This is my story Pt.1
What's neat about God is that he is a personal God, not some far off, impersonal entity. Because of this we each have a unique story of how in his mercy, he decided to reach out and save us . This is mine.
I grew up pretty well off in a small town outside Philly (Pennsylvania). I lived in a nice home in a friendly neighborhood and was lucky to have two parents who loved me. From ages 1-4, I only really have two clear memories: Getting a loyal, golden lab named spot and my dad becoming sick, passing away from cancer when I was 4. At age 4, of course, I didn't really understand everything that was going on. When, he died, I thought that even though my Dad was "gone" I was sure we'd see him again sometime soon- I was wrong of course.
Even though our family fell apart, my mom and I picked up the pieces and moved on; it was something possible to do with loving family. My mother and I were actually able to travel to see family and friends several times a year throughout my childhood .
At age 5, my mom and I joined a nice little church only a scenic 5 minute drive from where we lived. I remember everyone there being so nice and loving towards my mother and I. Curious as to why everyone was so kind, I learned about Jesus after only going there 2 or 3 times. So, when I heard about God, I decided I liked the sound of that Jesus guy and his offer of heaven. I figured I was on board. I made great friends there and almost always looked forward to going .
When I came to be 13 or so, I started to make some friends, and do some things I knew I shouldn't have. It wasn't long before I was cursing (thought it was cool), manipulating situations in my favor, and acted entitled. Worst of all, I got into porn and objectified women . These sinful and destructive habits that I let take me over, were really a reflection of where my heart was at the time. I believed in God, but I didn't really believe I needed his presence in my life. I was well off and was happy. I didn't understand that pursuing selfish things that just made me "happy," was no way to live.
I'm so thankful my story didn't end there. When I was 16 1/2, one summer, I started to see things a little differently. For some reason, I was suddenly aware of God at work in people's lives around me. I was seeing sincere love in those attending my church, and in the attitude of my friends parents when their son died (one of my best friends). His parents used his passing as an opportunity to draw near to God and lift up his name, while I only misdirected my anger about his death towards God. What probably impacted me the most however, was seeing how God was working in my mother's life. He was helping her to love with a servant like love that just blew me away.
My mom Got me a cool teen Bible that summer. One day I decided to pick it up and started reading. After only about 5 minutes, I still can't come up with words to describe it, but I felt so at peace and unburdened. Witnessing God's overwhelming love and then reading about it, I finally embraced it (Jn 6:44) . That week, I decided I wanted to follow Jesus. I didn't want the counterfeit-Christianity that I had been practicing before, but instead, to become a new creation (Cor 5:17).
Immediately, God helped me to make significant changes in my life. I was no longer cursing or acting as spoiled as before. And even though I had to end a friendship or two in the process, it was worth it. Porn was quite a struggle, but only when I handed my addiction over to God (2Cor 12:9), I was able to give up porn. Now I can gladly say I haven't looked it up but once in almost 8 years! Saying I'm imperfect is an understatement, but, God has my heart and has given me a hope that never fails (Rom 5:5).
I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my testimony and thank you for listening. Glory to God alone!
Feel free to ask any questions or let me know if you want to hear more.
Congrats on making it through the whole story, God bless you!
Grace wins.
- John
What's neat about God is that he is a personal God, not some far off, impersonal entity. Because of this we each have a unique story of how in his mercy, he decided to reach out and save us . This is mine.
I grew up pretty well off in a small town outside Philly (Pennsylvania). I lived in a nice home in a friendly neighborhood and was lucky to have two parents who loved me. From ages 1-4, I only really have two clear memories: Getting a loyal, golden lab named spot and my dad becoming sick, passing away from cancer when I was 4. At age 4, of course, I didn't really understand everything that was going on. When, he died, I thought that even though my Dad was "gone" I was sure we'd see him again sometime soon- I was wrong of course.
Even though our family fell apart, my mom and I picked up the pieces and moved on; it was something possible to do with loving family. My mother and I were actually able to travel to see family and friends several times a year throughout my childhood .
At age 5, my mom and I joined a nice little church only a scenic 5 minute drive from where we lived. I remember everyone there being so nice and loving towards my mother and I. Curious as to why everyone was so kind, I learned about Jesus after only going there 2 or 3 times. So, when I heard about God, I decided I liked the sound of that Jesus guy and his offer of heaven. I figured I was on board. I made great friends there and almost always looked forward to going .
When I came to be 13 or so, I started to make some friends, and do some things I knew I shouldn't have. It wasn't long before I was cursing (thought it was cool), manipulating situations in my favor, and acted entitled. Worst of all, I got into porn and objectified women . These sinful and destructive habits that I let take me over, were really a reflection of where my heart was at the time. I believed in God, but I didn't really believe I needed his presence in my life. I was well off and was happy. I didn't understand that pursuing selfish things that just made me "happy," was no way to live.
I'm so thankful my story didn't end there. When I was 16 1/2, one summer, I started to see things a little differently. For some reason, I was suddenly aware of God at work in people's lives around me. I was seeing sincere love in those attending my church, and in the attitude of my friends parents when their son died (one of my best friends). His parents used his passing as an opportunity to draw near to God and lift up his name, while I only misdirected my anger about his death towards God. What probably impacted me the most however, was seeing how God was working in my mother's life. He was helping her to love with a servant like love that just blew me away.
My mom Got me a cool teen Bible that summer. One day I decided to pick it up and started reading. After only about 5 minutes, I still can't come up with words to describe it, but I felt so at peace and unburdened. Witnessing God's overwhelming love and then reading about it, I finally embraced it (Jn 6:44) . That week, I decided I wanted to follow Jesus. I didn't want the counterfeit-Christianity that I had been practicing before, but instead, to become a new creation (Cor 5:17).
Immediately, God helped me to make significant changes in my life. I was no longer cursing or acting as spoiled as before. And even though I had to end a friendship or two in the process, it was worth it. Porn was quite a struggle, but only when I handed my addiction over to God (2Cor 12:9), I was able to give up porn. Now I can gladly say I haven't looked it up but once in almost 8 years! Saying I'm imperfect is an understatement, but, God has my heart and has given me a hope that never fails (Rom 5:5).
I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my testimony and thank you for listening. Glory to God alone!
Feel free to ask any questions or let me know if you want to hear more.
Congrats on making it through the whole story, God bless you!
Grace wins.
- John