Alex’s Story

Growing up, I was always a part of a church. We were that typical Texas church family that goes every Sunday because it was the “right thing to do.” Starting in a Church of Christ denomination, they taught me the Bible. Reading and memorization were key points for every kid growing up in the church. Less importance were the reasons why we read the Bible. 

Once I hit 7th grade, our family made the move to the First Baptist church in town because that was where all my friends were going, and they had a big youth group. This was where I started to go to Christian concerts and summer camps with people like Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio. I became fascinated with the idea of Christ being my savior even though I didn’t quite understand what that really meant. The teachings and deeply emotional music really captured my young minds attention. I prayed the prayer our pastor asked at church one Sunday and approached the pulpit. Just like that I was a Christian saved by the grace of our Savior from the sins I have committed. I then met with the lead and youth pastors about baptism and they scheduled me for the next time they were to do them, though I never actually said my testimony.  I knew I wanted Christ in my life, just not sure what all that meant. 

About a year after getting baptized is when my mom passed away from a car accident at 14.  My dad became almost non-existent in me and my sister’s lives and had to start learning this thing called life at an early age.  Into high school and college, I still knew what sin was and not glorifying God, I just did not take my sin seriously.  Who knew repentance was turning away and doing a 180 from sin, and not just saying you’re sorry to the Lord about it. I said the prayer and I was saved. I will fix my life when I get older, I thought.  I can keep living in the sexual and covetous sins that all the college students around me are doing as well.

I met my wife the first day of college at the big college ministry event they have on campus and dated all the way through college until that last year I asked her to marry me. While I loved her and couldn’t wait to be best friends forever, I also got to know her family.  They were different and acted more like my parents then what I had.  I saw a completely new way to view what being a Christian is.  I began to listen to John McArthur and R.C Sproul.  Read books by them and like-minded pastors. A slow turning point occurred that if I am going to be a true Christian leader in my newly formed family, I need to change my view on sin and where I put the Lord in priority in my life. I began to truly repent and turn away from it.  In doing so I started to become more and more interested in praying more. And in turn with more prayer made me want to study and learn more about the Lord who died for me.

I didn’t want to be that lukewarm Christian anymore. I wanted to learn more about Christ so I could then tell others about seeing what relationship you can have with Him when you make Him your center focus in life, rather than your sin.