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Life Signs: Contemporary without
Compromise
What is Your Story?
Everybody has a story.
Tell other people your story, it might help them more than you would
know. Mark 5:2-20 (New International Version)
The Healing of a
Demon-possessed Man
2When Jesus got out of the
boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3This
man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even
with a chain. 4For he had often been chained hand
and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his
feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5Night
and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut
himself with stones.
6When he saw Jesus from a
distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7He
shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus,
Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!"
8For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this
man, you evil spirit!"
9Then Jesus asked him, "What
is your name?"
"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are
many." 10And he begged Jesus again and again not
to send them out of the area.
11A large herd of pigs was
feeding on the nearby hillside. 12The demons
begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13He
gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into
the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the
steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14Those tending the pigs ran
off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people
went out to see what had happened. 15When they
came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion
of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they
were afraid. 6Those who had seen it told the
people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about
the pigs as well. 17Then the people began to
plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18As Jesus was getting into
the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with
him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home
to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and
how he has had mercy on you." 20So the man went
away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for
him. And all the people were amazed.
Many teachers tell their
students that a student would normally recall 5% of main ideas in a
lecture or seminar. However, they can bring to mind stories that
have been told during the lecture. In Mark 5:2-10; we can see that
Jesus changed a man’s life from how he had been living. Jesus
commands all people to do the same. Reread verse 19 and 20,
19Jesus did not let him, but
said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has
done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20So
the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus
had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
When we tell our story of
how God has changed us and used us for His glory, no one can dispute
it. Never underestimate the power of what God has done in you and
for you. Go ahead and tell your story.
Testimony:
Ø
Past life (BC) Before Christ
Ø
How you came to know Christ as Savior
and Lord
Ø
Your life know (AC) After Christ
Here are
some examples of testimonies:
Melissa Westman
I was privileged to be
brought up in a strong Christian home. My Dad was a deacon and my
Mom was the church pianist/organist. Our family was very active in
church; I believe we were there every time the doors were open. In
addition to being brought up in a Christian home, I was blessed to
have been given musical talents. My Mom began teaching me piano
when I was about 6 years old, and my Dad would encourage me to sing
in church, placing me on a chair behind the pulpit so that people
could see me. I also had the opportunity to play the piano for the
children and youth Sunday school assemblies, as I became more
proficient in my playing.
Because of being brought
up in a loving Christian environment, I count myself very blessed to
have heard God’s call to salvation when I was only 12 years old. I
had been baptized at an earlier age of nine, but had never really
experienced being convicted of sin and sensing the Holy Spirit
calling me to Him. So, as a 12 year-old, realizing that I had never
truly repented from my sin or asked the Lord Jesus to save me, I
prayed during a time of invitation at my church on the front pew.
It wasn’t until much later that I finally gave in to the Lord
calling me to be baptized again. My husband, who was a pastor at
the time, was able to do the honors. I encourage anyone who hasn’t
been baptized as a true born-again believer to make that important
step. Don’t be ashamed to stand for Christ and what He has done for
you. He loves you so much.
My husband is one of the
best blessings I have received of the Lord. We have been married 35
years and thank the Lord for His love, which binds us together.
We’ve been blessed to have two children of which are grown now.
Finally, Myrtle Grove Baptist Church has been a huge blessing to
me. I have had so many opportunities to serve in areas I love, and
express to others what God has given me. I praise the Lord for all
His bountiful blessings, but most of all for His salvation.
Look up, He’s coming soon!
Tangela Hawkins
There is not a whole lot that I can say about
my life before I was saved because I honestly do not remember that
much. One thing I remember is that my family attended the Chapel on
the base before I was saved. I went through life day to day and God
was never a big issue to me.
I was saved at the age of six. I was in Mrs.
B’s first grade class at Pensacola Christian Academy. It was during
Bible time and she was telling us the parable of Jesus being the
Good Shepherd. She asked the class something to the effect of "Did
we want to be like the missing sheep wondering lost the rest of our
lives?" She told us that if we didn't want that then we could ask
Jesus to come into our hearts and stay forever. So, that day I
prayed and asked Jesus into my heart.
I am 20 now, and my life
has been very interesting. During high school I fell into this
mind-set of I know what's best for my life so I didn't feel the need
to depend on God all that much (very foolish thinking on my part).
God really got my attention during my Senior year of high school. I
felt like my life was spinning out of control. I have had two car
accidents and then some personal and family issues. They were more
than enough to make me get on my knees, cry out, and admit that I
needed God's help and couldn’t handle everything on my own. God is
so good and forgiving! Once I was willing to let Him take control,
things started getting better. He blessed me with a job at the
Preschool Learning Center and just put me at peace. Day after day,
He gives me things I don't deserve – He’s truly amazing!
Alicia McFarlane
For as long as I can
remember, I have always been in church. You can say that I was even
in church 9-months before I was born. After I got into middle
school and high school, it did not mean anything different to be a
child that goes to church and one that did not. For me; church was
only one day a week: Sunday. Even during high school, I attempted
to commit suicide. Thankfully, I was unsuccessful! I tried on my
own strength to iron things out in my life. That was IMPOSSIBLE in
my own strength. I had to depend on the Lord to help strengthen
things out in my life.
I left home to go to
university. However, I was only able to stay at the university for
one year, but that one year changed my life in ways that I never
thought possible. Going to classes and walking throughout the
campus, I noticed that everyone had something that I did not have –
I wanted it. What was different? These people knew Jesus.
I knew of Jesus and knew about Jesus, but I didn’t
know Him. I found Christ (not that He was lost) and devoted my
life to Him. That was the ironing out that I needed.
Moving to Pensacola, FL
was very different from where I had lived before. Where was the
Lord going to use my new-found passion for Him? My parents joined
this church before I moved to live with them and even when I first
stepped into the church, I was welcomed with open arms. Everything
that I had an interest or knack for, God is/was able to build it up
in a better capacity. My life is happier now that I have Christ and
will continue to be in the world, but not of the
world.
“If any man be in Christ,
he is a new creation, the old is gone. Behold, all things are made
new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
“Always be prepared to
give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” 1
Peter 3:15
As a-Matter-of-FAITH
Jesus loves you and wants
to have a personal relationship with you. In your personal opinion,
what do you understand it takes for a person to get to Heaven and
have eternal life?
Here is how the Bible
answers this question. It is answered in one word and the word is
FAITH.
F Is for Forgiveness
- Everyone has sinned and
needs God's forgiveness.
- Romans 3:23: "All
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
- God's forgiveness can be
found in Jesus.
- Ephesians 1:7: "In
Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of
our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace."
A Is for Available
- God's forgiveness is
available for all.
- John 3:16: "God
loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only
Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not
perish but have eternal life."
- God's forgiveness is
available but not automatic.
- Matthew 7:21: "Not
everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the
kingdom of Heaven."
I Is for Impossible
- According to the Bible, it
is impossible to get to heaven on our own.
- Ephesians
2:8-9: "By grace you are saved through faith, and this is
not from yourselves; it is God's gift - not from works, so
that no one can boast."
- So how can a sinful person
have eternal life and enter Heaven?
T Is for Turn
- If you were going down the
road and someone asked you to turn, what would he or she be
asking you to do? (Change direction) Turn means repent. Turn
away from sin and self.
- Luke 13:3: "Unless
you repent, you will all perish as well!"
- Turn to Jesus alone as your
Savior and Lord.
- John 14:6: "I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through Me."
- Here is the greatest news
of all.
- Romans 10:9-10: "If
you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in
your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be
saved. With the heart one believes, resulting in
righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting
in salvation."
What happens if a
person is willing to repent of their sins and confess Christ?
H Is for Heaven
- Heaven is a place where we
will live with God forever.
- John 14:3: "If I go
away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and
receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also."
- Eternal life begins now
with Jesus.
- John 10:10: "I have
come that they may have life and have it in abundance."
H can also stand for
how.
How can a person have
God's forgiveness, eternal life, and Heaven? By trusting Jesus as
your Savior and Lord. You can do this right now by praying and
asking Jesus to forgive you of your sins and inviting Jesus into
your heart.
Accepting Christ is just
the beginning of a wonderful adventure with God! Get to know Him
better in a number of ways:
-
Follow Christ's example in baptism.
-
Join a church where you can worship God and grow
in your faith.
-
In your church, get involved in Sunday School and
Bible study.
-
Begin a daily personal worship experience with
God where you study the Bible and pray.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Unchained
Conference October 18-21, 2009. Marcus Pointe Baptist
Church located 6205 North W Street. $25/person or $125/group of
5+. Speakers include: Dr. Jerry Thorpe, Dr. Ed Young, Jr., Dr. Jim
Harris, Dr. John Cross, Ritchie Miller, Brad White, John Cross, Dr.
Robert Smith, and Ed Stetzer.
For more information, go
to
www.unchainedconference.com or contact Beth Smith at
850.479.8337
"Praise In The Park"
Saturday, October 10th
Lucedale City Park - Lucedale, MS Featuring: Mercy Me,
DecembeRadio, and Addison Road. Gates Open at 3:00 PM Music Starts
at 4:00 PM Tickets are $15 at gate or $10 for groups of 15 or more.
For more information go to:
www.PraiseInThePark.org or call (866) 250-2661
Awake and Live
Tour Sunday, October 11th, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. featuring
Skillet and Decyfer Down and Hawk Nelson. Mobile Civic Center.
Charge-by-Phone: 1-800-745-3000. Ticket Outlets: The Mobile Civic
Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets including Wherehouse
Music, FYE, Goldmine Pawn Shop and Northside Check Exchange. Mobile
, Alabama 36695 For More Information: Call 251-208-7261 or go to
www.PremierProductions.com
Tour of Lifehouse:
October 30 & 31 at 7:00-10:30 PM
More Life UPC in Grand
Bay, AL More Life UPC presents its 2nd Annual "Tour of
LifeHouse" Friday & Saturday, October 30th & 31st 7:00 PM
to 10:30 PM each night. Free concert October 30th beginning at
10:30 PM. Admission to tour is only $1.00. No one under 12 years
old will be able to take this tour unless accompanied by an adult.
More Life UPC is located on Creel Rd, behind Arby's in Grand Bay,
AL For more information call (251) 865-6007
Casting Crowns
"Until the Whole World Hears Tour": December 3rd at 7:00
PM
Mobile Civic Center
Featuring: Casting Crowns and Matt Redman Group. Orders must be
purchased through Mail Order, at the Mobile Civic Center Box Office,
or by calling (251) 208-7906. For more information go to:
www.PremierProductions.com
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