“Brandon, remember this: the Christian life is not like riding a bicycle.”
A proverb engraved into the walls of my heart. Wise words that have served as guardrails for me on the narrow road that leads to everlasting life. A pocketful of truth I will carry with me forever. Something the Spirit has brought back to my mind whenever I was tempted to backslide or grow lukewarm—words I have used many times over to exhort others who were likewise tempted. But, though this sanctifying saying is saturated with biblical truth, it does not come directly from the Bible. It came from a man steeped in the Scripture: John Norman Plumley (Sept. 30, 1973 – May 26, 2026).
When I heard these life-changing words, I was a babe in Christ—eager to grow, but vulnerable to indwelling sin, old habits, and the enticements of the world. And this godly man who walked plenty of miles with Jesus told me exactly what I needed to know, exactly when I needed to know it, and exactly how I needed to hear it. This was just a few months after I first visited his home to tell him how Christ saved my soul. When I first became a Christian, I wanted to tell everyone, and started with my hometown of Bandana, Kentucky. And I couldn’t wait to get to his house.
I knew him a while before I knew him as a brother-in-Christ, of course. In my “before Christ” days, I was a rebellious and rambunctious preteen running the roads of Bandana and raising cane on every street with his son, whom we all called “Little Johnny.” Even then, I greatly admired John. I thought the man knew everything about everything—especially cars, motorcycles, dirtbikes—heck, anything that had wheels and an engine. And talk about quick-witted—I remember often wondering, “How does he always have a joke at the ready?”
Evidently, he had gracious words for up-building always ready, too. I don’t know if he came up with it himself, or where he heard it—but I have never been able to unhear it. The meaning was simple enough for a newborn Christian like myself to understand. When you get off a bike for a while, you can jump back on like no time has passed at all. It all comes back to you naturally. But following Christ is radically different—and much more difficult. When you get behind in your Bible reading for a while, it’s hard to get back on the saddle. When you neglect daily prayer, it’s difficult for it to feel natural again. You’ve got to stick with it. It takes determined effort and discipline.
How many times have I gone without reading my Bible and thought of these words? How many times have I grown lax in praying and seen his face in my mind?
This is why in John’s final days, I told him that he did things that count for eternity. He impacted people in ways most never will. He sent treasures ahead of him to heaven. Most believers are familiar with the idiom, “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” I do not know if John ever knew that phrase, but he certainly lived by it.
John’s life is also a testimony that the Lord can use anyone at any time at any place to do anything. If you didn’t know, the last season of John’s life was spent for the kingdom of God. He became an evangelistic Gideon. He served faithfully as a deacon. He did incredible mission work. He finished his race on earth running.
It is also not news that John received news no one wants to hear: an aggressive cancer diagnosis. I remember hearing about it and thinking it felt deeply unfair. John was a choice servant of the Lord, a loving father, a devoted husband, an exemplary churchman, and an inspiring Christian. A man like that being plagued with cancer just didn’t seem right, if I’m being honest.
But through it all, he held onto faith until his faith became sight recently. In all my years of pastoral ministry, I have seen the faith of many weaken when receiving such a tragic and life-altering verdict. I have seen several more abandon the faith when their cross was too heavy to bear. But not John. The heavier his cross, the tighter his hold on Christ.
Now, his hands are in the nail-scarred hands. His head has been adorned with the countless crowns of glory he stored up on earth. There are untold numbers of people who have a Bible in their hands because of John. And who knows how many people read the Scripture, bow their heads to pray, preach Christ with fervor, and keep on keeping on because a man named John Plumley pointed them to Jesus with his words and life? I know at least one.
John taught me that the Christian life is not like riding a bicycle. And because of the godly legacy he leaves behind, many of us will keep pedaling on the path of righteousness.
Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.
I remember vividly when he taught me how to baptize new believers. He insisted that I join him in the baptistery to watch and learn. He even assisted me as I baptized one of my best friends. He knew I needed the experience for when I would become the pastor of my own church.
He was a man who “walked slowly through the people.” That is, he made a real effort to spend time with people. He would listen to you—not just to reply, but to show that he loved you. He was the most relational pastor that I’ve ever known. 
And he always did more than what was required of him. He was a faithful pastor who always exceeded his job description. Even before he came to Ohio Valley, I am told that he got on his rubber boots and helped one of the families move things out of their house before it flooded. When there was something that needed to be done, he did it—no matter how mundane. In fact, another idiom of his was, “Sometimes if it’s not done by the pastor, it won’t get done.” 
Bro. John also exemplified Paul’s command to always be ready to preach (2 Tim. 4:2). Everywhere was his pulpit. He preached outdoors on the church lawn and at the public parks. He preached at weddings and funerals. He even preached to the folks down at the nursing home. He was always ready. No matter how busy he was, he was always prepared to open and explain the word of God.
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