It's testimony time! Let's share how Jesus came into our lives and changed us for the better!
I have copied and pasted my testimony and an experience I shared in past studies, and will share some more of how God continues to change me. I love that my testimony grows and God continues to work on me. I have so far to go and am so thankful He will not be done with me until He returns or my life here is over.
My faith in Jesus is stronger than ever. He shows me just how faithful He is in my day to day life. He always provides more than I need, even when my faith is wavering and I'm not sure how it will happen. Doing this study of Luke, and the series we are doing at church "Simply Sow", has really shown me the importance of sharing the Gospel. What little acts of service, kindness, sharing a personal story, inviting someone to church, etc. can really do. It has been great reading and hearing stories of what these simple things can do for someone, whether I actually see the fruit or not. It is really difficult to only see and feel the opposite side of things of family and friends feelings getting hurt or offending someone. I feel like God is strengthening my faith and teaching me through these experiences and showing me the importance of "Simply Sowing".
5 years ago I never would have thought I'd be excited to go to church every Sunday, let alone leading a Bible Study! Or being pushed out my comfort zone handing out tracts or telling someone I am praying for them. God is so good though! He has blessed me in ways I never expected! My life is forever changed, because He saved a sinner like me!
I have copy and pasted my testimony from the last study, but will share an experience about how God has shown how faithful is. He always is.
I remember working a job I really, really disliked. I would cry in my car on the way to work and just dreaded everything about it. I had applied and interviewed and done everything that I could do to find a new job. I remember praying in my car after work one day. I told God that I was done! I told Him I was so frustrated and was giving it all to Him. I told Him I couldn't do it on my own and that I needed Him. I put my trust in Him. I stopped worrying about finding a job instantly. I had peace! I got a job offer within a couple of days! My trust has been in Him ever since. That is when I first remember trusting God completely. It was just a couple of months later that we go invited to church and everything fell into place.
Since this experience my stress and anxiety level has dropped incredibly! I know that God knows best. He has my back! I know it's not always going to be easy, but I know that He works things out for His glory and that is good! No matter what! I needed to stop trying to make things happen on my own and leave it in God's hand. Trust!
Here is my testimony I shared before...
Growing up, most of my extended family and my friends were LDS. I was baptized when I was 8 in an LDS church. I remember going to church, but not consistently. I remember not feeling like I fit in with my friends and family as far as a church/religious setting. I don't have a memory of why I was baptized, besides knowing that being baptized is what you do when you turn 8. And having family being very excited about it.
I have a memory of a friend telling me when we were little that I wouldn't be with my family in heaven, because we weren't sealed in the temple as a family. That memory stands out to me. I remember thinking, "I don't believe God would separate my family for not being "sealed together". We were just kids and I don't know the exact details of temple sealings in the LDS church. I'm stating this, because I remember having doubts about this church at a young age. Later some things about this church troubled me. I didn't agree with temple marriage and wondered who would I marry, because I didn't want to be married in one of these temples and the friends I had would only be married in the temple. I didn't understand getting married and my own parents couldn't attend, because they weren't "temple worthy". These are just some of the doubts that I had. I remember thinking there had to be something different. I did not know about any other churches/religions. I grew up in a very small town and my friends either were or were not Mormon.
My mom got remarried and my step-dad was Christian. She became a Christian and took me to church with her a few times. She bought me Christian CD's and WWJD bracelets. She gave me a Bible (that I never read). I remember thinking it was all so weird. So different. I thought being a Christian meant believing in God. I didn't know who this God was, but thought "Well I believe in God" and called myself a Christian. I thought I knew so much. Ha!
Later a friend started asking me questions about being a Christian and I answered her the best I could. Somehow, my answers maybe gave her confidence to join some friends at The Rock (or maybe she already had gone and was questioning it all). She eventually invited me to The Rock to listen to her boyfriend playing in the band. Luke and I went and listened just months after we were married. We liked the church and haven't stopped going. The next couple times we were there I remember hearing the same verse during announcements. Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." It was just what I knew in my heart all along. It was that simple. Hearing that verse solidified it for me. It is by the grace of God I am saved, not by works! It is not what I can do!
I was baptized. This time I knew why I was being baptized. Not to earn anything. Not because it will get me a step closer to heaven. Simply to show the world that I am living my life for Jesus. As an outward display of my love for Him. I love Jesus!
Since, I have learned more and more about who God is. I don't want to just believe in God. I want to know who God is. I want to be like Him. I know that I am so far from being good enough. The more I know who He is, the more I know why I need Him. I am so unworthy of His grace. So unworthy to be able to be with him in heaven. But, He made it possible by coming to earth as a man and living a perfect life to pay for my sins. He made a way! He is THE WAY!
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