Up until the age of ten I don’t remember much about going to church, except when we visited my maternal grandparents. My parents were good people, but we moved often because of my father’s work. Perhaps they used our moving as an excuse for not going to church.

At age ten my father went to Arabia and while he was there my mother and I lived with my grandparents. One Sunday, while attending church, I asked my friend how to “join” the church. So I walked down the aisle and “joined” and was later baptized. I do not remember anyone talking to me about Jesus at that time.

After more moves we ended up in Georgia. There I met my Christian husband. We were both active in church for many years. During that time I thought I was a Christian and was “busy” in the church programs. I felt life was good but knew something was missing.

While at a revival meeting in 1988 we were asked to face the person next to us and tell them, “if I died tonight I’ll see you in heaven.” I did not have that assurance. Then I knew it was not something missing it was SOMEONE. Finally I realized the sacrifice Jesus paid on the cross. I had the head knowledge of Christ but had never asked Him to forgive my sins. The next Sunday I went forward and invited Jesus into my heart to be my Savior and Lord.

Life still has it’s ups and downs, but He has blessed me with a peace and joy that is indescribable. I know that Jesus is with me in all circumstance, wheter good or bad. I look forward to spending eternity with my risen Savior.

As a young boy I attended an outstanding church filled with Godly people. I had fun there, I learned there, and one day I went forward to become a Christian. I said the sinner’s prayer and was baptized. Afterwards, I began to study the Bible, learn verses, and get my stars for Sunday School and VBS. For a while I even considered going to a Bible college and pursuing ministry as my vocation. There was one minor problem; I wasn’t willing to live my life in a way that proved a personal relationship with Jesus was most important.

As a man one day I was leaving work and going to Wednesday evening service at another wonderful church. A coworker asked me what I was doing and when I told him I was going to church his reply was, “You go to church…” You see, I had no evidence of Christ in my double life. At this point I didn’t change, but I was at least thinking. My life changed during a performance of the Passion at First North in 1998. As the stringed instruments played “Jesus Paid It All” I broke down and wept. I told God that I could no longer live a lie and that I NEEDED His forgiveness. You see, I was finally broken and tired of living life MY way. At that time I felt as if a boulder had been lifted from my back because I was willing to obey God.

I have had difficulties in my life since that time, but they pale in comparison to the blessings that I have received. I truly understand that even when I am with no one else, I am NOT alone. I thank God for all the Godly people that He placed in my life before 1998. I learned from them and appreciate their influence. I mostly thank God for never giving up on me and the facts that my eternity is secured and He still has work for me to do.

I grew up going to a Methodist church with my mom,dad, and sister every Sunday. As I got older, sex and drinking came into my life. Although I knew it was wrong, casual sex and pornography really had a hold on me. I was not addicted to alcohol, but I loved partying on the weekend. I got married to someone just because she loved sex just as much as me. We were divorced 1 year later. I think that God was looking out for me during this time because deep down I knew what was right, but I did not want to settle down. I believed in Jesus because of my upbringing and although I went to church every Sunday the first twenty plus years of my life I was lost and did not know it.

I met a special woman named Michelle Pannell in November 1999. We fell in love and I quit partying. I knew that there was a void in my life and I started going to church with her at FBNS. We got married in March 2001. In 2003 we were at a business conference in Greenville and I remember that we were there at a church service on Sunday morning. We started singing “Shout to the Lord” and I felt something come over me. At that point, I went down and gave my life to the Lord. That void in my life was gone and it felt wonderful.

Since Christ came into my life, I am a much more positive person to be around. I am not stressed out all of the time now because I know that God will not give me more than I can handle. I believe that I am more well equipped to be a better husband and a better parent. Although I am still not where I want to be in my walk with the Lord, I know that if I died tomorrow, I would spend eternity with my Heavenly Father.

I grew up in a Christian home with two loving parents who always made sure that I was in church. I grew up on a dairy farm so I learned about work ethic as well as the Lord. I was the good kid in high school, I never got in trouble, I was often the designated driver, etc. I went to college and had the same role until my Junior year. I felt like I was missing out on something so I started partying and hanging out with that crowd. I went back and forth between wanting to be “good” and wanting to be in the “fun” crowd. This continued well after college until I was 30 years old.

I began to attend FBNS because I was looking for a change in my life. After a few weeks of seeing other true Christians at work I realized that I was lost. I wasn’t living a Christian life, I was ignorant to God’s word, and I wasn’t serving God the way that he wanted. One night I got down and prayed for the Lord to truely enter my life, change me, and completely use me to act in His will.

Now I don’t have the same desires I used to. I now read the Bible daily, have prayer time daily, and I concentrate on praying for others. I am much more willing to tell others about my relationship with Christ. I still have problems but I don’t worry as much about the little things. I try to trust in the Lord, listen to what he is telling me, and go in the direction that he is leading me.

I was raised to be in church and Sunday School. However, I was lost and just putting on a front for my parents. As a 14 year old, sinful actions were a part of my life. I had a foul mouth and did not hesitate to take the Lord’s name in vain.