So maybe your story isn't all that flashy - maybe it seems boring to you - no dramatic miracle; and yet it's good to think about how God has reached out to you and what He has done in your life: your testimony. And remember, your story and your testimony is ongoing. God is still at work. Your testimony can include what He has been doing in your life this week! Our testimony is not a one time event that happened when you were 6 years old. Don't try to impress us - mainly just share why you believe, how you've come to believe, and what God done (and is doing) in your life. What people, places, events, etc. has He used to bring you to Himself?
2) If you are not a believer, or if you have some serious doubts as to if you are or not, you can share your story too! Share your doubts or your objections. It's so important for us to try to be honest about where/who we are. It can sometimes be VERY difficult for people at Westminster when they are pretty sure they are not "Christians" and yet everyone around them talks about as if they are. Feel free to give us the true story of what it's like to be you - no matter where you are.
Question 1
ReplyDeleteI have always been in a Christian home and learned Christian values. I was always told how amazing God is. So I knew all about that, but I didn't really get it until I was in fifth grade. I was doing and thinking things I shouldn’t have been. When I realized what I had done I thought nobody would love me if I told them. So everytime someone would get mad at me then I would just start crying because I would think that I wasn’t good enough. For a long time I was just holding in tears and being someone who I wasn’t. I was pretending to be somebody else so I wouldn’t get that feeling again. Then when people started getting angry at me even with the new person I was, I thought I was alone. Then I told my dad about it and he told me that the only approval I needed was Gods. He said that no matter what I do I have God. He said I could look to Him and pray to Him and everything would be okay. That is when I realized that God was all powerful and that he could do anything. That is when I really became a Christian, when I realized that I had God with me the whole time and with Him I am confident and I only need his approval of which is that I’m perfect and made in Him.
Question 1.
ReplyDeleteI've been in a Christian household and 95% of my friends are Christians. I've been going to church for my whole life and I've been in what most people call the path to Christianity. I was doing well in a Christian school and I was learning the Bible at church. But I didn't exactly take Christianity as seriously as I should have. I was baptized when I was nine, but I didn't know what it was to be a Christian. I just wanted to be baptized to take part in communion and wonder whether the purple drink they served was wine or just grape juice. I didn't realize my faith until 6th grade, when I was 11. It was then did I learn that I needed to spread the word. And so I did. I invited my friends to church, and soon they started inviting their friends. For a while it's been ok. But where am I now? I've been struggling. Is there really a God watching over us, here in this computer lab and now at the start of November? Where is He?
1.) I grew up in a Christian home, have always gone to church on Sunday, and was told the story of the gospel from a young age. All this information pretty much went in one ear and out another until I started going to Westminster and was put in a completely different environment than I was used to before. Everyone in my house are believers, but this was much more with chapel every Wednesday, how we pray before almost every class, etc. All these things really got me thinking about who God really is and how amazing His grace to us is. The other students talking about how they read their Bibles every night, take notes in chapel, and many other things started pushing me to spend more of my time being a Christian. Now I do these things and most of all have gotten to know the magnitude of what Jesus did for us really means, whereas before I came to Westminster the thought rarely entered my head.
ReplyDeleteI don't really have a "flashy testimony" as it says above. I have grown up in a Christian home my whole life, and I have accepted Christ when I was really young. However, I have realized that I can learn from my mistakes. God has used times in my life when I sinned to show me to turn back to him away from sin. I don't always see Him day-to day working in my life.
ReplyDeleteI know question 1 and question 2 seem completely different, which is weird that I'm writing about both, but I think you'll see how when you read this.
ReplyDeleteQuestion #1:
A year ago, maybe even a few months ago, if you asked me for my testimony, I would've said, "Well I wouldn't consider it a testimony... I mean, I've been a Christian my whole life." Now I know that it's not possible to be a Christian your whole life. Even though I was raised in a Christian home, and have believed in God and have known that Jesus died for my sins for years and years, I never really got the messages taught at church until a few years ago. So I guess you could say that I've been a believer for quite a while, but the terms "believer" and "Christian" are different too me. Now "Christian" to me doesn't mean going to church, praying the same prayer every night, attending youth group every week. That is how so many non-believers label Christians. Now, I do go to church and bible study every week. I do believe in God and his Son. It's the praying part that I have trouble with. But I'll talk about that in question #2. Anyway, I was baptized when I was 2 in a Methodist church. My family went to that church until they realized how much they disagreed with what was talked about. Ever since then, that church just keeps going downhill. So many things people in that church agrees with, the Bible doesn't, such as abortion and gay marriage. The thing that really bothers me though is that they don't believe in Satan. If you don't believe in Satan, then the Gospel and almost everything in the bible doesn't make sense. I'm not saying that all Methodists believe this. Honestly, I have no idea. All I know is that my family changed churches for a reason. All while we were at that church, I never did pay attention. Even for the first few years at the church we go to now, I didn't pay attention much, probably just because I was still pretty young. (Around 2nd grade.) Even at Sunday school at my old church, I didn't learn anything. I looked at everything as stories. I understand that there are certain things in the bible that you shouldn't talk about with young children, but still. Stories are good, but it's the fact that I never learned from them that was bad. Growing up, Godspell and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat were some of my favorite movies. Although I learned stories from them, the only thing I really cared about were the songs. Anyway, the summer between 2nd and 3rd grade (at the church I go to now), I was baptized. I look back at that now and regret it. Although I was a believer, I didn't follow God in my everyday life. It wasn't until the past few years (probably when I started school at Westminster) that I really listened to the messages at church. I have an amazing pastor, and I really am learning so much from what he talks about. Also, this year in bible class alone, I have learned so much. Mr. Scott, you are truly amazing, and I'm not just saying that because this is for a grade. So that's my life as a believer so far pretty much, so I'll stop here and go on to question #2.
Question #2:
ReplyDeleteA few days ago, I was very upset. I wanted to write down what I felt, so I posted another Psalm (more like a prayer) on the first blog we did this year. What I wrote is how I felt that night. Now, I don't feel like that all the time. My life isn't miserable at all. I posted it anonymously because I didn't want anyone to know what my life was like. I know we had numbers for that blog, but I didn't even want Mr. Scott or my best friends (they know my number) to know who I was. A few days later, I did tell my 2 best friends. I feel like people who don't know me think of me as really quiet. I feel like my friends thought of me as a perfect Christian or perfect student. I feel like my teachers think I'm a good student. None of these are true, entirely, at least. Around people I'm good friends with, I'm very loud. I'm not the perfect Christian, which is why I'm writing this. And I'm a huge procrastinator. I hate PE and I hate history, because I struggle the most in those classes. My point is, I don't know whether I act fake at school or if I just hide my secrets. I know what I believe is the truth, but it's my everyday life that bothers me. I have trouble praying, and I don't see God with me everyday. This is part of what I said in my Psalm I wrote a few days ago, and I still feel this way: "I ask you so many times to just lead me towards you. I want to live my life for you, but you're not helping me to do so. You're the lock on the door to all my answers, and your combination doesn't make sense to me. I can't figure it out. I'm a sinner. I'm going to forget to remember you unless you help me. So why aren't you helping me, God? You say that you should come first in my life, so why aren't you helping me to achieve that? I feel like you have standards that I can't reach." I don't know what else to say, but.. this is who I really am.
66
ReplyDeleteI have always been surrounded by a Christian environment. I have always been told Christ is real, you have to go to Church, and be careful because God is watching. had not really truly been close to Christ, or had a relationship with Him until last year.
My dad always says, " If you do not appreciate what you have, God will take it away from you." I learned how real that statement was last year. My mom and dad had been in the process of getting a divorce. My mom and I had really grown apart. I found myself saying some really horrible things about her, thinking I did not need her. So one day I got a call from my grandmother. She said that it was urgent and I really needed to come see her. At that time I was not really speaking or visiting my mom. However I went anyway since my grandmother said it was urgent. My grandmother refused to tell me what was wrong which made me a little uneasy. When we finally arrived at a hospital I knew something was wrong. I walked into my mother’s hospital room only to find her with bandages all over neck and wrists. She looked so dry and gray. She looked miserable. I walked in the room and talked with her and eventually asked, “Mom, what happened?” She told me she had attempted suicide…My eyes started to water and I just let it all out. I could not believe this happened. All I could here in the back of my head was, “ If you do not appreciate what you have, God will take it away from you." I felt like it was all my fault. At that moment I knew God was real. I realized how powerful he is, and what he can do. When my mom did this to herself I saw it as a sign from God that I need to appreciate what I have and how good I have it compared to a lot of other people.
Question #1
ReplyDeleteMy family has been an incredible influence and help in my spiritual life. Without them my “testimony” would be nonexistent. I believe that the bible can answer your questions and that if you do not know what to do God gives you options. You can ask someone, you can look in the text, you can pray. Notice you have to do something if you don't know what to do that doesn't mean God will do it for you but he gives you options. I have always gone to a Christian school, a church and had a christian family, but that does not mean I'm the “perfect Christian.” Because of this, I have heard a lot of “Christian” things like the gospel, the Bible, and christian songs. I would say that I am a Christian at heart who accepted christ quietly and unknown when I was young and try to follow him well today. Because of my wonderful parents, I am a much better Christian and I have learned more about God and how to speak to him. One specific way God touched my life was when I was younger I got lost. I had no idea what to do and I was scared. Mostly what I remember is that somehow a policeman found me and picked me up, put his jacket on me and me not knowing directions or my houses address found my parents and brought me home. This in my opinion is an awesome thing, but it is a very good metaphor of becoming a Christian.
Question #1:
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a Christian home like most people, and went to church just about every Sunday. Before I truly knew what coming to Christ meant, I had two near-death experiences within about a year of each other. One, I choked in the car, and two, I almost drowned by being dragged underwater by my towel. Originally I fell in, thus the towel part. Fast forward to January 2012, my mom and dad told my brothers and I that they were getting a divorce. That killed me. Soon we packed and moved during 7th grade last year. My dad has his house, and my mom has hers. That time in my life was the worst I could possibly imagine to happen to my family. I did have some thoughts of suicide, but very few. I finally looked back to those two scary experiences when I was little, and thought to myself, "Maybe God wants me alive for some reason. For something more." My life has changed since then. I still know to be happy around others, but on the inside depression and low-self esteem eat at me. I try the best I can, but I know that falling into God's hands is the best thing for me now. God does save those in need. His children He deeply and truly loves.
Question #1
ReplyDeleteI've read/heard about different people's testimony over the years. Most of them start with, "I was raised in a Christian house and have always gone to church." This is great, but totally different from mine. I was raised in a house where we didn't think much about God. We believed in the Gospel, but didn't go to church. My mom had grown up in the Catholic church, and my dad on a gigantic feedlot in Nebraska. My mom always went to church, where my dad and his family went occasionally. So, I was raised in a mixture of both. My mom would talk to me about the Gospel and how Jesus died on a cross for us, but we would never go to church. Our Sundays were spent sleeping in, cooking a big breakfast, spending time as a family all day. We would normally get dressed and go straight outside after we ate breakfast. My parents would work on things at the farm, and I would ride the horses, and work with animals. Horses were a huge part of my life, and they still are. My mom has ridden and shown horses since she was my age, and my dad is a strictly equine vet. Then we started going to church with our friends, and soon enough found a church that was close to us, let us continue our Sunday traditions and worked with us. At first I didn’t enjoy going, but now I do. I have been able to grow in my faith and learn to love God.
2. I don't believe that I am a Christian. Both my parents are strong Christians. They say I need God, but I believe I can fix my messes on my own. I think that God is transforming me into a Christian, but I feel like if I don't want to turn from sin then I can't asked to be saved. When I was little, my sister, Monica, did a project, I think in this grade, where she interviewed little five year old me and at the end I asked Jesus into my heart. I was acting silly for most of it. I know because it was recorded and somewhere in storage or something. I don't feel like I was being sincere about it though. I think God is working and getting to me, but I know that God has set up rules and I want to break them. Some ways he has been transforming me is through youth group and Bible class. I go to youth group to hang out with my friends (that I actually feel welcomed by) and they are all so much fun. During D-groups when we all talk about our problems, the lesson at church, and people in the bible I feel connected with God. Also, I went to a camp and we had some alone time with God and as I was trying to talk to God, while not getting distracted by other things, the wind blew and a leaf landed on my shoulder. I'm not sure about it, but I feel like God was trying to talk to me. More and more through different things I feel closer to God.
ReplyDeleteQuestion #1:
ReplyDeleteI have been a Christian for ever since I can remember. To be honest, I don’t know when I started. I grew up in a Christian home, and I went to church most Sundays. I diligently listened in Bible class at my school, and a lot of the stories in the Bible have stuck to me. But my faith is very weak right now, I have been really insecure. I want to be a Christian, I want to follow Jesus. However, I know God is real. I have gone through plenty of tough times, most of them mental struggles. I remember asking myself one night after a tough day, “Why do I live?” Days later, I realized the answer. I live because God loves me so much that He let me live to show me. If He didn’t love me, He would have let me die when I was a baby. When I was born, I had mild disorders, so I realized that God is real, He has power, and that He loves me. My main problem is, I keep forgetting God loves me. That’s my insecurity in my life, am I loved? Sometimes I remember, but sometimes I don’t.
Question #1:
ReplyDeleteI can remember the time where I came to Christ in elementary school. I went to North County Christian School, 9 years old and in the 3rd grade. From that day, I can remember vividly what my teacher, Miss Braudis, was teaching me and the other students in classroom. I was very intrigued during the lesson. My teacher discussed with us about how people get to know Christ and what that will do to them in their afterlife. She also discussed what the outcome will be if they disdain Christ as their Lord and Savior. I remember her stating that those who believe that Christ is the Messiah, the son of God, and asks him into their heart will be in the presence of God by going into the gates of Heaven once they die. When I first heard this bold statement, I become aghast and a little puzzled, but I decided to take heed of my teacher’s words and ask Jesus into my heart, which I did that same night. The next day, I told my teacher that on the previous night, I had asked Jesus into my heart and that I was officially a Christian of God. I don’t remember much of what happened after that, but I can piece together that my teacher was extremely joyful that I asked Jesus into my heart and that she had made a difference in a student's life. I will always remember Miss Braudis as my 3rd grade teacher who changed my life and put me on the pathway to God. The testimony I had in 3rd grade wasn’t the only testimony I witnessed in my lifetime. In the summer of 2011, I decided that it was time for me as a Christian to stop slacking every now and then, and take a huge step closer to God. Wednesday, July 6, 2011, I became baptized at my church and began my journey of prayer language. Ever since then, I have been spiritually growing closer to God and have learned many more things in life that I did not already know before.
Question #1
ReplyDeleteMy testimony isn't fancy and doesn't have much to it; pretty short and sweet. I really did grow up in church, a good christian home, and always private christian school (never public). I accepted Christ when I was really young, like 3 or 4. I don't remember a lot except that I was sitting in the backseat of the van coming home from my grandparents house. It was special to me and still is even though it's not too fancy.
Question #1
ReplyDeleteI came to God at a Christian Bible camp when I was 6. There was this spaceship that would take you to heaven and they said if you believe go through the ship, I didn’t. Next they prayed for everyone that was left that they may receive God, and said “Now that you have heard that prayer anyone else who has received Christ go through the ship.” I stayed seated. And for the final people they gave us pamphlets telling us to receive God with a prayer of repentance and Bible verse for some of your questions about God, and on the way home on the bus I read that prayer and accepted God.
I believe in God for 3 reasons the first one is I have been raised like this from childhood I have gone to a christian school all my life church nearly every single Sunday. My second reason is I believe the Bible 100%, because how could everything in this whol universe be a coincident or accident.My final reason is there is wordly evidence. For example people have found a manuscript from the Bible, from the book of Isaiah they are called the Dead Sea Scrolls, and this was the oldest copy of anything from the Bible, and the only difference from that and Isaiah is 3 words.
The person who has bought me closest to God is Bob Shawk, the person who teaches at the Sunday School at my church, his message just relates with what is happening in my life. He has also taught me about different religions and why they are bad. The truth is his sermons impact me way more than the sermons in normal church
Question #2
ReplyDeleteI know he is there, I believe in him, and I can see him impacting people at my church, but I feel like he just isn’t in my life but others I feel like my life is crumbling around me, it feels like we are barely surviving every week, my parents relationship is crumbling, but is staying together somehow. I don’t understand how this is happening. If God was there wouldn’t he help me get through this, or at least help them out.
1. I became a Christian through my parents. I grew up in a Christian home like most kids at Westminster but I don't really have a cool story to go along with it. I mainly see God working in my life through school. Its just little things like if I pray I will understand a test it will be easy or if Im stressed about all my homework he keeps me focussed and helps me get it done, and I believe that he is still working in me now.
ReplyDelete2
ReplyDeleteI feel like the Christians around me can be very cynical about certain sins. I hate when people judge others, even though I know I do it sometimes, but when I see others doing it i really have a problem with it. Christians act like certain sins are worse than others, but Romans 3:23 says,"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and James 2:10 says," For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it," stating that no one has any room to judge anyone ever because we are equally bad people in the same evil world.