Photo by Jenny Kirk As his identical twin brother, David Benham looks on, Jason Benham, right, shares a faith-fueled baseball experience with students, staff and others in attendance on Thursday afternoon at True Light Christian School. In the evening, the Benham brothers delivered an impactful message at the 2018 Promise Banquet.

MARSHALL — The message delivered from the Benham brothers at True Light Christian School and later at the 2018 Promise Banquet was fairly simple — live, work and play within the moral boundaries that God has set.

Making a commitment to that and following through is the tough part, though twin brothers Jason and David Benham are shining examples of faithful servants trying to do just that. The brothers are former professional baseball players, nationally-acclaimed entrepreneurs and best-selling authors.

“These two are great,” Brian Knochenmus said as he introduced the brothers on Thursday afternoon at True Light. “They really know and they’ve really lived out a life that demonstrates the power and the truth of Jesus Christ. They’re baseball players. They’re also businessmen. They actually don’t separate their ministry from their business life. It’s the same thing. That’s how it should be for us, too, at school, with families, at work. We’re called to be ambassadors of Jesus Christ wherever we are.”

The motivational speakers’ rise to success earned them a reality show with Home and Garden Television (HGTV) that was set to air in fall 2014 — though the show was abruptly canceled, they said, because of their deep commitment to biblical values.

“We’re going to share some of our story in baseball — we both played collegiately and professionally,” David Benham said prior to speaking with students at True Light. “We’re going to talk to these kids about a relationship with the Lord and how it’s more profitable than silver or gold, fame or fortune. And (Thursday night), the message for adults will be about shining our light and how it exposes our good deeds and also the world’s evil deed and how it’s important to raise up children that understand what values are. “

Benham said the positive message is especially important to hear in today’s day and age with “all the fake news, hyper media and polarized environment in which we live.”

“When you boil it all down, number 1, we’re God’s creation, number 2, we’re Americans, so we have a lot of common ground with folks, but number 3, we believe that God’s blessings are found within God’s moral boundaries,” he said. “And when those blessings are removed, they’re replaced with burdens.”

Benham said he doesn’t believe those statements to be hateful, bigoted or intolerant.

“That’s just a truthful, loving statement to make,” Benham said. “So when Jason and I talk about marriage, when we talk about relationships, when we talk about unborn children in the mother’s womb, these are moral boundaries that God has put up and said, ‘Let’s protect life, let’s be about God’s way and God’s best.”

The gymnasium at True Light was alive with energy as people sang a number of praise songs together. When the brothers took the stage, it got really quiet as the students, staff and others in attendance listened to the message.

The audience learned that David and Jason Benham live on the same street in Charlotte, North Carolina, and that between them, they have nine children. Having listened to Knochenmus thank God for the warm weather, the crowd wholeheartedly laughed when David Benham said it was “freezing” outside.

Then the mood got a little more serious, as Benham told them how his dad was a pastor and that both he and his twin brother had given their hearts to Jesus at the age of 12.

“He said to us, ‘You need to take that conviction that’s in your heart and turn it into commitment in your mind and your hands and your feet,'” David Benham said. “And from the age of 12 to the age of 18, every year, we read through the New Testament. We were on a Bible reading schedule that we’re still on today.”

Jason Benham added that from age 18, they committed to reading through the entire Bible every year — a feat that demanded an average of 20 minutes a day.

“That still leaves 23 hours and 40 minutes a day to do whatever else you want to do,” he said. “Is that too much to give the God who created you?”

After high school, the brothers signed baseball scholarships to play at Liberty University. Jason Benham said a full-ride scholarship was the only way they could afford to attend the Division I Christian school.

“We wanted to go to a big Christian school that had a Division I program because we wanted to play for the World College Series,” he said.

Benham explained that Liberty had never won a game in a national tournament in any sport and so that was his ultimate goal.

“So like March Madness, they did the same thing, but it was the top 48 teams,” Jason Benham said. “Our goal was to get Liberty to a tournament like that and win one game. It meant we had to win our conference championship and be picked for the national competition.”

After coming up short the first three years, Benham said Liberty won the conference and was selected to play in the national double-elimination tournament. After losing to Florida State, they “drew the Auburn (Alabama) Tigers,” he said.

Benham had everyone’s complete attention as he told the story about the game being tied 2-2, with two outs in the top of the ninth inning.

“All we had to do was get one runner out and find a way to manufacture a run in the bottom of the inning and we’d win our very first game for Liberty in a national tournament,” he said. “But the guy up to bat hit a slow-rolling ground ball to our third baseman and it went right through his legs, and the runner on second rounded third and stepped on home. Now they’re up 3-2, and you could hear the collective sigh, just like you guys just did. The problem was that I happened to be playing third base that day.”

After his team got the next out and he was running toward the dugout, Jason Benham said he remembers asking God to find a way to let him redeem himself. He said he started doing the math in his head and realized that if the bases got loaded, he’d be the next to come up to the plate. And it happened.

“As God would have it, three guys got on base with two out and I walked up to the plate,” he said. “He was setting the stage for me. I had been reading the Bible since I was 12 and I was 22 now, so there were years of Scripture in me and some of those verses started to come out of me — maybe not in totality, but bits and pieces.”

Benham said he cherished those moments praying to God. As for being a baseball hero that day, it didn’t happen.

“On the second pitch, (the pitcher) threw me one that went right down Broadway and I swung at that as hard as I possibly could and hit a little weak ground ball to the second baseman, who grabbed it and stepped on second base,” Jason Benham said. “It was game over. College career over. We had them on the ropes and when my team needed me the most, I failed them — not once, but twice.”

Of course, the media was quick to question Benham at a press conference after the loss.

“Our sports information director came up and told me they wanted to see me in the press box,” Benham said. “There were a lot of cameras and about 14 or 15 reporters in there. Just before I walked in the room, I said, ‘God, I promised I’d give you praise whether I won or lose, so you’re going to have to speak through me right now because I don’t have the strength to do it.'”

The first question was aimed right at him: “Jason, tell us about that ground ball.”

“I said I booted it,” Benham said. “I made an error. When my team needed me most, I failed them. But I want to tell you something — every one of you reporters in here. I have a God that I serve that has never failed me. And one day, I’m going to be a day and my son is going to make an error in his T-ball game and I’m going to be able to go put my arm around him and say, ‘It’s OK. Your dad made an error in the biggest game of his life. But he still has a plan for me.’ And you reporters in here, God has a plan for you, too. If you accept Jesus Christ into your heart, he will forgive your sins and you will be saved.”

While the experience was hurtful, its impact was felt by many. Benham said one reporter wrote about how he never liked or respected how athletes gave all the glory to God after a win. But when Benham praised God after a loss, the reporter said he recognized the sincerity and began to understand.

“We learned something really important,” David Benham said. “Bible verse Mark, Chapter 8, Verse 36 says ‘What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?’ A reality show, a professional contract, big business, all kinds of money and fame? (No), the relationship with Jesus is what matters most.”

THE PROMISE BANQUET

Food, fundraising, fellowship and faith. Those were some of the highlights at the 11th annual Promise Banquet on Thursday.

“The three main reasons we host the Promise Banquet are to raise funds, mainly for our tuition assistance program and classroom technology, to raise awareness of who True Light Christian School is and what we do to enrich the lives of others and to share the Gospel message with everyone that attends,” fundraising chair Tim Gross said.

As a mom of students who attend True Light, Julie Christensen looks forward to the Promise Banquet every year.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for the community of Marshall and the Marshall area to come together and hear the gospel message and hear more about our school, which is grounded in God’s word and the gospel,” Christensen said.

Gross said that the mission of TLCS is to equip children to excel in a life that is pleasing to God by accepting the authority of God’s Word, demonstrating Christ-like character, developing their academic potential and identifying their God-given gifts.

“Part of our vision is anchoring students in their faith,” Gross said. “We are equipping our children to be the Daniel in today’s society. In the Old Testament, Daniel was thrust into a very different culture, but he stuck with his convictions no matter what the cost. The brothers wrote about this in their book.”

One of three books the Benhams have authored, “Living Among Lions: How to Thrive Like Daniel in Today’s Babylon” is divided into three sections — the book covers three distinct characteristics that made Daniel strong: conviction, commitment and courage.

The brothers believe Daniel possessed all three of the qualities and lived them out. As a result, God gave him unprecedented favor and supernatural power. A mere slave in exile, Daniel emerged as one of the most powerful men in the known world, they said.

According to media reports, the HGTV show “Flip It Forward” was axed before it even premiered due to controversy over the brothers’ views on abortion, gay marriage and other issues. The brothers said they have no hate in their heart for anyone, noting that they believe the network’s reaction was simply a business decision after being bullied into canceling the show because of an agenda.

In a statement issued back in 2014, Jason and David Benham said they were saddened by the decision but that if it was their faith that cost them a television show, then so be it. Since then, they’ve continued to stand up for what they believe in, and they’ve traveled the country, encouraging others to do the same.

Attendee Kelly Hanson said she felt that the Promise Banquet speakers gave a very uplifting testimony of their life.

“They focused a lot on being a light in this world — to stand firmly on biblical truth, no matter the cost,” Hanson said. “We are taught through biblical truth to live a life with boundaries and guard rails, and to truly appreciate and grow in God’s faith, we must choose to stay within those boundaries.”