Meet Russ Brown

When Saul put his trust in Jesus and became Paul, the stage was set for one of Jesus’ most ardent persecutors to become his greatest advocate. Paul dedicated his life to telling others of what Jesus did to reconcile us with God. He used everything about his story, including the dark side of Saul, to propel his ministry.

My rejection of Christ bore its ugly fruit most significantly in the first decade of adulthood. I entered the University of Arizona on a full athletic scholarship after a wild season of recruiting trips across the country. I thought the team was lucky to have me for three years before pro ball. I moved into my freshman dorm entitled, carrying more ego than luggage. I stopped working hard and pursued fleeting pleasures with reckless abandon. Four years later I slumped off campus, injured physically and emotionally, and with few meaningful relationships. I was not a good teammate or friend. I somehow managed to find a new form of hubris, success in law school, but broken relationships and the pursuit of fleeting things continued to reign. I didn't know my Creator and Rescuer and had no spiritual compass.

It was years later that I was unexpectedly on my figurative Road to Damascus (see Acts 22) and came to understand I was reconciled to God. Jesus’ sacrifice made me no longer an enemy to God. His resurrection, and my faith in it, made me an heir to the kingdom! Hallelujah!

As believers our mission is to share the good news often and in any way possible. Am I proud of my dark “Saul years”? No way! Do I use every bit of those years to glorify God and share the ministry of reconciliation? Absolutely! I have opportunities every week to mentor and lead young athletes, lawyers, business leaders, dads, and husbands. I never shy from my story of separation because it ends in beautiful reconciliation and a saving faith. God is using my story, with all the peaks and valleys, to bring others closer to Him, and for that I rejoice.