My story is like many kids who have grown up in the south in a Baptist church. My mom and dad are devoted Christians who are actively involved in many areas of church.
I remember at age 8 my good friend, Charles Stone, went forward at the invitation and accepted Christ as his savior. That afternoon, I sat in the living room with my parents and told them that I had asked Jesus into my heart. My Dad prayed with me and after meeting with our pastor, I walked the aisle the next week.
I wish that my life since accepting Christ was one that was a great example but that would be a lie. Until the age of 16, I was a model kid. Active in RA’s, and youth groups, it seemed that life would be easy. However, looking back I realize that I was not maturing as a Christian. I began to make bad decisions about relationships, then alcohol. Because of the prior years in church, it was easy to hide this double life from everyone that I felt did not need to know. But through the end of high school and into college, even though I continued making bad decisions, I knew that everything I was doing was wrong. I also knew that I was not hiding from God. When you are in a situation like I was, you rationalize that you can continue what you are doing, fitting in with your friends, and then “get right with God” later on. I had a roommate in college that had no time for Christianity. He said that the church was full of hypocrites. I would argue the need for church and Christ, but then do everything contrary to what I was saying. I was blind to the fact that my roommate was right about how he felt about Christians because I was the perfect example of that hypocrite. A few years after college, the roommate that would argue with me about Chrisitianity died suddenly. I had not stayed in touch and still have no idea if he had accepted Christ or not. It was then that I began to recognize that how I was living was completely different from what I proclaimed was important. My guilt and shame moved me to ask God for forgiveness and to help me change the way I was living. Thank God that although I could turn my back on Him, He never did on me. My wife, Sarah, and I became more active in our church, but our real growth began when my career moved us to Spartanburg and into the family of believers at First North. God is so amazing that He can use a failure like me to teach in Adult Bible Fellowship. Paul understood this as well as anyone and the words he wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:7 speak to me like no others. He wrote, “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.” This jar of clay is thankful that God has chosen to save and use me and I desire to draw closer to Him each day.
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As a youg girl I had great Christian parents who were always in chruch . There was no other place to be. During revial all my friends were being saved so I thought I would be like the rest and walk the aisle and ask Jesus into my heart. Years went by, and I got married and had a family. I still thought I was the best person around because I always was doing good things for others. Then God started dealing with me. I couldn’t sleep and couldn’t think and I was always scared. I talk with my daughter and son-in-law about this. We prayed about this problem. I was in my late forties and I realized I was not saved. I asked Jesus into my heart and was baptized. I thought everthing was going great but there was Satan on a roll. I started going to doctors getting perscription meds like crazy. I would talk my way into a hospital and even had surgeries I really didn’t need. God was put on the back burner once again. I knew down deep this was wrong, but didn’t really care. I could play church with anyone. I sang in the choir, taught Sunday School and took my pills. I was hooked on drugs bigtime. Finally one day after God giving me another chance and almost dying, there was an intervention in my life. My daughter said, “Enough is enough.” I told her I had no problem, that she did. But God had other plans. Between my daughter and a good friend the next thing I knew I was in a rehab in Greenwood. I thought, “I am too old for this.” But it was there that I found out that God had let me hit the bottom so I would have to look up to Him and not to drugs. All this time his hands were held out but I just wouldn’t take them. I am so happy God didn’t give up on me. I keep my eyes on the cross and keep looking and hold to His hands. I didn’t know life could be so good. I want to tell everyone how much God loves them and he is always there for you if you just ask. Now I can teach Sunday School and sing in the choir and I can’t get enough of God’s Word. God IS GOOD!!!!!!
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I grew up in a broken family. My parents divorced when I was 5 years old. I lived with my mother, 2 brothers and sister. I had a very unstable childhood and became pretty fearful. My father remarried and got custody of us. He always took us to church. At church one Sunday I heard the preacher talking about hell and being such a fearful child. I made a decision at church to not go to hell. My life with my father continued to be unstable due to trying to fit in in a blended family. I became rebellious during my teenage years and thought nothing about God. One day while I was in high school a preacher by the name of James Robison came to our school and spoke. He invited us to a crusade at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium that night. I went with my sister, and when he began to preach about Jesus taking the punishment for sin when he died on the cross, I began to be moved. He continued to talk about what Jesus did for me, and at the end of the sermon he asked if anyone wanted to received Jesus’ free gift of salvation to stand. I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest, and I was very sorry for my sin and my lifestyle. I stood that night and gave my life to Christ. I began to grow by reading my Bible and getting involved in my church. Since that time, I have gotten married and have 2 children. I have seen my husband and 2 children give their lives to Christ and He has blessed me so very much. I want to spend the rest of my life honoring Christ and being obedient to Him even though it is and can be difficult. I fail a lot but God is always there for me to forgive me and lead me through the Holy Spirit. He promises to never leave me or forsake me. I am so thankful for Jesus and for saving me.
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My story isn’t one that will keep you on the edge of your seat or make you ponder in awe, but it simply amazes me to look back on my life and see all the things that God has done in my life. I was raised in church. My grandfather was a preacher and I have a lot of memories of church as a very small child. I remember my mother making my sister and I learn bible verses at a very young age. I asked Jesus into my heart when I was about 11 years old. Like many who were saved at a young age, I don’t really remember the actual day that I became saved, but I remember being baptized. My new life as a Christian was much like my life before because I didn’t immediately choose to learn and grow as a Christian and I didn’t have anyone who challenged me to grow. I kept going to church on Sundays and occasionally on Wednesdays. I joined a volunteer fire department as a junior fireman when I was 13 years old and essentially grew up in the fire department. The role models in my life were firemen and I spent a lot of time and effort in becoming a good fireman instead of serving the Lord, but I kept my Christian label. I even prayed on occasion and I still went to church on Sundays (as long as it didn’t interfere with a fire call). As I became older, I got a little wilder and lot further off the path God would want for my life. Bar-hopping with my buddies became an every week occurrence but on the rare occurrence that I didn’t stay out too late on Saturday night, I would still go to church on Sunday. I kept my Christian title and still prayed to God on occasion.Even in this time in my life, when I was obviously not living for God, He was at work in my life and there are many things that I can look back at now and see clearly that He did in my life. Meeting my wife, Brandy, is one of those things. When Brandy and I started dating, I found that her family was religious and I thought I fit right in. We got married and had our first child and we lived a little better, but not for God. We went to church a little more intentionally, but not necessarily more often. And we both carried the label of “Christian,” but neither really lived for God.
Another one of the most obvious things that God has ever done in my life happened in 2000 & 2001. When we found out that we were going to have our second child, we realized that we needed a bigger house and we started looking. I had absolutely no intentions of moving out of my fire district and the small community that I had grown up in. We looked at many houses there and made a few offers on houses there, but nothing ever worked out. In the fall of 2000, I looked through a realty book while I was at work and saw a picture of a new house that fit our price range. My realtor was out of town, so I called the realtor that listed the house and got the address. It was in Boiling Springs but the fact that it wasn’t where I wanted to live never crossed my mind. I got to the location to see that the house was barely started, with only the brick foundation in place (the picture of the house was of another house the builder had built). For some reason I knew that this was my house and where I was supposed to be and Brandy agreed. The house was finished and we closed on it in January 2001.
Shortly after moving in, we decided that we would visit churches in the area to find one close to our house. We visited one church one Sunday morning and then visited First Baptist North Spartanburg that night. We immediately knew that this was supposed to be our church. At an evening service in the spring of 2001, God spoke to me very clearly and told me that I wasn’t living for Him like I should be. I rededicated my life and have been growing and developing my relationship with my Savior ever since. It’s amazing to see God’s love for me in the prayers He answers and the things He does in my life. The biggest difference in my life since I’ve rededicated it to serve the Lord is the surety, understanding and comfort of my salvation and how I will spend eternity. If you are in the same place I was 10 years ago, coming to church because it’s the good thing to do but living however you want to, I would challenge you to ask yourself that age old question – “If I died right now, am I 100% sure that I would go to heaven?”
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Growing up poor in rural North Carolina with a Christian mother and an alcoholic father I was afraid and insecure. I was a people pleaser and spent most of my energy seeking the approval of others. At twelve I was baptized because all my friends were doing it. I graduated college, married and had three wonderful children. I was a leader in our community, the business community and our local church. From all outward appearances we were living the American dream. But in reality I was a lonely weekend alcoholic with little purpose in life except to work, spend time with my children and escape into alcohol from a troubled marriage. I was unhappy and daydreamed about a better life. I knew in my secret heart that God was the answer but I was not about to give control of my life to a God that might not exist and if He did probably didn’t care about me. Besides I was young; death was somewhere in the far distant future and He could wait
One day I witnessed a dramatic change in my wife and knew instantly that God was real. Terrified about where I would spend eternity, I began to read the bible and pray. But I was such a bad person that I didn’t think God could love me. One evening as I knelt at the foot of my bed God reminded me that He loved me so much that He gave His only Son to die on the cross and rise from the grave three days later so that I could live forever with Him in heaven. What amazing love; I thought about how much I loved my children and knew that I, nor any human, could ever make such a sacrifice. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, “Come unto Me all who labor and are heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” I so very much wanted that rest. That day at the foot of my bed I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and take control of my life. He did as He had promised and changed my life forever. On my desk is a cherished paperweight from my daughter which says, “God’s Promises Are Forever”. That day I learned His promises are indeed forever.
My life, our lives have not been the same since that day. Though I subsequently rebelled and tried to go my own way many times God has remained faithful and active in our lives. He has given us beautiful grandchildren and a life together which we could not have imagined. No longer am I afraid but live with peace, joy and clear purpose. Though it was not easy at first, my desire for escape into alcohol is now only a dim memory. Not only my marriage but all relationships, family and friends, are being healed and restored. God continues working in our lives. My life is not perfect but His love is. Most importantly I know that if I die today I will spend eternity in heaven. Seek Him. Trust Him. He will never disappoint you. His promises are forever.
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