My Testimony

I wanted to put my testimony out there online because I never have. My story is not radical or extremely cool but I think that it is probably more in line with what most people who actually come to faith in Christ. I grew up in the Catholic Church going each Sunday with my mom and grandma. I always knew there was a God but when I came to Bethesda Baptist Church for the first time with my friend Brandon Overcash, I learned that God loved me and wanted to have a personal relationship with me. The problem with having a relationship with God is that we can not because of sin. Sin by its definition is making something (either ourselves and something in our lives) other than God ultimate in our lives. Jesus Christ saves us from sin and restores our relationship with God because He died as our substitute on the cross so that if we repent from our sins and ask God for forgiveness then by God's grace through faith we will be saved.

I was saved when I was in middle school at Snowbird Camp with the youth under Jonge Tate. I knew that I needed Jesus Christ to save me from my sins and to be my Lord and Savior. At Bethesda in high school, Steve Brown began teaching me theology. When I began to understand who God was and what that meant for this life then I began to really be on fire and live for God. I went to college with no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I continued going to church, serving the youth and starting a college Sunday School class at Gorman Baptist Church and spending time learning God’s word. I also became involved with Campus Crusade on Thursday nights at NC State and going to a guy’s bible study on Monday nights. One day, I felt like God had answered that question by placing a calling to ministry on my life.

He called me specifically to use my time, gifts, talents, and training to reach the next generation. Teaching and preaching God’s word impacts people and brings change in their lives so that is what I plan to spend the rest of my life doing. I have been doing ministry in some capacity at a local church or para-church organization to prepare for full-time ministry ever since that day halfway through freshman year of college. I currently teach or preach anywhere I am given the opportunity and prepare by going to school at Southeastern studying under some great men of God. The question I want to ask you today is has there ever been a time in your life where you realized your inadequacies, your short-comings, that you do tell lies and think bad thoughts, and have come to understand that when you stand before God at the end of your life that you won't measure up on your own? Has there ever been a moment when you confessed that you really need Jesus to be your Savior and Lord? If you have not, then I hope you will. That's my testimony, what's yours?