Tim Reed
If we don’t stay anchored to God’s Word and the community of God’s people, we will be swept away by the tide of life. Tim Reed’s story is a tribute to this truth: after living waywardly in his late teenage and early adult years, he rediscovered the Scriptures and the community of God's people—which profoundly changed his life.
Tim grew up in a conservative Baptist church and professed faith in Jesus at a very young age. As he grew up, he did many of the “church things” you would expect—participating in Awanas, attending Christian private school, going to youth group on Wednesday nights—and was baptized at age 16.
The week following his baptism, Tim was hit with an onslaught of temptation that was more encompassing than anything else he’d experienced before. While still intellectually believing in Jesus, Tim’s faith became anemic as he pursued the things that he wanted over the way of Jesus. For the next seven years, Tim played in a struggling punk band up and down the West Coast—with his desire for success choking out most other things in his life.
During this time, he knew that he wasn’t living in the truth, but despite the nudges of the Spirit, felt powerless to do anything about it—it was a cycle of conviction, shame, and selfishness on repeat over and over again. The lie of the enemy—when you’re caught in the shame cycle—is that things will never get better; it will always be this way—or get worse. And that’s what Tim believed.
After years of living his own way and feeling unsatisfied, there was a moment in his early 20s where he picked up his Bible again and started consuming it. His heart began to soften and his eyes were opened—not just to the intellectual truths about Jesus—but to the actual teachings of Jesus. Tim started craving the Word. And, as he read the Scriptures, realized that there was a better way of life than he ever thought possible. Bit by bit, the Scriptures won his heart over, and his life, in turn, started to reflect that.
Today, Tim has truly fallen in love with the Scriptures, and he believes every follower of Jesus should do the same. The foundation the Scriptures provided back in his twenties has been crucial, anchoring Tim to Christ amidst life’s ups and downs. Unfortunately, he has seen that so many often take the wisdom they offer for granted. Yet, when we embrace God’s Word, we secure ourselves in its narrative, safeguarding against worldly influences. We understand why we are here, what we are supposed to be doing, and where it is that we are going—which is the only way to stay anchored to the way of Jesus in light of all the false narratives our culture would have us live into. Tim’s firsthand experience taught him that a solid grasp of Scripture reduces susceptibility to falsehoods.
Tim, a husband, father of two, and business owner, juggles numerous responsibilities, yet prioritizes time for God, steadfast in his pursuit of deeper intimacy. He has found Scripture memorization and daily routines pivotal, setting alarms three times a day to pause and pray over passages like Psalm 1, Psalm 23, and The Lord’s Prayer. This practice of internalizing God’s Word is vital for him, keeping him rooted in the Lord in the busyness of life.
In addition to knowing and memorizing the Scriptures, Tim has learned that doing life with other believers is imperative to our walk with Jesus. He actively participates in a 26 West Community group and meets weekly with some of the men from the group to spur each other on. He has intentionally integrated his business with friends and family who also follow Jesus to keep his eyes focused on the things that matter. Tim also prioritizes mentorship—both as a mentor and a mentee. He believes that being vulnerable, sharing where we are at, and confessing our sins are things we must do with God and with trusted Jesus followers in our lives. The enemy wants us to feel isolated and alone, but when we bring others in it makes it a lot harder for those things to take root in our lives, and makes it much easier to cast it off and find freedom.
Even as life gets busy, Tim never wants to lose out on time with people because he believes our investment into people is the most important work we will ever do.
As life has thrown curveballs his way, Tim has tried to stay faithful to Jesus by knowing His Word and being in community with other believers. For years, Tim believed the Christian life was just him, Jesus, and the Bible. But if we don’t stay anchored to God’s story and the community of God’s people, we will be swept away. Jesus in the New Testament tells us that Christian life is meant to be lived together (Matthew 18v20). If we aren’t living together, we’re neglecting Jesus Himself.
To anyone wanting to live in closer relationship with Jesus, Tim encourages you to immerse yourself in the Scriptures and live actively in community with God’s people.
Is there anything in your life that you need to turn away from? Who is someone you can go deep and grow together with? What scriptures can you hide in your heart and memorize in this season (even just one verse)?
Is there anything in your life that you need to turn away from? Who is someone you can go deep and grow together with? What scriptures can you hide in your heart and memorize in this season (even just one verse)?
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
- John 6v68-69
But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
- Mathew 4v4