Back in June, our church was beginning its summer program with a guest evangelist. His name is Dennis Nunn, and he was leading us in a program called “Every Believer a Witness.” The purpose was to develop a boldness in sharing Christ. Along with that, our church was promoting a new website called itellthestory.com. We, as individuals, were to post our testimonies for others to read–another evangelism tool. I was compelled, or rather challenged, to write my story and put it on the website along with others in our Sunday School class. I began struggling with what I needed to say. I have always disliked writing my testimony because there is really no defining moment of coming to know the Lord. I believed in Jesus from a very young age as I learned about Him in Sunday School. I was baptized as an infant, and again upon changing membership to a Baptist church. I was again baptized along with my husband in a river in Michigan. None of these instances stand out to me as the moment I decided to follow Christ. I struggled for three days with the weight of this burden. I couldn’t breathe. I asked my husband what I needed to do. His only reply was, “Hope, do you trust God?” Not exactly what I wanted to hear. How could I have lived the life of a Christian (yet still a sinner), and at 32 years old be doubting my salvation?
Wednesday, June 27, the last night of Pastor Nunn’s series of messages, he asked that people come forward to confess their sin. Then he asked that anyone who questioned their salvation come to the back and meet him. I had to make a decision–I went back. I met with a counselor (a member of our church) for maybe two hours, and the one thing that stuck out in my mind was when she told me, “If you’re struggling, then you are still holding on to your life.” I realized my pride was what kept me from trusting God and letting go of control of my life. I asked my husband to lead me in a prayer of forgiveness, and my children prayed with me there in front of the church that night. It hurt like labor pains, but I knew that I had to do it.
For about a week or two, I could feel Satan’s attack. My husband and I were divided, and I felt almost embarassed about what had taken place. But I trusted God to get me through the difficult time, and I sit here now in such a state of awe over God’s amazing grace. I am sharing my story over and over again. I know I am not the only one who struggles with doubts, and I believe God places those doubts in our hearts for a reason if we will only follow His calling to trust Him.
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I was raised in a Christian home but never fully understood the idea of being a believer until high school. My parents had always taken me to church on Sundays and Wednesdays, so I thought I must be a Christian too. I was like many people today who think ‘I’ve been a Christian all my life’ , until I turned 16.
During a revival at my church, I came to the realization that my life was empty and that I’d been depending on my parents salvation to get me into Heaven. You see, I’d never made a profession of faith on my own. The Lord spoke to me later that night while I was trying to sleep and got my attention very clearly. If I were to die, I’d go to Hell! I knew that was not a place where I wanted to spend eternity. The next night of revival, I asked the Lord to forgive me, become my savior and the Lord of my life.
Soon after high school, I married but was divorced after 15 years. Within 1 year of my divorce, I learned my mother had terminal cancer. These losses were more than I could handle, so I became angry and bitter towards God. I felt He had taken the 2 people I loved the most from me. I went looking for affection, love and sex in many wrong places and made many bad choices along the way.
Fortunatley, I had good Christian friends who prayed for me and invited me to FBNS. Initially, I only went for the social aspect, but soon found more than I could have imagined. The Holy Spirit stepped in and took control of my life and led me back to Himself. I’m still growing in my relationship with Him and am so thankful for Godly friends who cared enough to invite me to FBNS.
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I always believed I was a Christian because I was baptized as a baby, confirmed at age 12, and I was a good person. After a divorce when I was 30, I went back to school and got a job and work became my idol for survival to prove I could ‘make it on my own.’ I carried bitterness, hate, anger, and unforgiveness. After being single for 9 years, I fell in love, remarried and had everything I wanted, but my life was still empty.
In June 2001, I was devastated when I almost lost my son and found out my husband had advanced prostate cancer. Just weeks before this, Terry, one of my employees, had brought his Bible to work and read scripture to me. He told me that Jesus would come back and ‘rapture’ all believers and he thought it would happen in his lifetime. He told me that Jesus was God in the flesh. Because of my ignorance of the Bible, I could not understand. Terry encouraged me to get a Billy Graham book. I read ‘Peace With God’ and my eyes were opened to new truths about who God really was, my purpose in life, and how to know for sure I would go to heaven when I died. When I compared myself to a holy and righteous God, for the first time I saw myself as a filthy sinner. For the first time I believed and understood that Jesus came to earth and died on the cross to forgive MY sins. I believed that Jesus rose from the dead 3 days later and He defeated death — and He is alive today. I humbled myself and confessed I no longer wanted to be in control of my life. I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. This was July 20, 2001! I was 50 years old and had been out of church for 30 years!
My husband and I started going to church, and I made a public confession of my faith at Restoration church and was baptized AGAIN. I joined a women’s Bible study that my next door neighbor, Olive Fuller, taught. The Fullers invited us to Sunday school. We fell in love with the class and church and joined First North in January 2002. God made a complete turn-around in my life and I finally had ‘peace with God.’ I was filled with God’s love. I now have a burden to share my story with others. I love to go to church every week and I have a strong desire to seek God in His Word. I face life and circumstances with the help and power of the Almighty Creator by talking with Him through prayer. I still sin, but when the Holy Spirit convicts me of my sin, I ask for forgiveness so that my sin will not separate me from God. I thank God for Terry who had the courage to share his faith with me at work. A year ago I resigned my position at work, but I was able to share my story with MY manager on my exit interview. Mission completed. My God has other eternal plans for my life and I am so excited! To God be the glory. AMEN!
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Before I came to know Christ my life was one filled with complete emptiness. I had an addiction to the lust of the flesh. My addiction was fueled by the internet and allowed me to carry on till I was 27 years old. I spent who knows how much money and hours upon hours of wasted time looking for something to fulfill my addiction, but I was always left with guilt and emptiness. I carried on like this day after day for many years.I was introduced to a man named Rex Blanton through First North who encouraged me to take a class he was teaching. During the Self-Confrontation class I still had my addiction, but with the help of Rex, the class and the Bible I began wondering if I was really saved and if I was how come no amount of prayer would free me from my addiction? On Jan. 28, 2007 I heard a testimony of a man talking about knowing about Jesus but not ever really accepting Jesus. When I heard this I was shaken. I trembled where I sat and I wept. I was scared and did not give my life to Christ during that service, but I went back that evening and gave my life to Christ.
Since that night on Jan 08 2006 I met my beautiful wife. I no longer have my addiction and no longer desire to indulge in my past addiction. God has blessed my life with many wonderful things, friends and family. My focus now is no longer to satisfy myself but to please God. I fall short in many areas but I continue to keep my focus on God and I know that I will continue to grow closer to Him. My past doubt of being saved has been replaced with an unquestionable knowledge that I will one day join my Father in heaven.
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I grew up in the small town of Campobello. I was the youngest of three. My brother and sister were 12 and 10 years older than me respectfully. Life at home was not good. My mom and dad fought all the time. However, through all the fighting, we managed to be involved in our church. We were having a revival in the spring when I was 8 years old. When the invitation came , I went down to the front of the church at the close of the service and our minister told me he was so glad I had made the decision to follow God and wanted to be baptized. No one ever talked to me again about it. I guess they thought I knew everything I needed to know or else they didn’t know what to tell me. I thought I was saved, but I wasn’t. I had not asked Jesus into my life.
It wasn’t until 2 years ago that I can truly remember the time that I asked Jesus into my life. My mom was very ill. I was going back and forth to the hospital. I was so worn out that I remember telling God, “I can’t do this anymore.” I asked Him to come into my life and He did. Our church had taught me the sinners’ prayer. I had to confess all my sin to Him, acknowledge that Jesus died, was buried, and rose to life in 3 days. I also had the opportunity to witness to my mom the week she died. She also accepted Jesus as her Savior and that gives me such peace to know that she is in heaven with Him now.
My life before Jesus was very depressing and “like a chore.” I was getting the job done but I did not have a heart for God and His ministry. I prayed that He would give me the desire to be in His house and serve Him and He did. I now live by faith, meaning that I have put my trust in God. Even though I am saved, I still have trying times. My life is not perfect and I have to ask Jesus every day to forgive me of my sins. The greatest thing about being a Christian is that each day is like a new beginning. Thank goodness He is the God of second-chances. I have a quiet time every day by reading God’s Word in the Bible and praying daily. This is the only way to have a personal relationship with Him. I now have the understanding that He is in control, not me. I am so glad Jesus is in my life.
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