Charisa Stories

Tag: Brad Johnson

  • Five Friends in Heaven Continue to Impact My Life

    As I gain more miles on the life oldometer I reflect more and more about leaving a legacy. For many years I thought that meant having a successful career or maybe writing a bestselling book.

    In recent years I have been blessed with many friends who have shown me what it means to leave a legacy. The irony is that five of the men who continue to show me what it means to leave a lasting legacy are living in the eternal company of Jesus. They showed me that leaving a legacy is living your life in a way that shows the love and grace of Jesus.

    If I wrote the impact of each of these friends it would make this a very long read so I decided to share one thing from each that resonates in my heart consistently and powerfully.

    John Weber was a collegiate wrestler who also wrestled with the acclaimed Athletes in Action traveling team. He was most well known as the chaplain of the Dallas Cowboys before he died suddenly from a heart attack. The memory that I will always cherish about John is what happened every single time I saw him. John would smile his warm smile. Then he would take my hand with both of his hands, move right into my space, furrow his brow, look deeply into my eyes and ask, “how are you doing?”. The difference with John Weber was that he really meant that question. If you needed three hours to tell him what was going on he would never glance at his watch. That is why he believed God placed him on this earth. To tell people about Jesus and disciple those who knew Him. This quote from him lives in my heart.

    “God does not call us to be spectacular. He calls us to be faithful.”

    Brad Johnson was a pastor and friend who also died unexpectedly. Brad did not have a high profile ministry career in the pulpit or media. His ministry mirrored his role as an offensive lineman at the University of Nebraska. He was a vital contributor but not a star. Offensive lineman learn early in their careers that their efforts are the primary reason that quarterbacks and running backs make headlines. The backs get the glory while the linemen get dirtied and banged up. Offensive linemen are great teammates who don’t care about themselves. It is about the team being successful and moving toward the goal. That was Brad. He was always the one willing to do the work no one else wanted to do. He invested in others selflessly. He often made this statement about his goal in life.

    “I want to make much about Jesus and less about me.”

    A few years ago I made friends with Newton High School football coach W.T. Johnston. We decided to work together to produce a book about his faith story during incredible health challenges. I inbedded into his life for over a year and it was one of the most inspiring relationships I have ever experienced. W.T. showed his team (and me) how to live until you die. His incredible courage showed me that God’s presence in a dark season of your life allows you to be a light to others even as you move through that dark valley. W.T. got a chance to read the rough draft of his story (Between the White Lines) before he went to be with Jesus. His last words to me when I visited him at his home was the phrase he constantly repeated to keep focused on his faith.

    “Keep your eyes on the Cross.”

    Chris Taylor was a dear friend who served in the Wylie, Texas Police department. But Chris served way more than when he was on the job. He had a heart for serving others that made a huge impact on my heart. We often reference the verse from John 13:34 as a goal.

    So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. (NLT)

    Chris lived that command of Jesus by being there to help others without fanfare. He passed away from cancer but one of his sayings will stick with me until my time comes.

    “If I can help someone I don’t need to think or pray about it. I just do it.”

    Many of you know about my friend Jeff Denton who passed away from cancer earlier this year. Pastor Jeff’s journey demonstrated that you make a choice when life takes a tough turn. You can either quit or you can live fully in each moment for as long as you can. We witnessed Jeff showing up for church and church events when he clearly did not feel his best. But he showed up with joy in his heart and spirit. Jeff’s favorite scripture about God’s will is found in 1 Thessalonians. 

    Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:15-18, NLT)

    Jeff shared that verse with us. Then he lived it.

    Jeff made a comment one day while we discussed the challenge of living for Jesus in this difficult world. I honestly shared a not so good reaction I recently had to another person’s comments. His words resonate in my heart daily.

    “Reacting in the flesh is not necessarily sin. We are human. Staying there and not depending on the love and grace of God is sin.”

    I used to beat myself up over bad reactions. Now I remember that advice and give it to God.

    I think we will be surprised when we get to Heaven. The famous and noted religious leaders may have gotten their due here on this planet. I think we will find out it was humble and selfless servants like my friends mentioned above that God used to make His Kingdom grow the most.

    Want to leave a powerful legacy? Meditate on this verse.

    Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. (Philippians 2:3-4, NET)

    I know that I have the Holy Spirit to give me strength and wisdom in my journey. I have God’s Word to grow my knowledge of Him. But it is also helpful to have people who live the love of Jesus in real time as you share life with them.

    When I feel guilty that something didn’t work as I had hoped I hear John Weber’s words.

    “God does not call us to be spectacular. He calls us to be faithful.”

    On days when I wonder if I am doing what I should be I remember Brad Johnson.

    “I want to make much about Jesus and less about me.”

    W.T. Johnston words help me when I grow despondent over the state of our world.

    “Keep your eyes on the Cross.”

    When I wonder if I should help someone when I have a chance Chris Taylor’s servant heart comes to mind.

    “If I can help someone I don’t need to think or pray about it. I just do it.”

    And when I feel guilt or shame about a bad thought or reaction the words of Pastor Jeff ring true.

    A reaction in the flesh is not necessary sin but staying there certainly can be.

    I look forward to reuniting with these five and many more family and friends someday. What a glorious hope to have in this challenging season we are enduring.

    (Note: If you want to read more about any or all of these friends click on their name)

  • Rethinking Ministry

    Rethinking Ministry

    I can’t quit thinking about my friend Brad Johnson who passed away way too early (in my view) at the age of 57. What I can’t get out of my mind is the staggering impact he had in the lives of hundreds of people. God is using his homecoming to show how He can use a selfless and Christ-centered servant.

    Brad did not check off the typical boxes we have for big ministry success. He was not a well known preacher. No books or highly listened to podcasts. A modest social media presence. A lead pastor role that did not work out well. A period when he could not find a “ministry” job and worked at an ethanol production plant to support his family. Praise God he finally landed in a loving community at Hillcrest Evangelical Free Church that valued Brad Johnson’s remarkable relational skills.

    So how does this resume produce literally hundreds of stories of how Brad loved, encouraged, instructed, counseled, and shared the life changing message of grace? The answer is actually simple.

    Faithfulness.

    I know the struggles that Brad had over the years as he moved from place to place. He often wondered why he could not find a place to plant deep roots and preach the freedom giving Gospel of grace and identity in Christ. But he always did one thing consistently through times of joy and times of despair.

    He served and cared about others.

    Brad learned the lesson that the best way to forget your problems is to serve others with kindness, acceptance, and love. Immersing yourself in the lives of others is messy, sad and difficult. And in a great paradox of our faith, it is the most fulfilling thing you can do. Oswald Chambers talked about the God’s evaluation system and how different it is from our culture.

    “The real test of a saint is not one’s willingness to preach the gospel, but one’s willingness to do something like washing the disciples’ feet – that is, being willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God.”

    Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi about the importance of selfless serving.

    Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. (Philippians 2:3-4, NET)

    God puts opportunities to love and care for others in my path all the time. Sometimes I see them and respond. Sometimes I see them and make excuses why I can’t help. Sometimes I am simply too self-absorbed to see anything but my own problems. Martin Luther King had a wonderful quote that convicts me to be more open to the Holy Spirit’s gentle leading.

    “The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But the good Samaritan reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”

    It was the humble and culturally disregarded Samaritan that had a heart to help. I think that was Brad’s heart. His life is causing me to reevaluate my ministry.

    I love writing my books and blogs. I hope that some things I have written have been helpful. I plan to continue writing because it forces me to examine my heart and it keeps me from binge watching Mr. Ed reruns on TV. But I am asking the Lord to increase the personal discipleship and mentoring aspect of my ministry. Brad Johnson demonstrated that there is no more impactful representation of Christ than caring enough to walk with a brother or sister through the ups and downs of life. Brad made you feel like the most important person in the room. He wept when you were sad and laughed like few could when things were good. Brad walked with people without condemnation. He was a person you could share everything, good and bad, and he would love you more for the telling. That is the kind of discipleship that initiates lasting and real change.

    Brad’s humble and relational ministry produced enough fruit to fill a Kingdom Farmers Market. You don’t need a counseling degree to love and care for others. You don’t need a seminary degree to walk with someone through life’s challenges with grace and acceptance. You don’t need special training to be fully present to serve others selflessly.

    Brad’s wife Deb told me that Brad sometimes lamented that he didn’t have a more prominent pulpit ministry. But this is what he told her…

    “If God has chosen for me to be on the background I am okay with that. I just need to be faithful to Him.”

    Billy Graham noted that “the highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service”.

    Nearly 700 people packing the auditorium and overflow room saw the powerful impact of selfless service. Another 3,000 have watched the celebration video. My prayer is that God’s message of how he can use a faithful servant will infect us all. I pray that this event will be a super-spreader of love, service, and kindness.

    As my friend John Weber often said. God doesn’t call us to be spectacular. He just calls us to be faithful. Brad was sometimes spectacular, but he was always faithful. After seeing the fruit of his life I hope my ministry will never be the same. And I want to live this truth for the rest of my days.

    Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:35 – NLT

  • How To Have An Eternal Impact

    How To Have An Eternal Impact

    This week one of the men I have most admired in my journey died at the way too young age of 57. His passing was sudden, shocking, and completely unexpected. Brad Johnson was one of those people who made you smile every time you saw him, talked to him, heard from him, or even thought of him. I met him when he was a Student Life Pastor in Garland, Texas. I used to call him the Golden Retriever of Pastors because he greeted everyone with enthusiasm, joy, and that signature smile of his.

    We became friends at a much deeper level when he joined us as a staff member at Waterbrook Bible Fellowship. It was a church plant that Joni and I helped initiate. I got to see the character of Brad Johnson on a much deeper level because church plants are hard. Brad was a consistent confidant and encourager through some challenging times. Most of all he was one of the most selfless servants I have ever known. When portable church needed to be set up Brad was the first one there and the last to leave. Someone needed to move? Brad brought his considerable strength to help out.

    During the most difficult season of that church plant Joni was diagnosed with breast cancer. We were stressed, scared, and emotionally exhausted. We wondered if we could continue with this church plant.

    Very early one morning Joni and I arrived at the hospital for her first chemotherapy treatment. It was a surreal moment of uncertainty and wondering what the road ahead would be like. Suddenly this bear of a man walked in and gave us the kind of hug that only Brad Johnson could give. His presence was calming and he told us he really wanted to pray with us. It was a defining moment in our journey of reorienting our emotions away from fear and back to trust in God. Brad’s commitment to us in a frustrating season made us determine to commit to him and this church project. The praise report is that fifteen years later both Joni and the church are thriving.

    When you read the social media memories of Brad you will find that there are literally hundreds of servant heart moments like that. Brad Johnson did not have a high profile ministry career in the pulpit or media. His ministry mirrored his role as an offensive lineman at the University of Nebraska. He was an important contributor but not a star. Offensive lineman learn early in their careers that their efforts are the primary reason that quarterbacks and running backs make headlines. But the backs get the glory while the linemen get dirtied and banged up. Offensive linemen are great teammates who don’t care about themselves. It is about the team being successful and moving toward the goal. That was Brad. He was always the one willing to do the work no one else wanted to do.

    Brad left our church plant to take a senior pastor role in his home state of Nebraska. I remember how sad I felt the day that he and Deb left. We had been on a journey together discovering the impact of identity and grace in our journeys with Jesus. It was game changing stuff for both of us.

    When that pastoral role in Nebraska didn’t work out Brad was faced with a dilemma. Should he uproot his family again to find a church job somewhere? I remember laughing and crying on the phone with Brad as he agonized over what to do. You will not be surprised to hear that he took the selfless role of putting his career on pause to get a job at a local ethanol production facility. He worked long and inconvenient hours at a job that many men would have deemed beneath their calling. Not Brad. His priority was his God and his family and he kept those two as his North star. I remember him sharing stories of talking to the men at the plant about Jesus. We laughed at the irony of his new role. He had often visited my television production work environment and had seen it could sometimes be a bit rough. We laughed that we now shared another connection of work in the real world. But his heart for Jesus never changed whether it was in a pulpit or doing a late shift at an ethanol plant. God can use a willing and serving heart no matter where you find yourself. Not in your dream role? If you are a follower of Jesus there is ministry all around you and maybe you are there for exactly that reason. That was Brad’s heart.

    Brad and Deb getting ready for some Husker Football

    It gives me great joy that the leadership at Hillcrest Evangelical Free Church in Seward, Nebraska recognized the gifts that Brad brought to the table. They hired him to lead their small group, community connection, and counseling outreaches. He found his niche using his considerable relational skills in that setting. It seems only fitting that this servant of Jesus was counseling when he suffered a seizure and apparent stroke that ended his life. He served until his final breath.

    I think we will be surprised when we get to Heaven. The famous and noted religious leaders may have gotten their due here on this planet. I think we will find out it was humble and selfless servants like Brad Johnson that God used to make His Kingdom grow the most. I think this passage epitomizes Brad’s ministry.

    Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. (Philippians 2:3-4, NET)

    Some will say “I am sorry you lost your friend.” My response is one of hope and joy. “I didn’t lose Brad. I know exactly where he is.” And I know we will be together again.

    A patented Brad hug when he left for Nebraska.

    I look forward to one of those Brad hugs again someday. Maybe my glorified body won’t be so puny compared to his. And I pray that Brad Johnson’s blueprint to have an eternal impact will inspire others. It is not complicated.

    Follow Jesus faithfully. Be loving. Be kind. Be present. Be a giver of grace. Be a light in the darkness. Then trust God for the results.