Thursday, March 17, 2011

My Personal Testimony

As a part of becoming a member at Grace Church we have to do 3 things:
  1. write our personal testimony
  2. sign a covenant
  3. fill out a personal ministry profile (how we can serve)
I struggled with what to include in my personal testimony because I could of included lots of extra details, but tried to keep it short and simple.  I thought I would post it as a reminder of God's grace to save me and continue to work in my heart.  I am a work in progress and love what God is doing in my life!

I was born in Santa Barbara, California on May 12, 1978.  My parents were both fairly new Christians.  At the age of 5 my dad made the decision to move our family to Springfield, MO for him to pursue a degree in Elementary Education at Baptist Bible College.  He finally graduated after I finished 7th grade and accepted a teaching position at a Christian school in Mission, TX.  We moved that summer and I started attending a Christian school from 8th grade until graduation from High school in 1996.  I grew up being in church every time the doors were open (Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, any church activities).  We were always involved in good, solid churches with excellent and solid teaching.
My mom always told me that I had made a profession of faith as a younger child, but I didn’t really remember it and spent years doubting whether or not I was really saved or not.  When we moved to TX, I became actively involved in a youth group there.  I developed a pretty close relationship with the youth pastor and his wife and really respected how they spoke truth into my life.  During my 10th grade year of school I was really struggling with my faith and doubt and really felt convicted that I was lost.  Since I attended a Christian school, we began each class period with prayer and it seemed on this particular day all the teachers were mentioning salvation.  By the time I got home from school that day, I knew I needed to pray and tell God that I believed in Him and wanted Him as a part of my life.   I called my youth pastor to discuss the struggle going on in my heart and he told me to come over (we were neighbors) and him and his wife prayed with me and I accepted Christ that afternoon.  I put my will on the back burner and accepted whatever He had for me that day.  I know without a doubt that I will spend eternity in heaven, not based on anything I have done, but based on what He did on the cross for me.
Having grown up in a Christian home my whole life, I didn’t make such a dramatic decision, but it was my personal decision none the less.  I had to decide for myself that I was going to choose Christ, because He had done so much for me.  I guess it didn’t mean as much to me then as it does now.  I can’t imagine after all the many things God has brought me through how I would have made it through life without Him.

2 comments:

  1. Erin-
    You are a inspiration for me as I grow as a child of God. Thank you for sharing!
    Aimee

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  2. Erin, your testimony warms my heart. I am so glad you chose Christ to follow who has done so much for you. As you grown older, your relationship with Christ will grow closer.

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