Well good morning. Thank you so much for being here this morning. This is our Sunday seminar.
If you're not familiar with that, this is what we have in between our discipleship sessions.
And so we just ended up our session two a few weeks ago. And during our Sunday seminar we've
been having testimonies. And so it's been a joy for us to hear various folks in our church share
what God is doing in their life. And so we have Grayson, and you'll recognize the last name,
Bradbury, here to share with us this morning what God is doing in his life. Grayson, it's
hard to believe time does fly. I think the older you get, like my age, you'll discover that's
truer and truer. But to think that it seems like only a few years ago when you and Emma
came with your mom and dad, you guys were just little ones. And so now here you are in your
senior year and you're about to go off to college. And so it's wonderful to be able for us to hear
you share what God is doing in your life this morning. So let's pray together and I'm going
to turn it over to Grayson. Lord, we just thank you for this morning. Thank you for another wonderful
day to come and worship you this morning. Father, thank you so much for Grayson. Thank you for what
you've been doing in his life, how you have walked with him and just shown him a lot of things already
at this stage of his life. Lord, just calm his heart as he shares what you're doing, what you've been
doing. And Lord, we thank you for who he is. And we ask this prayer in your name. Amen.
Thank you, Dave. Well, good morning, everybody. My name is Grayson, and I'm so happy that everyone
could make it out here on this chilly Sunday morning, you know, over an hour before our worship
service begins. Coming here to hear my story of how I've been saved by Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Savior. A story that is far from perfect, but beautiful in the sense of the work that God has
been able to do in my heart and what he is continuing to do. I can only hope that you can gain something
from my story. If not a feeling of hope for your own salvation, then maybe just take time and reflect
on your own story and how God has extended his grace to you. This has been a day that I've been
anticipating for quite some time now. I've been eager and excited to share my testimony with y'all
since Pastor Dave asked me weeks back. Before we begin, I would like to go to the Lord in prayer.
Dear God, I pray for all of us here in this room, Lord. I thank you for the opportunity that you
have given me to be able to tell my story today, and I just pray for our hearts as we go into this
discussion. I pray that as I go into my story and as we go about our day and our weeks and our lives,
Lord, that we would have our eyes open and facing towards you in hearts that truly crave your grace
and forgiveness. Lord, we may not be perfect, but I thank you for meeting me and meeting us right
where we are and picking us back up again. I thank you for what you have done, and it is in your name I
pray. Amen. So, as you could have imagined, I've grown up in church all my life. My dad's a pastor
here at Willow Ridge Church, but it was when my dad took the senior pastor job here that I felt a church
home for the first time. I was five years old when my family moved up from Aiken to here in Columbia,
and I began to be involved in the kids' ministry. My first grade year is when our now-youth pastor,
Joel Van Ham, started doing Sunday nights with the elementary school kids, so that way we would
have an opportunity to not only grow and establish a relationship with Jesus, but also build friendships
with kids around the same age. I'm proud to say that those kids that were a part of those Sunday
nights are still among my closest friends to this day. If you know Joel, I'm sure you know what those
Sunday nights were like. We learned so many great games, ate so much pizza, and learned so many catchy
Bible songs. Joel's the reason why I can only recite the books of the Bible to a tune of a song.
I was six years old when I decided to accept Jesus into my heart. I had thought about my own salvation
and really just thoughts and concepts that I'd never really thought about before, but all of a sudden just
started to make more sense. A big part of that thought process was my sister, Emma.
She had accepted Jesus and had been baptized around that time. Her making that step made me think more about
my own life and relationship with Jesus, but also at that time being baptized was something that she had
done, so I felt like I needed to do the same. So while I still had questions, I went and I asked my
parents about my convictions. They told me about how Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that without
accepting the Holy Spirit into my heart, I would be desperate for an eternity separate from God. To me, the
situation was easy. Why would I want to spend my entire life separate from a God that shows so much love and
care for me? So after time and prayer and more conversation with my parents, I accepted Jesus into
my heart that night and was baptized, I want to say about six months later, right in that baptismal that
we used to have outside. In the years following, I still was very invested in what was going on in the
church. Still learning and doing what I felt like was quote-unquote good enough, but my definition of a
Christian and actually being a follower of God, those were two completely different things. Up to this point in my
life, I had lived a really lukewarm relationship with God. I mean, could I say I believed in God? Yes. Did I want to
do what God wanted me to do? Sure. At surface level. You know, I knew right from wrong. I wasn't a bad kid or
anything. I just don't think that I saw any fruit in my own life because the trials that God promises
to all of us as followers of Christ had not come yet. I was still living on an easy path, but I believe
that turning point for me was around New Year's Day when I was 12 years old. I was in seventh grade, and I'd
started running cross-country for the first time that fall. I was at a point in my life where I was
struggling to find a place where I felt like I belonged, not only in my school life, but in extracurriculars
as well. A few days after Christmas that year, I had an operation on both my knees. As far as the operation
went, everything went well. I was able to leave shortly after the surgery, and they sent me home
with my medication plan and a time where I would check back with them. But other than that, I was
good to go. The medicine that they prescribed was just a standard pain reliever and was supposed to
calm me and as a result help me sleep better. That drug did not work on me, though. It had more of an
opposite effect. Instead of calming me and easing the pain, it wired me. I couldn't sleep, and for three
days straight, I got little to no sleep. During that time, I could not even get up to do anything
to occupy my mind. Even the simplest thing, like going to the bathroom or going to the pantry, would
take at least five minutes, and somebody else's help to get me in the wheelchair. After three days of
no sleep, I was at my breaking point. Beyond exhaustion, and my mind was just spinning. That
night, I was sent spiraling and ended up having a panic attack. Just the most terrifying personal
experience I've had up to that point. My body shut down. I couldn't see. I couldn't hear. My whole body
had gone limp, and I couldn't breathe. After that night, I was sent down a dark path of what became many
months of battling anxiety and depression, and I could not figure out how to get out of it.
By this point, I had never experienced anything like it, and just as a result of how I was feeling
and how emotionally and physically tired I was, I just began to hate myself and hate my life.
I didn't understand why God was allowing me to feel this way and why I had to be the one to go through
what I was going through. I didn't feel like I deserved that.
So much so that a few nights after my panic attack, I remember I called my parents downstairs in a panic
because I was afraid of what I would do to myself and terrified that I would attempt to take my own life.
But that night is just another example of when my parents showed me God's love and compassion.
They talked with me, cried with me, and started the long process of trying to get me help with the thoughts that I was wrestling with.
But during our conversation, and this just describes the kind of people that my parents are,
they kept all of what they were saying tying back to God, looking at how God can help me in my situation.
And for the first time, I was someone who needed to take responsibility for my relationship with God
and say to God, that I can't carry this weight on my own, Lord. I need your help.
So, I dove deeper into my relationship with God.
Not only in terms of quiet time, but also in how I can see God in my life working.
And while I couldn't see it then, I believe that I'm a stronger follower of Christ now because of it.
At the time, I just couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel for myself.
Just months of living in fear and depression.
I tried therapy.
It just wasn't a good fit for me.
And I just returned to the same thought of, why me, God?
But what I didn't realize then, but can look back on now,
is all of that spiritual warfare teaches me about God
and how I can be more like God if I just seek Him in all situations.
The good and the bad.
I recently heard on a podcast John Piper did on shame.
And it brought an interesting perspective on why we follow Jesus.
And I think the same points relate here because it is the attitude that we should have
when Jesus says, take your cross and follow me.
He said that if you embrace the cost, the loss, the pain,
and the worldly shame of following Jesus, then you will live forever.
It is guaranteed that in this life, followers of Christ will be put to challenges
that will push you to your limits.
It is how we are made into stronger believers on the other side.
I'm sure so many of us can relate.
And if not, then that's a topic of discussion that you will have to wrestle with God about
and why this may not be you.
God uses you and me in so many ways that we do not see,
but yet it is all a part of His master plan.
And yet out of the pridefulness and sinfulness of our own hearts,
we only look to see how His plan can benefit us.
And I think that was and still is just the hardest concept for me to try and wrap my brain around.
Since then, I've been able to recover from my season of severe depression,
and I continue to grow.
After COVID is when I believe that our youth group really started to come together
and become a great place for me to find solace
and to have deeper conversations with people that would help grow my faith.
But as I have discussed already,
even though my faith was strengthening,
that does not mean that my faith was not tested.
After COVID had started to wind down,
I was 13 and had become to become very involved with the cross country and track program
that I joined the previous year at Lexington High School.
I fully believe that joining that team was the best decision that I ever could have made.
And it had so much more meaning than just being part of a team.
Running gave me so many things that God knew that I would need for trials in the future.
Running has helped me with physical and emotional perseverance.
It's helped me with building relationships, building toughness,
and just how to be a better man.
But I also believe that it was the part of my life where my faith has been tested the most
and where I've had to overcome the most sin in my life.
I've noticed that as I've gotten older,
I'm generally a more anxious person in nature.
I've really noticed that side of myself since my surgery.
Just getting over that first stint of really bad anxiety,
I felt like it took so much out of me.
And after coming out of it,
I felt more fear than anything else.
Instead of the gratitude of a loving servant of my father,
I just had more fear of the next thing
or even fear of the same things resurfacing in my life.
It's sad to say,
but it's real to the actual state of the growth of our faith.
During these times,
I was a believer but struggled to give these real problems to God.
I was not strong enough to see God in the problems that I was facing.
Problems that were small in reality but felt like a mountain at the time.
And this reality was more evident with my relationship with running.
When I first started,
I was not good at all.
I was by far the worst on the team
and I didn't know anything about the actual science of running
and what it takes to be competitive in the sport.
I just did it to get in shape
and hopefully find a passion in something.
But through hard work,
perseverance,
and just learning more about the sport,
I grinded my way up through the ranks of the junior varsity team
and by the time I was entering high school,
had to earn myself a varsity spot.
This year is when I believe
I started to see the issues in myself with running.
Up to this point,
running had been something fun
and it was something that I could have goals in
while also just being around a fun group of guys.
And throughout my high school career,
I still had more great moments than not,
but this year,
my freshman year,
was when the cracks had started to show.
Running is a highly individualized sport.
There's a big team aspect of it,
but ultimately,
it is up to the individual performance that you have
and you can easily point out the mistakes that you make.
Not only this,
but the running community has a big problem
with constant comparison between
who you beat race to race
or how you stack up
against your teammates in practice.
It's just the way it is.
Experiencing that as a freshman in high school
is something that can ruin your enjoyment of the sport altogether.
I did not take on the responsibility
as a potential scorer for the team very well.
I had moments of promise,
but also started to experience health issues
that would bleed into my later years
of my running career in high school.
And instead of giving my troubles
and moments of self-doubt to God,
I took on all my anxieties alone.
I just thought, you know,
if only giving my troubles to God
was as simple as saying it.
But that's the truth.
It is.
And that issue of sin that all of us struggle with,
or that's the issue of sin
that so much of us struggle with so much,
the reality is,
is that it's simple.
But out of the selfishness of our own hearts,
we want to take it on ourselves.
Or in my case,
almost subconsciously felt like
it wasn't worth God's time.
I know that wasn't true,
but I wouldn't let God in.
Because to me,
it's not like this is God's problem.
It's my problem.
And it's better to just leave God out of the equation.
It's just easier that way.
Which only causes further separation
in my relationship with Him.
I lived out a relationship with God
where everything was His
until I left the building
from Sunday afternoon church.
Then, it's like He didn't exist.
Which is a dangerous type work
to walk on as a non-believer.
But even more dangerous
as a false assurance to those
that claim they believe.
Because as we all know,
I could only keep myself going
without God's help for so long.
The same pattern of worry
and self-doubt
continued into my junior year
and then started to work its way
into my personal life as well.
My identity was no longer found in Christ,
but in how fast I ran.
It was about the college times
that I felt like I needed to run
instead of the experiences
and the memories
I got to make with my teammates.
For every race I went into,
reaching a certain time
or some expectation
that I felt
and some distorted reality
became the standard
instead of simply glorifying
the fact that God
had given me the ability
to get up in the morning and run.
And just forgetting about
what a gift that is.
But, I ran until the wheels fell off.
And last fall,
I passed out for what was
the second week in a row
at the state championship
cross-country race.
With that result,
I didn't get what I wanted.
I could have taken it
one of two ways.
One,
I could have used it
as a way to run towards God
and realize that
there are just some things
that are out of my control.
Or,
I could get bogged down
in what felt like
endless amounts
of doctor's appointments
it took to find out
what was wrong with me.
As sinners so often do,
I chose the latter.
I had been working so hard
for a result
that was not happening
and at every turn
I went to,
nobody could tell me
why I wasn't getting
what I worked so hard for.
People say you put in the hours
and you'll get out of it
what you put in.
To a certain extent,
I believe that to be true.
However,
there are some doors
that do just need to be closed
that God closes for us
and at the time,
I once again
could not understand
God's timing for all of this.
During this time,
I'm supposed to be training,
getting ready for my season.
That's supposed to put
colleges on notice
and in my mind,
I'm supposed to have
this breakout season
where I can separate myself
from the rest of the competition.
I just remember being
so defeated
from this season of life
that I was seriously
conflicted on what
the next steps
of my athletic career
should be.
So by this point,
I turned to the only one
who had control
of these paths
and I decided
to look for what path
is going to be glorifying
to God
and not myself
and how I can try
and find positives
in my life
and not just settling
for the negatives.
You hear that statement
and maybe you know
exactly what I mean
when I say that
but let's say you don't.
Well,
I'll tell you
what that path
looked like.
Not only in my prayer
but in my daily life,
I needed to look
for God's hand
and for His help
to allow me
to be okay
with doors closing
that needed to be closed.
So I gave that new season
of life
a new outlook
of just giving it
my best shot
and trying to find
the positives
in every circumstance.
As I worked through
that time
and into the track season,
I can confidently say
that God's hand
had worked positively
for my good
through the trials.
With a new perspective,
I still made great progress
during the track season
and while it definitely
wasn't easy,
the memories
and the growth
I made along the way
in my faith
made it worth it
and my prayers
for decisions
were answered.
While I decided
not to run in college,
I did find a passion
for ministry
and I've decided
to study
to become a pastor
next year
up at Anderson.
I've had multiple
situations now
where I get an opportunity
like this
to have a stage
where I can proclaim
my faith in Jesus
to groups of believers
and non-believers
as well.
I just love the process
of developing
a message to share.
I love getting to spend
that kind of time
in God's word
not only for my sake
but for the sake of others
just to be able
to hear the truth
that is Jesus.
That time of curating
and spending time
learning in God's word
is so soul fulfilling
and so much fun
to just speak about
what I've learned
about God
and how it's affected me.
This stage in my life
has really made me realize
the importance
of living a life
dependent on God
and I do not think
I would have been able
to make this decision
without feeling
my own conviction
towards this career path.
While there have been
ups and downs
I'm so glad
that my faith
has been able
to grow stronger
over the years.
And not only that
but just trying
to live more like Jesus
feeling the need
to spread the gospel
in every way possible
and whether you feel
called to ministry
or not
I would certainly hope
that this is your end goal
and above
any temporary achievement
that this world
could offer.
for me
the best time
in my life
has been spent
at church
and with my church family
whether on a Sunday morning
or a youth related event
I just love being here
and being able
to grow
the church's community
and have so much fun
doing it.
I realize that
my own struggles
in this situation
that I have lived in
might seem small
to you
but for one
I recognize
that I'm young
and also
what God is having
me wrestle with now
is only for my own benefit
to grow me
into becoming
a stronger believer.
As God's children
we are tested
and each battle
after another
not only becomes
more and more challenging
to overcome
as we get older
but also equips us
more and more
of the Holy Spirit
meaning that these challenges
take no more priority
over another
and that's whether
you're a 9, 49, or 99
all challenges
are the same.
For a while
I would like to touch
on a great topic
that I took the time
to study this past week
and how it not only
relates to my own testimony
but to the testimony
to every believer
that has ever lived.
I heard a message
from Pastor John Piper
on why God continues
to allow Satan
to persist in our lives
even though he could
easily get rid
of all of them together.
Based on what I learned
from Pastor John
and through my own study
is that there are
many, many reasons
for why God does this
but it is to describe
the beauty and greatness
of God to us.
We know that constantly
Satan has set limitations
put on him by God
and that he has
no real power over us.
From Revelations 20, 10
we know that Satan
will come to an end
and will suffer eternally
and from the story
of Job
we see God
put limits on Satan
for what he can
and cannot do to Job.
So even Satan
is completely dependent
on God
for his own existence
and that's just crazy
to think about.
But as we dive
further into this topic
for sake of time
and of our own comprehension
of the grandness
of this topic
I will only be discussing
four that were brought up
by Pastor John.
First and foremost
it is important
to keep in mind
that Satan exists
in spite of the fact
that he is totally
dependent on God
for his existence.
That fact
in and of itself
is why
us as believers
should live
with complete faith
and trust in God
as we go about our day.
The first reason
I have for us today
on why God
allows us to exist
is by allowing
his existence
he shows himself.
In Luke 13
a woman is found
to be disabled
and it is Satan
who is directly correlated
to this woman's ailments.
In this passage
it tells us
that this woman
has been broken down
and unable
to fully stand
for 18 years.
But ultimately
it was Jesus
who was able
to cure her
when he saw her.
And when he laid
his hands on her
and freed her
the Bible said
that she glorified
God completely freed
from the binds
that Satan
had put her under.
While we may not
be under attack
to this degree
Satan is still
working to attack us
and beat us down
every second
of our lives.
But as conflicts
come between God
and Satan
God uses those moments
to show his grandness
and power to us
by defeating evil
in the struggle.
It may not be hard work
for Satan
to beat us down
but he doesn't stand
a chance
against God's power.
Satan knows
the reality
of God's power
and still tries
to steer us
away from God
which can make
our daily struggle
so beautiful
because it is
ultimately
how God is able
to show us
his greatness.
And it is just
crazy for me
to think about
how the enemy
is constantly
being used
by God
for the greater
good of his kingdom
in order to reveal
his love to us.
Without it
our relationship
with him
would be one sided.
We would have
no need for God
it would just be
the state
that we live in.
But as Christians
we know this
not to be the case
just as Satan
and the rest
of creation
we live out
our lives
every day
with a complete
dependence on God
whether we realize
it or not.
Second
is that God
describes his beauty
and greatness
through suffering.
We see the beauty
of God
through not only
Christ's suffering
but the suffering
of his people
as well.
To us
it may look like
the battle
is still going
but the battle
has already been won.
Satan has already
been defeated
and he has
no chance
of victory.
Live in that truth.
Christ being nailed
to the cross
and dying
for our sins
the price
that we ultimately
deserve
is the greatest
example
of how it might
look like
Satan has
the upper hand
but could not
actually be further
from the truth.
We see in
Colossians 2.15
He disarmed
the rulers
and authorities
and put them
to open shame
by triumphing
over them
and also
Revelations 12.11
and they have
conquered him
by the blood
of the lamb
and by the word
of their testimony
for they love
not their lives
even unto death.
Christ as a
sacrificial lamb
has disarmed
Satan from his power
and won the battle
over him.
Satan can no longer
accuse us
of our unforgiven sins
because those sins
have already been forgiven
so then what can
Satan hold over us?
We have been
eternally saved
by the father
who loves us so much
so much
so that he gave up
his only son for us
so that we would have
eternal life with him.
If we live in that
kind of love
why bother
with the specifics
of why we have to suffer
but instead
live in the comfort
and the love
that God has for us?
No one needs
to hear this truth
more than me
but it is something
that I let slip my mind
so much
even though the gift
of God's love
is the only thing
that I experience
that will ever last
with me forever.
Third
God reveals
his beauty
and grandness
to us
by using Satan.
2 Corinthians 12
7-10 says
so keep me
from becoming conceited
because of the
surpassing greatness
of the revelations.
A thorn was given me
in the flesh
a messenger of Satan
to harass me
to keep me
from becoming conceited.
Three times
I pleaded with the Lord
about this
that it should leave me
but he said to me
my grace is sufficient
for you
for my power
is made perfect
in weakness.
therefore
I will boast
all the more gladly
of my weaknesses
so that the power
of Christ
may rest upon me.
For the sake
of Christ
then
I am content
in my weaknesses
insults
hardships
persecutions
and calamities
for when I am weak
then I am strong.
when Satan
uses Judas
to turn against
Jesus
and leads the Romans
to where Jesus is
and gets him arrested
to eventually be crucified
for his so-called crimes
God uses Satan's plans
for the benefit
of his people
and for the defeat
of Satan.
God beats the devil
at his own game.
Another example
of this
would be how the devil
becomes a means
of Paul's own
sanctification.
It is because
of Paul's own wrongdoing
that God is able
to lead Saul
away from his sin
and show him
the error of his ways
breaking down his heart
in the process
and once he realizes
his own personal convictions
is able to have
a change of heart
and become Paul
who was once known
as Saul
a persecutor
and killer
of Jewish people.
What looks like
Satan's way
to afflict us
is actually a way
for us to accept
the gracefulness
of God
which God regularly uses
as a continual defeat
of the devil
in which we can reflect
true dependence
on the one
that actually loves
and cares for us.
In 2 Corinthians
Paul brings attention
to the fact
that the Lord
gave him a thorn
in the flesh
to keep him
from becoming conceited
after experiencing
extraordinary revelations.
Even though Paul
prayed repeatedly
for its removal
God recognized
that it is essential
to his salvation.
God replied
that his grace
is sufficient
and his power
is perfected
in the weaknesses
that are found
within us.
Just like Paul
we need these
so-called thorns
in the flesh
to keep us
humble
and dependent
on God
because while
we are weak
without God
Christ's power
is strong
and works
through us
to defeat
the sin
inside of us
that the devil
tries to use
against us.
Lastly
God reveals
his beauty
and grandness
to us
by savoring.
Through our
spiritual transformation
in Christ
God has shown us
the soul
fulfillingness
of Christ.
As a result
the devil's
overall appeal
is diminished.
When we are
made new in Christ
we are no longer
of the world
and should only
strive for what
God calls us to be
which is loving
servants striving
to carry out
his mission
to spread the gospel
and to show
Christ's love
to everyone we meet.
It is because
of Satan's defeat
that causes us
to savor Christ's
victory more and more.
When we are
tempted to choose
the world
we should be like
Paul
and gladly boast
in the fact
that God
has won
the battle
and that we
can savor
the soul
fulfillingness
of Christ.
Our day
of judgment
is not something
that we should
be questioning
or afraid
of coming.
If we are
already saved
by God
then it gives
us an incentive
to live out
our daily lives
with a newfound
joy and sense
of purpose.
The closer
that we are
living towards
the day
of judgment
the more
Christ is
magnified
and Satan
is defeated.
Savor
the true
love and joy
that God
grants us
and do not
take his mercy
for granted.
God wants
nothing more
than to be
with us
but we have
to acknowledge
our own
shortcomings
and turn
away from
them
while also
acknowledging
that sin
is not
what defines
us.
We need
not question
God
because we
know that
God is
working and
using all
things
good and
bad
for the
benefit
of his
children.
Would you
pray with
me?
Dear God
I thank you
for the salvation
that you
bless us
with.
Even though
we deserve
the worst
you see
us
and you
give us
more
than the
world
has to
offer.
You have
given us
so much
and I
pray that
as we
go about
our days
living in
that truth
and in
the comfort
of your
grace
we need
not worry
for you
are in
control
and are
always
working.
if there
is anyone
here that
hasn't given
their life
to you
Lord
I pray
that their
hearts
can be
changed
and that
their eyes
will be
open to
see you
for the
first time.
Thank you
Lord for
all that
you have
blessed
us with.
It is
in your
name I
pray.
Amen.
I mean
it's just
wonderful to
hear
everybody's
story.
given their
life to
Christ as
Savior and
Lord and
to know
that God
is always
working in
our lives
whether we're
10,
18,
80 and
each of us
have a
story.
So remember
that.
Remember what
the things
that Grayson
has shared
with us
this morning
how it
connects
with our
story and
what God
desires to
do in
our life
as well.
Thank you
so much
again for
being here
this morning.
We'll have
fellowship time
in a little
bit and followed by worship as well. Thank you.