Austin’s testimony

I was ‘baptized’ when I was eight because my older brother was getting baptized, and I wanted to be just like him. But, I was not a true Christian and there was no real relationship with God;

I was faking it. I only read my Bible when my mom asked me to and only prayed if I really needed something. I’ve come to find out that growing up in the South, it’s easy to call yourself a Christian but much harder to actually follow Christ.

In 8th grade, I transferred from a private school to a public school and this was a big change for me because this was the first time I actually started to think about religion. People would ask me, “What church do you go to?” I responded but it really made me question if I was a Christian. I noticed my peers calling themselves “Christians” but also drinking, dipping, and cussing. My thought was if they could do that, then couldn’t I as well? It all goes back to no relationship with God. Nearly everyone was a “Christian” at my school but only on Sundays. I wasn’t a “bad kid” by any means, but I definitely was starting to play with fire.

That same mentality transferred to 9th grade in high school. Continually seeking others approval and constantly worried about what the pretty girls thought of me. But then I realized something; it wasn’t satisfying. It left me empty inside - girls, alcohol, cussing. The world tells us just one more drink. Just one more night alone on the internet. Just one more paycheck. Just one more ____________, and then you will be satisfied. No! None of that will satisfy and that is one of the biggest lies from our enemy, the devil. In 10th grade, things changed forever.

I started playing football for our high school’s varsity football program, and one word we talked a lot about was ‘commitment’. I am sure you’ve had to commit to something in your life; whether that be school, a sports team, a job, or a spouse. Well, here I was committing myself to football. Waking up at 4:45 in the morning to condition with the team, and here I was calling myself a Christian, completely uncommitted. This bothered me. How could I call myself a Christian, yet continue to deny Christ around my friends and through my actions? I remember picking up my Bible and reading Psalm 27 for the first time with tears in my eyes… “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” Those words were new to me - stop fearing what people think about me and start remembering the confidence and joy found in Christ. A huge verse for me was (and still is) Ephesians 2:4-5 which states “But God, being rich in His mercy because of the great love with which He loved us; even though we were dead in our transgression made us alive together with Christ, for by grace you have been saved.” I was dead in my sins… Literally, no hope at all. But now, because of what Jesus did for me on the cross, I am ALIVE in Christ. I am a new creation. I am a follower of Jesus Christ because of His unfathomable love for me. That Summer going into 10th grade, I committed my life to Jesus Christ! This is the gospel – that Jesus, though perfect, died for sinners like you and me, and then rose again so that we can spend eternity with Him.

Since then, I have had a real passion for telling others about the gift of Jesus! The first time I shared the gospel was seeing someone fishing near my house. I remember asking him how to get to heaven, and he said, “I’m going to heaven because I am a good person.” I replied, “Well no, that’s not what the Bible teaches.” And he asks, “Where does it say that?” and I had no idea. It hit me that I needed to really needed to hide these words in my heart and know them because it was affecting my witness. That day, I got home and immediately wrote out Ephesians 2:8-9 and memorized it. We’re saved BY GRACE!

Prayer, reading God’s word, and His grace have been what’s kept me on the straight and narrow over the years. I still sit and wonder why God would save a wretch like me. It’s amazing. It’s amazing grace.