STORIES

Sometimes, we're skeptical of this whole Jesus thing. Isn't it kind of a crutch? We can do life ourselves.

We've been there. Sometimes we still are today.

​But then we hear another story like these. And our soul catches it's breath. 

Maybe, there's more to this Jesus story than we thought.
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AARON:
I come from a place of definition - having the answer for everything and it was God’s answer. Problem is I didn’t have all the answers and I didn’t know what God's answers were to everything.
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I tried to force the answer from the Bible, this hurt me and others. I was taught to not question because that is weak faith and we want to have faith that moves a mountain. I am in a place of knowing I don’t know it all. This is scary and exciting all at once!

​SHANNON:
God is not done with me yet.  I still have more to learn. More to grow.  I just need to keep my heart open and eyes forward to where He is taking me. It's time to take a different path, time to step out of that comfort zone. 
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JAIME:
A lot of it was from Christians saying God hates me. I no longer enjoyed going to church, or enjoyed the constant judgment I felt for many things. And I was angry at God. Why did he put something in his word that people used against me? Then I started going to this church. People accepted me, especially the older folks, which meant a lot. I hope without the distractions of worrying if I’ll be accepted here, and by people in general, I can focus on finding God again.

JODIE:
It’s funny how you can fight against something and then in one second God can open your eyes to the truth.  Honestly, it kind of blew me away.  I always saw baptism as something you did when you dedicated your life to Christ, ready to take Him as your Lord and savior.  And it is, truly.  I envisioned that time being at the end of my journey, when I had learned everything that I needed to know to follow Christ.  Three weeks ago it hit me that I was wrong.

Baptism is not an end to a journey, nor is it the beginning. Baptism is my renewal, the moment that you say yes God. Yes, I will lay down the sins of my past.  Yes, I will pick up my cross and I will follow you.  Yes, I need you as my Lord and savior.  Yes, I will follow you.  I may not know the who, what, where, when, why, or how, but I am willing to trust you to show me the way. Simply, yes God I am yours.

LISA:
While attending the Global Leadership Summit, I heard wonderful powerful leaders speak.  There were a couple, specifically Danielle Strickland, John C. Maxwell and Bill Hybels who seemed to be speaking directly to me.  I kept hearing them tell me God wanted me to get moving.  He wanted me to get involved.  Doug and I went home for lunch both days and on the last day I specifically remember telling him I didn't feel like I deserved to be accepted at church.  I wasn't good enough.  Danielle Strickland spoke after lunch.  She mentioned something about not feeling good enough.  I swear I couldn't breathe for a moment.  Again, someone was doing the talking but it was really God.  While writing this I went back to the notes I wrote after her speech and found this, "I've not been satisfied with anything but good is coming.  God is opening my heart even with I didn't deserve it to be opened and now God is opening doors.  I only have to walk with God.  I hear God shouting!"