My Personal Testimony

I was blessed to grow up in a strong Christian family. But I remember very clearly when I first said "yes" to Jesus and began a relationship with God. I was 8 years old. And I got tonsillitis. I was scheduled for surgery. And honestly I was afraid. It was the first time I had ever thought about death and what would happen to me after I died. I remember sitting in church and hearing a sermon that was way above my head. The pastor said - "have your hands been washed with the blood of Christ." I still don't know exactly what he meant. But those words stuck with me. So - when I got home I asked my mom - "Are my hands red enough for me to get into heaven?" It took a moment for her to realize what I was talking about. But then she began to explain to me what Jesus had done for me. That I'm not perfect. And my sin - when I go against God's will in any way - has separated me from God. From his peace, presence and power in my life now. And from spending eternity in heaven with God forever. But Jesus died to take the consequences of my sins away. So that I can be friends with God now. And spend eternity with God in heaven after I die. It's Jesus' blood that He shed on the cross that covers my sins - so that I can be forgiven and be made right with God. I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude for what Jesus had done for me. I didn't make the decision to follow Jesus in that moment. But one week later - I told my mom that I was ready to give my life to Jesus. And we knelt at the foot of my childhood bed and I prayed and asked Jesus to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior and to forgive me of my sins. I committed my life to following Him. And that decision has directed every part of my life since then. Ever since I have become a follower of Jesus - I have had guidance to help me make the best decisions, strength to make it through difficult times and God's presence to give me confidence and peace when I needed it the most. And I don't have to fear death because I know it's not the end and I know I belong to God.

I can remember specific times in my life when I had opportunities to go to a party or date a specific person or make a decision that would have been unfair for someone else - and God put on my heart a clear desire to listen to Him above all of the other voices speaking into my life. And while it didn't make sense at the time - looking back - it's easy to see God's hand on every step of my life to this point. It's clear to me that God has a plan for my life and that He has guided me all throughout my life - when I've been willing to listen - toward that plan. In college I was pre-law and thought I would work in the legal field. And I remember feeling God's guidance that this is not the right path for me. And when I listened to God's voice and I surrendered my future to Him - I can see how he led me every step of the way. He brought my wife into my life, led me to New York to the most meaningful work I could have imagined at The Journey Church and has blessed me with a family of my own.

No - I don't have a radical transformation story of rebelling against God or of God saving me from a life of sin. But I'm so grateful that isn't my story. I said yes to Jesus when I was I was 8 years old. No - I'm not even close to perfect. But because of that decision - Jesus has walked with me and has guided me into His best plan for my life. Jesus has given me wisdom to avoid pitfalls that could have caused pain to me and those I care about the most. And I live with no regrets and confidence that I'm doing what God created me to do. And part of that is not having fear about what will happen to me after I die. Because I know that in Jesus I have eternal life and will be with God in heaven some day.