Brian Johnson - When God Becomes Real

When God Becomes Real
Copyright 2019 Brian Johnson & Bethel Book Publishing

All Rights Reserved. No part of When God Becomes Real may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or in any meansby electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwisewithout permission. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws.

NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked TPT are from The Passion Translation. Copyright 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.

Cover and Interior Design by Stephen James Hart
Front Cover Photo by Justin Posey
Back Cover Photo by Jordana Griffith

Produced by Bethel Book Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-949709-23-0

Printed in the United States.

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Jenn. I love you, babe. Your strength, passion and heart for God amaze me. You never let go of His faithfulness or promises for both of us. You saw the vision and ran with me every step of the way.

Haley, Ta, Braden and Ryder. You are the gifts in my life that still overwhelm me each and every day. You keep my heart grounded and are my constant joy. Your mom and I pray for you daily and are so excited to see you walk in all that God has for you.

Mom and Dad. From the first moment this season started at just seven years old, your steadfast belief in the goodness of God anchored me and allowed me to know that I would find freedom. Circumstances never changed your belief. Your unwavering commitment to this truth has changed the lives of countless people. Your perseverance, humility and relentless pursuit of God inspire me every day.

Joel Taylor. Youve always had my back. You heard the dreams in our hearts and made them come to life. You shouldered more than I can say, and I know that we would not be where we are without you.

Jason Borneman. You brought so much fun into our lives and laughter into our house. You had such a clear understanding of my journey and brought peace when I needed it most. You are the definition of a true friend.

Holly Brunson. We both know that this book wouldnt have been completed if you hadnt encouraged me to keep searching for the right words and have the courage to tell my story. Only you and I will know the countless hours and edits and re-edits we went through. You helped me find words for my story when I would have given up. Thank you for helping bring my story to life. You went and found the puzzle pieces and then brought it all back together.

Kris and Kathy Vallotton. You went before me into a hard place and had the courage to come out on the other side. Thank you for the crucial moments of bringing me hope and being my strength in that season when I didnt have it.

Seth Haines. Thank you for your help in bringing this book to life! Your insight and help were invaluable.

Bethel Music Community. Youre the promise of so many of the prophetic words Jenn and Ive been given over the past twenty-five years. Your personal commitment and faithfulness to God inspire and move me. What a team God has given us. Im more than proud of your passion and work to let the world experience and encounter God.

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We live in a world that works so hard to make everything appear just right. This is especially true within the church, where if you are a leader, you have such a high expectancy to never show or have weakness. My friend Brian Johnson shatters all these facades to pieces with his book When God Becomes Real. Brian helps us see once again the power and lifeline of praise, not just on the mountain peak, but deep in the valley. I know you will find strength, hope and encouragement for your own journey through this book.

CHRIS TOMLIN

I am sure that most of us who have picked up this book have had specific moments and events in our lives when God becomes real. Brians story told throughout these pages is such a beautiful depiction of Gods love, power and faithfulness in seasons where He really is the only option to turn to. This book is uplifting, insightful and passes along courage to keep believing and going through those moments of our lives one step at a time. I believe the words and tools in these pages are going to help every person who reads them in a profound way. There are deeper levels of freedom and relationship Jesus wants to take us to and this book is going to help you get there.

KARI JOBE

When God Becomes Real is Brians incredible testimony of making what God has done for him bigger than what any person or life experience did to him. This book will challenge you to cultivate a life of worship and immerse yourself in Scripture so that you too can develop a faith that cannot be shaken, no matter what you may face.

CHRISTINE CAINE
BEST-SELLING AUTHOR, FOUNDER A21 AND PROPEL WOMEN

I am so grateful that my friend Brian Johnson has put into a book his story in such a profoundly vulnerable and honest way. Ive often said that the greatest weapon I know against the darkness of this world is the worship of the one who has overcome it. Brian learned this early on in life not as some sort of head knowledge he picked up in church but truly as heart knowledge he learned from his father out of a desperate need for its truth. Its no mystery to me why God has chosen Brian to birth a worship movement that has traveled the earth.

JASON INGRAM

There are moments in life when the enemy simply comes in like a floodand in those seasons it feels like drowning would almost be sweet relief compared to the terror that ensues. In When God Becomes Real Brian Johnson opens his heart and bares his soul as he shares his most personal and powerful life story. I am confident that this book will lead your heart to the welcome truth of Gods Presence in the midst of any trying timedeclaring again the wonder and power of Christ Jesus, the name that is above every other name.

DARLENE ZSCHECH

To sit across from Brian and hear firsthand the story of his chronic struggle with anxiety is to take a tumble down the rabbit hole into a Mad Hatters tea party where perception and reality are opposing forces. Who would have believed that such a gifted worship leader and consummate outdoorsman had spent so much of his very young life in a world of chaos. Brians journey into the heart of Gods freedom is a lifeline for so many others struggling in secret and self-imposed shame, desperate to find their way back to the surface.

MATT CROUCH
CEO OF TBN

Something happens when we own our stories, when we tell the truth from the secret to the stage. There is a vulnerability and an authority that can only come when I share how Jesus rescued me. We each have a story to tell, and no one can tell it for us. If there is anything I have learned about Brian after running with him and serving him these last ten years, it is this: he is true. He is unapologetically himself, and his tenderness and honesty will be a catalyst for change in your life, just as it has been in our community