My name is Jane. Growing up, I had a vague and superficial understanding of God and Jesus, and I didn’t truly grasp what sin was or what it meant. Before coming to know Christ, I lived for myself; just ask my parents—I was incredibly selfish, inflexible, and self-centered. I made all kinds of excuses for my behavior. A common one was, “I can’t do what you’re asking because it’s sudden and will throw me off my routine. My brain isn’t wired for that stuff.” As a result, a simple request like moving my car or driving someone down the road felt impossible and often led to a lot of conflict.
It wasn’t until I started getting to know Christ that I was confronted by my sins and really recognized how much of a lying, thieving, blaspheming, lustful sinner I was. By God’s grace, He changed me. In 2022, my grandma died, and during this time, a friendship that had lasted most of my life broke down, which led me to start making changes in my life. These changes helped me see the evil that exists in society, particularly around abortion, transgenderism, and feminism. I often encountered dismissal or criticism whenever I raised these concerns. However, online, I found content creators who shared these worries and spoke about God, Jesus, and the gospel. In the middle of 2023, I reached out to a Christian family friend who connected me with her sister-in-law. She would meet with me to discuss faith, Jesus, God, and answer all my questions. She encouraged me to attend church.
After being lazy and non-committal for almost a year, I finally decided that if I wanted to know more, I had to go to a church. So, one random Sunday, I googled churches in my area and “accidentally” ended up at Redemption, having meant to go to another church. In that sermon, I was challenged about the sinfulness of humanity. Over the next four months, I attended the Sunday gathering, joined a small group, and read the Bible I received my first day here. (Believe me, the fact that I attend regularly for something outside my normal routine is incredible.)
During this time, I wrestled greatly with whether I could believe that Jesus not only died for my sins but would also forgive me for my sins. At that moment, genuine belief and faith felt foreign and impossible. Despite my unbelief, I prayed for salvation, belief, faith, and understanding, and after crying out for Jesus to save me on September 25th, He did. I have never experienced a more profound joy, peace, life, and conviction. From that day on, God has transformed me, gifting me with a desire for His word, to be in fellowship with Him and His people, to depend on Him, and to obey His word. I now honor my parents, offer grace and forgiveness to those who have hurt me, seek to serve others in whatever way I can, and yearn to be closer to God, depending on Him more, and being thankful for the blessings I overlooked.
Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. He died on the cross for all who believe and is alive today as the only Savior and Lord.