Today, Chad continued to talk about “what’s so great about Jesus.” It can hardly be fully explained in a sermon series because what’s so great about Jesus is the fact that there is SO MUCH that you just can’t explain it all!! He’s always so fresh and new! Every breath and every new day and experience is something great about Jesus. Like Chad said, Jesus isn’t contained in the pages of His Word; and for that matter, neither is the enemy. As explained in the last two blogs, both our ally and our adversary are very real. Though, like one of the gals on the worship team said today, we are bigger than the enemy because God is bigger than the enemy. And since the Holy Spirit is inside us, we already have the victory over Satan. We just have to believe that and claim the power and authority given to us by Christ!
Indeed, that’s the “great” part. That’s the stuff we’re supposed to be carrying in our heart and being filled with. Chad talked about Proverbs 4:23 in which Solomon tells us to guard our heart because it’s the wellspring of life. Chad said that the heart is a place of both input and output. The kind of things that get poured into your heart are the things that are going to spill out of your heart. Therefore, we must certainly guard it because not all that gets poured in are things that we want to pour out. We need to reject that garbage and take out the trash whenever the bad things want to pour themselves into us. Chad illustrated it as a vacuum cleaner. He mentioned that his kids are always seeking to absorb and suck in good input. He said those things are significance, security, acceptance, love, and praise. They are essential needs of every human being. If we aren’t getting enough of that (or are getting the opposite of that) our heart can get very messy. We can even get to the point where we close it off so that it doesn’t take anything else in; whether good or bad. Sure, you seal yourself off from negative stuff, but you also eliminate the possibility of accepting any good stuff.
Once again, Chad featured a testimony from http://www.iamsecond.com/ . A lady named Priscilla Nicoara talked about the kind of “input” that got poured into her heart as a child. Her mother never wanted her (and had had several abortions prior to her even being born). She said she was always reminded by her mother that she was never really wanted. She didn’t have any of those crucial elements of need in her life; no love, praise, significance, security, or acceptance. The only place she felt she had that was from her father who absolutely loved her. Then, when she was a teen, he died unexpectedly. It devastated her and she felt all alone. It wasn’t until a man invited her to know Jesus that she discovered just how loved, accepted, and wanted she was. She explained how she went from feeling like garbage to feeling like a princess when she realized that she was God’s child; that He adopted her into His family, loves her, and chose her. Amen!!
Priscilla learned to empty her heart of the garbage that was brought in and allowed Jesus to meet her deepest needs and fill her heart with good things. Isn’t that great?! Yes, it’s great - it’s Jesus!!
We are going to have a lot going in and out of hearts during our lifetime. So, we must be alert! We need to take our thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) renew our minds (Romans 12:2) and think on good things (Philippians 4:8). If bad input tries to get in (or if it’s already there) we need to reject it! We need to pour it out! We don’t want to be filled with that! It’s like if you have an empty stomach and you have the choice between drinking something good or drinking poison. Fill up on what is good. Drink that! Don’t drink poison!! Pour it out! Don’t accept it! Or, if you have, puke it out (sorry, don’t know how else to say it). ;) You can’t be filled with good things if you are contaminating your tank with the bad. Empty it out so you can be filled with real fuel!
Grace and peace to all of you!! I pray that you will be emptied of and guarded against bad input. I pray that you will be filled with God’s good and glorious outpouring of input into your heart and that it will spill out to others!! Jesus,….GREAT!! “Great” input!! God bless you!!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Not Taking the Bait: How to Be "The Fish that Got Away"
Last Sunday, Chad talked about what’s great about Jesus; the fact that He loves us and is crazy about us! This Sunday, he talked about another aspect of Jesus that is great: His protection.
Everyone wants to feel safe and protected; especially since there’s someone who ISN’T so crazy about us: Satan. Christ passionately loves us, but Satan passionately HATES us!! The only thing he’s crazy about is destroying us. His aim is to lead the world astray (Revelations 12:9) and to kill and destroy (John 10:10). He does this by any means possible and has a whole list of tactics he employs to distract, destroy, and bring us down. Galatians 5:19-21 lists a few: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Josh Hamilton knows what it’s like to be beaten down by Satan. You might recall that I mentioned the website www.iamsecond.com (and a link to Josh’s testimony) in my last blog. Once again, Chad featured this site in his sermon. Today, he shared Josh’s video with the congregation. In his testimony, Josh talked about all the things he did to cope with his pain; drugs, alcohol, and tons of tattoos. He said it all changed after he had a dream that scared him so badly that he woke up and asked his grandma if he could sleep in her bed (he noted he was 25 years old at the time). What could have possibly scared a grown man so much that he couldn’t sleep by himself? It was a dream he had where he was fighting Satan. No matter how much he beat him down, he kept getting up and had this cold smirk on his face. He said that he just couldn’t beat him and he was so worn out from trying. It was after that that he decided to get right with God. And, through Christ, he was able to defeat Satan and his addictions. He even said that later on, he had a similar dream. Only this time, he knew that Christ was beside him because Satan fled and they started chasing him. It’s like Darrell Waltrip said in his testimony. He said that anything we do is done through Christ. It’s not us that has the success. Jesus owns success. We’re selfish and we want to keep it all to ourselves, but Jesus wants to share it. We do all things not WITH Christ but THROUGH Christ (Philippians 4:13)!!! Without Him, we are nothing (John 15:5)!!
You got to know that that’s true, because there’s no way we can conquer anything on our own!! Paul talks about his own struggle in Romans 7:22-24: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
We’re at war (Ephesians 6:12)! The devil is stalking and prowling like a lion (1 Peter 5:8). Chad illustrated it by showing us his fishing pole. He said that Satan has all kinds of bait. He knows what works for us and what doesn’t. Not all bait catches the same kind of fish. What hooks and reels you in may not do the same for someone else. He had a doughnut on the end of his hook (oh no! Doughnuts!! LOL). I got to admit, that is my kind of bait! Like he said, just the smell or slight taste of sugar can draw you in. That doughnut table at church sure is hard to resist (but I say “no” more often than not - glory to God for that!!). And, moving along from doughnuts, he stuck some money in the hole of the doughnut. He admitted that money used to be his bait for a long time. These two things, and more, are all lures from Satan. Sometimes they look really good and can seem harmless; after all, Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). However, they’re not good at all when they are taken out of context. Things like food and money aren’t TOTALLY evil (well, I can vouch for doughnuts being totally evil LOL) but it’s easy to get sucked in. Like a friend of mine says, Satan knows our “tweaks.” We should be aware of them too. We know when we are falling into an old pattern or cycle. It’s best to avoid those things before we end up being ensnared again.
Food and money are only a couple of the “lures” that Satan uses to bait us into sin. Chad put on a hat with a bunch of “lures” hanging from it: a beer bottle, a naked Barbie doll, jewelry, etc. All these temptations can lead you to the “box” that Chad showed us next. He said his “box” had such appeal, but it was a love/hate relationship. He wanted in the box, but he hated being in it once he was there and all the pain he brought to himself and others while he was in it (and getting out of it). We hesitate to throw away our boxes because of that love/hate relationship. He said we don’t realize that we’re destroying ourselves. He mentioned that it was like how an Eskimo catches a wolf. They take a knife and dip it in blood a few times until it freezes. They stick it in the ground and when a wolf comes to it, he licks it. It starts to melt a little and he keeps tasting a little more. He’s not realizing that the knife has cut his tongue and that he’s drinking his own blood and bleeding himself to death. That’s so much like the cycle we get in! We don’t know that we are eating ourselves alive (James 3:13-15).
The good news is that Christ broke the power of sin and bondage. Chad used a great word: disarmed. He said that Jesus’ death on the cross DISARMED the powers of evil. When we become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), that deposit of the Holy Spirit inside us (Ephesians 1:14) helps us overcome all things (Philippians 4:13)! The Holy Spirit goes to work inside our hearts; convicting and conquering the sin nature on the inside (James 4:5). Hallelujah!!
The key to victory is in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Chad mentioned the sword of the Spirit - God’s Word. The devil is a liar (John 8:44). To combat the lies, you’ve got to know the truth! How else are you going to know it if you don’t read it? How did Jesus fight Satan in the wilderness; with the words “It is written.” Do you KNOW what “is written”? If you don’t, you are fighting without a sword. How far are you going to get in hand to hand combat when the enemy has weapons in his hand?
Chad said we need to make firm and level paths (Proverbs 4:26).We do this by remembering the verses that Josh Hamilton cited: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:7-10). Through submission and repentance, you gain the discipline and power to resist temptation and through Christ, you put the devils on the run!!!!
Grace and peace to all of you!! And remember, just as Chad reminded us at the end of the service, we are here as brothers and sister to pray for each other; for protection, deliverance, for everything!! If you need someone to walk with you, pray with you/for you, contend and fight for you, I’M HERE FOR YOU!! Arm yourselves of course, but remember that you have brethren fighting alongside you; WITH you!! We’re watching each other’s backs (the only part not covered by armor). ;) God bless you!!
Everyone wants to feel safe and protected; especially since there’s someone who ISN’T so crazy about us: Satan. Christ passionately loves us, but Satan passionately HATES us!! The only thing he’s crazy about is destroying us. His aim is to lead the world astray (Revelations 12:9) and to kill and destroy (John 10:10). He does this by any means possible and has a whole list of tactics he employs to distract, destroy, and bring us down. Galatians 5:19-21 lists a few: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Josh Hamilton knows what it’s like to be beaten down by Satan. You might recall that I mentioned the website www.iamsecond.com (and a link to Josh’s testimony) in my last blog. Once again, Chad featured this site in his sermon. Today, he shared Josh’s video with the congregation. In his testimony, Josh talked about all the things he did to cope with his pain; drugs, alcohol, and tons of tattoos. He said it all changed after he had a dream that scared him so badly that he woke up and asked his grandma if he could sleep in her bed (he noted he was 25 years old at the time). What could have possibly scared a grown man so much that he couldn’t sleep by himself? It was a dream he had where he was fighting Satan. No matter how much he beat him down, he kept getting up and had this cold smirk on his face. He said that he just couldn’t beat him and he was so worn out from trying. It was after that that he decided to get right with God. And, through Christ, he was able to defeat Satan and his addictions. He even said that later on, he had a similar dream. Only this time, he knew that Christ was beside him because Satan fled and they started chasing him. It’s like Darrell Waltrip said in his testimony. He said that anything we do is done through Christ. It’s not us that has the success. Jesus owns success. We’re selfish and we want to keep it all to ourselves, but Jesus wants to share it. We do all things not WITH Christ but THROUGH Christ (Philippians 4:13)!!! Without Him, we are nothing (John 15:5)!!
You got to know that that’s true, because there’s no way we can conquer anything on our own!! Paul talks about his own struggle in Romans 7:22-24: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
We’re at war (Ephesians 6:12)! The devil is stalking and prowling like a lion (1 Peter 5:8). Chad illustrated it by showing us his fishing pole. He said that Satan has all kinds of bait. He knows what works for us and what doesn’t. Not all bait catches the same kind of fish. What hooks and reels you in may not do the same for someone else. He had a doughnut on the end of his hook (oh no! Doughnuts!! LOL). I got to admit, that is my kind of bait! Like he said, just the smell or slight taste of sugar can draw you in. That doughnut table at church sure is hard to resist (but I say “no” more often than not - glory to God for that!!). And, moving along from doughnuts, he stuck some money in the hole of the doughnut. He admitted that money used to be his bait for a long time. These two things, and more, are all lures from Satan. Sometimes they look really good and can seem harmless; after all, Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). However, they’re not good at all when they are taken out of context. Things like food and money aren’t TOTALLY evil (well, I can vouch for doughnuts being totally evil LOL) but it’s easy to get sucked in. Like a friend of mine says, Satan knows our “tweaks.” We should be aware of them too. We know when we are falling into an old pattern or cycle. It’s best to avoid those things before we end up being ensnared again.
Food and money are only a couple of the “lures” that Satan uses to bait us into sin. Chad put on a hat with a bunch of “lures” hanging from it: a beer bottle, a naked Barbie doll, jewelry, etc. All these temptations can lead you to the “box” that Chad showed us next. He said his “box” had such appeal, but it was a love/hate relationship. He wanted in the box, but he hated being in it once he was there and all the pain he brought to himself and others while he was in it (and getting out of it). We hesitate to throw away our boxes because of that love/hate relationship. He said we don’t realize that we’re destroying ourselves. He mentioned that it was like how an Eskimo catches a wolf. They take a knife and dip it in blood a few times until it freezes. They stick it in the ground and when a wolf comes to it, he licks it. It starts to melt a little and he keeps tasting a little more. He’s not realizing that the knife has cut his tongue and that he’s drinking his own blood and bleeding himself to death. That’s so much like the cycle we get in! We don’t know that we are eating ourselves alive (James 3:13-15).
The good news is that Christ broke the power of sin and bondage. Chad used a great word: disarmed. He said that Jesus’ death on the cross DISARMED the powers of evil. When we become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), that deposit of the Holy Spirit inside us (Ephesians 1:14) helps us overcome all things (Philippians 4:13)! The Holy Spirit goes to work inside our hearts; convicting and conquering the sin nature on the inside (James 4:5). Hallelujah!!
The key to victory is in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Chad mentioned the sword of the Spirit - God’s Word. The devil is a liar (John 8:44). To combat the lies, you’ve got to know the truth! How else are you going to know it if you don’t read it? How did Jesus fight Satan in the wilderness; with the words “It is written.” Do you KNOW what “is written”? If you don’t, you are fighting without a sword. How far are you going to get in hand to hand combat when the enemy has weapons in his hand?
Chad said we need to make firm and level paths (Proverbs 4:26).We do this by remembering the verses that Josh Hamilton cited: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:7-10). Through submission and repentance, you gain the discipline and power to resist temptation and through Christ, you put the devils on the run!!!!
Grace and peace to all of you!! And remember, just as Chad reminded us at the end of the service, we are here as brothers and sister to pray for each other; for protection, deliverance, for everything!! If you need someone to walk with you, pray with you/for you, contend and fight for you, I’M HERE FOR YOU!! Arm yourselves of course, but remember that you have brethren fighting alongside you; WITH you!! We’re watching each other’s backs (the only part not covered by armor). ;) God bless you!!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
CrAZy About YOU!!
What’s so great about Jesus? Have you ever thought about that? That’s the current question that Chad began delving into last Sunday. Whether you’re a new Christian, mature Christian, or not at all, you’ll hopefully see in a very real and beautiful way what is so “great” about Jesus.
Above any other “god” or “religion” Jesus is a cut above the rest; not solely because the gospel is true, but because of His love and passion. It’s all about this point that Chad really drove home: He’s crazy about us!! Do you know that? He’s crazy about you!! He loves you and loves you deeply!! He sacrificed His own life for you and is (at this moment) preparing a place for you in heaven to join Him. He came once to save us and to spare us from condemnation (John 3:16-18) and is coming back AGAIN to take us home! Is there any other “god” that pursues like that? Is there any other “gospel” that speaks of such passionate love? Is there anything that promises and delivers like Jesus does? Is there any other that has sacrificed his life for you and is coming back for you (and that is WITH YOU in the meantime)? Jesus said He is always with us (Matthew 28:20). His presence comforts and sustains us in this world as we wait to be with Him.
You want to know how crazy God is for you? Consider the story in Luke 15:8-10: “Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
The last verse is the kicker; about how there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Think about that. Someone is rejoicing like crazy in the presence of the angels. That someone is GOD Himself!! The Father in heaven is celebrating like CRAZY when a lost one is found!! He is CRAZY ABOUT YOU!!! It doesn’t matter if you have been lost a little while or a long time. Whenever you come home, there is rejoicing! He loves you; and it’s an amazing and passionate love like nothing else!! Unconditional, sacrificial, beautiful, perfect love!!
How do you feel about knowing that? Is it hard to take in for one reason or another? Maybe you feel like what Chad described as he held up a t-shirt; the dirtiest shirt he said he had seen. His son was wearing it one day and he commented about the filth. His son brought his arms inside his shirt, flipped it around, and put his arms back through the sleeves. So often, we do the same thing. Our lives are filthy. No matter how much we flip it around, or even turn it inside out, it’s dirty. How are we going to clean it? “We” can’t. The shirt (us) needs to be washed. Who’s the launderer? Jesus. His blood (detergent) washes and purifies that shirt. Ah, a clean shirt! Doesn’t that feel good?!! Chad said Jesus is just like a clean shirt. Indeed, He makes all things new!! Your life can be a clean shirt!! Come home! Surrender the “shirt.” Let Him wash it! Don’t be ashamed by the filth. He welcomes you and rejoices over you no matter how “dirty” you are! Every single one of us needs a clean shirt, and Jesus is there to provide it. That love on the cross is what washes us!
Isn’t that a beautiful and refreshing thought? Or, are you still not convinced? Is the idea of God’s craziness for you just plain foolishness in your mind? 1 Corinthians 1:18 says that the gospel is silly to those that are perishing but POWER to those who are being saved. Two perspectives based on two different choices; salvation/life or condemnation/death. If it’s foolishness to you now, know that it’s not too late to make a new and better choice; a choice of salvation, life, and power. Why miss the power of God NOW and for all eternity later?
Even if you are already a Christian, maybe it’s still a little “foolish” to you because you can’t comprehend how much He loves you. Whatever the case may be, perhaps you need a little more proof. Chad shared a website with us called “I Am Second”. It’s full of amazing video testimonies from people talking about their stories of how Jesus became first in their lives (and now they are second). In fact, Mitch loves the site so much that he’s watched nearly every video by now! Some of the videos that will likely catch your eye are those of Joe Gibbs, Josh Hamilton, Stephen Baldwin, Jason Castro (former American Idol contestant), Darrell Waltrip, and Brian Welch (former member of the band “Korn” - and fellow band member Fieldy has converted as well!). There are also many non-celebrity testimonies too, like the one of Richard Ellis that they showed during service last Sunday. I wish I could talk about each and every one of them, but I wouldn’t know where to begin!! They are all AMAZING!! I encourage you to visit the site for yourself and watch as many as you can whenever you can! Let them tell you their own stories (it’s better hearing it from them rather than me anyways). ;) I really liked Brian’s and Josh’s. They had some amazing stories and profound statements as they talked about the junk they went through, the turning points in their lives, and how Jesus changed it all!!! I also really liked how Chris Plekenpol talked about how he could have saved the life of a suicide bomber in Iraq, but that he wasn’t willing to risk his life for his enemy. Yet, Christ died for all of us; whether we care for Him or not. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
I hope that through those video testimonies (and even your own story) you can see what’s “great” about Jesus. There’s no one and nothing else like Him!! Maybe I’ll make a short video sometime and share my story as best as I can. As they all said in theirs, so I’ll say now, “My name is Melissa, and I am second.”
Grace and peace to all of you!! I would love to read (or watch) your “I am second” story!! Feel free to share!! God bless you!!
Above any other “god” or “religion” Jesus is a cut above the rest; not solely because the gospel is true, but because of His love and passion. It’s all about this point that Chad really drove home: He’s crazy about us!! Do you know that? He’s crazy about you!! He loves you and loves you deeply!! He sacrificed His own life for you and is (at this moment) preparing a place for you in heaven to join Him. He came once to save us and to spare us from condemnation (John 3:16-18) and is coming back AGAIN to take us home! Is there any other “god” that pursues like that? Is there any other “gospel” that speaks of such passionate love? Is there anything that promises and delivers like Jesus does? Is there any other that has sacrificed his life for you and is coming back for you (and that is WITH YOU in the meantime)? Jesus said He is always with us (Matthew 28:20). His presence comforts and sustains us in this world as we wait to be with Him.
You want to know how crazy God is for you? Consider the story in Luke 15:8-10: “Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
The last verse is the kicker; about how there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Think about that. Someone is rejoicing like crazy in the presence of the angels. That someone is GOD Himself!! The Father in heaven is celebrating like CRAZY when a lost one is found!! He is CRAZY ABOUT YOU!!! It doesn’t matter if you have been lost a little while or a long time. Whenever you come home, there is rejoicing! He loves you; and it’s an amazing and passionate love like nothing else!! Unconditional, sacrificial, beautiful, perfect love!!
How do you feel about knowing that? Is it hard to take in for one reason or another? Maybe you feel like what Chad described as he held up a t-shirt; the dirtiest shirt he said he had seen. His son was wearing it one day and he commented about the filth. His son brought his arms inside his shirt, flipped it around, and put his arms back through the sleeves. So often, we do the same thing. Our lives are filthy. No matter how much we flip it around, or even turn it inside out, it’s dirty. How are we going to clean it? “We” can’t. The shirt (us) needs to be washed. Who’s the launderer? Jesus. His blood (detergent) washes and purifies that shirt. Ah, a clean shirt! Doesn’t that feel good?!! Chad said Jesus is just like a clean shirt. Indeed, He makes all things new!! Your life can be a clean shirt!! Come home! Surrender the “shirt.” Let Him wash it! Don’t be ashamed by the filth. He welcomes you and rejoices over you no matter how “dirty” you are! Every single one of us needs a clean shirt, and Jesus is there to provide it. That love on the cross is what washes us!
Isn’t that a beautiful and refreshing thought? Or, are you still not convinced? Is the idea of God’s craziness for you just plain foolishness in your mind? 1 Corinthians 1:18 says that the gospel is silly to those that are perishing but POWER to those who are being saved. Two perspectives based on two different choices; salvation/life or condemnation/death. If it’s foolishness to you now, know that it’s not too late to make a new and better choice; a choice of salvation, life, and power. Why miss the power of God NOW and for all eternity later?
Even if you are already a Christian, maybe it’s still a little “foolish” to you because you can’t comprehend how much He loves you. Whatever the case may be, perhaps you need a little more proof. Chad shared a website with us called “I Am Second”. It’s full of amazing video testimonies from people talking about their stories of how Jesus became first in their lives (and now they are second). In fact, Mitch loves the site so much that he’s watched nearly every video by now! Some of the videos that will likely catch your eye are those of Joe Gibbs, Josh Hamilton, Stephen Baldwin, Jason Castro (former American Idol contestant), Darrell Waltrip, and Brian Welch (former member of the band “Korn” - and fellow band member Fieldy has converted as well!). There are also many non-celebrity testimonies too, like the one of Richard Ellis that they showed during service last Sunday. I wish I could talk about each and every one of them, but I wouldn’t know where to begin!! They are all AMAZING!! I encourage you to visit the site for yourself and watch as many as you can whenever you can! Let them tell you their own stories (it’s better hearing it from them rather than me anyways). ;) I really liked Brian’s and Josh’s. They had some amazing stories and profound statements as they talked about the junk they went through, the turning points in their lives, and how Jesus changed it all!!! I also really liked how Chris Plekenpol talked about how he could have saved the life of a suicide bomber in Iraq, but that he wasn’t willing to risk his life for his enemy. Yet, Christ died for all of us; whether we care for Him or not. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
I hope that through those video testimonies (and even your own story) you can see what’s “great” about Jesus. There’s no one and nothing else like Him!! Maybe I’ll make a short video sometime and share my story as best as I can. As they all said in theirs, so I’ll say now, “My name is Melissa, and I am second.”
Grace and peace to all of you!! I would love to read (or watch) your “I am second” story!! Feel free to share!! God bless you!!
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