A Moving Testimony

Dear Readers,

During our churches homecoming celebration, a very moving testimony was presented by Chad Adams. Everyone in church was still talking about it the following week.



The Testimony of Chad Adams
By Chad Adams
Greet the Congregation: Good Morning!!!
For all of you that I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet my name is Chad Adams.
For all of you that I have met "Hello". I want you all to know that my family and I appreciate all the prayers that you have prayed for my mother. For those of you that do not know my mother is in ICU at Duke hospital. She had a hemrorage of the brain. It happened on mother's day and I know she would of liked to have been here for this but she couldn't. She is doing much better thanks to God and it is "his will" that I present my testimony today.

I would like to start off by telling you all "God Bless you for coming to fellowship at church today". Not necessarily for my testimony and to hear me speak but for coming to Church. I look at it as a great battle already won when any human takes a step through the doors of a Church and towards the righteousness of God: I can tell you all that I didn't think of it like that before. I thought Church was boring. I thought it was pointless. Just a bunch of hypocrites getting together on Sunday as saints but conforming right back to this world on Monday.

That was my opinion until I came here to Turner's Chapel. You see it was a very special person that had a very special family that encouraged me to come. In fact they offered me an invitation several times but stubborn me had to do it my way. So I tried to pick a church and ended up at one locally here in Lee county but I just couldn't fit in. I didn't know why I couldn't fit in, they ~ a big congregation and a lot of people I know, they had a great musical program, and they had a good pastor. God has showed me now. You can go to the Church that has the best preaching, the best singing and praise, the newest building but if God is not calling you there then he has his reasons.

So one Sunday I agreed to come to Turner's Chapel and you know I liked it. Not only did I like it, I loved it. I loved it so much I came another Sunday and another. Little did I know I was the gasoline and God just struck the match for my Faith. One day after the service Pastor Bruce came up to me and introduced himself. The next thing I know I am opening mail and I had a letter from Pastor Bruce thanking me for coming and telling me he was going to stop by my house and about that time my phone rang and it was Pastor Bruce. " Talk about short notice" I have never had a pastor from any church come to my house and actually take the time to show he cares and to offer to help me grow in Christ. I tried to talk him into doing my laundry while he was there but he had something come up last minute. So with the will of God and a little help from Pastor Bruce I became a member.

My life before I started walking was like getting on a roller coaster that went up and down and around but you never knew where it ended. I was in a theme park, the theme park of destruction. All the rides looked awesome and were fun but in the end they all lead to the same place and that was Hell. In the theme park there was rides like adultery, deceit, idolatry, and my personal favorite~ was Lust. These rides led to other things like low self-esteem, bitterness, no self-control, never being satisfied, regret, and selfishness. Little did I know I was in the devil's playground and everything was pretty smooth as long as I was doing what he wanted me to, which was getting lost in the desires and fleshly things of this world and to remain his prisoner in his' theme park. Eventually I realized the rides all lead to the same place and I made a step towards the exit with the help of Jesus Christ. My guide.

This Church and a lot of the members here have all played their part in my exit of that old theme park. Along with Christian friends, staying in God's word, and most importantly of all prayer I made my exit and I remain in God's grace. Yes Satan still comes to visit me. He always lets me know I am welcome back anytime, he even has offered me discounted tickets, not just for me but if I bring others. My faith in God has angered him. He has hurt me and tried to rob me of everything I have, he even has gone as far as attacking others around me. He will rob and attack you also if you try to leave his theme park. He will turn friends against you; the stresses in life seem to become more ample and unbearable, he has taken relationships and tore them apart to the point that I can't even tell if I will be forgiven by those I have hurt. He will use anything against you including yourself. He will even hurt the ones that you love and make them suffer. The most powerful thing I
used to think was your actions but I can tell you nothing is more powerful than your own tongue. It can build up someone and it can destroy him or her. No matter how extravagant and fun the rides were and no matter who rode with me I always felt alone and I always felt empty. When it was over I was empty and had no one to turn to. My load was always heavy like soaking wet jeans and boots. The further I went the heavier they got.

Jesus reached out his hand to me one day and we left that theme park. When I left he
gave me a change of dry clothes. We left the rides, we left the pain, we left my suffering and sorrows, and most importantly we left my sins. My sins were all forgiven but never to be forgotten. Since that day we left I have seen some key relationships with my family and friends improve. I have seen some of the prayers I have prayed, answered. I have had friends I never thought would ask want to come to church. I have seen God almighty working in others and me and blazing a trail of light in our paths. I have watched my faith grow each day. I have learned to pray more. As Charles Stanley has said we win our battles on our knees. I have seen my selfishness crumble piece by and piece and I have forgiven where I didn't think it was possible.

I have come to the realization that our time on this Earth isn't guaranteed so treat each second like it is your last. Think before you speak or act on your anger. You never know if you will see that person again once they walk out that door. Most importantly when I began my walk with Christ "I GREW UP!!"

It's not that adversity that we face because in this life it is going to come. It is greater than that; it is how we handle the adversity that comes. I have a few favorite scriptures that 1would like to share with you all that has helped me in my journey so far:
2 Corinthians 5:7, Isaiah 42:16, Romans 6:23 and Romans 3:23.

We can't forget that we all are sinners and we can't categorize it neither because sin is sin and the God we serve has the same punishment for all of it. I can't lie to any of you. I still struggle and go through trials. I still find myself riding some of the old rides if 1am not careful. The difference between now and then is I get off the ride usually before it ends and 1find the nearest exit. I still struggle with the desires of the flesh and 1need to learn to pray more in midst of adversity that 1face every day. We all fall down and sin including the non-Christians. The only difference between them and us is when we fall down we get back up and Jesus dusts us off, grabs our hand and escorts us back to that
narrow path. The path of life. I can tell you that nothing can match the love of God. God's love is unconditional, it is forgiving, it is peace, it is patient, and it is true. He is the most open minded and understanding being imaginable and we, as humans are not capable of comprehending his character. He is the truth. He is life. Every breath you breathe is a privilege. Every second your heartbeats and you have is a blessing never to be taken for granted. He owes us nothing and we can never repay him for what we owe. I was going to end this by thanking God but I just want to share something with you all. I let my mom read my testimony before anyone else. It brought tears to her eyes. She wasn't saved before Mother's Day. She has observed my walk with Christ and I personally believe she wanted what I have gained. While I was out by the road waiting on the EMS last Sunday night I was praying. I didn't know what was going to happen but God spoke to me and told me to have peace. Little did I know while I was praying that my mother asked Jesus
into her heart. She always knew who he was in her head but not in her heart. She told me the day she finished reading my testimony that she thought I should end it different and that I should end it with a question. So with a little help from mom and a lot of inspiration from God I personally believe the way to end this testimony is to ask each and every one of you a question. Are you tired of riding the same old rides? Are you tired of the pain and suffering? It is no secret that adversity visits everyone saved or not. But I can testify to you all today that Jesus is with you. He has his hand held out and he is waiting for you to grab it. If you are ready to leave that old theme park then take his hand and he will lead
you to the exit,he will bear the load of your pain and suffering,he will teach you to love, he will teach you forgiveness, and he will give you life. I encourage you if you are still in that theme park to find someone who is saved, someone you are comfortable with and if you don't have anyone to go to you can come to me, Pastor Bruce, or any of our deacons. We can help you take that Ist step towards the exit and lead you to Christ.You see it isn't about knowing who he is or the story of his life. It is living it.

(Chad's mother went to be with the Lord on the following Saturday after Chad presented his testimony.)