Connie Charles

My Personal Testimony

"I knew Jesus loved me as a young toddler, sitting at the feet of wonderful Sunday School teachers telling me so with scripture, songs, and those beautiful pictures of Jesus with children at his feet. At the age of ten I asked Jesus to be my savior and became a baptized believer, at First Baptist Church, in Kirksville, in 1968. Yes, I grew up knowing Jesus loved me, and I loved Him; blessed with a church family and a mother making sure I grew in knowledge of His love and Word. The world also played a huge impact on my growing up and it wasn’t a Christian impact either. I tried to merge the way of the secular world and my Christian walk for many years and the sinful choices didn’t work well with God’s plan, so I stopped attending church. Maybe I should say I ran away from the conviction. The consequences from choices I made were not as enticing as the sin from which they came. I began to fear the consequences of these choices enough to start praying about it. The stir within began. It took several years to arrive back on the narrow path and to walk in the full light with Jesus again. You see, He never left me, I never denied knowing Him; I just didn’t follow Him. I tried to do it my way, and that didn’t work. With brokenness, I returned to church, starting to attend on Sunday mornings again. I was welcomed back into the arms of those same people who loved me as a child and teenager. Who embraced me and began to mentor me. I learned to not only know, but to love and follow the Bible with a hunger and to serve with a joy for His glory. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25. Don’t let fear and pride of your actions and heart keep you away from walking with Jesus. Come to Jesus."

To read more stories, click HERE.