What's your story?

I had the great privilege of bringing the Word in sermon form two weekends ago here at Charter Oak Church. I preached a message called "Rest in Peace, Uzziah". The picture above is Uzziah's actual tombstone, by the way.

That being said, as part of that message I shared a testimony from one of my students named Laura. Laura is a recent convert to Christianity who has had many very real struggles on her path to new-life. While I knew that sharing Laura's story was something that simply must be done, I read her words to the congregation with a bit of hesitation because of an inner worry that some of the content might offend someone. I remember on the week of sharing that message I felt like I was serving two masters...one was telling me to present this testimony from the stage because it is EXACTLY the kind of thing that God does in the lives of the hurting, yet the other warned me about the kinds of phone calls that I might get afterward.

Regardless, I felt God leading me to share it from the stage, and so I did.

And after last night, I'm so glad I did.

I went to Powered Up last night where I was greeted by a person who was there for only her second time. She began our conversation by quietly requesting to speak with me in private. I walked her over to a less-populated corner of The Rush Room, and she began to share. She told me of years of struggling with depression and drug abuse. It was truly a heart-breaking story just with that, but then she exposed her forearms to me revealing some of the most gruesome self-harm scars that I have ever seen. And after talking with her about her story, she shared something with me that has left an after-taste.

She said, "I came begrudgingly to a Sunday morning service a few weeks ago where you preached. During the message you read a letter that was written by a girl who used to struggle with the same things that I struggle with. As you read that letter, I found myself becoming convinced that, if Jesus can help her, then Jesus can help me, too. That's why I'm here. I'm letting Jesus help me."

This experience has reminded me just how powerful a testimony can be. It's also reminded me that we as Christians NEED to be transparent about our short-comings and struggles. When we put up a front and pretend to be something that we are not, we tell the rest of the world a lie about Christianity. But when we are real and forthcoming about what we have been redeemed from, God uses us as an example of all that he can do with a life...on display for all of the world to see. There's no sermon as powerful as that.

We serve a grace-giving God who agapes us. We are supposed to be serving a grace-giving church that welcomes all comers. We strive to do that with excellence here at Charter Oak Church. That begs the question...do you let God use your story? Had Laura not been so open about her struggles, and had I been too afraid to share it from the stage, this new person would still be out in the world trying to medicate a wound that only Jesus can heal. But she's not there anymore...She's here getting to know Jesus. To God be the glory for the things He has done.

Grace and Peace be unto you.