A Great Pursuit

On Sunday, January 30, our church got to witness Brenton’s baptism where he declared that he has given his life to Jesus and his mission.

Brenton has always had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, especially religion and spirituality. For most of his life, he believed there was a God, but he never believed in Jesus. However, he had a constant sense that something was missing.

Brenton began a journey to explore different religions and spiritual traditions to find the answer. This culminated in new-age spirituality. He made the decision that he was the ultimate authority of his own life.

Brenton described it as feeling “no sense of purpose or direction in my life.”

As he continued his pursuit of knowledge, he began reading the Bible to learn more about its foundational influence on Western Culture. Two years later, a significant relationship ended. He found himself profoundly aware of that missing element in his life. He dropped out of grad school and was in a state of poor mental health. Brenton described it as feeling “no sense of purpose or direction in my life.”

At that point, a friend of Brenton invited him to CATC’s Alpha Course. Brenton signed up for the course on a whim. Feeling empty and vulnerable, he found himself on CATC’s campus attending a weekly Alpha group with a mix of Christians and non-Christians, seekers, and skeptics.

“Throughout Alpha, I began to get glimpses of the reality of Jesus Christ. But I was resistant. I had so many questions.”

The leaders in Alpha were patient with Brenton. They listened to his pushback and tried to answer any questions he had with honesty and humility. They would stay late after each course with Brenton, pouring over the Bible and theology to answer his skepticism. As the course progressed, Brenton’s heart began to soften to Jesus’ call. Brenton started to understand what was missing, that gap that he couldn’t seem to fill in his life. He asked one of the leaders, Jeff, what he should pray. Jeff suggested that he simply ask Jesus to reveal himself to him.

“I thought ‘what do I have to lose?’ So I prayed. I encountered Christ and gave my life to Him.”

Brenton found what he had been searching for his whole life. Not something he could find in textbooks, journals, or other religious materials. He was missing a relationship with the living Jesus who was willing to die for him so that one day he could walk beside him every day. Brenton confessed to God that he was a sinner and deserved death. He asked for his sins to be forgiven and he gave his authority over to Jesus.

For those of us who have become friends with Brenton, it has been exciting to watch the transformation as his love for Jesus and God’s Word is growing. God has a purpose for Brenton and others like him who are searching for truth. Those who recognize that something is missing. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:13