Personal Information/Background

      It was a beautiful, summer day in August of 1978 when I arrived in Paris, TX , around noon. Well, I like to think it was a beautiful day. I might need to check with my mom to confirm that.

My parents gave me the name Coley Brooks Bryant. My dad giving me my first name and my mom my middle name. Weirdly, my dad never really called me by my name, but usually I would have some kind of nickname. Currently, it has remained the same for about the last 10 years my dad has called me Claude De Voc or Claude Rotiss. I have no clue what they mean and my dad is the only one that normally calls me this.

My two brothers just call me either “older brother”, “my brother”, or simply “brother”. haha Most my friends just call me “Coley”, although during my childhood days I went through many nicknames.

Please excuse me for my odd, sense of humor. I am a creation of opposite spectrums. My dad has an interesting, witty, sarcastic sense of humor, while my mom has a fun, goofy sense of humor. My dad was raised a country boy from the south, while my mom was raised a city girl from the north. My dad loves country music and southern rock, while my mom loves the Beatles and rock. They are both semi-reclusive, but are both good in social environments. Odd, indeed. And I guess I inherited some of all these traits. haha

I was raised in a home that celebrated Easter and Christmas, but were not Christians. My dad was raised in a Methodist church, but was and is still agnostic. My mom was raised Catholic, but was not a practicing Catholic when I was growing up. I didn’t go to church once that I can remember with either of my parents. We didn’t even go to church on Easter or Christmas. What I mean by celebrating these holidays is that we would put up a tree, Santa Claus would bring us gifts, and we would go eat/party with family/friends. The same was for Easter. We would get baskets full of candy, go on Easter egg hunts, and eat/party with family/friends.

I would occasionally go to a vacation bible week with friends, but I remained agnostic until a few weeks before my 25th birthday. I was the philosophical kid that would debate my drunken christian school mates at the local pasture party. haha. Well, maybe they weren’t all drunk.

September 4^th, 2001 my friends and I went to an  Aerosmith concert.  We decided to take a short cut, when walking up to the concert and hop a 6 foot fence. I thought I would do a stunt, and flip over the fence like you would see in the movies. My pants leg caught the top of the fence, and I landed wrong. I made it over the fence, but I was laying on my back yelling in pain. My friends were real concerned. One of them yelled, “Coley, we’re not missing this concert! Get up!” Well, they at least helped me in the concert. It was the most excruciating pain I had ever experienced. I eventually found out that the two lower bones of my leg that connect at the ankle had torn apart, ripping a tendon, also.

I was so devoted to partying that after I went to minor emergency the next day I went to a Pat Green concert. I did receive some crutches. I had the mentality that I couldn’t miss the party. I ended up having to have surgery, and missing a month of work.

I remember watching 9/11 at home on the couch. I could hardly believe it. My mom and brother came from Paris to take me home to take care of me, while I was out of work. My mom’s friend had lent her “The Left Behind Series”. I read it and the whole series. I would read the Bible to check the prophecies that were mentioned in the series. I started studying the world religions.

My roommates’ mom studied eschatology on Marilyn Agee’s website. I started studying that. My co-worker was a Mormon. He gave me the Book of Mormons. I read half of that book. He pointed out some things in the end of it. I started searching the web to study Buddhism and Muslims. I started studying different things.

I was an agnostic. I didn’t know what to believe. Up to this point, I grew up a pretty quiet person, but would have sporadic times of anger, jealousy, and bitterness. Sometimes, I would have a lot of fear. I really wasn’t at peace with myself at all, but would still try to manage to look somewhat cool.

In about the middle to end of May of 2003 to the beginning of June 2003, my roommates and I were throwing a party. About 4 AM, a friend told me about “The Village Church” in Highland Village. I tried to find it the next morning, but was unable to find it. I finally found it in a couple of weeks.

I remember feeling like the preacher was speaking straight to me.  I was full of doubts, guilt, and fears. One of my roommates started attending with me sometimes. In July, I took a trip of to Minnesota with my mom, her new husband, and my brothers.

From all the studying, searching, and seeking for the truth about Jesus Christ, I could no longer turn a deaf ear. I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart and to be my Lord and Savior. I asked GOD to forgive me of my sins. I said it so many times that I don’t know how many times I said it.

I remember just having a thirst for more knowledge of GOD, and my new Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I was sitting at my new desk at work, and prayed that I could just study and listen about him more. I was amazed when my employers said that I could bring a radio to listen to between calls. I listened to about 4 to 7 sermons a day on 100.7. I bought sermon series. I couldn’t get enough. I read and studied.

I went to a membership class at “The Village Church” in October of 2003, I think.  I became a member of “The Village Church”.

I started going to Dallas Baptist University for Christian Ministries, in the fall of 2004. I eventually added a double major of Business Administration, because I had only 4 classes to finish a business degree.  I eventually settled for a Bachelor in Business Administration lacking 2 classes to finish the double major in Christian Ministries.

A few years back, my two friends introduced me to the Hebrew Roots and Messianic movement. I didn’t accept it too well. Some of it seemed to go against teachers that I respected to know more.

In the fall of 2008, I took 3 classes at Westminster Theological Seminary. They were the doctrine of church, the reformation, and dynamics of biblical change ( a biblical counseling class). It was a great semester of revelation, but it was expensive. I didn’t feel like it would be obedient at the time to go into debt for a Master of Divinity. So, I only went the one semester.

I started attending Baruch HaShem Messianic Synagogue sporadically with a friend in February/March of 2009. This year, I began a Hebrew language class there in January of 2010. I hope to get more involved with serving there soon.

This is a somewhat overview of my background. In short, my views have transformed from agnostic, to plain Christian, to Reformed Baptist, to Messianic. It has been an interesting journey so far. I’m sure it will be interesting to see where GOD takes me the next 7-10 years and so on.

Well, I’ve been back at The Village since around the end of September 2010. I just felt like I needed to go back for the community that I had there. It is my home church. I’m so thankful that I was led back there. In the last year, I have by the grace of G-D, retained better relationships with friends and family. I now see that the pendulum swing to the Messianic side went too far.  I believe FFOZ, Baruch HaShem, and Derek Leman’s books and blogs, along with further study, has brought to a better understanding of the Hebrew Roots/Messianic movement.

I believe all of these ministries are great and fruitful. I felt that I belonged back in my home church, though. I still try to keep the Biblical Diet, Sabbath, and Biblical Holidays to a certain degree but have come to the conclusion that these were never enforced on the nations or a requirement for them. These were given to Israel, not to say gentiles can not try to do them or part of them as they choose. I do not believe it is a sin of they choose not to.

Although if they do choose to do some or try to keep them, I believe they will learn a lot and could have a lot of joy in doing so. I continued to take Hebrew classes at Baruch HaShem this last semester. It is a great place to learn Hebrew. Unfortunately, I will not be returning this semester. I feel led to go to University of Dallas for a Master of Science in Accounting. So, I’m registered to start in the Fall.

In the last year, I’ve begun to study more on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I thought I might be labeled a “seatbelt charismatic”. That is I still believe the gifts are available but still must align with the authority of Scripture. However, after further study, I don’t know if I can really label myself as “charismatic”, as far as what most deem this terminology. I might be more of a classical cessationalists but I continue to study.

It is amazing this journey through life that G-D brings us through. Labels have to really be explained in-depth now a days since everyone has different meanings for them. I respect certain teachers with all several different labels: (Charismatic- C.J. Mahaney; Progressive Dispensational & Classical Cessational- John MacArthur; Reformed Baptist- John Piper; Presbyterian- Tim Keller; Messianic- FFOZ, Derek Leman, Baruch HaShem).

So, perhaps better to say Grateful Disciple of Yeshua Messiah. I know it will probably continue to be interesting to see how the next 3-8 years go and onward. May GOD give me wisdom and guide me to where He would have me, in Yeshua Messiah!