Testimony of a Sinner Saved by Grace

I grew up in a home that always put Christ first. We went to a church that preached the Bible and took a stand for what was right. I was raised in a family that knew what it was to do hard work, and that nothing came without a price. I was very fortunate to have the chance to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ from birth, but this was something that I spent a long time running from. When I was about 5 or 6 I remember hearing about being saved so I just decided that I wanted to do it. I didn't know anything about what was going on, I just nodded to the person that was talking to me and did what they told me to do. There was no conviction over sin what so ever, just me doing what I thought other people would be happy with. As time went on I kept feeling, what I now know was the Holy Spirit, a tugging at my heart telling me I had never accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I just passed it off saying that I was crazy, even though a change had never really taken place in my life and I was able to do everything I used to do, sin the same way I used to sin, before I said I got "saved".

When I was getting ready to go into the 8th grade my parents and myself moved to Winston Salem, away from all my family and friends in Avery County. This move was something that I hated and something that caused a great rebellion to rise up in me against my Mom and Dad. I fought them every way I could... and sad to say I damaged the trust they had in me and our relationship in a great way. It was my freshman year in high school at North Forsyth High that I honestly got tired of fighting with my parents. It was then I decided to change and I thought to myself "hey, what better way than to tell people I got saved?" I lied to my youth pastor, and to my parents again, and to my church; but they were none the wiser because I had changed. Its sad that lies that we even teach ourselves to believe... Thankfully God kept convicting me of the need to be saved, but sadly I kept fighting it and running from God. I went through all four years of high school telling people I was saved but living like the devil. That lie of a life has crippled the possibility of witnessing to many of the guys that I played football with, and telling them about a true life in Jesus.

During my first semester of college God really began to convict me of my sins and on August 25, 2004, I asked Jesus Christ to be my Saviour. It was at that very moment that I passed from death unto life and a true change took place in my heart and life. It was no special prayer that was said; it was knowing that I was a sinner that was on my way to Hell; it was seeing that Jesus Christ paid the debt that was owed for my sins and He wanted me to live forever with Him in Heaven; and it was me, a poor wicked sinner, calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and believing in my heart that God had raised Him from the dead. Almost two years later, on August 9, 2006, God called me to preach His Word.

I don't know why God loves me so much. I've done nothing to earn it... All I know is that He saved me, its not anything that I had done or could do that saved me, and He called me to preach His Word. There is a desire in my heart now to share Jesus Christ with this lost and dying world, and to proclaim Jesus Saves wherever He takes me!

Thank you Lord for your goodness to this undeserving sinner!!!!!

Are you saved? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Has there ever been a time that you felt true conviction over your sins? What are you trusting in to keep you out of Hell and to take you to Heaven? Only the blood of Jesus Christ can take you to a Heavenly home, everything else leads to a fiery destination.

My Day of Rest

Matthew 11:25 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The older I get the more I think about my childhood: Growing up on Geigh and Pa's farm in Banner Elk; Sledding in Hanging Rock with all those awesome hills; climbing trees every chance I had; playing football in the back yard. The list goes on and on. All great memories and wonderful things to look back on. Another thing I think of is my Daddy taking naps on Sunday after noon. I never understood it until recently. As a kid I loved the time between church services to watch football or to play outside, seeing Daddy taking naps was just awkward! However, now I love taking naps in between services on Sundays! I think that Matthew 11:25 says it all. All throughout the week we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. We face things throughout the week that we truly need the midweek service but to be able to stop and reflect on our saviour on His Day we are able to find rest. Coming to the Lord truly does enable us to accept real rest that only He can give. Sunday afternoon naps... I love them, when I can get them!

My Family

I have to say that I had a wonderful vacation with my wife and her family. We went to Emerald Isle, NC to do some fishing and we had a blast! We didn't catch a lot of fish, but we had a great time together and we laughed A LOT!!!!! I am very thankful that God has given me a family that I feel 100% apart of. I didn't have to submit an application, nor did I have to prove myself with them. They have always accepted me for me. I've always been one of them with no hesitation. I truly hope that Dara feels the same way with the family that she has acquired. They love her, I just hope that she knows it the way that I know her family loves me. I am truly a blessed man!

Life Changing Experiences

I was talking to one of the teens in the Youth Group at Freedom the other week about school. She made me laugh when she said in disgust, "I've only been in school for one week and I already have to write a paper." I asked what the theme was and this was the response with rolled eyes "A 'Life Changing' Experience." Now,when I think of Freedom's Youth Group (which is a lot, thankfully) I think of "life changing experiences". The first one I thought of when speaking to the teen was Salvation! 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things passed away, behold, all things are become new". I have spent my life in church. Some of my first memories are in church, whether it be a service or an activity. I knew from a very young age the truth of eternal life, but I didn't accept Jesus Christ as my Savior until I was 18. I lied to everyone all through Middle School and High School, claiming salvation but living like the devil. Its my fear that I've done more damage to the name and cause of Christ in my youth then I'll have a chance to repair. I've hurt many individuals in sinful relationships and I've hurt many groups by the life I lived. I praise God for the change He made in my life, and I pray everyday that I may be able to point those from my past to the cross that made the difference for me!

The other life changer I thought of went all the way back to the 3rd grade. It was then that I played football for the Newland Blue Devils! As a team we had a bad game the Saturday before, and the coaches had the 1st string defense run extra for not listening very well during the game. Now I didn't play on the 1st string, but they called me out and made me run anyway. When all the running was over they realized who was supposed to run in stead of me, but they just laughed it off and we continued with practice. I was so upset! After practice was over I got in the old Chevy S-10 that Daddy used to have and we started home. Dad asked me what was wrong, and I told him... Truth be told I was seeking support; I was looking for "I'm sorry Son, it'll be OK", but that's not what I got. "What are you gonna do, QUIT?" These words hit me hard! I didn't want to quit, I just wanted a little sympathy. That phrase has stuck with me ever sense then and it was then I learned that just because things happen that you don't like it doesn't mean that you can walk away; you must continue to push forward and always do your best! Its funny, but when I read the story of Moses and the Israelites at the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army behind them; I hear them all start complaining to Moses saying "you brought us here to die"; Moses looking ahead and sees the Red Sea, he looks behind and sees the chariots storming towards them and all he hears are people complaining, I hear "What are you doing to do, quit?" and Moses gets an answer from God: Exodus 14:13-14 "And Moses said unto the people, fear ye not, Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day; for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

These are just a couple of things that have changed my life. If each and every one of us look into our lives we see things that God has used to change us to be more equipped to do His work. Each thing, whether big or small, has been placed by God in perfect spots within our lives; proving that He love us enough to work personally with us, that we may be more like His Son if we would yield ourselves to Him and turn from our wicked ways.

Jersday... God help us!

I John 2:15 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." This was the verse that came to my mind when I saw about 30 seconds of the very popular Jersey Shore TV show. I saw nothing but pure wickedness in that short amount of time and I was shocked when I got on facebook and saw so many people calling today Jersday and saying how excited they were about seeing tonight's show. What breaks my heart even more is that many of those people are professing Christians. Glorifying alcohol and getting drunk every night, premarital sex and fornication, and loving self more than loving God or even others. Really? Is this what we want to be linked to? Is this really what we as Christians want to be a part of? II Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things become new." When a show lifts up sin and promotes wickedness, there is no way that someone who truly loves the Lord could support it! The Bible plainly shows us that salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ brings a change to our lives that compels us to love pure and holy things and to eschew that which is evil and contradictory to the things of God. Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary to save us from sin, not for us to entertain ourselves with it! Jersday... God help us!!!

Here and Now

I love the opportunity that I have to serve the Lord at the church I attend!!! It is truly an honor to work with the men and women that have been faithful through the years. My hearts desire is to one day Pastor a church and to serve the Lord by preaching His word and ministering to His people. The learning experience I'm able to have now is amazing and I hope I never take it for granted. I'm constantly looking for more to do, but my fear is that I'll stop thinking that what I'm doing is a "good work". I'm very thankful to get to work as an assistant in the Senior High Sunday School class and to lead the Teen Choir, both are full of wonderful kids who have a great desire to work and to serve. Getting to help in the Teen Group with all of our teenagers is absolutely wonderful! To get to work there is a true blessing!!! And yet, it is still my hearts desire to one day leave and Pastor a church (if the Lord were to allow). This desire has been in my heart sense I surrendered to preach in 2006 and has done nothing but grow and change from a desire to a burning desire: it's all I think about at times. I don't want to take for granted what I'm able to do, but I also don't want to lose sight of my dreams for the future in serving God. It is truly my prayer that God would allow me to continue to learn under these great men and women at Freedom Baptist, and when His time has come for Him to open a door for me to serve as a Pastor at a place where God wants me. I'm thankful for where I am, yet I'm still looking to move forward where the Lord would lead me!

From FRUSTRATIONS to heart ache...

Today was a rough day at work... I'm very thankful to have some good coworkers that help me keep focus on the Lord and to keep in mind the big picture in that I want my life to be one to show the Cross of Jesus. It started out with a major frustration from one coworker and kept growing from there! The further the day went along the more agitated I became and it didn't look like the day would be a good one. Over all the day at work was a good one, but then the same coworker blatenly lied to me. I HATE BEING LIED TO!! To make things worse it was over a small thing that could have been insignificant, but no! A lie was told and I almost reached the point of arguing. It was then I stopped to pray (sadly this was the end of the day not the beginning), I asked God to help me with my frustrations; and He did. Matthew 7:3-4 "And why beholdest thou the mote in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?" My frustrations quickly leave when I realize my faults that I showd today. I could have been a much better witness for Jesus Christ! I focused so much on my little bubble, that I didn't focus enough of the needs of others. I allowed things that I couldn't control to control me for an entire day... It was there that my frustrations turned to heart ache knowing that I can never have this day back, it is gone forever. Its my prayer that this would not happen again! I need to cling to my Savior and nothing else. I need to focus on Him and let everything else alone. I need to allow God to control me, not allow everyone else to. Father help me to seek after You, and to let everything else fall in its rightful place!!! Tonight has been a great night, seeking the Savior and following His guidance! God is so good to me!!!!!

First Blog...

I've officially started a blog! Not that I think my thoughts are worth reading, but I do have some things to say. Not everything in this blog will be liked and I understand that, however some of the writings I hope will be motivational or even inspiring! So, with this being my very first post I do believe an introduction is in order. Just some information about me... I grew up in a very small town, and I am very proud of it! I work for a rather large company and deal in customer service, so people are an EXTREMELY large portion of my life. I married my best friend in 2009 and she is and has been the most amazing person to be around. God gave me a great gift when He put her in my life! I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior on August 25, 2004 and I accepted the call to preach on August 9, 2006 (August is a wonderful month for me now!) I am very conservative in every stance (I've not found anything yet that I'm not conservative in...) That is my background and I believe it is a solid foundation for what is to come. Comments are always welcome! I believe that if you're going to take the time to read a blog then you must leave a comment. Feedback is always a welcome thing, especially when its constructive!