Click here to download the entire February 2010 edition of RealLife.

On February 27 and 28 of last year, men from all over Northwest Arkansas were invited to attend a conference at The Church at Pinnacle Hills entitled Fearless. Our church leaders began planning for the conference with the hope of engaging between 400 and 500 men. Instead, just over 1,100 men participated in Fearless, far surpassing all expectations. Shawn Smith, Springdale Campus Pastor, describes, “God blew us away. We had men who came who had lost their jobs, sons who came with their fathers, and God met us in a powerful way….”

Two of those men in attendance were Ken Hough and Mark Sewell.

Ken Hough, an employee of Tyson Foods, began attending The Church at Pinnacle Hills with his fiancé, Nicole. The couple’s relationship was in trouble, and Ken admits he was “searching for answers.” Ken contemplated attending the conference but was “unsure if [he] wanted to take the step.” He explains, “This was all new to me. Finally, Nicole just asked if I wanted to go. Next thing I knew, she registered me. Truth is, it was God’s pursuit of me working through Nicole. And I had no idea what to expect.”

But when Ken stepped into the Pinnacle Hills Gatheria on the first night of the conference, he was “amazed how welcoming, helpful, friendly, and kind everyone was, and the conference hadn’t even started yet.” A short time later, as Pastor Ronnie Floyd began speaking from the book of Daniel, Ken’s mind resonated with one thought, “I want to be that man. I want to be fearless.”

Later, during Nick Floyd’s message, “Fearless through Weakness,” Ken was struck by the idea that “God’s grace is sufficient.” Ken explains, “I think it was then that I truly started to feel weak. The whole time I had been trying to do everything on my own, be in control… in the driver’s seat. I thought I could fix what was broken. I sat there numb.”

As Nick concluded, Pastor Floyd took the stage and ended the session with an invitation. Ken remembers, “It was the first time I had ever gotten up from my seat during an invitation. It was the first time I ever prayed and opened myself to God, saying, ‘I can’t do this myself anymore. I am weak, but your grace IS sufficient.’ At that moment, it was like a chilling rush of calm and peace came pouring from the back of the Worship Center over me. The tears stopped. I felt together and at peace. I looked around at all the other men at the altar and wondered what had just happened.”

Shortly after, Ken met with Nick Floyd at a local restaurant, and in Ken’s words, “I took my first steps in becoming a fearless man.” On that day in that restaurant, Ken accepted Jesus Christ. “I was ready,” Ken said. “… And it was my decision.”

When asked how the Fearless conference affected his life, Ken responded, “Well, I was saved. That’s a pretty huge effect. I’m not perfect… nowhere near. But the Fearless conference allowed me to start reaching out and making friends with good Christian men who will help pick me up when I fall and help me with my walk as I continue to grow in Christ.”

Mark Sewell also attended Fearless. Mark, a father of three and a local chiropractor, was a member of First Baptist Church of Springdale and drawn to the conference by the title. He explains, “I realized that I was fearful of totally surrendering every area of my life to the Lord. I knew that if men would humble themselves… and truly abandon themselves to the will of the Father, something amazing would happen. I wanted to be a partaker of what the Lord had in store….”

And Mark was not disappointed. He remembers the moment that “touched his heart” near the conference’s end and time of invitation—the same invitation Ken Hough walked the aisle for the first time. Mark recalls, “Men went forward with hearts that were broken before the Lord. I could tell walls were falling down and men were being set free from all kinds of fear.”

Mark Sewell believes the Fearless conference helped him renew a passion to be courageous for the Lord. “The humility I saw in other men encouraged me to know that I am not alone—that other men face the same challenges that I do every day. I was challenged to live my life for eternity; to live fearlessly for my King; to totally surrender every area of my life to Him; to see Him first in all things; and to abide in Him.”

When asked how he would encourage other men to attend the upcoming men’s conference, Mark answered, “I would tell them that if we seek Him, we will find Him. There is nothing more important for any man than being what God has created him to be. I would tell them that we need to learn to lean on one another instead of trying to do it all on our own.” Ken Hough is the first to agree. He adds, “If you’re thinking about going, stop thinking about it and just register. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

This year, the Northwest Arkansas Men’s Conference: Men at the Cross, will be held on February 26 and 27 at The Church at Pinnacle Hills. The conference will be partnering with Joe White, Rick Rigsby, and Men at the Cross, a “ministry of radically committed men serving Christ, family, church, and the workplace.” Speakers include Dr. Joe White, Dr. Rick Rigsby, Dr. Ronnie Floyd, and Dr. Nick Floyd, and worship will be led by Josh Stanbery.

Take it from Ken Hough. “Lives were changed last year, and lives will certainly be changed again. When it was all said and done at Fearless, it was difficult for me to find the words to describe the experience. You just have to feel it for yourself.”

Ken and Nicole Hough were married by Nick Floyd in May 2009. They have two children, Drew and Peyton, and a baby on the way. Mark Sewell and his wife Regina live in Springdale and have three children, Hayle, Braegan, and Blayne.

Click here to download the entire February 2010 edition of RealLife.