Before Jesus Changed My Life

I was raised in a family that went to church every Sunday, but we never read the bible or prayed as a family. I would not listen to the sermons, I was too busy thinking about what after-church activities I was going to do. I was too concerned about my goals, and that did not include God. I was a nice person, respectful, honest and hardworking. I was never mean to anyone, so I thought that would be acceptable to God. I would say that was my life in a nutshell for 55-60 years. The change for me was coming to Veritas and really hearing the gospel for the first time. I think the biggest change for me was taking Gospel Pathways and realizing that I needed to make some drastic changes in my life.

How Jesus Changed My Life

I was sitting in church one Sunday, and there was a short introduction to Gospel Pathways and a little voice in my head told me that I needed this class, so I signed up for it that very day. It opened my eyes to all the things I was doing wrong and the corrections I needed to make in my life. I started to read the Bible and other Christian books, prayed with my wife and family regularly, and was involved in a weekly bible study with people from all over the country. I became a follower of Jesus after I had gray hair and so this passage was very meaningful to me.“Gray hair is a crown of splendor, it is attained by a righteous life.” Proverbs 16:31. I had a strained relationship with my sister. I hadn't spoken to her for over 10 years, and because of Gospel Pathways I wrote her a letter, and I included two passages that are very important to me. They are 1 John 4:19-21: “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 2 Corinthians 5:16-21: “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

My Life After Jesus Saved Me

My relationship with my wife and kids is much better. The influence of my change has had a positive effect on my adult children. They have seen a change in dad and have made positive comments. I am trying to live my life based on the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.Galatians 5-22.