Personal Testimony

Shawn

Personal Testimony • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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Introduction

My Conversion

My introduction to Christianity was a mix of church as a kid, but my family was inconsistent, never really belonging to one church.

I went to high school in a small town and there was a small country church right the down the street from my house.

I had passed it a number of times over the years and for some reason in high school I began wondering about God and my relationship with Him.

I had a knowledge of God, through church, and nature as it speaks about in Romans, but I didn’t didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

A year later, when I was seventeen, in my living room, after having been under conviction over a number of months, I bowed my had and asked God to save me.

And He did, and I had assurance. I then followed the Lord in believers baptism and church membership.

College

It wasn’t long before it was time for college.

My first year of college I stayed at home and commuted to a local college.

I was still a member of the church and there were other kids my age who were also at home and so that first year went well.

Then my parents moved to the Springs.

I stopped attending church.

Found a girl friend who was not saved or going to church.

Then I went to a secular school in Boulder.

Marriage

However, God through me a life line.

Jennie was a graduate student in Boulder and we met my senior year. She was a saved Christian, had a far better testimony than me and within a year we were married.

We were in and out of churches. I was in and out of the party scene, and could never really get in under control.

That led to the first divorce.

First Chance

I went through a program that helped me get my life back on track and God performed a miracle and brought me and my wife back together again.

We had good jobs, kids, living the american dream. But God wasn’t a big enough part of our lives. That was on me.

Now or Never

After a while, I started messing up again. We were constantly arguing.

I came home one day and the house was empty. I knew it was coming. I really thought my life was over.

Commitments

I had surrendered to preach at 17. Now I was 40, broken, lost everything, no where to go, nothing to do. It was probably the lowest moment of my life.

I fell on my knees and prayed, like I’ve never prayed before. I didn’t ask for my family back. I said I was willing to do whatever God wanted me to do, because I had no idea any more what my life was about.

God answered. But it wasn’t right away.

A year away from my family pulling my life back together. I was mentoring and working with other guys who were in even worse situations than I was.

That’s how God works. You want to fix your life, start helping other people, that’s how it work. At least with me.

My boys

I love God with all my heart and all my soul, and I love my boys.

I remember sitting on a couch with a supervised visit through CASA. I had one hour with the boys after not having seen them for a year. They were so good. They never complained.

The last visit with CASA they were so happy.

Church

So how does the church play into all of this?

All of it. God moved from one group of people doing life together, to another group of people at New Heights Baptist Church.

I found my calling again and doing ministry classes. I am heading up the outreach of evangelism. I greet people at the door, just like me, broken but finding a home at our church, just like me and hopefully just like you.