This testimony was prepared and written for young people.
I was raised in a Christian home. My parents were very specific with me as far as what they expected of me. No bad movies, no swearing, be nice to my brother, be respectful of my authorities attend church every week, no drinking, no smoking, no sex. Around the age of 12 or 13 I started really getting angry with my parents. I felt irritated with them and wanted to do my own thing. I had no respect for them and I didn't have any problems lying to my parents or being rude to them. I drank at my friend's house across the street when I was very young. I knew it was wrong to watch bad movies and usually I didn't but I sometimes tried to sneak to watch or read things that were sexually explicit. I swore and lost my temper at work. I smoked pot with a senior when I was a sophomore just to be cool. I drank to get drunk whenever there was a party or whenever my friend's parents went away. On top of all that, I was miserable. I was angry with the person God created. My senior prom was spent getting completely trashed. I remember thinking, “Drinking is so stupid!” It's great when you're drunk. You have all this freedom to be or do whatever you want but when it's over everyone is the same as they were. One of the best things I ever did was go to Christian camp every summer and my parents were good enough to pay my way there and encourage me to go. I was too quiet and self-conscious to make friends so I spent a lot of time at the altar in prayer. I always lingered there. God spoke to me there. During my last year at camp, I spent hours begging Him to take aware my desire to drink. And He did. He tested me very specifically in that area later that summer so I could be sure that He truly did set me free. I have not drank since then and I will not. God spoke to my heart and I was filled with so much passion for Him. I went back to church and became even more active in my youth group. I went to prayer meetings. I was at church all the time. I worshipped hard. I prayed hard. I tried hard. I didn't drink. I didn't smoke. I didn't watch bad movies. Much of my time was spent in church activities. I was good....
God, however, sees the heart—God is not just concerned with externals, He wants obedience in the heart. I didn't drink, didn't smoke, wasn't having sex. I didn't swear, didn't watch bad movies. I'd cleaned up my life real good. I thought... “Hey, I'm doing pretty good”. In Psalm 53:2,3 it says, “God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one”. 1 John 1:8-10 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” I may have looked good on the outside but God sees the heart. I caution you to BE CAREFUL if at any point you feel that you are 'good'. Jesus said in Mark 10:18, “No one is good—except God alone”.
Part Two
I was raised in a Christian home. My parents were very specific with me as far as what they expected of me. No bad movies, no swearing, be nice to my brother, be respectful of my authorities attend church every week, no drinking, no smoking, no sex. Around the age of 12 or 13 I started really getting angry with my parents. I felt irritated with them and wanted to do my own thing. I had no respect for them and I didn't have any problems lying to my parents or being rude to them. I drank at my friend's house across the street when I was very young. I knew it was wrong to watch bad movies and usually I didn't but I sometimes tried to sneak to watch or read things that were sexually explicit. I swore and lost my temper at work. I smoked pot with a senior when I was a sophomore just to be cool. I drank to get drunk whenever there was a party or whenever my friend's parents went away. On top of all that, I was miserable. I was angry with the person God created. My senior prom was spent getting completely trashed. I remember thinking, “Drinking is so stupid!” It's great when you're drunk. You have all this freedom to be or do whatever you want but when it's over everyone is the same as they were. One of the best things I ever did was go to Christian camp every summer and my parents were good enough to pay my way there and encourage me to go. I was too quiet and self-conscious to make friends so I spent a lot of time at the altar in prayer. I always lingered there. God spoke to me there. During my last year at camp, I spent hours begging Him to take aware my desire to drink. And He did. He tested me very specifically in that area later that summer so I could be sure that He truly did set me free. I have not drank since then and I will not. God spoke to my heart and I was filled with so much passion for Him. I went back to church and became even more active in my youth group. I went to prayer meetings. I was at church all the time. I worshipped hard. I prayed hard. I tried hard. I didn't drink. I didn't smoke. I didn't watch bad movies. Much of my time was spent in church activities. I was good....
God, however, sees the heart—God is not just concerned with externals, He wants obedience in the heart. I didn't drink, didn't smoke, wasn't having sex. I didn't swear, didn't watch bad movies. I'd cleaned up my life real good. I thought... “Hey, I'm doing pretty good”. In Psalm 53:2,3 it says, “God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one”. 1 John 1:8-10 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” I may have looked good on the outside but God sees the heart. I caution you to BE CAREFUL if at any point you feel that you are 'good'. Jesus said in Mark 10:18, “No one is good—except God alone”.
Part Two
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