MIDLAND Living for God, serving him and living a life that pleases him boils down to faith.
That’s what the Rev. Bradley K. “Brad” Smith teaches at Calvary Assembly of God Church at 908 S. Johnston St., where he has ministered since 2017 after working as a youth minister and pastor in Diamond, Okla., and Rock Springs, Wyo., and teaching and coaching for 18 years in the public schools of Perryton and Spearman in the Panhandle.
“Prayer is very powerful,” the Rev. Smith said. “We pray and commune with God and get to know his voice. When we pray, God hears us and when he hears us, he answers us and those answers bring change to our circumstances, to our families, to our nation and to our government.
“We live for God, serve him and live lives that please him through prayer, Bible study and discipleship, praying and getting to know God and fellowshipping, becoming steadfast in the Lord.
“The Bible says the just shall live by faith, so I spend a lot of time on the subject of walking and living by faith.”
Smith’s favorite scripture is Second Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
A native of Seadrift in South Texas, he graduated from Rhema Bible Training College in Broken Arrow, Okla., and the Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie. He and his wife Pam have three sons.
An average of 200 people attends Calvary Assembly of God Church at 10:30 a.m. Sundays.
Referring to a Buffalo Bills football player who was revived after his heart stopped during a nationally televised game Jan. 2, the pastor said, “That quickly affected the nation and caused people to see that there is great power in prayer.
“We want to build a steady, solid relationship with God.”
Church Deacon Kenny Harper said Smith “loves his people and cares about all of them.
“Brad is concerned about their problems and issues and the things in their lives,” Harper said. “The church was nearly down to nothing when he came here and he has built it up spiritually and financially through his leadership and guidance.
“The guy has a great personality. People just love him. He loves sports and he referees football and basketball games. He is a great preacher because he spends a lot of time in prayer and study.”
