Tag Archives: Testimony

Feb 25 2013

Prayer: The Struggle Is Real

I read an incredibly real and honest blog from one of our college students on his spiritual struggle to pray. I promise you, this read is worth your time. You will relate, be encouraged, and be challenged. This is taken from James Robertson’s blog at http://jamesurobertson.blogspot.com

jamesrobertson“A Call to Prayer
I haven’t posted in a long time. Lately, I’ve been facing a lot of spiritual attacks from the enemy and lately, honestly, he has been winning. I have not been standing firm in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and it has been hard to even spend 5 minutes in prayer. I’ve lacked joy in the Lord and in my life and I’ve retreated to a life of complacency. I’ve stopped memorizing scripture, reading my Bible, and spending adequate time in prayer. Not because I don’t desire to know God and be found in him, but because I’ve stopped trusting in His promises and I’ve decided that I can do life on my own. My hearts desire has and always will be to Glorify the Lord in all that I do, but lately I haven’t been able to bring myself to that. I’ve faced attacks of doubt on all levels, and it has been hard. It’s hard not being able to pray. It’s hard to have to ask God to be able to spend 5 minutes in prayer. It’s hard walking through campus, wanting to have joy in the Lord, but failing on all levels. And what’s worse, is that I was so prideful and ashamed of myself, I didn’t tell anyone. Continue reading →

May 12 2012

Who Do You Trust? (Proverbs 3:5-6) by Patrick McGoldrick


Free resources for youth pastors, small group leaders, etc:
Patrick McGoldrick – Trust (mp3).mp3
Patrick McGoldrick – Trust (handout).pdf
Patrick McGoldrick – Trust (ppt).ppt
Patrick McGoldrick – Trust (personal notes).pdf
Patrick McGoldrick – Trust (notes).doc
Patrick McGoldrick – Trust (small groups).doc
Over 10 years ago, I had the privilege of doing a youth ministry internship, Patrick McGoldrick. I learned an incredible amount of youth ministry ideas, tools, methods, and truths. Over the last 10 years, Patrick has always been a phone call away from me. He has always given me his time, his listening ear, and his best advice on youth ministry and life. I have always appreciated Patrick as my good friend and youth ministry mentor. This last December I got a call from a mutual friend of Patrick’s that he had been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Patrick is taking on this deadly disease as a Godly man of strength and honor. Its incredible to watch his joy increase as his body fails. As you could imagine, tons of churches are calling Patrick up to come and speak for them. We have been blessed to be one of the first to hear his incredible message of his testimony of salvation and suffering. You will absolutely love this sermon, be moved, and you will worship our God who saves and allows us to suffer for His glory!

May 7 2012

Patrick McGoldrick Speaks to CBSM Tonight: May 9


I recently wrote an article and about my good friend and youth ministry mentor, Patrick McGoldrick who has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease):. After he preached one of the most gospel-centered and God-glorifying sermons I’ve ever heard, one of our youth leaders (Dan Munoz) gave me the idea of asking Patrick to come speak for CBSM. Why did I not think of that? I knew it would be a crazy shot in the dark to get Patrick to Alabama with many churches calling him to speak, his important family time, etc. But we offered him the opportunity, and he graciously took us up on it. He said he wants to see CBSM in action, and of course we want to hear his heart as he preaches God’s Word to us.

We are unbelievably honored to have him as our guest preacher in this Wednesday night. We are inviting all our middle school students, high school students, and all their 6th – 12th grade friends to join us in this epic event. This is THE OPPORTUNITY to invite your unbelieving/unchurched friends, or your friends who are having a hard time trusting God as they are going through difficult times. Patrick will be sharing his salvation testimony and encouraging us how we can trust God even when times are really rough.

It is this Wednesday, May 9 @ 6:30pm. Show up early and grab a hotdog for .50 and some other snacks if you need it. Come chill with us early, and worship Jesus with us at 6:30pm. Of course our CBSM band will be rocking out some praise songs as usual!

Mar 5 2012

A CBSM Parent’s Honest Testimony (Colossians 2:6-15)


My Parenting Testimony & Colossians 2:6-15

Why Am I Writing This?
Legalism is as deadly to parenting as it is to all other areas of Christian life. That is why I am writing this testimony–I pray that you will learn from my sins. Legalism is a destructive force in families that masquerades as good discipline, consistency, or even “good parenting”. Legalism is probably embedded in family traditions and culture. The concept of legalism I am using is simple: living with an emphasis on rules over God’s grace. God’s grace is his unmerited favor. His favor toward us appears in all of our lives, for instance, in the air we breath, the food we eat, and in the families, jobs, and homes that we have. God’s special grace on those who follow his Son appears, for instance, in the spiritual gifts he gives to Christians and of supreme importance his favor appears in the gospel of Jesus Christ and in giving his Son to die on the cross to pay for our sins so that by this amazing grace, through our faith, we may be saved from hell and live eternally with God in heaven. (ESV, Ephesians 2:1-10) If you have not placed your sincere faith in Christ, that is the first thing you can do for yourself and for your children, to the glory of God.

How are grace and rules related? Understanding and embracing God’s grace, in all its forms, and keeping Christ’s sacrifice at the forefront every day, motivates us to want to please and honor God. Isn’t that the attitude you want for your children!? Living by grace, we voluntarily seek to please and honor our Lord with every thought, word, and deed. We voluntarily seek to expand the ways we please and honor him. In doing so we freely live within an ever expanding universe of love for Jesus Christ and for his ways and for his thoughts. Because God is infinite, and we seek to live in his universe of righteousness, we have infinite freedom. Living by rules, though, we seek to know only the boundary established by the rules so that we can exploit every bit of space allowed by the rules. Our freedom is limited by the rules because rules are finite and rigid, and so only by exploiting all the space within the boundary can we maximize our freedom. In practice, we either edge as close to the boundary as possible–which is foolish(!), or we set up more rules to be sure we stay away from the boundary–which further reduces our freedom. Living by rules we find ourselves asking, “Am I allowed or required to do this?” instead of, “Will this please and honor my Lord?” Living by rules, we impose on everyone around us our personal interpretation of the rules. Living by grace, we know that God sheds his grace differently on each person and therefore we are humble, understanding, forgiving, and loving toward others. Can you see the implications for parenting? Continue reading →

May 14 2011

Denae’s Tornado Testimony: Disaster to Hope


This is a testimony of one of our CBSM teens who went through the tragic EF-5 tornado on April 27, 2011 in Harvest, AL. Here, she tells her story of how she lost her home and her dad. Her hope in Christ is unbelievable!

Feb 14 2011

CBSM Sermon Video: “CBSM on Suicide: The Let Hope Rise Movement”


We have had a devastating week with two teens in our area ending their own lives by suicide. There have been at least two other teen suicides in the past two months, and statistics tell us that there are another 100 attempts for ever suicidal success. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP! So we’re going to do everything we can at CBSM to start a movement on spreading the hope of Jesus Christ. We did our best to hit the topic of suicide head-on last night and talked straight-up about why it happens, how to help, and where hope can be found. Feel free to check out and use all of our resources for your life and ministry dealing with suicide as well.

Feb 10 2011

CBSM on Suicide: The “Let Hope Rise” Movement


Free downloads for youth pastors and small group leaders:
Suicide (mp3)
Suicide (handout).pdf
Suicide (ppt).ppt
Suicide (outline).doc
Suicide (small groups).doc
Suicide (service).doc
.
Service Intro Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7piEIaJvIo&playnext=1&list=PLC4151AC193407BC6
We have had a devastating week with two teens in our area ending their own lives by suicide. There have been at least two other teen suicides in the past two months, and statistics tell us that there are another 100 attempts for ever suicidal success. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP! So we’re going to do everything we can at CBSM to start a movement on spreading the hope of Jesus Christ. We did our best to hit the topic of suicide head-on last night and talked straight-up about why it happens, how to help, and where hope can be found. Feel free to check out and use all of our resources for your life and ministry dealing with suicide as well.

Feb 10 2011

CBSM on Suicide: Student’s Testimony

After getting tons of feedback from many adults, college students, and teens…here is one of the most impacting stories I received from a student outside of our student ministry. You will love this!

Student testimony I received
“I was raised in the church all my life and was considered a leader among the senior high of my youth group. Up until my senior year, everything seemed like smooth sailing; good grades, active in sports, large body of friends. I was even considering attending Boyce to become a youth pastor. Then my world was rocked by an event I cannot forget. My life has not been the same. One night, which was the last day of Disciple Now of my senior year, I was laying awake in the basement of one of the pastor’s houses late into the night. Caused by no other impetus but Satan’s murderous intentions, I could not stop thinking about leaving the house, hopping the fence, and running out in front of a truck on the nearby highway.

The thoughts were not assiduous, however, they seemed to be recurrent for no particular reason. After my first fall semester at college, I hit a wall of depression and anxiety… needless to say, I was so confused. I once had everything, but now my life fell apart. I could not go to Boyce because of finances, my friends all went away to school, I could not concentrate, remember, or think cognitively anymore. On top of it all, I quit following Jesus; in retrospect I never did truly follow Him. I sought professional counseling and was prescribed medication by my physician. Yet, nothing could assuage Satan’s hold on my heart. I bought his lies. The climax was me taking over 30 combined pills of ambien(sleep medication) and zoloft (antidepressant). My mom found me unconscious on the floor of the bathroom and rushed me to the ER. I was rejuvenated and then taken to a behavioral hospital where I spent 5 days. Even after my discharge from the hospital I continued to run from God. I made a whole hoopla of poor decisions, but everywhere I turned for joy there was inevitably closed doors. After a failed attempt to meet up with a local girl for implied purposes, I fell before God with heart racing and tears streaming. It was 12:01 AM June 6 2009. I could not run anymore. I gave my life to God and bowed before Jesus as Lord and Savior. The Pharisees once thought they had everything… for many years of my life, so did I. By God’s exercise of his sovereignty in the precious overflowing of enduring grace, I have learned that now I have everything. I once tried to take my life in despair, but now I cleave to my Heavenly Father and fix my eyes on King Jesus. He is my worth, my rock, and my hope.

Teens need this message of crazy, radical, divine God love in Jesus Christ. I will be praying for you.

Jan 15 2009

Storyline #32: Deuteronomy 1-4 “The History”

1-intro1Free files for youth pastors:

2 – Deuteronomy 1-4 – History (fillout sheet)

2 – Deuteronomy – 1-4 – History (ppt)

2 – Deuteronomy 1-4 – History (order of service)

2 – Deuteronomy 1-4 – History (sermon outline)

2 – Deuteronomy 1-4 – History (mp3)

This is an unprecedented, historical week for me. I bought and closed on a house! With all of my running around the past decade, I’m so excited to finally be settled here at this church, with this student ministry, and in this area. I’m amazed with how God has been preparing me for this ministry. Just over a year ago now, I had been in my previous church for 3 years, and all the other four pastors I was serving with had resigned. I was left with leading that church, but God used it to prepare me for the next. Meanwhile, God had brought awesome youth pastors before me to this church, and prepared the student ministry to be passionate worshippers, attentive learners, and humble servants. When I got here, it was obvious that this is what God had been planning all along.

Everything I just said was absolutely true, but I also wrote it as an example of what God is doing with Deuteronomy 1 – 4 (read it). Continue reading →