Our Guests:
Jim Bontrager:
Jim Bontrager is a United States Marine, former reserve officer, full time chaplain with the Elkhart (IN) Police Department, and Immediate Past President of the International Conference of Police Chaplains (ICPC). He holds his Fellow Chaplain credentials with the ICPC.
Jim has received numerous awards:
2012 Wilbert A. Cunningham Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement Chaplaincy
2013 Excellence in Leadership Award from Pointman Leadership Institute
2016 Recipient of the Richard S. Kassel Award
2017 Recipient of the Pilsung Warrior Award
2018 Recipient of the John A. Price Excellence in Chaplaincy Award
2015 Appointed a Sagamore of the Wabash by Indiana Governor Mike Pence
He is author of the official law enforcement curriculum for the movie Courageous, is an Indiana state certified law enforcement instructor as well as an instructor with the ICPC and Pointman Leadership Institute.
Jim is also founder/director of Warrior on the Wall, which works to address law enforcement suicide, family breakdown, and the unique emotional/spiritual challenges to the profession.
Jeremy Wade:
Jeremy Wade served for the Seattle Police Department for 13 years, but struggled with his identity in Christ versus his identity in the badge early in his career. After a few years in the department, he fully surrendered his life to the Lord, which started an amazing journey that the Lord has been blessing along the way. While not free from challenges like the Seattle riots, and many critical incidents, Jeremy could see God’s hand in directing his paths.
On the Seattle PD, Jeremy was awarded Officer of the Year and Medal of Valor. He worked in patrol, in the training unit, as a peer support coordinator, and assisted in developing the department’s first wellness unit. Jeremy co-founded the SPD Beds for Kids Program with Ryan Gallagher, which continues on today. He also served as the executive director of the Seattle Police Chaplains Association and came alongside many other local and national first responder ministries.
In 2021, Jeremy, his wife Ketryna, and four kids felt God calling them to move to Tennessee and step out in faith to do full-time ministry, supporting first responders nationwide. This led to serving as the Training and Development Coordinator for the Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers-USA until God started directing his path and opening doors to start Mission First Alliance in 2023.
Scriptures and Key Points:
1 Corinthians 1:26-27 NKJV For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.
Romans 13:1-4 NIV …For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
Luke 4 NIV …“Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”…
Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor…
“There is no glory in being a featherbed soldier…” – Charles Spurgeon
Exodus 15:3 NIV The Lord is a warrior…
Psalm 24:8 NIV Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
Psalm 68:5 NIV A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
Isaiah 61:8 ISV For I, the Lord, love justice, and I hate robbery and iniquity…
“A true warrior fights not because they hate the one in front of them, but because they love what is behind them.” – G.K. Chesterton
- As a cop, you can feel as if you always have to be in control. But as a follower of Christ, Jeremy learned that he needed to surrender and be dependent on the Lord.
- What they need most is hope, hope that can be found in Christ.
Esther 4:14 NIV …And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
- An element of trust must be built.
- There needs to be proper training so there is empathy and understanding on how to minister to those with a badge.
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
- They don’t trust those they don’t know.
- People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.
- Ministry of presence is not about what you say, but about being present.
Micah 6:8 NKJV He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
One of the greatest needs in law enforcement is solid Christ-like examples living out their faith for other first responders to follow.
- Support apart from Christ will fall short.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NKJV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
- True comfort comes only from God our Father, and He gives it not just for us to receive, but also for us to share and point others toward.
- When you believe in the “why”, you’ll put up with great hardship.
- The Collins Dictionary says “spiritual” means “relating to people’s thoughts and beliefs rather than their bodies and physical surroundings.”
- That’s where the battle is.
- To draw and support first responders:
- Help them rediscover the why and the high calling
- Support them along the way by proactively teaching them
- Help them realize God redeems our scars and our brokenness
- Their “why” needs to be rooted in their identity in Christ
- If our identity is just in what we are doing, it will always fail us.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves” – Viktor Frankl
- When it comes to making an impact, they need to be reassured that we’re playing the long game.
- You may not be able to change a situation in an instant, but you can bring light into the darkness.
Galatians 6:9 NIV Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
- If this is where God is calling, then God is in it and will orchestrate it.
First responders are an unseen mission field.
- When the Church comes alongside first responders, it opens doors into the darkest corners of the community, allowing them to bring hope where it is most needed.
Ephesians 3:20 NIV Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us
- Brokenness is key to being used by God.
- He has to equip the man before the ministry.
- Surround yourself with a strong, Godly network that will pray for you.
- And when you see God come through, don’t take ownership of it.
Proverbs 18:1 NKJV A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.
- Once you work for God, you can’t represent Heaven and live like hell.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.
John 15:4 NKJV Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
- Be connected to Christ.
Matthew 7:24-27 NKJV Build on the Rock
- It has to be about Him, not about us or what we want.
- We need each other.
- Encourage first responders to have courageous and persevering leadership.
- God does His best work in the darkest hours.
2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Links for First Responders:
Books:
- Behind the Badge by Adam Davis
- Prayers & Promises for First Responders by Adam Davis
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