2009 Top Bods On Campus – DAVID PAT - Faith & Fitness Magazine

Read time: 7 minutes

Updated: April 15th, 2018

Age: 23

University: Bethel Seminary, San Diego, CA

Year: 2009

Degree he is pursuing: Masters of Theological Studies with a concentration in World Missions

Height: 5’10” Weight: 212 lbs.

Faith & Fitness Magazine: What physical qualities do you think your friends feel best qualify you as a top bod?

David Pat: That would be my chest and my quads.

F&F: How did you first get interested in exercise and living a fit lifestyle?

DP: I’ve always loved eating clean and working out and I realized that I really wasn’t that great in sports but I had a great body. Also, some of my heroes were Arnold and Ronnie Coleman since they epitomized hard work and very prominently displayed the results of their hard work. Then in college since sports weren’t an option anymore because I was in the Marines, I started actually competing in bodybuilding shows instead of just talking about how others compete. Basically I got tired of being a spectator!

F&F: Tell us about your workout routine. What are your goals and how are you working toward them? What are your favorite exercises and why?

DP: I like to do a lot of heavy workouts in the 5×5 range and am really focusing on adding size through dead lifts, bench press and lunges. I’m really not satisfied with my back and have been doing pull-ups everyday trying to bring out my lats. I think in the last year I’ve really enjoyed bent over rows for creating more thickness in my back.

F&F: Describe the fitness culture on your campus.

DP: Our campus is pretty sedentary because a lot of people at seminary feel too busy to workout.

F&F: How do you feel living a healthy life and being active impacts both your academic success and your relationship with God?

DP: I first started getting into fitness because of what God was teaching me.
I strongly believe that God created us to not just live life but to live a life that serves others and worships God. Jesus didn’t die on a cross so that we could waste our freedom in indulgence and gluttony. In the Bible, Paul says that we are no longer slaves of sin but slaves of righteousness. What that means to me is that we have a responsibility to use our bodies as a “living sacrifice” so that we may better serve God’s purpose in our generation. A lot of Christians have received this calling and have chosen to pursue ministries that are oftentimes physically demanding (I can’t think of many ministries that aren’t). It is my hope that I can help people, either through advice or even prayer. It is my hope that everyone can live a life that is faithful to the great commission we have been given and live worthy of the sacrifice that Jesus freely made.

F&F: What is on the horizon for your career? Is everything coming together well for it? How do you feel you will balance your career and your commitment to fitness in the future? Will it be more difficult to maintain your fitness regimen?

DP: I hope to compete and win the INBA USAs. So far I’m reaching my goal of adding more thickness by eating more and going heavier. I have definitely been feeling the strain of the food bill though and hopefully I’ll be getting a sponsor so I can continue to pursue this sport.

F&F: How do you feel your college has helped you mature physically, academically and spiritually?

DP: I feel that my academic life has matured me so that I am a more balanced person. The Bible talks a lot about growing into maturity and I feel that the community I live in has really helped me to grow into the man God wants me to be. It’s important to have people around you that are encouraging and edifying you in the Lord.

F&F: Why did you decide to go to this university? What were your expectations when you first started and how has the school and campus life measured up to them?

DP: I expected to really pursue God and grow spiritually and I feel that it has been a really good journey. I see all my activities as just opportunities to experience the greatness of God and I have been blessed with how my church has really encouraged me through my time at college.

F&F: What are some of the spiritual discoveries you have made while at college? How is that shaping the way you live and interact with others?

DP: I’ve discovered that learning historical doctrines is key to growth as a Christian and I feel that I have been able to be more Christ-like to my friends as I have grown in the knowledge of God.

F&F: What are the most visible characteristics of your personal faith in God? How do you live out your Christian faith? What is the biggest spiritual challenges you face OR in what ways do you feel you still need to grow spiritually?

DP: I try to live out my faith in the way I disciple and witness. I am always trying to figure out how to encourage believers to love Christ more. I’ve always been really involved with missions work in China and I really hope that God will continue to stir a passion in my heart to see those in un-reached areas come to experience the saving grace of Christ. I do tutoring at an elementary school. I do it as a community outreach to share Christ’s care with those in low-income neighborhoods. (See excerpts below from a book David has authored.)

F&F: What do you do for fun? Tell us what makes it fun for you.

DP: I really like to play World of Warcraft. It is a good way to unwind.

EXCERPTS FROM DAVID PAT’S BOOK

Remember that God has called you to be a living sacrifice. We are to showcase the glory of God in everything that we do. May the Lord grant you diligence and commitment as you seek to offer your body as an offering to his majesty.

Invest in people. It’s hard to stick to a workout/diet plan when you’re trying to do it by yourself. If you start a plan with someone else you can encourage each other to stay disciplined and keep each other accountable. Personally investing in someone will also help you to remember that health is worthless if it doesn’t help you love others more. As you grow in your own discipline, use it as an opportunity to help your family and friends achieve their own goals.

The secret to succeeding in life is knowing what God wants you to do, asking Him to help you do it and going out to do it. The fact that God is sovereign means that every cruel leader, every bad friend, and every unfortunate circumstance is allowed by his will. He sees every difficulty in your life and already has plans for how you are to overcome it. This is why we call him God Almighty. We can be assured that our God is more than able to help us overcome.

The key however, is doing God’s will and not our own.

Today God is raising a house church movement that is growing faster than anything the world has ever seen. Thousands are being saved through God’s grace. We are again given an opportunity to join the Lord’s work in China. The mandarin version of this book seeks to bless and exhort the new church with a love for God and his word. Be reminded to pray for the church in China and for God to call to himself a generation of righteous and faithful leaders. As you continue on your walk remember that the burden of world missions is to be shared by all believers. Go yourself or help send other missionaries. There are no other options.