A dedicated pastor used his martial arts skills to stop an axe-wielding intruder from breaking into First Family Church in Antioch, California during the early morning hours of Thanksgiving.
God places the right people at the right moment to protect His people and His house of worship. Throughout the Bible, we see how He prepares individuals with specific talents and abilities long before they’re needed.
Just like David’s skill with a sling prepared him to face Goliath, this pastor’s martial arts training prepared him for this moment of protecting his church.
Pastor Nick Neves, 46, rushed to the church after the security alarm went off that morning. He found a man breaking the church windows with an axe. Thanks to his training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts, Neves knew how to handle the dangerous situation.
“I shouted at him to stop, and that police were on their way, and he ran and I grabbed a hold of him, and we ended up wrestling in the parking lot of the church,” Neves said.
The struggle lasted 15 minutes, with Neves using his martial arts training to control the situation without hurting the intruder. “I like to stay fit, and I studied in some jiu-jitsu and kickboxing and I have a mixed martial arts background,” he shared. “So it was very helpful to be able to grapple with this gentleman without having to do much harm to him.” Neves kept the man pinned down even though he tried to escape several times.
The Antioch Police Department shared this story on Facebook with a powerful Bible verse: “But the righteous are as bold as a lion.” They praised how Pastor Neves stood up against evil that morning and protected the church.
What touched many hearts was that just days before this incident, First Family Church had given groceries to 130 families who needed help.
Jeff Strawther, who has been with the church for many years, said, “It could’ve gone in totally different direction and we thank God that it didn’t. He’s very tough and we’re very grateful to God that he’s our pastor and not our enemy.”
Pastor Neves thought about how different things could have been: “If he had come a couple of days earlier, he would have been blessed and get some food and be cared for. But he decided instead to smash windows and desecrate property and do something that’s going to hurt the ministries.”
The police arrested the intruder, and while he broke some windows, the church building stayed mostly undamaged.
God equips each of us with unique skills and talents that may seem ordinary until He reveals their greater purpose. When we stay faithful in developing these abilities, we never know how God might use them to protect His people or serve His kingdom.
This pastor’s martial arts training might have seemed unrelated to ministry, but God had a greater plan in mind. His story teaches us to value and develop whatever gifts God has given us, knowing He will use them at the right time and place.
We should keep praying for our churches’ safety and for those who live in darkness, that they might find their way to God’s transforming light and love instead of choosing paths that lead to destruction.
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