Faith Stories

I grew up churched, but the concept of having a personal relationship with Christ was foreign to me.  I believed, but I didn’t trust God to lead and guide my life. I struggled to be in control and through my desire to control and accomplish, I cloaked myself with stress and anxiety. 

As I grew into my late 20s, God didn’t give up on me. He placed a nagging desire to study the Bible on my heart and lead me to a Bible-based church. My first Sunday, I felt like the message was just for me.  It was from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 which says:

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

That was such a huge message for me because I allowed my self-imposed anxiety to steal my joy. I quickly learned that life is not a race to see who can do the most. God’s desire for us is to be joyful and to rejoice in him, always.  Even in troubled times, God’s desire is for us to rejoice just knowing that God is God and trust in Him.  Learning that I cannot control everything and handing the control to God has allowed me to be the joyful person God created me to be.

In Deuteronomy 31, when Joshua was to succeed Moses, Moses said to Israel and to Joshua:

Be strong and courageous. …for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Once I finally handed over control to God, fully trusting and believing in Him, I found the strength and encouragement that my life always lacked when I tried to be in control. 

The Bible teaches us that it is through faith alone that we are saved.  Faith, to me, is more than knowing about Christ; it is knowing Christ.  It is trusting and believing in Him, even when He makes me wait.  It is trusting him to provide, guide and sustain me. 

Once I handed my whole heart over to Christ, I finally felt like a whole person. He blessed me with peace and the ability to be still and rest.  As a single adult, I often felt lonely and His love filled that emptiness.

I grew up in a small town in middle Tennessee and went to the same small church most of my life. Those church members were a second family, one that I had always known, and the love and security I felt growing up in that church is irreplaceable.

The Holy Spirit’s presence was always strong and when I was around 10 years old I felt moved to publicly accept Christ into my life and be baptized. Even as a small boy, the effects of that decision were strongly felt and I began seeing definite changes in my life.

As I got a little older, I began to drift away from my church family and frequently found myself questioning things. Why does the Bible say that? Why would God let that happen? Etc. I began letting my brain try and talk my heart into things. The amazing thing is that God would always set me straight by showing me the way or giving me the answer. He knows of our struggles whether they be financial, health, or faith related and he loves us enough to eventually give us peace of mind. We just have to maintain the faith that he will do it. It may not always happen exactly when we want it to, but it will.

I met my wife Joan soon after I moved up here and God led us to Arlington Countryside Church. Joan had been away from church as well for a while and God brought us both home, to a new family. I feel that same love and comfort from the congregation at Arlington Countryside Church as I did in that little church in Tennessee.