Cross Perspectives
October 30, 2024
The Novak Effect: Skating from Darkness to Light
By Pastor Vinnie
The Novak Effect
Born in Baltimore Novak was a Skateboard star early in life.
When I think of Brandon Novak, I think of myself. I reflect on how there is a bright, brilliant, happy, and healthy side of me, but also a vulnerable, dark, and prone to negativity side that lingers, trying to undermine my own success. It strikes me that no matter our potential as individuals, there are parts of ourselves that can impede the great things we can achieve in our lives. We often engage in self-sabotage, even if we are reluctant to admit it. I have come to refer to this phenomenon as the “Novak Effect.” Brandon Novak’s life was a whirlwind of early success, fame, and unimaginable struggle. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he began skating at the young age of seven. By the time he was 14, he was traveling the country with some of the greatest skaters of the time, including Tony Hawk and Bucky Lasek. He even became the first skateboarder ever to be sponsored by Gatorade, an accomplishment that most could only dream of achieving at such a young age. However, as his career skyrocketed, another path opened up alongside it. In his early 20s, Brandon Novak, once a hopeful young skater, also battled with addiction, becoming enslaved by heroin, cocaine, pain pills, and other substances.
Despite his talent and all of the opportunities that fame brought him, the thrill of the skateboarding world became overshadowed by his need to get high. His addiction was an unbreakable cycle, driving him to abandon his career and ultimately be removed from his team. With his budding future on the line, friends scrambled to try to intervene, but Brandon chose to continue using. It seemed he was on a one-way path to self-destruction. When I think of Brandon and his life, it makes me wonder about my own life and what keeps us from accepting help, even when those we love try to intervene. Have you resisted support in an area of life that feels like a downward spiral? I know I have, and yet I know I can’t help myself in every situation. Too often, like Novak, I want to be the lone ranger and prove myself. But to whom?
Fame cannot undo the aches of the heart.
By his mid-20s, he had also gained notoriety for his antics with the “Jackass” crew and his appearances in Viva La Bam. Audiences loved his wild personality, but behind the scenes, Brandon was losing control. Every attempt to change—whether it was moving cities, shifting careers, or trying new relationships—seemed to fail. The thrill-seeking lifestyle that had fueled his early fame had turned into a nightmare. Despite more than a dozen stints in rehab, countless arrests, and nearly losing his life several times, the addiction remained.
Brandon described his addiction as an inescapable weight that he carried everywhere. Even though he knew the path was killing him, he couldn’t let it go. At one point, he was homeless, wandering the streets of Baltimore, reduced to doing anything he could to get his next high. He stole from friends and family, burned nearly every bridge, and even sold his body to feed his addiction.
There has to be a lesson we can learn from Novak’s struggle. What burdens or destructive habits feel like “inescapable weights” in your life or mine? It doesn’t have to be drug addiction. It could be dealing with stress, feeling helpless or depressed, not getting what we need in our career, school, or relationships. Have you reached a point where you feel powerless to break free from these burdens? We don’t have to hit rock bottom unless we insist on it!
The Crossroads of Change
Change means letting go of old hurts.
I love the writings of Paul in the Scriptures. In Romans 6:1-8, Paul speaks of an old self that must be “crucified,” a life left behind to embrace a new identity in Christ. Like the Apostle Paul, Brandon found himself standing at this crossroads – a point of clarity where he saw two paths before him. One was the life he had been living, defined by addiction, isolation, and despair. The other was a chance, however slim, at a fresh start. After yet another arrest, Brandon realized he was utterly alone, too isolated, and too tired to keep being his own lone ranger. He needed Jesus. He described it as a moment of surrender, a time when he finally let go and allowed others to help him.
“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death?” Romans 6:1-3 NLT
If you were standing at a similar crossroads, what would you be willing to surrender for the chance at a new beginning? Are there aspects of your life that you are still withholding from others’ help, or even from Jesus? I have found that sometimes, you just have to die to yourself, and instead be washed in the joy, of joining Jesus.
With no plan, no expectations, and no demands, Brandon entered a treatment program, genuinely seeking recovery. He walked in with only one thing: desperation for something different. This surrender marked the beginning of freedom, purpose, and faith. Through the support of those around him and a willingness to rely on a higher power, Brandon experienced a profound spiritual awakening.
Victory and the New Life
In Romans 6:4 Paul speaks of being “buried with Christ” and “raised…to walk in newness of life.” Brandon’s journey through recovery and faith embodied this verse. As he grew in sobriety, the power of addiction loosened its grip, and his old life of addiction and chaos began to feel like a distant shadow.
In 2018, Brandon chose to be baptized, marking the death of his old self and the beginning of a new life in Christ. Reflecting on his baptism, he said, “Today is the day I’ve been waiting for, for quite some time. I’ve envisioned it, told stories about it, and talked about what I thought it would feel like. Today is that day.” For Brandon, the experience wasn’t just symbolic—it was transformative. He described his baptism as a “magical experience” and explained, “It’s such a magical experience, feeling the love of my higher power… I was the guy that was deemed unhelpable, unfixable. To stand here today, with over four years of continuous sobriety… it’s the least that I can do.”
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” Romans 6:4 NLT
I wonder, how would it feel for us right now, to retrace the steps of Brandon, to let go of the old life, and embrace an identity grounded in hope and purpose? Do I really believe that God can transform the “unfixable” parts of me? And if I do believe that, why am I hiding the broken parts of my life from those who would support and help me, and more importantly, from Jesus?
What I know that is In that moment, Brandon got this struggle we all fight right and he embraced what Paul writes in Romans 6:6-7: “We know that our old self was crucified with him… so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Baptism, he shared, was an “outward expression of an inward transformation.” It marked the official burial of his past and the beginning of a life of purpose, compassion, and faith. The old Brandon—the man who once saw no way out of addiction—was gone, and in his place stood a new man, one who would go on to inspire countless others by sharing his story of redemption.
“We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.” Romans 6:6-7 NLT
What parts of your ‘old self’ do you want to bury? What parts do you not really want to stay buried? The thing I have learned is that this process, which Brandon Novak took, it is a process I have to take over and over again. Not in rebaptism, of course, but in surrendering every day to the things that I think will make me happy. However, these things are really killing me just as much as the heroin that Brandon has to keep surrendering to Jesus for the rest of his life.
Living in Newness of Life
Today, Brandon is over eight years sober and serves as a motivational speaker, a recovery advocate, and an inspiration to many. He travels the country, sharing his story of redemption and encouraging others to embrace a new path. What was once a life bound by addiction has become a powerful message of hope for others still struggling. His transformation echoes the promise of Romans 6: that through surrender to God, anyone can be set free. The old Brandon—the addict who chased highs and destroyed relationships—no longer exists. In his place is a man reborn, committed to helping others.
We might not be Brandon Novak, we might not be throwing away a career of fame and riches, we might not be addicted to heroin. But all the same, we all hold onto things we have promised to give to God. If your baggage is getting heavy, give it up. Throw it away. Surrender it. What is holding you back from experiencing the “newness of life” God offers? Is it really worth holding onto and losing peace, missing out on joy, and missing the chance to live for eternity?
When he, Jesus died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Romans 6:10-11 NLT
Let go of your baggage. Give it to Jesus.
This is the Novak Effect. We can all go dark and give our baggage to Jesus. The Novak Effect refers to the impact of our human nature on our spirituality. As a noun, “effect” means the result or consequence of someone’s action. For example, the effect of addiction was overwhelming in his life Brandon Novak was unable to overcome his addictions because he could not overcome the result or consequence of his human nature, on his addictions. His addictions were simply his baggage accumulated by the Novak Effect. I am here to tell you that you do not need to carry your baggage any longer; Jesus is the great porter, the true doorman, to freedom. When you surrender your baggage to him, you are made free. The secret to the Novak Effect is when you surrender to Jesus, he empowers your humanity, not yourself. You are a new man, a new person, a new Novak.
What you carry and what you let Jesus carry determines if your old self stays dead. Brandon’s story reminds us that no burden is too heavy, no addiction too powerful, and no past too dark to be transformed by God’s love. We just need to give them to Jesus, because He hung them all up on the cross for us, and we were buried with Him in baptism and have been spiritually resurrected into new life with Him. Today, take a step toward leaving behind what holds you back. Lay it down, let it go, and trust in the power of Jesus to lead you into a life filled with purpose and peace. Are you ready to take that step and embrace the freedom that awaits in Christ? I am, I so am, and I will daily give it up to Jesus, join me on the right side of the Novak Effect!
It is all about seeking Jesus on deeper theological levels.
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