We were so blessed and encouraged by the testimony and message shared by Jim. The Bear man story is an engaging well told life example of what is really important in life. Even though none of us will probably ever be attacked by a bear, we are sometimes attacked in other ways. Jim tells his story in a way that a person from any walk of life, a man, woman, child, rich or poor can plug in their story and find it relatable.

God has given Jim a wonderful way to communicate a riveting life and death struggle and blend it with truth from the word of God to bring people to a place where hearts are ready to receive freedom and to have an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord and Saviour of their life! Thank you again and may God continue to use favor and bless your life to do his work!!!

With Love and blessings in Jesus name!

Jim shared his story at our Sportsperson Dinner on January 15, 2021 and also in our Sunday morning service on January 17, 2021.  Our people sat at the edge of their seats as he told his amazing story about his grizzly bear attack.  His narrative was presented with seriousness and suspense intermingled with witty humor.  The end result was that each in attendance was challenged to take the next step in their spiritual journey.

Jim’s team was also a positive surprise for our church. They connected with our people as though they were one of us.  People are interested in testimonials that demonstrate the reality of God in our lives.  Jim will be a positive voice for your church and for those in your community.

Sincerely,

Pastor Keith Hemmila

I so enjoyed hearing The Bear Man’s testimony during our work bible study last week. I could relate to so many of the things he shared, especially when he was in the hospital, and God told him to “go pray for Dean.” God had just SAVED HIS LIFE, but he ignored God’s request not once but several times that night because it was so out of his comfort zone. How many times have I done that?! Too many to count but I appreciated his honesty. After ignoring God’s request several times he finally obeyed him and his life was changed forever because of his obedience to God that night. I will never forget how I felt God’s beautiful presence fill the conference room at that moment. What a blessing it was to have that experience (and at work of all places)!! His testimony got me to thinking about my life and as I was fighting back the tears, I heard God say to me (for the second time that week) to make some much-needed changes in my life. I heard God tell me to quit trying to do things “my way” and to put Him first in all areas of my life and only then would I find true peace and happiness. I’m a Christian, I was raised on a church pew, I’ve attended church most of my life but not regularly the past few years and God was trying once again to reach me! I received his message and promised God that I would make those needed changes and thanked him for his love and grace. I am so very thankful for people like The Bear Man that are not afraid to be a witness for God by sharing their story, warts and all. He just showed up and God did the rest! If you ever get the opportunity to hear him tell his story then I would highly recommend you do it because even though we all knew the “final outcome” of his story (HE SURVIVES), hearing him share the details of the days leading up to the bear attack were nail-biting to say the least!

I even caught myself holding my breath as he shared the details of the attack and his raw honestly as he thought about dying and his fear of not making it to heaven! That thought hit me like a ton of bricks!! As Christians, we try to be good people, we’ve accepted God into our lives but the thought of standing before God and hearing him repeat my good deeds as well as my bad deeds stopped me in my tracks. I almost felt paralyzed with fear at that moment because I had not allowed myself to have that thought in many years but after hearing the Bear Man’s testimony my soul was stirred, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts and my heart was full because of the love I felt from God that day. It was a fantastic story, and an AMAZING move of God was felt that day and I thank God for allowing me the opportunity to hear The Bear Man’s testimony because it has genuinely touched my heart and soul!

The Bear Man testimony was inspiring and uplifting. The story of being attacked by a bear and living to tell was really interesting of course, but I really value learning wisdom from a man that faced death, and gained a new perspective on what’s really important in life.

I especially appreciated the admonition to pray for God to illuminate the path He wants me to follow. As a believer, we say we want to follow, but then sometimes we just forget to ask which way to go. I also was touched by the summary of 5 things you can’t recover and hope to apply the wisdom in them in my daily walk.

Jim was enlightening, inspiring and motivating. Our audience was captivated by his testament and spirit to overcome adversity. He skillfully shared his experience with a powerful and moving blend of personal testimony and reliance on his faith to overcome insurmountable challenges.

What an amazing night! Couldn’t have asked for a better response from our men, after hearing about how great the night was, many men admitted that they wished they had attended!

I was so thankful for Jim’s authenticity and bold message. Our men and their sons were riveted by his story and encouraged by how God moved in Jim’s life. We had members, guests, fathers, and sons, All of them were impacted by Jim’s message of God calling all of us to a life of intentional and courageous faith in Jesus Christ. I didn’t know Jim personally before this event, but I would recommend him to anyone afterward. The man certainly matched the message.

Jim did another amazing testimony tonight! I was so glad I got to see him again! About 80 people were there and it was a huge success! He touched a lot of hearts. Got a lot of guys rethinking some things I assure you! THANK YOU Jim!

We loved having Jim speak at Parkway Place! The residents and visitors loved his talk. They were fascinated by his experience and inspired by his testimony. He is such a great speaker, and it was fun to hear the audience reaction to the Bear Man’s story! I will certainly recommend him to my friends who want to bring a powerful Christian message to their church or organization!

From 6 to 96, our entire church family was captivated by the compelling testimony The Bear Man shared with us. It is hard to doubt how our mighty God works when we hear of His protection and healing in the life of others such as Jim VanSteenhouse. I have heard his testimony twice and could listen to it again.

His story was so interesting that he held an audience, including elementary school children, spellbound. What he did with his life after and during his recovery, and the challenges issued to his listeners made his whole story immensely inspiring. Don’t miss an opportunity to hear this man, who is listening to and following God.