TESTIMONY

Amen.

The Bible says there's power in testimony.

I, uh, I grew up in a Christian family.

I didn't miss a Sunday or a Wednesday. Uh, my mom was in the worship team.

And, um, yeah, I started to, started to kinda live this secret life, started to give into sin sometime around junior high and just started to get, I don't know, really curious about, like, all the things that weren't in this, you know, kinda Christian church bubble.

And so I went out to explore and, um, really watered a, a, a seed of sin that, uh, grew and grew and grew.

And, uh, long story short, by the time I got into my freshman year of college, I, uh, I, I remember I went into college saying, "I'm not gonna go in as a Christian.

" Like, I believe, I believe God is real, but I'm just gonna put that off till later because

I wanna go see what the world has to offer me, you know? I wanna go have fun.

I wanna go do what everyone else is doing that I, I felt like I couldn't.

And, um, so that whole year I just, I just let loose and, uh, I, I did everything that I wanted to and, um,

I led myself down a path of destruction.

Every single decision that I made for myself led me not only nowhere, but led me just to the end of myself.

And so I woke up my sophomore year just completely broken, fully insecure. I, I, I mean, I was not full of joy. I was. . .

I- it's, it's laughable i- if you see me now versus who I was back then. I, I, I was not the same person.

It's hard to even look back at pictures of myself, the, the facial expressions I'm making.

It's just. . . I, that's not me.

I-- And, um, in that lowest, lowest point I was sitting at this coffee shop and, uh, I heard this gentle, uh, voice in my head and it was telling me to go to a church service.

And, uh,

I t- I tried everything and, you know, all right, I'll, I'll, I'll see it through.

So I, uh, Googled wh- where to go to church and I f- I saw this church service, had a, a Wednesday night service for like a, the college ministry.

And so I showed up like an hour late to that and, um,

I walked out.

The, the parking lot was empty, the foyer was empty, everything, and I opened up the doors and just this-- I walked into this rich, uh, aroma of worship really. It was just the, the. . .

It was like this spirit-filled thing where, like, the whole church had fasted for three days and they were doing this like extended six-hour worship and I walked right, right into the middle of that.

And, uh, I just remember walking through the doors and being like, "Man, I feel lighter a-already. Like, I feel like, you know, I feel like this baggage left me. " And then

I, I walked into the sanctuary and

I, I, I can't explain it. I can't, I can't explain it, but I encountered Jesus.

I encountered the Holy Spirit. And, uh, yeah. Amen.

Yeah, the, I mean, just to pause there, it's like the, the, the spiritual realm is so interesting because we can't see, we can't see Him, but He is a person.

And, uh, yeah, so I walked into that room and I met a person. I spoke to a person.

I, I was held by a person.

I was breathed life into by a person.

And, uh, so yeah, I got on my knees and I cried out to Jesus. I said, "Jesus, I'm, I'm, I'm sick and tired of living life for myself.

I'm sick and tired of the decisions I'm making. I want you to come into my life.

I want you to make me a new person. I'm living my life for you.

Whatever, whatever this is, whatever I just found, I f- I found home. I found life. I found, uh. . . "

Amen.

And, um, yeah. "Lord, take, you know, take, take all my stuff.

Take my, take my career, take my house, whatever, but just give me Jesus.

" I'm telling y'all it's, I'm. . .

He's been so good and, uh, here I am.

I mean, I'm, whatever eight, eight years or so into my walk with, my, my true walk with the Lord and I'm telling you from the bottom of my heart it is the only way. It's the only source of life. Jesus is the only source of life.

Everything else fails. And I, I just think it's so powerful.

I can't believe that my granddad, I found that video of him on YouTube. I didn't even realize. . .

It's just crazy.

So yeah, he's like 93 now and you-- I ask him, I'm like, "Granddad, what, what is the, what's the meaning of life? You know, what-- when you look back on your life? "

It's a pretty heavy conversation. He, he handles it lightly. He's just like, "I, I,

I really, I just would've spent more time with Jesus," which is crazy 'cause he's about to, you know, be spending more time with Jesus and he's saying, "Hey, on Earth I wish I would've just spent more time with Jesus. "

So yeah, if, uh, if I could summarize all that into two words it would be don't wait.

Because Jesus is coming back soon.

And when he comes back, are you gonna go with him or are you gonna stay here?

And I just, I know at least one person out there has that same burning in their chest that I had.

And I just wanna let you know, maybe you're resisting Jesus because you think you're too full of shame.

You've done too many things. There's no way Jesus could love me.

There's no, I've done so many things I can't speak of.

The Bible says that while we were still sinners, he died for us.

And it says that there is nothing that we could ever do to separate his love from us.

So there's no, there's no sin too great that he didn't die for. That is why he died.

He came to die for our sin.

And the Bible also says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that he died and rose again, you will be saved.

So in your heart right now, if that's you, if you're feeling that burning, just say, "Lord, I ask that you would, Jesus, would you come into my heart?

Would you make me a new person?

Would you lift the veil from my eyes?

When I read scripture, would you enlighten it, Lord? Holy Spirit, make me a new person.

I believe that you died and rose again for my sins.

In Jesus' name, amen. "