I am the son of an Army Colonel so I have great freedom to call several places home. Much of my childhood was spent attending general protestant services provided by the Army. But for most of my post teen and adult life, I have lived in Central Maryland where I went to church every Sunday with my family. First we attended Bethany United Methodist Church and then Chapelgate Presbyterian Church, and I am currently a member and intern of City of Hope Church.
When I was ten, my father was transferred to Ft. Meade, MD. Once in Maryland, I found a Christian radio station, WFSI, and began listening almost exclusively to it. Every evening this station played a program called “Unshackled”. This program told the story of men and women so enslaved to their sin, it destroyed their personal life. The story would end with how the power of the Gospel would break their “Shackles” and free them to serve Christ. While this program was very entertaining, it did not have relevance in my life. Remember I was the son of an Army Colonel, we did nothing visibly wrong. But one evening “Unshackled” told the story of a young man who lived life the way I desired to live my life. He went to college, started work, married, and started a family. I can remember thinking what does this man need? He is living life the right way isn’t that enough? At that point in the story, the man was confronted by the fact that even with all he had done right; it still would never be enough to pay the debt for sin. That was the first time I realized sin was greater than any amount of good work I could do to overcome it. The only way to be right with God is to believe in the saving power of Christ. So that evening kneeling next to my bed, I asked God to forgive me and asked Him to be Lord of my life.
From that point on my life did not look a lot different. I still worked hard to do what was right, but my heart was different. I understood that all the good works were nothing without the love of Christ (1 Corinthians 13). The rest of my journey has been seeking how to live not only looking right but with a heart for Christ alone. How to keep Christ relevant in a world that allows anything I want or think to be more significant. How I am to love others with the unconditional love of Christ when the world is offering acceptance of anything and calling that love. Finally to share that journey with those around me in a body called the church.
