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My Story
Here is my story…
I was born in September of 1979 and the world has never been the same since. Growing up I learned to skateboard, loved the beach and had a passion for anything creative and adventurous.
My parents raised me in the church along with my younger brother and sister. Going to church was boring and wasn’t something I was really excited about. I basically went to make my parents happy.
Around my senior year of high school I went to a hardcore show at the Indoor Va Beach Skatepark (now closed). There were a bunch of bands there and one in particular caught my attention. Zao played an amazing set and I talked with one of the band members afterwards for a bit. The guy had quite a few tattoos and piercings and he looked a little intimidating at first glance. Once we started talking I realized there was something really different about this guy. He told me the band they played in was a Christian band and they were having a blast doing it.
The fact that he was a Christian blew my mind, but not enough to make me change my lifestyle at the time.
In 1997, I graduated from Kellam High School and planned on pursuing a career in graphic design, but that was my plan… someone else had a bigger plan in mind.
I went away to Camp Rudolph in Yale, VA and met a kid named Nate. He wanted to become a Christian so bad, but every time he asked his mom she told him, “No. Those people are a cult and there is no way I will let you be a part of that!”
Nate was so defeated that week and left feeling like life was so unfair.
That afternoon when we left I got a call from my friend Nathan Lewis. He said, “Hey Jason, Nate is going to be baptized at 64th Street. You coming?” I was so excited for him and told Nathan I would be there as soon as I could.
Nate knew his mom would be unhappy and upset with him, but I will never forget what he said to all of us, “I need to follow God first, then I will do as my mother says. I know God will help me with my mom when I tell her.” That day we watched as Nate was baptized and I knew my course in life had to change too.
I wanted to be a part of sharing God with other people so they could have the same relationship with God that Nate felt. So I dropped my plans of graphic design to be a pastor.
Along the way I met some great people at Roanoke Bible College, played in a band with some of the greatest guys to ever follow God, worked with Real Life Church for 7+ years back in my home town of Va Beach and met my beautiful wife Carrie (seriously she’s amazing).
We were married in 2004 and it has been a whirlwind ever since. We tried and tried to have a baby and got pregnant and miscarried our first child in 2007. God built us up with the help of some amazing friends and family; and in 2008 we welcomed our daughter Chloe Elise Bedell into the world. She is great and we are blessed to have such an amazing baby.
Besides being a husband and father, I absolutely love my job. I work as the Lead Pastor at Forefront Church, while living in good ol’ Virginia Beach, VA. I also work with a side project I started called, “Man Down Media” which specializes in graphics, design, media & video.
My passion is reaching lost people and using my talents to make the world a better place. If you are wondering about this God that has placed us on this roller coaster of life… give me a shout, I’d love to talk with you about it!
J-del **over and out**
To read a full length series on details through the journey in “These Ol’ Vans,” CLICK HERE
iRack
Pondering Those Lost…
So I was going through my guitar cases the other day, just clearing out old song sheets and cleaning everything out I don’t need anymore and out falls a newspaper article I hadn’t read in a few years. I went to High School with Luke Wright. Luke was an amazing kid who showed me what life was really all about. He was really into hardcore music and loved God like no one I have ever seen before.
Luke mom (Betsy) actually writes the religious column for the Va Pilot. Luke got me back into God, faith and how to be a true Christ follower. He didn’t care about what people thought, how they lived or what they stood for… he just wanted them to know that God loved them and he lived in such a way that we all looked at him and thought, “What in the world is up with Luke? Why is he so freakin’ happy all the time? I gotta start eating what that kid is having!”
One day I picked up the paper as part of my normal morning routine (if you don’t read the paper, keep up with current events, or at least check news blogs… start reading and get out from under your rock. okay, enough of my soap box. back to the topic), I was sifting through the articles and and see “Local 20-Something Takes Life in Dorm Room.”
As I begin reading I realize there’s a connection that would leave me stunned. Luke Wright had taken his life. The feeling in my stomach was overwhelming. As I continued, my eyes were opened to something I never knew before. Luke had a bone disease that was eating away at his normal movement and bone structure. He was living in pain daily and none of his friends ever knew. He wrote a letter to his family & friends saying life was amazing, but the pain was too much and hopefully God would forgive him.
Speechless.
He was one of the few people who showed me life was worth living as a Christ-follower and then a few years later took his own life. It makes me wonder how many people out there are living in the pain of not knowing Christ and when things happen they have no way to cope and don’t have a hope in something bigger. Someone bigger. God was his foothold and then during the course of time he gave up on the very One who brought him into existence.
I loved Luke and his vibe for life. I don’t know where Luke is or what God has in store for him, and it’s not my place to judge or decide, but Luke inspired me and gave me the chance to see how living for God is an amazing thing… so I hope that counts for something. I pray everyone I meet thinks of me like I thought of Luke; loving life and showing that being a Christ-follower is worth chasing.
Go be a Lion Chaser.
New & Past Series Images
At Forefront we try to be as creative as possible and part of that is getting graphics that pop and get people talking about the topic for that week. The graphic ends up on our main page, this week page, weekly update, during service on the screen, message cd’s podcast, and more. Maybe these will inspire you. Our new series is titled: “The Flavor of Love” and it’s all about being ‘salt’ and ‘light.’
Ministry Expo Advertising
At Forefront we just did a Ministry Expo where we had volunteer sign-ups for the different serving opportunities available. The theme was “So You Say You Want A Revolution” and we decked it all out 60′s style. Our booth was done up in woodstock and had Jimi Hendrix & The Who representin’. Here is the banner we used for our booth and a commercial we did:
