My Story - A boring testimony?

I mentioned in my sermon "my boring testimony". I wrote out part of my testimony "my story" about 4 years ago and printed it on a folded sheet of paper as my own person tract. I give this out to people all the time (along with one other I wrote explaining how I in The Salvation Army understand salvation).

For those of you who heard me mention it in my sermon yesterday, here is what it says...

The Story of one Salvation Army Pastor - “My Story” by Captain Mark Thielenhaus

Hello Friend,

My Story is not dramatic. I have had no life threatening illness, no battle with drugs or alcohol, and no problems with the law. I grew up in a Christian home with teaching from the bible and my parents were active in church. I have had a fairly sheltered life. I gave my life to Jesus at an early age, perhaps even before I knew what all that meant. Now I'm the pastor of The Salvation Army of Homer Alaska with a wonderful wife and two daughters. Although I have, of course, had hard times and painful trials, I am blessed in countless ways I don't deserve. What would make a story as simple as mine amazing enough to write about and worth telling others? What part of my story is worth devoting my whole life to telling others about? It is Jesus.

I daily recognize that I am a sinner, unable to meet the perfect standard of God, and I’m regularly falling short of His perfection. I recognize that I deserve His righteous judgment of missing heaven, and although I hate to even use the word, I deserve hell. My story is that although I am a sinner, I have found salvation. Jesus suffered, died, and rose again, so that I could be free. Jesus stepped into the courtroom of my life, saw I was condemned to an eternity of suffering, and paid my fine so I could go free; justice could be served, because he died in my place. Is my life all easy now? Of course not. I still have crisis and struggles like everyone else, but I have a God who gives me daily strength and hope. Even if God never again gave me one good thing in this life, I have the hope of heaven.

What do you have to do to have this same hope in your story? Simply confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, believe Jesus died in your place and rose again to prove he was God, then repent and put your faith it Him. Faith is believing enough to act, and repentance is being willing to let go of everything else in order to put Jesus first.

God’s Word Says…
· all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
· the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
· God demonstrates His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
· For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
· If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
· Jesus says… Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

If you have any question about where you will spend eternity, any doubt at all if you are saved or not, please let me talk to you and pray with you. 907.235.2609

Captain Mark Thielenhaus
Pastor – The Salvation Army Homer Alaska

There’s nothing more important than where you will spend eternity. If you are ready to consider the things of God and search for the very meaning of life itself, contact your local Salvation Army Pastor.

WRITE AND SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY - or leave it here as a comment.

Live holy, preach Jesus!