Real stories of lives transformed by believing and following Jesus Christ
Beth
My parents are Christians and so I assumed I inherited being a Christian from them. I thought God would let me into Heaven as long as I believed He was there and I tried to follow his rules set out in the Bible. I was wrong about both.
When I was 9 years old I found that the only part of the day when I couldn’t ignore God was when I shut my eyes and tried to go to sleep. I knew I was bad and every night I would plead with him to let me live until morning because I was scared of the reality of hell.
When I was 11 both my grandparents died, but I was comforted in knowing that they both went to heaven because they had had their sins dealt with. This was the first time I had considered heaven instead of hell. I realised that I didn’t have to dread hell if I had a hope of heaven.
It took a while, but eventually I saw I was trying to save myself from hell. I understood that the only way I could be safe was to let God take my sins and put them on to Jesus, who – although he is sinless - was willing to take them and suffer for them so I don’t have to.
I asked for God’s forgiveness and I knew that I was safe. He has kept me since and always will, even when things are tough.
When I was 9 years old I found that the only part of the day when I couldn’t ignore God was when I shut my eyes and tried to go to sleep. I knew I was bad and every night I would plead with him to let me live until morning because I was scared of the reality of hell.
When I was 11 both my grandparents died, but I was comforted in knowing that they both went to heaven because they had had their sins dealt with. This was the first time I had considered heaven instead of hell. I realised that I didn’t have to dread hell if I had a hope of heaven.
It took a while, but eventually I saw I was trying to save myself from hell. I understood that the only way I could be safe was to let God take my sins and put them on to Jesus, who – although he is sinless - was willing to take them and suffer for them so I don’t have to.
I asked for God’s forgiveness and I knew that I was safe. He has kept me since and always will, even when things are tough.
Dave
I had been taken to church from as young an age as I can remember, but it wasn’t until I was in my teens that I began to realise that going to church wasn’t what made you a Christian. It is all about a personal trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for sinners. My only problem then was that I didn’t see myself as that much of a sinner!
However, through my teenage years I grew to realise that being a sinner does not necessarily mean being involved in gross sin or illegal activities; it’s simply not loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, as the Bible commands, meaning that I fell well short of God’s standard.
Although I did not have as dramatic a conversion experience as some Christians, I now realise that my only hope of being accepted by God is on the basis of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Now whenever I am tempted to doubt the genuineness of my experience through not being able to put a definite date on my conversion, all I have to do is look to Christ, and realise it’s not when I believed that’s important, but that I believe and whom I believe in.
However, through my teenage years I grew to realise that being a sinner does not necessarily mean being involved in gross sin or illegal activities; it’s simply not loving God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, as the Bible commands, meaning that I fell well short of God’s standard.
Although I did not have as dramatic a conversion experience as some Christians, I now realise that my only hope of being accepted by God is on the basis of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Now whenever I am tempted to doubt the genuineness of my experience through not being able to put a definite date on my conversion, all I have to do is look to Christ, and realise it’s not when I believed that’s important, but that I believe and whom I believe in.
Naomi
I had the privilege of being born into a Christian family; one that went to Church each week and actively practised Christianity. As I grew up, I never doubted that God was real – I just attended Church regularly and went along with what my parents did and taught.
"I poured out my heart to God, asked Him for forgiveness and to come into my life, and to be my guide, friend, Father and King." It was not until I was nine years of age, however, that Jesus became ‘real’ to me as my own, personal, Lord and Saviour. I became challenged one Sunday evening when my younger brother came home from Church excited that he had ‘become a Christian.’ What did this really mean?
My minister was preaching a series of sermons at Church at the time on Jesus Christ being like a door, which we must knock at in order to enter into a relationship with God. Had this meant anything to me before?
That evening, I was convicted of the wrong things I had done in my life and could not settle at all. When I went to bed that night, I poured out my heart to God, asked Him for forgiveness and to come into my life, and to be my guide, friend, Father and King.
God answered my prayer. He teaches me how to live my life through His Word (the Bible) and comforts me when I am down. He loves and forgives me and is always by my side. I will always live in thankfulness and praise for His wonderful kindness!
"I poured out my heart to God, asked Him for forgiveness and to come into my life, and to be my guide, friend, Father and King." It was not until I was nine years of age, however, that Jesus became ‘real’ to me as my own, personal, Lord and Saviour. I became challenged one Sunday evening when my younger brother came home from Church excited that he had ‘become a Christian.’ What did this really mean?
My minister was preaching a series of sermons at Church at the time on Jesus Christ being like a door, which we must knock at in order to enter into a relationship with God. Had this meant anything to me before?
That evening, I was convicted of the wrong things I had done in my life and could not settle at all. When I went to bed that night, I poured out my heart to God, asked Him for forgiveness and to come into my life, and to be my guide, friend, Father and King.
God answered my prayer. He teaches me how to live my life through His Word (the Bible) and comforts me when I am down. He loves and forgives me and is always by my side. I will always live in thankfulness and praise for His wonderful kindness!
Chris
I became a Christian at the age of 18 while studying at college in Reading, my childhood home town. I heard about the Christian faith through some friends I met. They told me about a God who is absolutely holy and infinitely good. I also learned from them that because I am a sinner I was separated from God. Even worse, this separation would last forever unless a great change came over my life.
After a while I became convinced from reading the Bible that Jesus Christ was a real, historical person. I started to look into his teachings and life and realised what a unique person he was. I eventually discovered that it was by his perfect life, sacrificial death and triumphant rising from the dead that sin, my sin, could be dealt with.
I came to a crisis point where I asked God to forgive me and to change me. He did so and I found peace and joy along with many other wonderful blessings. My life was transformed. I found real meaning and purpose through my new relationship with Jesus Christ.
A university education, marriage and employment brought me to Flint where I have lived for over 40 years. Flint is now well and truly my home town, but the evangelical church is my spiritual home where I have come to value the deep friendship of other Christians and to learn so much about what it means to humbly love and serve my faithful and gracious God and Saviour.
After a while I became convinced from reading the Bible that Jesus Christ was a real, historical person. I started to look into his teachings and life and realised what a unique person he was. I eventually discovered that it was by his perfect life, sacrificial death and triumphant rising from the dead that sin, my sin, could be dealt with.
I came to a crisis point where I asked God to forgive me and to change me. He did so and I found peace and joy along with many other wonderful blessings. My life was transformed. I found real meaning and purpose through my new relationship with Jesus Christ.
A university education, marriage and employment brought me to Flint where I have lived for over 40 years. Flint is now well and truly my home town, but the evangelical church is my spiritual home where I have come to value the deep friendship of other Christians and to learn so much about what it means to humbly love and serve my faithful and gracious God and Saviour.
Vida
I grew up in an era when almost everyone went to church. My parents were believing Christians who brought up their 5 children to respect and honour the Christian way of life. We rarely questioned these traditional beliefs.
I married my dentist husband in 1938 and a year later we were plunged into the 2nd world war and all the turmoil that went with it. We attended church as a couple only rarely but would have insisted we were Christians. However, as time went on I became increasingly unhappy with my existence although we were comfortably off. Apart from children, which I longed for, I had everything I needed. Even so, I was troubled by the burning question “What is the purpose of life?”
My Christian traditions were just that, traditions, and I realised I needed more than them. I returned to church and this caused quite a stir!
With the help of some genuine born again Christians I was shown the necessity of a personal relationship with God based on the death of Jesus Christ. I realised I was a sinner and that God offers forgiveness to those who turn to him. My life was transformed, and I have never been the same since. Every day with Jesus brings me closer to Heaven where “I shall see him face to face and tell the story saved by grace.”
I married my dentist husband in 1938 and a year later we were plunged into the 2nd world war and all the turmoil that went with it. We attended church as a couple only rarely but would have insisted we were Christians. However, as time went on I became increasingly unhappy with my existence although we were comfortably off. Apart from children, which I longed for, I had everything I needed. Even so, I was troubled by the burning question “What is the purpose of life?”
My Christian traditions were just that, traditions, and I realised I needed more than them. I returned to church and this caused quite a stir!
With the help of some genuine born again Christians I was shown the necessity of a personal relationship with God based on the death of Jesus Christ. I realised I was a sinner and that God offers forgiveness to those who turn to him. My life was transformed, and I have never been the same since. Every day with Jesus brings me closer to Heaven where “I shall see him face to face and tell the story saved by grace.”
