New Believer #1

James N Lanza Jr

Tom Rees

PST 443 Disciple Making & Equipping Ministry

Fall 2012

10-2-12

New Believer

1.     Tell me about your journey to faith in Christ?

I always believed in Christ and what he did for us. Unfortunately it never really sunk in until later in my life. One of the most important people in my life passed away when I was fourteen and that sent me on a rollercoaster.  I started looking towards reincarnation, psychics, and other New Age ideas to try to lessen my pain. For a while I had myself convinced. Years passed and I lived my life according to these ideas. At 24, I learned that my boyfriend (Dan) of 8 years and I were expecting. Through the pregnancy he and I discussed briefly how we would raise our child in regard to religion. Nothing was ever set in stone and we both seemed fine with it. Then she was born. Our whole life changed by just the site of her and that was all we needed. We both realized we needed to bring her up with a strong understanding of God and Jesus and that was the absolute best thing we could ever do for her. I grew up Catholic and was not exactly excited about going that route, so when Dan suggested his childhood church I figured it was as good a place to start as any.  After the first service we attended, I was still a bit stunned from the drastic difference from the church I had grown up attending. The hook was Pastor Marc. I have never in my life left a church service and continued to think about what was taught. I found myself excited for Sunday, and the thought of hearing this amazing man teach us about our Savior. I thank God so much for giving me the route to that amazing church so I can worship His Son every week. Out of our sin, He blessed us with a beautiful little girl that essentially brought us back to Him.

2.     What has been the best part of becoming a Christ follower for you?

The best part of becoming a follower is the sense of security. Before I gave myself to Christ, my future was a massive mystery that I had to try to maneuver through without anyone but myself. It’s an amazing feeling to know that when things get stressful or difficult, I can just give it to Christ and know that He’ll take care of me more than I ever could myself. There’s no better comfort.

3.     What has been the most challenging part of following Christ?

The most challenging part in following Christ is just that, following Christ. It takes amazing restraint and trust to try to be as close to Christ as you can. In a world full of sin and self-fulfillment it becomes increasingly difficult to live the way God and Jesus intend. I find myself praying constantly for the strength to refrain from saying and/or doing things that aren’t acceptable.

4.     What do you think is helping you grow the most in your faith?

I don’t believe there is just one component of help for my growth. Dan has been a significant piece of the puzzle. He’s extremely open to conversation and has taken the responsibility in leading our family down the right path. I can always count on him to bring me back down to Earth when I start to slip. The church community as a whole is absolutely amazing. The sense of family is incredible from the minute you interact with anyone. The work that goes into the youth programs is extremely impressive. And last but certainly not least; Pastor Marc has been a huge help. From the moment I met him, he treated me as if we’d been long time friends. He’s taken the time to sit with me several times to answer my endless questions and concerns. He’s shown amazing patience and has guided me on several occasions. I’m extremely blessed to have someone like him leading my church.

5.     What advice do you have for me in helping others like you to grow in their faith?

Patience is key. It can be frustrating in the beginning when there’s so much to learn. Even more frustrating when there’s an amazing force willing you to devour every bit of information you can get your hands on. Referring to passages in the Bible is extremely useful in answering questions. Many times, Pastor Marc has flipped to a certain verse in response to my question and allowed me to work out the answer from the verse. Not only is there a great back and forth exchange, it allows you the chance to really reflect on His words.

Gods Heart

After interviewing the heart of a new believer, I am drawn to realize that God never goes anywhere! We do! He is always ready to welcome us into His arms with grace, forgiveness, and love. Christ freely gave, so that we will freely choose to accept Him for what He did to have the fellowship He intended from the start. There isn’t a road we could travel or a place we can go that God hasn’t made a way to return to Him.

Gods heart has always been to have and be in right relationship with Him, we can never get lost; He knows right where we are! God has a plan for all of us, and His plan never changes. His words are a constant GPS to lead us to His grace, no-matter where we are in this journey.