I don’t have a remarkable testimony. Mine is not a story that amazes. It is, however, a story of God’s grace. And God’s grace is always amazing! Psalm 67 is a song in which God’s people cry out for His blessing so that they become a blessing to others. When I look back upon my life, I see God’s blessing upon others that overflowed into my life.

Sacrificial Parenting

My parents were converted early in their marriage. Neither of them grew up in families that modeled a godly home. It seemed that this deficiency caused them to look outside of themselves for help in ordering their lives. First and foremost, this led them to commit to being in worship each and every week. I grew up never wondering what we were going to do on the Lord’s Day. This weekly commitment to worship ingrained in me a pattern that I love today, and through which God has blessed me (according to His promise) in innumerable ways.

Second, my parents sought the assistance of the local Christian school for my education. My parents had seven children. I grew up watching my father work harder than anyone else I’ve ever known, not to get ahead or to build his own kingdom, but because he knew how important it was that we were grounded in the truth of God’s Word. To this day, my father remains the hardest-working person I know. I often reflect on how God used my dad’s daily, self-sacrificing hard work to provide me with the instruction and the training that I am grateful for each day.

Alongside my father’s hard work, I enjoyed the example of a mother who was committed to the Word of God and to prayer. Some of my earliest memories are of my mother’s open Bible and how her prayer journal received much attention early each day. No doubt those journals were filled with prayers for her children, which God has graciously answered. My parents, whose lives were dramatically changed by the grace of God, gave of themselves for the sake of their children and were used by God to bring His blessing to their children.

Brotherly Concern

I have always had the greatest love for my oldest brother. Growing up, he was my hero, and I always wanted to be like him. Early on, that was not always a good thing. But when I witnessed my brother repenting of sin and trusting in Christ, it had a profound effect on me. I watched how the grace of God changes a man. This dramatic change in my brother translated into a godly concern for all of his siblings. While no one would have blamed my brother for moving off to pursue his own future, he instead remained close to home out of concern for his brothers and his sister.

I’ll never forget experiencing the love of God for me through the concern of my brother. Early in my high school days, my brother noticed that I was reluctant to be identified as a Christian in the public school that we all attended. Not only did he know me well enough to notice this change, but he also loved me enough to say something about it. Proverbs 27:6 says that the wounds of a friend are faithful. When my brother first approached me, it was devastating. But, because his care and concern were evident, I listened. He was right. I was humbled. Thank God for those who love us enough to speak up, even when it hurts.

Since those early days, God has continued to use this brother in my life. He is a trusted friend whom I can call at any time. He loves the Word of God, and some of my favorite times are those when we get to spend time talking theology. My brother and I had a unique opportunity to attend seminary at the same time, and today we both labor in pastoral ministry. I will always give thanks to God for this brotherly concern.

Faithful Preaching

The preaching of God’s Word has walked me through this life. My parents’ commitment to be in worship each week meant that I was being formed from a young age. I can remember distinct times at church during my youth in which I heard the faithful preaching of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Not only did I hear faithful preaching at church, the Christian school that my father worked so hard to send us to required weekly chapel attendance. This school did not invite anyone in to “give a talk”; rather, the pastor of the school’s sponsoring church recognized the opportunity before him and preached to us each week. Just as with our church, I can still remember specific times where I was profoundly impacted by the simple yet faithful preaching of that godly man.

When I went off to college, my dad told me it was time for me to figure out what church I was going to be committed to. At the time, I did not have any sort of filter with which to sort the various churches. But I did know one thing: I needed to hear the Word of God preached to me. This was the one driver for me as I looked for a church, and it is what, years down the road, led me to the RPCNA. When I finished my undergraduate studies at the University of Northern Colorado, my desire for finding faithful preaching took me to Flagstaff, Ariz., where I was mentored by a godly, faithful preacher. It was there I met my wife.

Morgan and I were attending the same church for the same reason: we found there the Word of God expounded and applied to our lives. It is still no small wonder that she agreed to marry me. Early in our marriage, as I was finishing graduate school and we needed to find a place to settle, we were faced with that daunting prospect of finding a new church. By this time, we were beginning to discover the Reformed church. Yet, it was still the faithful preaching of the Word that guided our steps. When work took us to Colorado Springs, we started visiting churches and began to worry about what we were finding. After visiting all of the Reformed churches that we were aware of, I found Springs Reformed Church online and began listening to Pastor Dave Reese’s sermons. I still remember coming home from the run in which I had listened to the first sermon that I had heard preached by Pastor Reese. It refreshed my soul! Renewed in my hope and excited about what I had just heard, I enthusiastically told my wife about what I had just listened to. We visited that Lord’s Day, and we have been a part of the RPCNA ever since. Not only did we find in this church the faithful preaching of the Word, but we also found the godliness, hospitality, friendships, and, most importantly, love for God and one another that faithful preaching produces.

Not only was this church foundational for Morgan and me as we began our family and started to form our home, but later the congregation even sent us to and shepherded us through training for the ministry. For anyone thinking of pursuing the ministry, I cannot stress enough the blessing of having those who know you best (your strengths and your weaknesses) there to encourage and help you along the way.

My constant prayer these days is that God would pour out His blessing upon me and my family such that we become a blessing to others. My life is the testimony of God’s blessing upon others. As God poured out His grace and mercy upon others, it overflowed into my life. And so, my prayer is that I can have that same role in the lives of others—to the glory and praise of God.

Joseph Friedly is the pastor of Tri-Lakes Reformed Church in Monument, Colo. He is married to Morgan, and God has blessed them with five children: Ezra, Julie, Ella, Nehemiah, and Jeshua. They are expecting another blessing in early August.