Pastor Brian Johnson's Testimony

     I had the privilege of growing up in a family of believers who love the Lord and are serious about involvement in the local church.  During kindergarten and first grade I went to a Christian school (public school thereafter), and I remember the teacher presenting the gospel on one particular day.  It made sense to me, and I remember raising my hand in order to pray and trust Christ for salvation.  Whether that was the time at which I was truly born again (John 3:3; Titus 3:5), I am not certain, but I do remember having an increased desire for daily time in prayer and in reading my Bible around the fifth and sixth grade (I definitely see God’s hand in that!).  It was around this same time that I remember being more aware of my own struggle with sin and coming to understand more clearly that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone.  My dad and my granddad were especially used by God to impress upon me the sufficiency and authority of Scripture.  “Let God be true and every man a liar,” my Grandpa would say.  I see how the Lord used that as even at a young age, I read every word carefully as I went through the Old Testament and the New.    

     Upon graduating from high school, I went to the U. S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs (this had been a lifetime goal/dream), and there God taught me a lot in a short amount of time.  I later chose to leave the Academy, which was a major transition because that had been a significant focus for so long.  In those days and years after the Academy, the LORD was challenging my priorities in life and changing the direction of my future.  As my desire to know and study His word continued to increase, He brought opportunities to teach it and began to make it clear that He was directing me to devote my life to preaching and teaching His word.  This was confirmed as elders in the church and others recognized my giftedness and encouraged me to pursue pastoral ministry.  At the same time, my desire to pursue former goals was decreasing while my zeal to devote myself to ministry was increasing.  I ended up finishing my degree at the Moody Bible Institute, where I met my precious wife, Kelly.  In the summer of 2004 we were married, and that fall I began pursuing further training for ministry at The Master’s Seminary.  Since then, God has blessed us with two daughters, and has now graciously allowed me the privilege of serving as pastor at Applegate Community Church. In all this, God has again and again shown Himself gracious and faithful in my life.