Becoming a Child of God

I was blessed to be born into a home where both my parents were Christians. And two of my grandparents were pastor and pastor’s wife of the church I grew up in. But my Christian heritage did not make me a child of God.

My parents made sure that I faithfully attended the church’s Sunday School and “Little Missionaries” classes, and I enjoyed learning about God and the Bible at my church. But my church attendance did not make me a child of God.

When I was four and a half years old, I got into a conversation with my mother about God. I had already believed in the existence of God, and I knew that Jesus died on the cross to pay for the penalty for mankind’s sins. But it wasn’t until that conversation when it became personal for me. It was then that I realized that Jesus died for MY sins (Romans 5:8), and that I needed to respond to God (Romans 10:9-13). Right there in my living room I prayed to God and asked Him to save me; I received Jesus in my life. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” So at that moment I became a child of God. 

        Are you a child of God?  To learn more, click Everlasting Life

 

Growing in My Relationship with God

After becoming a child of God I was later baptized. I continued to learn a lot about the Bible and how to be a Christian from my family, church and Christian school. But I actually didn’t have a good relationship with God until I went to college.

At college, I saw God change my roommate’s life right in front of my eyes. He had an active relationship with God that I envied. And when I became lonely in college, I realized that I still needed God. Then I began to really develop my relationship with God and strive to put Him first. Now God is more than just my ticket to heaven; He is both my Master and my Friend.

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My Path to Becoming a Pastor

I entered college planning be a lawyer, but God worked on my heart. And He gave me the burden and calling to serve Him in church work (1 Samuel 17:29; Jeremiah 20:9). Although I graduated Bible college with a pastoral theology degree, my plan was only to work in children’s ministries, which I did for about eight years. However, God had other plans. 

In 2010, I felt that God had something different for me, though I did not know what it was. It wasn’t until after the pastor of my church passed away and our church needed a pastor that I seriously considered being a pastor. So after much prayer God gave me peace about candidating for the position. And shortly after that, the church unanimously voted me in as pastor.

I have now been serving as pastor of the Mission Baptist Temple since March of 2011. God has given me a burden for the people of this church and this community. It is my desire to be faitfhul in the place God has led me to.