Wade Nolen

This months voice for Christ has an inspiring story to share. As a young child, Wade Nolen's mother was faithful in taking him and his siblings to church. One summer during VBS he answered an alter call and was baptized shortly after. Once he entered High School he began his journey down a dark path which included drinking and smoking which later led to drug use. School was put on the back burner, and in 10th grade I was kicked out of high school for attendance issues. He continued to hang out with the wrong crowd, do drugs, and get into trouble. As his mother found it time to employ some tough love he found himself homeless. He managed to keep his job and even mustered enough responsibility to get a GED. His mom died of breast cancer shortly after he turned 21. He was devastated, and I felt like he had nothing. He used her death as an excuse to dive even further into drug use. He was the type that would try just about anything. Then one day... he had no more money, no more friends, and little hope for escape. Yet there was still hope for the hopeless.. Even though he went off the “straight and narrow” into drugs and other various activities, I knew deep down inside that what he was doing was wrong and that God wasn't pleased. He was miserable. He thought he was saved since he went forward as a child. But looking back he wasn't so sure. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. Maybe all it was just head knowledge. It was hard for him to say. All he knew is that his life did not show evidence.

The church he attended as a youth was a “hell fire and brimstone” type of church. Men wore suits, women wore dresses. He didn't like it. He didn't like church. He always believed the Bible was God's Word, but he didn't read it, he just respected it. But that was all about to change. One day he attended a Calvary Chapel. People were wearing shorts and flip flops, there was a band and yes even with drums! He thought, yeah, this is more like it. Although the dress code and music was appealing, what got Wade was the message of love. They taught the Bible. He had never heard it before, not like this. Before it was fear that drove me to go forward. Now, he wanted this love, this forgiveness, God's mercy, the hope of a second chance. He once again gave his life to the Lord, and this time he knew it was for real. These people just loved Jesus. They weren't boggled down by dress codes and regulations and such. They just loved Jesus and taught the Bible. To this day, he attends different Calvary Chapels is happy to say that
they still love God and teach the Word.

He struggled for years as a new "old" Christian. He believed the devil wanted to pin him down and make him useless for the cause of Christ. The Master Potter never gave up on Wade. He has continually molded him into something he could never have foreseen, possibly much less wished for. He guided him into the military where he spent 12 years. Later he met his wife, and they became the proud parents of two wonderful daughters. Today he stands before us a changed man. Wade knows it is only by God's grace and mercy that he is sharing this story with us. He says he is the prodigal son who came home and God has been faithful to empower him to “stay home.” He is a firm believer in second chances and in the radical mercy and grace of Jesus Christ. He has a heart for the prodigals that no one seems to believe in, because the Father waits eagerly for them to come home. After all, God waited for him and he knows there is truly nothing like being home in my Father's House, Wade says.

I thank my brother in Christ, Wade Nolen, for sharing his story and testimony with us and I wish him the blessings of God as he continues his daily walk in Christ. I pray you will be encouraged by this interview I had with him.




LHU: Wade please share with us your testimony?

Wade: Well I'm almost 38 years old, married (for 13 years) and have two daughters. I am currently a college student seeking a degree in radiology, specifically radiologic technologist. I spent 12 years in the Navy where I traveled to many countries in the Mediterranean and the middle east. I enjoyed my time in the service and am grateful for the lessons I learned and the growing up that came as the result of discipline. Unfortunately, the service is hard on families. Families sacrifice and it's a high price to pay being separated from loved ones. For our family, that cost became too much and so we decided to separate from the service and find a new career. So in 2007, I separated from the service and began going to college. It wasn't an easy choice, but we felt the Lord had at least allowed that decision, and thus far, He has made it all come together. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us in the future.

LHU: What exactly is the scope of your ministry?

Wade: Simply stated, I believe the scope of everyone's ministry is to have and live a Christ centered life. Such a life will then manifest itself in various forms. We are all called to spread the message of Jesus Christ. We are all called into His ministry, and it starts with living a Christ centered life. I believe my first duty in this calling is at home where I am to be the spiritual leader of my household. I have a responsibility to raise my children in the Word and by example. That's my first and most important responsibility, and right now that's where the Lord has my focus.

In the past I have done different things. I was part of a tape ministry and my last church and I also took care of the yard work every few weeks. I've helped run a few Christian discussion boards where our scope was to encourage Christians, witness to the lost and mail out Gospels of John to people across the United States and a few foreign countries. Since the launch of facebook and sites like it, many discussion boards have closed as many people enjoy the interaction that such sites provide. With it has come an awesome opportunity to witness for Jesus Christ. Social networking sites provide a great opportunity to shine the Light into the darkness. Currently, I have a page called "Evolution Exposed" where I link various materials and articles that disprove the theory of evolution. I think many Christians believe in Creation simply because the Bible says "In the beginning God created..." That's not a bad thing by any means, but the Bible calls us to be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us. For many nonbelievers, evolution is perceived to be hard fact and becomes a huge hurtle to overcome when witnessing about God and creation. Christians should be prepared to answer questions about evolution vs. creation, or know where to find answers. That's why I created that page.

In the future, when God says go, I hope to do some short term missionary work (a few weeks at a time) with Samaritan's Purse. They put together medical teams where they go and provide medical care in areas where such care is not available. This is something both my wife and I can do together, and we look forward to seeing if the Lord will have us go.

There's another ministry opportunity for people called Global Media Outreach (http://www.globalmediaoutreach.com/) It's a great way to be used by the Lord right from home. Please see the site for more info.

Prayer: the ministry we are all called to. Since I am in school and doing my clinical education at local hospitals, I find a great opportunity to pray for people. I see all sorts of people on a daily basis. People struggling with addiction, children suffering from diseases, people in pain, and others facing death. Although I only interact with them for a short period of time, that's all I need to pray for them. We need more prayer warriors in this world. It's such a powerful tool the Lord has given us, and I believe it is probably the most neglected gift we all have.

LHU: When and How Did You Come to Faith in Christ?

Wade: Gosh, that's tough to answer. I was raised in a Baptist church and made an alter call when I was about 9. Looking back, I don't really know if it was real. It's hard to determine with the path I later took. I went off into a life of sex, drugs and rock and roll throughout my teenage years and early 20's. It's difficult to answer because I'm unsure if I was truly saved at that young age and went off as a prodigal, or if I just had an "experience" and it was more just knowing all the right things. Sometimes I envy people that didn't grow up in church who later came to the Lord. There was a definitive instance where they know their life had changed. For me, I cannot pinpoint a specific time. I could say that I had many instances where I felt "spiritual" but feelings can easily mislead people. I've been a prodigal many times in my life, more than I can count. So many times I have rededicated my life to Jesus, it's hard to nail one specific time and say... yeah that's when it was. I guess what is important isn't when I got saved, but am I saved today? To that I say a very certain...yes.

LHU: What are a few of your favorite passages of scripture and why?

Wade: Well I could go on and on... but I'll give just a few.

Hebrews 12:1-2 - This scripture is jammed packed with good stuff. My favorite part is "for joy that was set before Him endured the cross..." We are the joy that was set before Him. When a person understands what Christ endured and how it pleased God to bruise Him (Isaiah 53:10), we can then begin to grasp the love God has for us. We will never fully understand His love this side of heaven, but this verse gives us a glimpse. I love to think that I was His joy, that He saw me specifically and endured the cross for my sake. Such a love.... such a love!

Isaiah 55:7- I love this passage because I have experienced it so many times in my life.

Psalm 23 - A good reminder that Jesus is with me always, even in the darkest of times. He provides all that I need. When He leads me (and I follow), true peace flows into my life even when the world around me is falling apart.

Colossians 1- Jesus should be #1 in our lives. A great reminder to stand in awe of our Savior.


LHU: What is your advice to Christian men on how to live their lives better on a daily basis for God?

As I stated before, seek and work towards placing Christ at the center of your life. When Jesus is at the center of your life, everything else works itself out. Know your Bible, read it daily.... Live it. Be real. If your struggling, don't pretend that you're not. God knows exactly who you are and what you do. If it's a show, it's time to end the masquerade. Believe me I know what it's like to be a "yo-yo" Christian, I know what it's like to put on a show. It's an issue with trying to live with one foot in Jesus and the other in the world. You can't ride the fence. Jesus said you cannot serve two masters. One will inevitably win, let it be Jesus. As Joshua 24:15 implies, we need to choose whom we will serve. Pray, pray, pray, pray.... and then pray some more.

LHU: What do you think are the greatest struggles men/women in the ministry have to face today?

Wade: Dealing specifically with ministry related issues, I would say compromising the truth of God's Word. Our world is continually moving away from well defined morality towards "personal truths". That type of ideology is making its way into the church. As an example, we now see different denominations allowing and even encouraging the homosexual agenda. Less and less is the message of" Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life" being preached from the pulpits. The truth of God's Word seems to get watered down to "keep the peace" and make people "warm and fuzzy." There's pressure to remain quiet on certain subjects so that we don't offend someone. From seeker friendly churches to emerging churches, too many Christians have forgotten that Jesus came to divide truth from error and good from evil (Luke 12:51), He came to set the captives free. God has called us out, to be separate, to live holy, and to stand for the truth of His Word. The world preaches tolerance, unless they deem you intolerant. The struggle we face is that there are not enough Bible believing, Bible living, Christians in the church. The result is churches moving away from the truth of God's Word, teaching false doctrines, and leading people into a false hope. Jesus draws a very clear line in the sand. If you're not for Him, you're against Him.

LHU: What specific books of the bible or books written by any particular authors would you recommend to someone setting out in ministry?

Wade: People need to have a good grasp on the entire Bible before setting out to do certain ministries. You should know why you believe what you believe and have Biblical backing for your ministry's claims. There's all kinds of books out there by many different people. Some better than others I guess. I tend to believe that if God has called someone into a specific ministry, then God is going to prepare them for it. Since faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, then what a person needs more than anything else is to be rooted and grounded in the Word first. There are certain books of the Bible that deal more specifically with ministry than others, but we shouldn't just search those out for guidance. I am confident that the Lord will lead and guide each individual in the way they should go so long as they diligently seek Him day to day. Therefore, I believe that the only book that is truly going to prepare someone for ministry is the Bible as a whole. I'm not saying that there are not good books out there, or that a person shouldn't read them. I just tend to believe that the Bible is enough. Everything else is secondary.

LHU: What can we your brothers and sisters in Christ join you in prayer about and/or be in prayer for you?

Wade: That I would live a life where Jesus Christ is continually the center point of my focus and that I would always persevere with Christ on the thrown in my life.

Again, thank you Wade for being a voice for Christ and sharing your story with us.

Love in Christ,
Sherri Walker, Editor