Thirty years ago I came to the understanding that Jesus died on the cross for me personally and I gave my life to him. Many things about my sinful life changed immediately. Over the years, I thought I was living in God's will for my life because I no longer did those old sins that were so much a part of me before I accepted Christ as my Savior.

Recently I had a life changing health issue. I was not afraid or worried because I understood that I have a heavenly home when I leave this one. As the year has gone by I felt God gently nudging me to totally surrender myself to him, showing me in love that I had withheld a few things. I hadn’t given him total control of my life. He wanted me to let go of the idols and sin I didn’t let myself see. The things of this world, things I had put my hope in, things I allowed to define me causing distress, anxiety and pain. I was losing sight of my father. I was losing understanding that I am a child of the one true king. 

My work supervisor Debbie and her son Ty recorded and sent me a beautiful song that spoke to my heart. Through the love of these good Christ loving friends and a group of women who have shown me Gods love at the Tuesday Care Night Group at Christ Community Church, I believe I have truly surrendered it all. 

Now I believe and fully accept these words from my lord, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

Before I accepted Christ, I was a deeply cynical, angry and unruly individual who relished in debating others theology as a devout atheist. 

However, six years ago God decided to guide me unexpectedly to a group called Crave and used my dearest friend Randi Bader to get me there. It was here where I saw a blessed group of Christians communing with one another in a way that truly resonated with me and thus brought me ever so gradually to know and absolutely love God. 

Once I gave my life to Christ and started to spend time in the Word, getting to know him better and developing a deeper relationship with him, I turned away from the old life I once lived, surrendering to him the unruly parties, destructive substances, and my Cynicism. He took from me my heinous anger and gifted me a sense of peace I never otherwise would have experienced. I've since been a member of various Christ community groups over the years and am always striving to learn what God's boundless Grace has in store for me. A verse I hope that inspires others to seek God as I have is this:

Psalm 145: 18-19 "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them."

Growing up my siblings and I periodically attended a Catholic church with my mom. However, if I’m being completely honest religion did not become significant to me until I had my own family.

At age 19, I had my 1st child - Joshua and then almost 9 years later I had my 2nd child – Isaiah.

Slowly but surely, it became very important to me the kind of life I wanted for my family and me. After 13 years of marriage I found out my husband was unfaithful numerous times, I felt like my whole world fell apart. Emphasis on the words “whole world”, Jesus slowly made it very clear that I had not placed Him in his rightful place. When I realized that Jesus was the ONLY ONE that will never forsake me, will always keep his promises and is truly the only one that can give true fulfilling in my life well, this was a game changer for me!! Jesus has been so incredibly faithful. I’ve felt an unexplainable peace during very troubled times and has been with me through it all. I’m so gratefully to Him for putting all the right people in my life, they’ve changed my life forever. I’ve made the conscious decision to let Jesus be the leader of my life and I pray that he will continue to strengthen me and give me all the tools I’ll need to live this way for the remaining of the life that I have. I know now what Jesus meant when he promised us “beauty for ashes”.

There has never been a time where I didn’t know Christ, from a very young age my grandma had always taken me to church where I attended Sunday school each week. I learned about Jesus and his message but didn’t always take it to heart.

Then this year I was introduced to Christ Community Church and attended S.B.R where I listened to stories about how Jesus was working in other people’s lives and wanted the same to happen to me. So, when my mom told me about the upcoming baptism I thought about it but decided to come.

Since then I have been thinking about Jesus more and more and truly believe what is being taught to me. I have begun thinking about what I say in my prayers and really putting my faith in Jesus. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Bethlehem is the English translation of my name. I was born and raised in a Christian home; my parents decided early on I would be named after the city where Jesus was born. They were very devout in their beliefs – although they followed different teachings, the fundamentals of their core beliefs are that of most Christians – that there is the Father creator of all and the son by whom all is possible (1 Corinthians 8:6).

Being raised in a religious home was difficult, attending church was a chore for me, eventually I strayed and left home at a very young age. I continued living my life knowing I was not acting in a way Jesus would be pleased but worldly temptations were greater than my need to seek his forgiveness.

I never felt the need to be close to Jesus. This all changed once I started  attending Christ Community Church with my husband, Chris Moore and our son Christian. I started praying a lot and I began to see changes in me. For the first time in my life I felt the Lord’s presence. Church is no longer a chore! In fact, I look forward to Sunday’s worship and Pastor Jim Nicodem’s weekly message. We now feel at home here at Christ Community Church Aurora through the many friends we’ve made. We also plan to continue our spiritual growth by serving and joining community groups.

Before I put my complete faith in Jesus, my happiness seemed to depend on my ability to be “the fixer” when it came to relationships, stressful situations and traumatic events in my life. I thought my own compassion and my own effort was going to resolve everything.

I have believed that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior since I was 14 years old. For whatever excuse I seemed to come up with, I kept walking away to “go it alone”. I have been coming to Christ Community Church St. Charles and Aurora off and on for about eight years. I started coming back again consistently with my wife, Belén Olivo-Moore just before Easter 2018. Hearing Jim Nicodem preach God’s word and the awesome kindness of Petey Crowley has helped me fully open my heart to Jesus and let him take control of my life.

After reflecting deeply on my life, I realized that it was God who helped me through so many traumatic events in my life, not me. He gave me the strength to help myself and others; He rebuilt my life piece by piece to provide for my family. Philippians 2:13 says, ‘for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose’

Growing up Catholic, I felt like I had an 'ok' relationship with God, Jesus, and Religion. However, as an adult, I was still living selfishly, putting myself first, and having Christ in the background. 

When my wife Michelle and I first started dating, we decided to find a new church in our area, and we started going to Christ Community. Still, I felt like I was just going through the motions because it was what I was supposed to do. Coincidentally enough, shortly after hearing the story of Andy Peterson and his mountain lion attack, I myself had a low-point in my life and my faith. 

Instead of giving up on me, my wife Michelle did something simple: she got me a bible for my birthday. We went back to Christ Community. I had to hit my bottom to have my eyes and ears opened to Christ and His forgiveness and undying love. I know I’m not perfect nor will ever be, but just as Pastor Eric says, “believe, and be baptized.” I believe.

Before I gave my life to Christ, I was fearful of the future. I was afraid of what people thought of me and felt like I needed to change myself in order to be accepted.

I have grown up in a Christian home and have always loved being at church. I understood what it fully meant to lay down my fears and insecurities and place by trust in Jesus Christ as my savior while at an inspiring stories weekend. Andy Peterson was sharing his story of being attacked by a mountain lion.  While he was sharing his story, I felt like God speaking to me in a whole new way, and I decided to give my life to Christ.

I would like to thank my parents and siblings, My SBR camp counselors Lily Henson, Natalie Calfa, Jaclyn Mcgraw, My best friends Vivian Brummel, Breanna Hard, and Jennifer Hanacek, and my leaders, Mr. and Mrs. Piszczek, Caeser and Andrea Chavez, Ty Haul, Molly Hard, and Jesse Rugg for helping me in my walk with the Lord.

Since following Jesus my life is filled with peace. I know that God goes before me and He is what fills me with confidence. One of the verses that has helped me along the way is Psalm 121:7-8, “The Lord will keep you from all harm. He will watch over your life. He will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

I surrendered my life to Christ when I was 5 years old and grew up in the church. Because I was so young, I didn’t get baptized immediately thereafter. As I got older, my embarrassment grew as I was afraid to admit that I hadn’t been baptized to my already-baptized friends. I kept waiting for a sign, but God calls us to be baptized the moment we’ve surrendered our lives to Him. 

Acts 22:16 says, “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins...” The time to be baptized is now. God helped me push aside my fear of being in front of people and turned it into a joy to celebrate this new life in Christ through baptism.

I didn't accept God's personal nature or his laws. I embraced outrage and victim-hood, self-obsession and relative truth. 

Two years ago, I had a vivid dream. In it I was a sparrow singing praises to the Lord. This experience prompted me to begin questioning my moral and spiritual beliefs. I began listening to Christian apologists online. Then I started reading the Bible, and pretty soon my world illuminated. I finally understood my need for repentance. I surrendered to Christ, and now I seek His guidance in all things. 

"The Lord is my strength and my salvation. He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him." (Exodus 15:2)

I was raised in a Christian family, but I never lived my life as a Christian. Growing up and as an adult, I made bad decisions, always learning things the hard way.

Feeling lost and not knowing where to turn for help, I decided to go to church. From the first time at Christ Community, I felt this was where Jesus wanted me to be. I was overcome with his presence and knew I wanted a life with Jesus Christ, so I prayed for forgiveness and surrendered my life to him.

In the short time since then, I have noticed a change in my life. I am making my way out of my shell, trying to talk more and get to know my neighbors. I’ve been making decisions with Jesus in mind not just myself. I can’t wait to see what else Jesus has in store for me as my faith grows.

I have always known and trusted in Jesus. I just put ungodly things before him at times but then would seek him at difficult times. In 2015, John and Amy introduced me to Christ Community Church. Since then, my life has flourished and become more meaningful. I see life and obstacles in a new way and don't let much bother me. Instead, I leave my worries to God. Recently I've grown closer to him and have a lot more joy in my life for my girls and me. My hope is to guide them to greatness.

John 14:6 says” Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the light. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

I’ve had the fear of the Lord since I was 13 years old, but fully realized I needed Christ when I was 17. In 2007, I was in a serious car accident. I broke my nose and neck, but only had to wear a neck brace for 8 months. Praise God for keeping me.

My decision to re-surrender my life to Christ is based on my journey to overcome sin. I desire to be the leader God has called me to be. Through my faith in Jesus and my desire to love like him, I continually see growth in my life. I am choosing his way instead of my old ways. Learning from other believers and becoming more transparent has opened the door that I was knocking at.

I am now active in Bible study and a Community Group. Attending Christ Community Church for over 2 years, Jesus has led me to seek membership, and to be the man of God he has called me to be, and be an example in my family. I read and pray daily, and I trust God in all situations. No matter what, I pray that the Lord’s will be done in my life. I want him to use me so I can continue to walk out the path he has set before me.

In the past, when I tried to rely on myself or others to provide for my needs and give me a sense of security, I was often disappointed. When I put my trust in God, all of my needs are provided for, and my sense of hope and security is restored. 

My parents, Scott and Teresa, raised me up to know Christ, which gave me a firm foundation for my life. As an adult, I stayed active in church, but my private life wasn't always honoring God. Learning from life experiences and going back to Christ in the hard times allowed me to mature and realize that there were areas of my life that I needed to surrender to God. Now walking in a deep and personal relationship with God, I see hope in all things and watch God work in my life in so many beautiful ways.

Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." 

Although I received baptism and confirmation in church in my youth, I didn’t pray to accept Jesus Christ into my life until college. For years thereafter, I still wanted to control my life as I continued to focus on my selfish behaviors. Even after hurting loved ones, I didn’t realize how broken I was until I entered a difficult time in my life and I finally prayed for Jesus to forgive my sins.

I received His grace and he taught me how to surrender to him through which I’ve received peace and joy. I was introduced to the Bible, as well as Alpha and Care Night. I now attend church regularly, volunteer, and joined a Community Group. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I grew up in a grounded Christian home. My grandfather was instrumental in bringing our family to know the truth found in Jesus Christ. I accepted Christ as a young person but strayed away throughout my teenage years. Even as I was living in the world for me, I always had a keen sense that Christ had a hold on me.

As I got older, settled, and had the responsibility of children, I was compelled to tell them of the life found in Jesus and be a model of that for them. It was then I committed to making Jesus lord of my life. The journey has not always been easy, but the rewards and peace of knowing my future is secure and knowing Jesus is always there to help me are priceless. 

I love the Lord with all my heart and now want to use the gifts he has given me to tell others of his great love for us. The highest honor we can give to the Lord, is giving back with what he has blessed us with. My life verse is Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

My Christian life was moving along just fine, having grown up attending another church, but changed immensely when Jesus led me to an unexpected mission trip to Honduras. Part of the trip was attending church with the host families; it was a Christian worship service in Spanish! I was touched so deeply and felt him more than I ever had before and returned home on the search for a new church that cultivated my relationship with Jesus. 

He has molded me through uncomfortable necessary changes and I am thankful for every single one of them, knowing I needed them to be where I am now. I see and feel him working in my workplace with my patients, my kids, and my family. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for my future, forever working for His glory. I’m being called by Jesus to this baptism and couldn’t be more thankful!

My name is Carter Walker and I am 9 years old.

Before I knew Jesus, I didn't feel like I knew what I was doing or where I was going. I felt lost. I wasn't sure of my path and I was doing what I wanted to do.

My Dad, Nanny, Tracey, and also Teacher Shena and Teacher Deb from KidsWorld, helped me learn, know, and follow God. I chose God’s path at This is Christmas. I said the prayer that Pastor Paul led us in and asked Jesus to lead my life. Jesus is my Savior and I believe God raised him from the dead.

God has changed my life in many ways. He has changed how I think about my path. God is control and he is with me at school and always there when I need him. When I have problems, I can pray to ask God for help. God is a great father to me and he will always be that way.

Growing up, I attended private schools and church where I learned about God. I knew that Jesus died for my sins, but I didn’t have a personal relationship with him. As I’ve grown older and become a wife and mother, I’ve felt a stronger desire to build my relationship with God and set an example for my children.

My first visit to Christ Community Church was on a baptism weekend. Since that day, I’ve felt a strong calling to be baptized. The teachings here have touched my heart and fueled my desire to have a deeper relationship with God. I surrendered my life to Jesus and realized how much He loves me and wants to provide for me. Because I have Jesus, I have everything I need!

I never had a relationship with Jesus while growing up, even though I was baptized and confirmed.  As an adult, I continued going my way without any thought of God. I was focused on controlling things in life and seeking the acceptance of others.  A few years ago, I felt like something was missing in my life.

After several invitations, my husband and I decided to attend a service at Christ Community Church.  My eyes were opened in hearing about Jesus dying for my sins because he loved me (John 3:16). I learned to seek Jesus to fill any voids and to let go of my self-centered and sinful habits.

Truly, my heart has changed because of my relationship with Jesus.  I started reading the Bible regularly, joined a great women’s Community Group, and  enjoy serving at church. This verse helps keep me rooted with Christ: John 15:5 says, “I am the vine: you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit: apart from me you can do nothing.”

I was baptized as an infant, I went to the Catholic CCD classes, and made my communion and confirmation. I knew of God and Jesus my whole life but I was never really interested. I just did it because my parents told me to do it.

While I was going through my divorce, my sister invited me to church with herself and her family. I went a few more times and found peace and comfort at Christ Community Church. Then, we went to the Christmas concert and I decided to surrender my life to Jesus as my Savior and King.

Since then, I am understanding how to pray more and live a better life with Jesus. I am also teaching my children how to pray and how to ask for forgiveness. I feel we have become closer as a family.

When I was younger, going to church and learning about Jesus felt like one of those things I had to do. I made sure I read my Bible, went to EPIC and Genesis, and I tried to be a good person, but it was more like a checklist to follow. I did not have a close relationship with God.  

Then I went to Silver Birch Ranch in sixth grade. My friends and my leader were a big help to me while I was at camp. They helped me to see how important it was to seek a more personal friendship with God. Being at camp made me actually want to learn about Him. My relationship grew stronger with Jesus and changed from something I had to do, to something I wanted to do.

Now I enjoy learning about Jesus and trust in Him. I look forward to going to church. I am excited to learn more about God at Genesis and I feel closer to Jesus than I ever had before. Over the past couple of years, I can say that my relationship has grown and I feel closer to God, which lead me to the decision to be baptized.

Before I trusted in Jesus, other things were more important to me like gaining the acceptance of others and what people thought of me. I have always been raised in a christian home where we attend church regularly. I have always heard that at some point in my life I have to make a decision to follow God on my own choice. 

I feel as if the time is right now because I have been able to look back on my life, and reflect on the sin in my life. I got to a point where I knew I could not let sin contain my life. I have decided to surrender my life to him and make him my king and Savior

After looking back and realizing the sin in my life, I am excited to finally live a life with God fully in control. I am going off to college in a year and want to have my priorities straight. I'm excited to live a life with God leading the way. I can't wait to see what he has planned for me in my life!

I have always known God in my life as I was raised Catholic, but the relationship was missing. I met my husband, Brian, in 2016, just a little over 2 years after I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer. Brian had been strong in his faith. However, at that time, I was angry at God. I never met my mom’s parents, and my dad’s parents passed away when I was 10 and 23. Losing my dad at 25 was my breaking point.

Brian and I began to come to Christ Community in 2016 and more regularly this year. Doing this, I could not deny the urge I felt to want to continue to grow closer to God, but I struggled to hold onto my past since my parents baptized me Catholic. I spoke to a staff member, Steve, who could relate to my dilemma. He told me that he believed my dad would just be happy that I had a relationship with God. After leaving church that Sunday, I turned to Brian and said that I love my dad and always will, but this decision had nothing to do with my dad. This was about me and my relationship with Jesus and I need to do this. 

Since making that decision, I feel like such a weight has been lifted off my shoulders especially since I have the support from my remarkable husband, amazing family, and from Brian’s wonderful family. I want to live through our Savior more and more every day. I have had my struggles in life, but with my growing relationship to Jesus Christ, I will succeed. “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11

I have a wonderful Christian family that blesses me so much by raising me with the church. When I was younger, I fully believed in Christ. At school, I never heard anyone saying doubts about God. But, starting last year in fifth grade, I heard people saying things about why we should not believe in God. Then, I got a weird feeling in my stomach, and I started having doubts about God. 

Then, summer came and I went to SBR. I was meeting some new people and everyone was so nice and friendly there! Later, when we started chapel in the morning and at night, as we were worshiping I saw people going up to the front of the stage and they were worshiping there. So, I went to the front, I then put my hand up, closed my eyes, and let the songs sink into me. I never felt this feeling before. It was so wonderful I can’t describe it! From then on, I put my faith and trust in Jesus. 

I need Jesus because he died for me and saved me. I have not had any doubts about God now. But if I did, I would open up the Bible and read. If I still cannot figure out my questions I would ask my parents or watch a good Christian video.

My name is Mackenzie and I am 9 years old. I have gone to church for as long as I can remember. My parents dedicated me at Christ Community when I was just a little baby, I don’t remember that. I know God has a perfect plan for me and that he will always watch over me. The night before my 5th birthday my mom and I sat down on the couch in our front room and were reading a story from my picture Bible. I told my mom at that time I wanted Jesus to forgive me of my sins. We prayed together at that very moment.

God is my Savior, he has given me peace when I have needed it. I pray and ask God for help every night. He has helped me remember things I’ve studied for and he helps me have the courage to be bold with my friends. I want to follow Jesus because I want to always know that I have someone in my life to look up to when I am feeling down. I memorize a lot of Scripture, because I go to a Christian school, but one that I often turn to is, John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Growing up as a little kid, I was very shy and not confident. Life seemed very hard for me. I was baptized as a baby by my parents at our Catholic church. I do not know precisely when I became a Christian early in my life. Perhaps when I was 10 or 11. All know is that I have surrendered my life to Jesus Christ and declare Him my Lord and Savior! I am excited to make a voluntary decision to be Baptized as my public announcement of my decision to follow Jesus Christ, even though I made that choice so very long ago.

It has been a slow, lifelong process of growing in my faith, and learning how to trust Jesus for more and more along the way. I believe we call it sanctification, the process of the Holy Spirit helping us becoming more and more like Jesus as we grow in our faith in Him. We know that Jesus will perfect us with spiritual completeness when we are home with Him in Heaven.

I have a better understanding of what it means to be a “follower of Christ”- growing, maturing, discovering that he has a plan for my life, and going through the process of laying down my own will and honestly trusting for His will to be done in my life for His purposes, not my own pursuits. The more I have slowly grown in this understanding, the more peace and assurance I have known as Jesus Christ has continued to unfold His plan for my life.

I think God allowed enough youthful growing pains early in my life to drive me to Him, and enough challenges in my adult life to keep me depending on Him. As I read the Bible, I love seeing how God operates and always pray and ask, how does this apply to my life? Or what principles is He teaching me now? I am learning the joy of obedience. In youthful hindsight I recognize how sin (pre or post becoming a Christian) has consequences and turns communication with God into static, that interrupts intimacy with Him.

Yesterday, God prompted my youngest son to say to Mom that he wants to get baptized! I am seizing this opportunity to get our third child baptized now. We had our first two kids baptized when they were babies and did not get around to it with number three. This is a God provided blessing for myself and my son for a voluntary and public decision to be baptized together declaring our trust in Jesus Christ and to acknowledge Him as Lord and King or our lives!

Before I trusted in Jesus, other things were more important to me, like what other people thought of me or my personal possessions.

Then, one day when I was at a real low point in my life and having a horrible time, I ran into an old highschool friend, and started talking with him. He invited me to Christ Community. It was there at the first service I went to that I wanted to commit my life to Jesus and that he died for my sins and loved me. 

Since then, I feel my relationships with my family and boyfriend have become stronger and closer. 

“Psalm 37:5 says commit your way to the lord, trust in him, and he will act."

I was raised in Catholicism, which I rarely practiced. I slowly turned into someone who I was not proud of during my college years. This included caring more about partying and material items. This also included not caring enough for people.

After college, I had this strong sense of authority pulling me to church. It was some unexplainable urge that I cannot even begin to explain. I knew there were bigger and better things in store for me. God got ahold of me and pulled me to attend Christ Community Church weekly, until I surrendered my life to Christ. During one of Jim’s sermons, I surrendered and have never looked back.

Once surrendered, I began to feel my life slowly becoming more fulfilled. Fulfilled by people, community, and Christ. I then joined a community group, which led me to some of my closest friendships. Routine prayer, community group meetings, and church attendance has opened my eyes to what life is supposed to be like when living with God. Christ has changed my life tremendously and I wish I could repay the favor he did for me by dying on the cross.

I was raised Catholic and baptized as an infant. I took Communion, attended confessions with priests, and was even confirmed under the name Diana. I said the Lord’s Prayer without thinking, without meaning. When a very difficult year fell upon myself and my family (2014), I did not understand why such a loving God would allow these events to happen, and I went astray from His path. I was lost.

In early 2018, I had been feeling a pull towards bringing Christ into my life. I was overworked with my university coursework and my job. My wonderful friend at work, Mary Gabrielson, persistently invited me to attend service at Christ Community Church. She gave me gentle encouragement that I might need someone else to lean on to alleviate my anxieties. I was skeptical but finally came to a service in June 2019. I felt like I had walked into my home- rescued, accepted, loved, and forgiven. I surrendered my life to Christ and began my journey with Him shortly after.

I have accepted Jesus into my life. I regularly attend service and I pray every day- and thank Him sincerely for the blessings in my life. I see now that these blessings are a result of Jesus, not my own doings as I had previously thought. My inner peace and joy are existent once again because I know I will always have a place with Jesus. He has become my center.

“When you pass through waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.” Isaiah 43:2

I am an eighth grader, and I have been coming to Christ community church for almost 4 years with my family and this is my faith story. 

I really came to Christ in sixth grade at Genesis after having a hard time in school and asking my group leader Ms. Anita to help me to put my trust in faith in God. Now that I have put my faith in him, I have a lot of hope and I am happy and continue to reach out to others by serving in Kidsworld, going to community group, and bringing my friends to church. 

I am excited to be baptized to continue belonging, serving, growing, and reaching. I want to continue my journey with Christ by taking the next step in being obedient with God.

My experience in learning about God is that when I read the Bible I always learn something new. I was in second grade in the Sunday class at my old church when I prayed to put my faith in Jesus. This decision means that I am a follower of Jesus and that I should always put my trust in him. My parents and some of my school friends encourage me to grow in faith.  One of my favorite things about God is that he always loves you and will forgive you no matter what you do. 

My favorite verse is Psalm 119:10-11, "I seek you with all my heart; don't let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you".  This tells me he will always help me with situations in my life.

Before Christ, my happiness was reliant on external factors. What people thought of me played a huge role in how I felt about myself. I tended to think negatively and surround myself with people I struggled to connect with deeply. I generally found myself searching for the big answers of life alone.

A few years back, someone had planted a seed in my heart and taken me to church. For the next couple years after that, I went inconsistently, only when I was feeling lost, down, and felt like something was missing. While I had gone to church when I was very young, I did not understand the teachings then. I found the more consistently I came to church, and the more I prayed, the more confident I felt in the direction of my life, and the more whole I felt as a person. 

I decided to dig deeper into the Christian faith by joining Alpha. In only the first four weeks, I found that the answers I was searching for so long were in the teachings of the Bible and congruent to what I deeply believed, and chose to surrender myself to follow Jesus.

The church has grounded me to my values and with the Holy Spirit I am stronger and more able to act in ways congruent with my heart. My faith has helped me build relationships filled with joy and on foundations of love, trust and understanding.

I have always believed in Jesus. I was baptized as a baby in the Catholic faith. In my home there was a Last Supper picture on the wall in the kitchen, a picture of Jesus and Mary in the living room, and picture of Pope John Paul the II. My dad was Polish and was quite proud of that fact. However, after the first communion, church and Sunday school became a thing of the past.

I became a single parent of two kids and thought the very best I could do for them was to send them to christian school, which I did. Working many hours and every other weekend, I was too tired to bring them to Sunday school.  I lost faith because my children were drilled by the staff as to why they were not in church or Sunday school, and they felt embarrassed. I was very disappointed.

Fast forward, after 35 years in the nursing profession I developed health problems and was unable to continue my present position, so, I retired last October. Three days later, my youngest brother was admitted to the hospital with severe heart failure. It was bad enough to need a heart transplant. Who better to navigate this issue than me? Every day since last November 3, 2018, I pray to God every night to just give me and my family one more day for my brother.

God has answered my prayer every day. I pray his will be done. After daily answered prayers for my brother, this helped me decide to re-commit my life as a Christ follower and to make him the Lord of my life. I am glad his will is the same as mine every day for my youngest brother. I have always believed that He is my God and Savior and I am ready to make it official.

I put my faith and trust in Jesus when I was 4. I knew that putting my trust in Jesus was what I wanted to do. He died for me because he loves me. He is always there for me and he always will be.

I go to church every Sunday because I want to learn more about Jesus. Now I want to get baptized to show everyone that I put my faith and trust in Jesus.

My favorite Bible verse is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

I have always had a strong connection with Jesus for as long as I can remember, due to the fact that I have grown up in this church since day one. I had always called myself a Christian but never really acted upon that title, I would always choose my own path rather than the one that God wanted me to walk.

One day, randomly, I looked at myself in the mirror and I thought, “Am I really worthy of the Christian title I’ve given myself?” After asking myself that question, all the negative things I have done, all the people I have hurt with my words, and all the people I have let down with my actions flashed through my brain at once, and I could see it all so clearly. Most importantly, however, I saw myself through my actions and it saddened me.

After that day, I decided to turn my hurtful and selfish actions behind me and move forward living a life that God would want me to live. I started reading my Bible every night and found myself praying for no other reasons than to talk to God. I know I am not perfect and I’m still going to have to work hard to live my best life through God’s eyes, but as stated in Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast”. Therefore, I do not have to fear my future with Jesus for I know that he has saved me.

Before I really put my trust in Christ, during this past week an incident that I was involved in really opened up my eyes. My kindness was taken for weakness.

This past week I was involved in an investigation involving me and some other people. I almost lost myself, my son, and my family. Due to my sins, that I had sinned, put me in jail by myself, in the cold, alone, and just felt like nothing. As I sat there in shame crying, I cried out to Jesus and I asked Him for His forgiveness. I told Him I would do ANYTHING just to get home to my baby that was at home sick waiting for me and his medicine. I kept praying, praying, praying, and praying. I kept apologizing until I fell asleep in this cold cell. I woke up the next morning and realized it was not a bad dream. I kept praying, "Lord, please forgive me for my sins, I was not myself, the Devil took over, I pray to you Lord please let me get home to my baby." Hours later, the officer told me to come out and talk to the detective. I was released and I was sent home to my baby!

The next day, waking up with my son, I felt back to normal. I can truly say that this experience and surrendering myself to Christ has really changed me. I went to church and listened to Pastor Jim's message the following Sunday and I really felt that the whole thing was for me. I felt like it was just Jesus, Pastor Jim, and I just sitting there talking. It was an amazing message and I really felt every last word!

God has always been in the center of my family. I have always believed that Jesus died for my sins, but as I grew up I found it difficult to understand the Big God Story. I find it hard to comprehend that God has always has been and always will be. I feel like this big question can sometimes come between me and my faith. However, I believe that God has been working in my life since I was three years old. I believe he protected me when I fell out of my second-story bedroom window. 

God became real to me again when I attended Silver Birch Ranch about 2 years ago. I remember worshiping with all of the students and leaders. Towards the end of the week, during worship, I felt so sure that God is who he says he is and that I trust him with my whole heart. It was then that I decided to make a public declaration of my faith. I found my leader and shared the exciting news that I put my trust in Jesus. I love attending Genesis with my leaders and friends. It helps me stay close to God and grow in my faith. 

I was born into a Christian family and accepted Christ at an early age. I did not see any need to get baptized, I always thought that was for people in authority at the church or people teaching and leading the younger generation. When I was about eighteen, I went through a bad break up, started dealing with depression,  and could not seem to get out of that space.  

Then my parents recommended that I get back involved in the church and reconnect with Christ.  After getting back into the church, and reestablishing my relationship with Him, I felt the weight of the depression beginning to be lifted off. I began reading and listening to the Bible, praying regularly, and volunteering throughout the church. When volunteering with the Genesis middle school program, I started thinking more about getting baptized. But, the ongoing thought of, “I am not teaching or leading a small group,” made me not follow through on the thought of being baptized. 

In 2018, I went on a Go-Team to the Czech Republic and was leading a small group of kids in discussion.  We had not gotten into anything spiritual, but I soon realized that I was truly guiding students in many capacities.  So, my internal argument for not being baptized quickly got taken away. I started looking into getting baptized, but the next opportunity I would have had I would miss, because I was in the Czech when the baptism classes were going. 

Getting baptized now is the next step for me in my relationship with Christ and reconfirming that He is the Lord of my life and I am dedicating myself to follow Him in my goal to try and be more like Christ in my everyday life.  

I grew up in a good home for the most part. I was a bad kid, ran the streets and did what I wanted. I got into drugs and hung around with the wrong people. I was convicted for a crime I did not commit and it took 20 years of my life, and I still have a label on me.

So, finally, I said, “I give up God! I can’t do this anymore!” I turned my life to Christ and everything started to turn around for the better. I know without him I cannot achieve eternal salvation!!! 

So, I live my live through this passage:

Philippians 4:13 I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.

My mother Laurie Moreno has been my inspiration through this all, and I am very thankful for Steve Gallaher for reaching his hand out for guidance. I am going to start my new groups and grow in my faith to help other people who need it.

I have always followed my own path. My path isn’t a terrible path, it is often full of fun, laughs, friendship, and family, but tagging along the way is a history of a dark long path of sin that is usually accompanied with guilt, regret, drama and unhappiness. Chasing sin and what I thought would bring happiness had left me disappointed and a heart half filled.

Growing up I was not baptized, nor did I attend church with my family. I did not have religion growing up, but it was something I always yearned for and I knew I wanted. In elementary school, my girlfriend Allison brought me to her Christian church. It was then that I began wanting a relationship with Christ. The song Our God is An Awesome God has played in my head ever since.

A year ago a bright, warm, colorful new friend and neighbor, Annie, invited myself and my two daughters to attend service and KidsWorld with her. How could I say “no”? Annie literally pours out love and kindness, and whatever she’s buying, I wanted in on! Walking in for the first time at Christ Community Church and listening to the worship music brought me back to attending Allison’s youth programs, and it brought tears to my eyes. I knew that I was home. This is where I belong. It was not long after that I confessed my sins and asked Jesus for forgiveness and to take control of my life. 

Since surrendering my life to Jesus, my path is not as heavy, not as dark. There is still sin sitting on my shoulder, but I now know that walking life’s path with Jesus Christ is brighter, fuller, more rewarding. God has shown me that he is with me and he has a plan. 

Today is a great day as I have chosen to be baptized. I am proud to announce my new relationship with Christ and to be born again within him! I am excited to continue to follow God’s word, serve alongside my new family and share my new life with my daughters and husband.

I had come to church with my best friend Abigail Dunn a few times before I started coming regularly. 

From this experience, I have decided I wanted to continue my journey following God and allowing Jesus to be my Savior. God is the person I look to. I want to continue my journey with him and be obedient to God by getting baptized.

I was raised in a loving home where my family attended church regularly. However, I only had a vague understanding of God.

As I grew in my early twenties, I met my wife who was already a believer in Christ. As our dating relationship progressed, she explained the importance of having a true relationship with the living God. She also explained salvation, the eternal gift of life that was available to all Christ believers and how he died for our sins so that we would be forgiven. Over the upcoming years I slowly began to re-evaluate my faith to better understand the true meaning of God and Christianity.

At age 30 I received open heart surgery to replace a defective heart valve. When I woke, I immediately realized I was given a second chance at life and that God was speaking directly to my heart. It was then that I fully committed my life to Jesus Christ and accepted him as my personal savior.

Over the course of many years, I have grown in faith by learning and applying God’s word in my life. He has brought me truth, guidance, direction and many grateful blessings. However, the one thing missing for many years was participation in adult baptism. I decided as a true believer in Christ that the next step in my walk of faith is to express my obedience to God and his word by acknowledging him publicly.

I grew up in a Christian home and fortunately never really knew a time without God in my life.  I placed my faith in Jesus originally at Awana camp when I was 8 or 9. I made a commitment again to Christ in my late teens and my church at that time had teens stand and do a verbal “profession of faith,” but I never got baptized.  In my 20s and 30’s I had times when I was closer and further away to Jesus, but had been too scared and felt I did not need to bother with baptism.

Over the past several years, the Lord has been moving in my heart and mind. I have had my eyes opened to the many many areas in my life that I had been half-hearted in my Christian life, and had been treating Jesus just as a special “extra” to be focused on in times of stress or trouble. Recently, the Lord has been asking me to be obedient to all areas in my life and to place Him in the first position in my heart and not third or fourth!

From committing to read my Bible, and spending time with the Lord daily, to being obedient even in the small things day in and day out, to seeing some of the fruits of the Spirit starting to grow, my life has finally course corrected, and I am excited to commit 110% to my Savior!

Getting baptized is a step of obedience that I have longed to take to show Jesus I love him. My husband Don and I are joyfully making this commitment together!

Before I trusted Jesus, I did what I wanted to do and never God's way. During that time I was silent and felt different from everyone else because I liked certain things that other did not care about. I made my decision to follow Christ when I was in a bad part of my life. I had depression and anxiety in school and other places. It even almost led to more serious situations.

One day, I went to a counselor at Christ Community and there I got a lot of help from it. It taught me more about Jesus and how he has died for me. It taught me that I did not have to feel ashamed about who I was, instead it taught me how to be more of myself and not change a thing about it.

Since then, I have felt a lot better. I made more friends, I socialized, and I did not keep secrets that I thought were embarrassing. It has definitely changed my life compared to then because I did more of what God would want me to do, I read the Bible more often, prayed to God as well, and I've never been prouder. This is my story.

Before Christ, I could not handle stress well and I would get angry, and upset, and always think that I was doing something wrong.

I decided to follow Christ as my Lord and Savior because just praying to Him and worshiping Him would help me handle the stress better. It really helped me with school and outside of school. 

Since then, everyday I would pray to God to help me with something and just calm down and take a break from everything that is going on. That is why I chose to make Jesus my Lord and Savior. He had a huge impact on my life and every time I go to church I feel like Jesus is speaking to me.

I knew that was lost in sin and that the only way out was by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior.

I gave my life to Jesus when I was four or five at my grandmother’s house.

I feel God’s presence with me everywhere, helping me in times of need, giving me the strength to persevere through all of the challenges I face in life.

Going to church was not a high priority in my family when I was growing up. It was not until I met my wife about twenty years ago that I started to attend Christ Community Church. After about a year, I stopped attending church on a regular basis and as time went on, I stopped going all together. Fast forward to about a year ago, my life was filled with an overload of stresses, mistakes and complex challenges. At times, I did not know where to turn and made the wrong choices.

Also, about a year ago, things started to seem the darkest. I was introduced to Pastor Eric Hanson from Christ Community Church. Eric and I would meet from time to time. He helped me realize I was putting my faith and trust in the wrong places, and he helped restore my spiritual beliefs. I started putting my full faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13.

Since starting a true relationship with Jesus Christ, many of the different aspects of my life have changed for the better. My marriage is stronger and my relationship with my teenage daughter is more loving and tolerant. Today when I am faced with stressors or challenges, I pray and ask God for help and guidance. I truly feel His influence in my life and the decision I make today.

My name is Caiden and I'm 11 years old. I grew up in a Christian home, so I always knew about God, but I didn't really understand it. As I got older, I began to understand God's word more and more. 

Then, one year at a Christmas service, I put my faith in Jesus. Then, in 2018, I went on a mission trip with my dad to Haiti. After that, I felt a lot closer to God. 

I can tell the Holy Spirit is helping me because I try to read my Bible more often and I care more about people. I am really excited to get baptized and to continue my relationship with him.

For my entire life my parents have been teaching me all about God. One day when I was about 6 years old I was having a sad day and mom shared with me the next step packet and I decided to put my faith in Jesus. 

I put my faith in Jesus because I felt like God was telling me to and my mom told me that when you put your faith in Jesus the Holy Spirit is in you and fills you with joy and happiness. My life will be different because I will always know the Holy Spirit is in me, and when I want to do something that is mean the Holy Spirit is in me reminding me to be nice. My favorite thing about God is that he loves us and made us.

My whole life I have always tried to be the best person I can be. I have always believed that if I was a good person, good things would come my way. However, I still felt some kind of void in my life. I’ve always searched for value and purpose. I never really felt like I knew my place in life. I felt emptiness and I was constantly lonely. That is when I realized I needed Jesus in my life.

I was living my life to please others. I fell into a deep depression and turned to drugs to numb the pain. I did not feel strong enough to handle my life any longer. I was living in a way which put my life in danger every day. I finally hit rock bottom. I felt disgusting and worthless.

Since having a relationship with Jesus, I no longer desire to live the rebellious and sinful life I was living any longer! I pray every night now for guidance and clarity, and also for the ones I love to find the love, grace, and mercy of Christ!

Roughly 6 months ago, my dear friend Manoli first peaked my interest through Biblical stories he used to tell me daily. The more stories he told me, the more interested I became in expanding my knowledge in Christ and Christianity! Today I feel stronger and happier than I ever have in my life and I couldn’t be more thankful! Choosing to have faith in and to follow Jesus Christ was by far the best decision I have made in my life! I’m getting stronger everyday!

Before I put my faith in Jesus, I walked around in the dark and had no way out. I lost myself and what I wanted in life. It felt like I had someone controlling me like a puppet, angry, depressed, panicking, and losing people that I loved in my life.

Then, my friend, Danny Sipple who attends Christ Community told me to watch a sermon. I stumbled upon Pastor Jim Nicodem’s sermon, “I need a Significant Other” from the Lies We Tell Ourselves series online. It reminded me so much of myself at the time that it urged me to attend a live service. I attended the Pray It Like You Mean It series that Pastor Clayton Keenon taught, and it opened my eyes that anger, worry, self-centeredness, and lashing out had taken me over. I prayed to Jesus to take all that away, forgive my sins, and to take control of my life. I wanted my kind-hearted self to come back.

Since then, my life has changed. I attend church services every Saturday, have gotten closer to my friends and family, and am mending the relationships I thought I had lost. I do not think back on the negative emotions anymore. I found a home in Jesus himself. Even though there will be temptations, and bad things, Zephaniah 3:17 says, ‘The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you, in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.’

I grew up in a Catholic household and was baptized as an infant. I attended various Catholic churches in Spanish, and then Lutheran Churches in English, but through these changes I always felt like something was missing in my life. A lot of the information was either misunderstood or lost in translation. I knew I had sinned over and over, but I would not know how to repent. 

I felt shame and embarrassment to ask questions about my faith, until I met my husband Kirk Scott. As our relationship grew, so did our conversations about our faith. I wanted to know more about Christ, but now I had someone to share this journey with. We both felt strongly about raising our girls in a Christ centered home, so Kirk was on a mission to find us a new church. He found Christ Community Church for us, and it was on that faithful first visit that I surrendered myself to Jesus. I felt the wet tears roll down my face as the music touched my soul. Pastor Jim was able to teach and explain the gospel to me in ways that helped me understand God’s word. 

I am beginning to fill that void, and find answers to my questions. I feel like a profound newness has evoked in my life as I now walk in Christ. 

I grew up in a family that went to church and came to believe in Jesus at an early age. Even though I believed, I never truly felt like I let Jesus lead my life. I prayed often but did not always listen. My personal relationship with Jesus had room to grow. 

My wife and I started having kids in our thirties and I knew I wanted Jesus to be a part of their lives. Then my Dad passed away. I started thinking more about my faith which led me to Christ Community Church. My wife and I started attending on a weekly basis. I learned about Jesus’ teachings and started applying them to my life. Over time, I started to feel peace in my life as I chose to follow Jesus. 

When I face a stressful situation in life, I pray about it and feel stronger knowing that Jesus is in control. I now enjoy reading the Bible regularly and I am feeling better prepared to guide my kids towards a relationship with Jesus.

Before I was a follower of Christ a lot of stuff came before Jesus. For example, I had baseball on Sundays and I didn’t want to go to 5 o’clock service so I usually went to 9 or 11.  I would never miss baseball but would be okay with missing church.  

It was Christmas service when I decided I wanted to be a follower of Christ. It was at Christmas service and when they were talking about the zones it clicked that I was at the age that I needed to learn more about Christ and be more attentive. I was 11 years old and I knew I needed to learn more. I picked up the Christmas package and read it all weekend.  So the next week at service I asked for forgiveness.  

After making that decision, my life changed. I know I still sin, but I also know that I can ask Jesus for forgiveness. I pray when I’m scared or worried. I used to pray quickly before games and practices to do good. Now I pray to win or do really good and there to be no injuries, fighting or negative talk. I put more thought into my prayers now.

I grew up in a Christian household. I went to church every Sunday with my family, participated in Young Life and knew the basics of who Jesus was. Looking back, I realize that I was just going through the motions and that something was missing.

After college, I got my Masters degree, found a nice job, got married and had two beautiful children. From the outside it looked like I had it all together, but on the inside I was empty. I turned to alcohol to try to fill the emptiness and depression that I was feeling. During this time, my husband and I were attending Christ Community because, like growing up, church was part of our routine, from my perspective. The messages we heard were so powerful and practical to our  lives that it kept us coming back. 

Over and over again, I kept hearing the truth that Jesus died for our sins and that he can break the chains that are holding us down if you surrender your life to him. I also heard similar stories to mine which gave me hope and a feeling that I was not alone. I realized I could not keep living that way. I needed to change. I needed Jesus.

After surrendering my life to Jesus a couple years ago, I have seen Jesus slowly transform me. I read my Bible daily, find myself helping and serving others, reaching out to others to see how I can pray for them, and being more patient and loving towards my friends and family. Although I am far from perfect, I am grateful for where my life is at today. Jesus says that there will be struggles in this life, but now I find comfort knowing that when I am struggling, and all the time, I can turn to him.

I was raised in a Catholic household and attended church regularly, so I knew who Jesus was at an early age. However, for me church was a thing that you just did on Sundays. I was self-centered, putting my needs and interests before others, and I was easily angered and often in a bad mood. However, I thought I was doing pretty well in life since I received a full college scholarship, had the teaching and coaching job I wanted, bought a nice house, and had a loving wife and two healthy boys. I was the one calling the plays, and executing them during the game while taking credit for my wins and successes in life, but I felt something was missing.

My wife is the reason that I decided to surrender my life to the Lord. She introduced me to Christ Community Church five years ago and we attend on a regular basis. She struggled with alcohol and to cope at times, which was hard on both of us. When she realized she needed to change, she began reading scripture on a daily basis and surrendered her life to the Lord. Shortly after doing this, I started to see changes in my wife. She became a much happier person that was filled with the Holy Spirit. I wanted that for my own life. I picked up a copy of the Bible Savvy at church and began reading the Bible on a daily basis and applying the messages to my life. I put my faith and trust in the Lord. I want Jesus to be my play caller from this point on.  

Now that I have a relationship with Jesus my life has changed. I am always looking for ways to help others. I have also become more patient, which has helped me to grow in my relationship with my family. While I know that there will be more struggles and trials in life, I have comfort knowing that the Lord is now calling the plays.

I have realized that putting my faith in Christ will allow me to achieve my full potential of who I am and why I am here. I must have been born for more than a career and raising a family. There has been an emptiness in my life that cannot be filled by growing career status or material possessions for these things are short-lived. I am in my mid 40’s, happily married with three children, and want to set a strong example for exploring the Christian faith, living it, and excited about the path forward wherever that may lead.

I grew up Baptist and our family went to church on Sundays, but we stopped going when I was in middle school. At 33 years old, I married my wife Karen whom was firmly raised Catholic, and after many discussions we decided together that the best course for us as a couple, and as a family, was to start going to Christ Community which was around 2014. 

A few years later in 2018, my son committed in his heart during the Christ Community Church Christmas service that he wanted to get baptized the following year when he was 12. I have witnessed many baptisms at Christ Community and have always felt a pull towards this public act of faith and knew my time was coming. When the time came for the Baptism class at Christ Community in October of 2019, I looked inside my heart and decided to surrender to Jesus as Savior and King right then and there. Shortly after, I sat next to my son during the baptism class and both of us will now be baptized on October 20th, 2019.

Since I only recently made the decision to surrender to Jesus, less than a month ago, there have not been significant changes, per se, in my life yet, but I am confident they will come because I know this change and acceptance is a journey, not a destination. As stated in Isaiah 41:10, ““So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Before I trusted in Christ, I was indifferent to whether I lived like a Christian or not. I grew up going to church because my parents brought me there. It was not for me. I believed in God, but was not invested. The start of my college years is when I began to take my faith more seriously.

I attended Judson, a Christian University, where I was surrounded by followers of Christ and we engaged in chapels and worship. I began visiting different churches with friends from school and developed my own opinions on Christ. I finally decided to take my faith seriously. 

Since formally accepting Christ into my life, I have been volunteering and praying regularly. I have also noticed that He has been answering my prayers. Strengthening my faith has changed my life in that I have let God be in control of my life. I have struggled, but I feel that God puts us through these trials to make us stronger. God has put people in my life to support me and I am so blessed.

When I was younger I hated coming to church.

However, when I was in 4th grade it was different. My Grandpa got cancer. I started praying and asking God to help him get better and be happier. When my Grandpa died I was frustrated with God. Then I realized God did answer my prayer. I knew from God’s perspective my Grandpa was in a better place and happier. God listened to my prayer and answered just not in the way I thought he would.

Sunday has become my favorite day of the week because I get to worship God. I realized that  God can be trusted in every situation and wanted to trust him with my life. I surrendered my life to Jesus. I want to get baptized to show that I believe in God and want to follow him for the rest of my life.

I do now, and always have, grown up in a Christian home. I have always known that God loves me no matter what and that he is always there for me. One day I just knew that it was time for me to get baptized and that I was ready.

It happened when I was four. I decided that I would ask God to lead me, to forgive me and that the Holy Spirit would live inside me. Well, to ask it to, of course. After that, I was really happy and excited that the Holy Spirit lived inside me and I was also excited to discover what God had in store for me.

My life will be different because I have put my trust in Jesus. I am saved. The old me has gone and the new me is here! I know that God is my friend. He has helped me to be brave when I am afraid. I know that I can trust Him. I know that He is always there for me. He brings me joy and happiness when I am sad. He is the greatest friend that I could ever ask for. 

Something that Jesus has said has really inspired me in many ways. So much, in fact, that I like to call that statement my favorite Bible verse. That verse is Joshua 1:9. It goes like this, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. DO NOT be afraid; DO NOT be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

My parents always taught me about the Bible. Now that I’m older I understand more and I understand God has a message for me.

At Epic! when Pastor Randy talked about how we sin and choose our own path, it stood out to me. I understood that I could choose my way or God’s way. I have decided to choose God’s way!

I know that every action in my life has meaning. When I am scared, angry or mad, there is always hope. I get comfort from knowing every moment that God is watching over me, protecting me, and forgiving me.

I’m encouraged by Psalm 23:1-4.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

As I was just beginning kindergarten, they were saying confess to your savior, your redeemer, and your God! I liked the idea of that. 

I had been going to Christ Community for my whole life, and I attended Camp Commotion original year (2014), but anyway they were encouraging us to surrender to God and confess our sins, and one day about 5 to 6 years ago I was getting back from a 5:00 pm service and I went up to my room and thought, “I want to do this. I want to have Jesus in my life! " And then later on during dinner, I told my parents that "Jesus lives in my heart mom!" I have been a Christ-follower ever since!

Since then, I really can admit God has made a tremendous difference in my life. My brother has surrendered and I am hopefully getting baptized and I have been blessed with amazing parents, a beautiful house, many friends, and a good education along with amazing brothers and two beautiful cats. My neighbors are kind and friendly and I am in the midst of a great caring community. I was gifted with the ability to run again so now I play baseball for the Northwest Little League. 

God is my Savior, my Redeemer, and my God!

EXTRA: this verse has always had a special place in my heart.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9 NIV

I was a kid that did not know anything about Christ. I grew up in a Christian home, but I did not know or surrender to him. Before I trusted him I was a sinner, but my parents helped me surrender my life to my savior, Jesus Christ. 

Back when I was a young boy, my mom, read my Bible to me every night and we sang a little tune called, "Jesus Loves Me, This I Know”. One night, when we were reading in the book of John, she read John 3:16. After she read it, she talked about how Jesus is our only savior in times of need and trouble. Then, I, right then and there, said to my mom,” Mom I want to become a christian”. I was four when I chose to accept Jesus as my lord and savior. 

Since that day, I have seen how my life has changed significantly. I am always glad to serve and help out in Kidsworld when I was there. I am in Genesis and I am trying to get in an application to serve in Kidsworld. I am growing in my faith more and more. I know that there will be many hardships, but all I need to do is trust in Jesus. As Psalms 119:105 says,” Your word is a lamp for my feet, and a light for my path”. I feel that everyday, God is leading me down a path. Sometimes we might stray from that path, but God always forgives us for straying and helps us back on the right path. I feel like, since christ came into my life, that he has helped me greatly in my life.

I was baptized as a baby and attended church regularly as I grew up. Along my path as an adult, I slowly lost that path more and more. I came to believe God was punishing me for something I did, and that I was undeserving of his love. So, I stayed away.

Recently, I was in the hospital and the name Christ Community Church was calling out to me. I had never attended the church before, knew no one at the church, and spoke to Pastor Stu. He came and and we spoke for a while. I started attending services, care groups, and reading the Bible. Pastor Stu also brought the book The Purpose Driven Life where I found in day 7 the realization of the reason for everything to live for. I now realize that my life was not being punished by God, and I have surrendered my life to Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I now embrace that God was breaking me down to build me up on his Glory and for His purposes. I feel amazing now and a huge weight has been lifted. I feel like I have a new start and a whole new person. I wake up each day with something to look forward to and there's a reason with meaning behind each day!

I grew up as Catholic, knowing about God and Jesus. In college, I was part of a Catholic charismatic group. I remembered surrendering my life to God and I was so immensely involved in serving Him. I was confident I had a solid relationship with Jesus. But then, when we moved here to the US when I was 21, a huge part my life changed. My prayer life, my passion of serving God, and my relationship that I had with Jesus slowly became weaker. I live a busy and challenging life. I am loved by family and friends, but I have also been badly hurt and betrayed. As I encountered troubles, struggles, and even successes, I grew farther away from God. But Jesus never let me go. He kept showing me in so many unexpected ways that He is still there for me, no matter what. He kept loving and taking care of me and my family. With this baptism, I am again officially surrendering my life to God and rekindling my relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for this life that He had given me, and I deeply mean to live my life for his glory!

I was baptized as an infant and brought up in a Christian home. I joined the Navy right out of college and spent almost three years overseas. Being constantly deployed and flying missions on Sundays, I strayed from my faith. However, God still blessed me. I met my beautiful wife, Kathie, who was a teacher on Guam. After being discharged from the Navy, moving to Chicago, settling down, and having our first child, I renewed my faith in God as we began attending church. I used to work out at the Bartlett Community Center, and I was always drawn to the "Christ Community Church" sign in front of the building. One Sunday, our friends invited us to attend with the church service with them, and we knew immediately this would be our church home. Watching the worship team renewed my interest in playing guitar, so, I auditioned, and I was blessed to be able to serve on the team. Then, several years ago, Kathie was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma. Through our faith, prayers, and Kathie's constant smile and laughter, our prayers were answered, and she is cancer free today. With God's help, I continue growing spiritually, and I see His plan and purpose for my life. Today, in front of my family, friends and fellow Christians, I confess my faith in Christ. Jesus has cleansed my soul from sin, and I now experience a new life.