me that to whom much is given, much is expected. This book is my gift to you. It is with profound gratitude that I thank my husband Craig, my soul mate, for his constant encouragement and patience. This project impacted our family life for years…yet you always picked up the slack and were the unselfish one. You never let me throw in the towel no matter how much I wanted to. Thank you for continuing to love me even when I’m at my most unlovable. To our children, Kaia and Connor, I simply say thank you. Thank you for being such awesome kids and hanging in there while I was chained to my desk day after day. The unwavering faith of a beautiful young woman was the inspiration for this book series—so to my daughter Kaia, thank you for your witness, and for reminding me daily that Jesus Christ is real. 7
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I offer a special thank you to my brothers and sisters in Christ who shared their stories with me, resulting in the book you are about to experience. Together we laughed, we cried and we marveled at our wondrous Creator. May your lives continue to be richly blessed. And to those on the sidelines—managers, publicists, friends, family—who made this project come to life, I thank you. It’s no accident you’re holding this book in your hands; I pray that you experience the immense love of God as you turn the pages.
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NE day in the summer of 2003, our 15-year-old daughter, Kaia, was talking with a boy who lives across the lake from us. Kaia was bound and determined to bring Justin with her to youth group. But he wasn’t interested; instead, he looked at her square in the face and asked, “How do you even know He’s real?” That is the universal question isn’t it? How do we know Christ is real? I just couldn’t let go of that question, it haunted me for months. So many of my friends and family members aren’t believers either, and I worry about what eternity might look like for them. So I took Justin’s challenge and embarked on a journey to prove that Christ is real. I started e-mailing, sending letters, and calling actors, professional and Olympic athletes, and musicians—people my research told me were fired-up Christians. Pretty gutsy move really. Although I’d earned a minor in English in college, I’d spent the last 20 years as a sales executive. Writing was my passion, but not my career. What made me think that any of these people would give me the time of day? 9
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But they did, and in vast numbers. It amazes me to think how many of them shared their personal stories—oftentimes private things they had never shared before. Why? Because I believe God led them to. From the very beginning of this project, I put it all in God’s hands—He would put the right people in the book, and He would put it in the hands of those people who needed to read it. And He has been so faithful. Whether I was speaking with an extreme athlete or a pop star, they all treated me like a sister in Christ. Together we marveled at the awesome God we serve and His glorious creation. Picture yourself walking in a forest of pine trees in the north woods. Do you see the cardinals and the blue jays, the eagles and the hawks? Do you see the little chipmunks, rabbits, and squirrels scampering around on the ground? How about the majestic blue sky filled with billowy clouds and rays of sunshine? Can you feel the wind on your face? Imagine the crunch of pine needles beneath your feet and breathe in their clean, musky fragrance. The smell is so pungent that you feel like you can almost touch it. Now picture yourself standing on a remote stretch of beach with the fine, white sand between your toes and the sea spray in your face. Perhaps you can see a dolphin jumping in the distance…. Look around and tell me what man-made things you see in these scenarios. None. Because all of this, everything in the world, came from God. To think some big bang happened one day, and it all magically appeared, is preposterous. The world is far too complex and wondrous for that to be the case. God created the natural world, and everything in it, for us to enjoy. Consider these amazing facts: • The cheetah can run up to 60 mph and go from 0–45 in just 2 seconds. • Every snowflake is different—every, single one. • There are over 20,000 species of fish in the world. • Hummingbirds beat their wings up to 90 times per second. 10
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• The human nose can distinguish between 4,000 and 10,000 different smells. I know God is real because I have experienced the miracle of giving birth. Isn’t it amazing to think that a tiny seed can grow inside a woman’s womb and become a fully formed and intelligent human being? God didn’t have to make it so cool, but He did. And to top it all off, He gave us the one thing that separates us from all other life— the ability to love. And most importantly, I know God is real because of the lives He has transformed—mine, my husband’s, and countless others. The evidence is all around; I have seen His fingerprint time after time on the lives of believers. On the following pages, you will read inspiring stories of how people from the worlds of sports and entertainment know God is real too. You’ll read accounts of miracles, answered prayers, and redeemed lives; and I pray they are an inspiration to you. If you would like to more deeply explore the issues covered in a particular chapter, there is a section at the end of each of them called God’s Road Map that makes reference to relevant Scripture passages. You might find them to be great daily devotions. These verses are just the tip of the iceberg; there is so much wisdom in the Bible. You’ll also see a topical index at the beginning of the book that may help if you are struggling with a particular issue. If you have questions, ask them—consult a trusted Christian friend, a clergy member, or visit my website at www.hesreal.com. Most importantly, be open to what God is revealing as you go through the pages of this book. Give Jesus Christ a chance—your life will never be the same.
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arkson and Assoc
.)
Jeremy Affeldt
(Photo: Trevor
Cl Brown Jr/Rich
Major League Baseball Pitcher – Colorado Rockies
A
T the tender age of 18, Jeremy Affeldt (27) was drafted by the Kansas City Royals and began working his way through the Royals minor league system. His major league debut took place on April 6, 2002, and since then he’s performed well as a starter and a closer. Affeldt was traded to the Colorado Rockies in August 2006. Born into a military family, Jeremy spent his childhood bouncing from one base to another, visiting exotic destinations in the Orient in his free time. While seeing the world can be exciting, moving so frequently can also have its drawbacks. It’s hard to develop strong friendships when you know it’s temporary, so Jeremy kept other kids at arms length. But gregarious by nature, he made new friends quickly and easily—due in part to his involvement in athletics. Jeremy was one of those guys in high school who was good at every sport he tried. At Northwest Christian School he was on championship caliber teams in soccer, basketball, and baseball. Then a big character flaw started rearing its ugly head—pride. A rebellious and 13
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arrogant teenager, it took a determined counselor and a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ to get him back on track. Jeremy and his wife Larisa, created a youth ministry called the Jeremy Affeldt Foundation. Check it out at www.jaffeldt.com.
HDI KHR? I was a jock in high school.When you’re 15 or 16 years old and having some success, confidence can quickly turn to cockiness. The teachers didn’t like me, and neither did many of the students. In other words, I was a jerk. But I was also a star athlete; what were they going to do about it? I grew up in a military family. My dad was a B52 bombardier—he dropped bombs and guided planes in the Air Force. During my childhood we got shipped all over: Arizona, Minnesota, California, Washington, even Guam. Guam is an island in the South Pacific that’s only about 30 miles long and 10 miles wide. It’s actually right on the equator, so every day, year round, it is 90-95 degrees. Perfect weather for playing baseball! I really got into pitching; my uniform was so stained from the red clay dirt that my white pants were red by the end of baseball season. For four years, my life was baseball, palm trees, and the ocean. A great thing about the military was that I got to travel. Because my dad was an officer, we had flying privileges. By the time I was in 5th grade I’d been all over the Orient—Thailand, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. It turned out to be perfect training for the nomadic lifestyle of a professional baseball player. The lifestyle suits me—I don’t mind getting bumped around and living out of a suitcase, because it’s what I’ve always done. After Guam, my dad was transferred to the training school at Castle Air Force Base to be an instructor. So when I was in 5th grade, we moved to Merced, California. It was there that I really 14
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started getting into sports—soccer, basketball, and baseball. I loved being a goalie on my soccer team because there were no rules. I loved playing basketball too, but really had to work at it. Baseball, on the other hand, was a natural thing for me and came pretty easily. Technically, I didn’t know how to pitch, but I knew how to throw hard and make it over the plate. I was fortunate to go to church with a retired major league baseball pitcher, and when I was in 8th grade he taught me a few things about pitching. My dad decided to retire from the military when I was 14. He and my mom thought it was time we quit moving around so I could spend my high school years in one place. We moved back to Spokane, Washington, where Dad had been stationed once before. Before my dad could get full retirement from the Air Force, he had to do one more tour of duty. Unfortunately, he had to spend an entire year stationed in Panama, trying to catch drug traffickers. He couldn’t come home at all, so my mom had to try and raise two teenagers by herself. It wasn’t easy—especially where I was concerned. It was a weird age for me, and a time when I wasn’t very respectful to women. I really needed my father. Even though I had moved many times before, this one was hard on me. As a ninth grader, I was trying to find myself and figure out who I was. An incident happened the summer before high school started that made my identity crisis even worse. My grandma and grandpa came up for the summer to help mom out. And I spent a lot of time hanging out with Grandpa—he was the father figure in my life that summer. One night, about dusk, we were out fishing together. After I threw my line in the water, I ran up to his car real quick to get my tackle box. When I was up at the car, a fish snagged my line and jerked my pole into the water. I couldn’t believe it! As I sprinted through the haze back down the hill, I tripped on a stump and was airborne. My head hit the dock when I landed. Worse yet, there was a nail sticking out of the wood and it caught my upper 15
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lip and ripped it almost completely off. Grandpa rushed me to the emergency room. My mom was worried I would have a hair lip, but the surgeon sewed my lip back together perfectly. My wife keeps telling me that scars are sexy, but at the time it was embarrassing. The timing was terrible—there I was, going into a brand new high school, and I had this ugly scar on my lip. I did anything I could to cover it up, but people kept asking me what happened. I was so worried about my appearance—like most kids I just wanted to blend in. Overall, my ninth grade year was pretty tough. I was in a new school, my dad was gone and then something really bad happened. While he was living with us, my grandpa had a heart attack and died in his sleep. He was the first person I’d even been close to that passed away. It was a terrible time for me, but it was also a terrible time for my mom. She had struggles of her own, and to top it all off I became very rebellious. I was at a Christian school and people tried to help me out, but I became a real problem. People have misconceptions about Christian schools. The only difference between a Christian school and a public one is that you have Bible class and chapel. The kids still rebel, they’re still sexually active and they still party. Christian schools aren’t immune to any of that. Despite the fact I’d been playing sports for years, I had a tough time breaking in. I felt like an outcast, especially on the basketball team. I was new in school and most of the team had been playing together for years. The coaches didn’t know me, so I didn’t get much playing time. Baseball was a little bit easier, though. I went out for the baseball team and was put on the junior varsity squad, which is normal for a ninth grader. I pitched at one particular game early in the season against a school much larger than ours. All of a sudden it all clicked, and I was throwing the baseball right past guys, blowing them away. My coaches looked at each other like, “Who is this kid?” 16
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They obviously saw something in me. I played a couple of JV games and then they tried me on the varsity team. All they wanted me to do was pitch; the older guys had all the other positions. The pitchers were all juniors and seniors, so believe me, they were less than thrilled when a lowly freshman started pitching on their team. In my first varsity game, I threw hard and struck almost everybody out. The umpires called the game after only five innings because of the “ten run rule.” Instantly, I was accepted by all the guys on my team—it didn’t matter if they were seniors or freshmen. My popularity in the whole school soared—when you’re a pitcher during baseball season, you become “the man” really quickly. That baseball season was great. My sophomore year, I played soccer and ended up blocking the shot that sent us to the state tournament. So everything with my sports seemed to be going great—except for basketball. Northwest Christian was a huge basketball school. They had been State Champions several times, so if you played basketball you were awesome. I decided to give it one more shot or I would quit the game. I practiced every day just trying to get better. There was a new coach, a player who had at one time been drafted by the Chicago Bulls. At tryouts, he came up to me and said, “Do you want to play basketball or what? Because if you do, you need to take it seriously right now. I know what happened to you last year, and I know that politics kept you from playing, but we’ve gotten rid of that. The best players are going to play, period.” I made the varsity team. It was amazing, I’d played a total of 1 minute and 35 seconds on JV the year before, and then I made the varsity team my sophomore year as a swinger. Basically, I played three quarters on the JV team and then suited up for varsity. I didn’t play a lot of varsity that year, but just to be able to dress out was a huge thing for me. It boosted my confidence—perhaps a little too much. I became a pretty rebellious kid. I wasn’t into drugs or alcohol, I don’t have that story. But my dad and I were always butting heads. I was very disrespectful to my parents, and didn’t get along with them 17
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or my sister. Dad actually kicked me out of the house three times. My teachers didn’t like me—I talked back, was very disruptive and pretty much broke every rule. And I don’t think one girl in my class liked me either. But that was OK by me. For some reason, I was angry at the world. I had a terrible temper and literally punched out walls at school. I was still playing basketball, but had trouble getting along with my teammates. Four guys—guys I considered my enemies—had left the school to play for bigger schools to increase their chances of getting scholarships. That left me and their other friend left to lead the team. The year before, I’d actually gone after him with a baseball bat, so I didn’t know how we were going to play together. But in the end, we became really good friends—friends who got into trouble together. One night, when we were out toilet-papering and egging, we bumped into our former teammates. They were drunk, and we got into a huge shoving match over nothing. When we heard sirens, we all piled into our cars and scattered. A cop pulled me and my friend over later that night because he’d heard a car of our description had been in the area of the fight. We got out of the car and talked to him. He wanted to check our breath, but when he found out we hadn’t been drinking, he let us go. We thought we were off the hook, but our parents found out about the incident and so did the school. Our coach wasn’t too happy. He already knew I was a problem child, now this. At the next practice he said, “You’re our ‘go to’ guy this year for point scoring, but I’m going to say this: you get two technical fouls this year and I’m kicking you off the team.” I was known for popping off to referees, and he was going to put the reins on me right away. Before the official season started, we played a Christmas tournament at another school. During the championship game with the host school, I went up for a layin and one of their guys took me out from under the hoop. I landed hard on my back. The ref said nothing; he just looked at me. I said, “Are you kidding me?” My coach was getting on the hometown ref too, because he saw what was taking place. I got upset and said, “You’re a joke” and some other things I shouldn’t have said. 18
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A little while later, a kid on their team pulled up for a three point shot and I was called for a foul on the shooter. I couldn’t believe it— I was nowhere near the guy! I was the center on our team so I was in the paint, right down underneath the basket. This guy was doing a three-point shot from the outside; I must have been 35 feet away from him! I already had four fouls, so I was out of the game. I went up to the ref and cussed at him, and even though I had already fouled out of the game, he gave me a technical foul. When I went and sat down on the bench, my coach came up to me and said, “That’s one.” He’d seen what happened, I couldn’t believe he was punishing me for that—this was a preseason game! After the game he said, “You’re not playing in tomorrow’s game. I don’t even want you on the court with us. You are to come to the game and sit in the stands. One more technical foul and you’re off the team.” I was so angry. My dad saw what happened and heard what coach said, and when I looked up at him he said, “You know the rules, that was your fault.” My dad never stood up for me, and that made me even madder. I sat down with the school counselor the next day. I wanted to play basketball, and obviously I needed to change. He gave me some books to read about who God is, and through our discussions and Bible reading I felt my spirit come alive. For the first time, I understood that God wanted to love me and desired a friendship that no other person could give me. He wanted me to be great, and succeed in life just like an earthly father wants to see his son succeed. And no matter how much He chased me, our relationship had to be a two-way street. He would love me no matter what, but in order to feel His presence, I needed to get to know Him. I came to realize that God is real! I went the rest of the year without a technical foul. That basketball season changed my life, because Jesus became so real to me that my attitude started to change. In the spring of that year, I stood up in front of the whole class and apologized for my attitude. And I went to every girl and said I was sorry for being a jerk. Earlier that year, one of those girls had stood up in English class and yelled at me, “I’d never 19
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marry a guy like you—you’re a jerk. No one even wants to be around you.” Believe it or not, I changed so much, that by the end of my junior year that girl and I were dating. And we’ve been married now for over six years. In June of my senior year, I was drafted by the Kansas City Royals. I had some tough years in the minor leagues—to the point where I wanted to quit, but my faith in God increased. When I left my parents at 18 to go play pro ball, I was forced to grow up. So, I buried myself in the Word of God and found Jesus in ways like never before. I didn’t go to church because my parents dragged me there; I went to church because I wanted to go. After three years in the minor leagues, I was frustrated. My career was not going the way I wanted it to and I was struggling. Finally, I came to grips with God and gave my career to Him; He could do whatever He wanted to with it. That’s when things started to change. I didn’t have instant success on the mound—in fact that same year I set a league record for the most losses. But after working on the mechanics of my curve ball, I was sent to the Royals’ big league training camp. I didn’t have much chance of making the team; the general manager had told the media that I probably needed another year in AAA ball. But I knew that with God all things are possible and prayed, “God, I believe if you want me to make this team, I can make it.” Every time I went out on the mound, I asked God for peace and He delivered. At 22, I became a member of the Kansas City Royals. I’ve had some up and down times, and I’ve had trouble with injuries. But through it all, I’ve learned how to lean on God. He’s challenged me to trust Him more. Nobody likes going through tough times, but that’s when God teaches us. When I gave my life over to Him, I gave it all to Him, not just the easy stuff. So, I’ll try to do my best no matter what the circumstances. In my junior year of high school I started an adventure—an adventure that will continue until Jesus returns. 20
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GOD’S ROAD MAP The Holy Bible is a guide to help you live a happy and satisfying life. To learn more about the concepts presented in the chapter you’ve just read, take a look at these passages: PRIDE Pride is considered one of the “seven deadly sins” because of its destructive powers. When we think too highly of ourselves, we can destroy our relationships and separate ourselves from God. Unchecked, successful people can come across as boastful and superior, qualities that are unpopular with others and detestable to God. Jeremiah 50:31-32 “See, I am against you, O arrogant one,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty, “for your day has come, the time for you to be punished. The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up; I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her.” Psalm 18:27 You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. Matthew 23:12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 21
HOW D O YOU KNOW HE’S REAL ?
Proverbs 18:12 Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. PERSEVERANCE Persevering means to be courageous and faithful in the midst of trials. The outcome of your obedience may be a while off, but hang tough, God will see you through. James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Philippians 1:6 …being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
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