Radically Redeemed- Josh

Baptism 5/23/2021

At the age of 37, I thought I had all I ever hoped for, a beautiful marriage and 4 wonderful, healthy children. I had a good career as a correction officer, and we owned a home in a community that we were known and involved in. My career had conditioned me into always wanting to have control and hardened me. In late 2020, things got dark in the world, and I got overwhelmed of what the future was looking like for my family. Stressed out and angry all the time, I felt overwhelmed by the world. I felt like I was losing control and was filled with anxiety, fear, and anger.

 As I was sitting on the couch, my wife asked me to watch a sermon called Un-hurried. At first, I was hesitant because of my past exposure to church and religion. I finally agreed to watch it and it pierced my heart and brought me to tears. We were so busy just following the world that we were missing God in our life. I felt guilty that I ignored Him all these years and needed forgiveness. I agreed to watch next Sunday’s sermon and on February 7, 2021, my wife and I raised our hands and gave our life to Christ on our couch. My life needed to change and the only way it could was for my heart to change. I needed to surrender my anger, control and anxiety to the Lord Jesus and allow His will to have all authority in my life and my future. On May 23, 2021, my whole family stood in front of our new church family and proclaimed that our lives belonged to Jesus Christ by telling our testimonies and getting baptized as a family. The Holy Spirit was so strong and present in the church that day. It was a heavenly celebration of 6 of His children finding their way back to Him to start their new journey of eternity as new creations changed by the grace that Jesus gave us, by dying for our sins on the cross and by Him being raised on the 3rd day back to life to give us new life.

From that point forward we started to attend church every Sunday and the Lord placed a fire in me to seek Him with excitement. I wanted to know the Word of God and how to apply it to every aspect of my life. Throughout 2021 I studied God’s Word and was hungry to memorize Scripture and to help others find hope in Jesus during such a difficult year in our world. Telling my partners at work about the hope I have in Jesus was part of my day to day and that they could find hope in Him too. During this time, I felt like the Lord was preparing myself and my family for what was coming. In December 2021, I lost my job, and our life took a turn we did not expect. During this difficult trial my faith in Jesus never faltered but got stronger. The Lord never left our side and has been faithful through these last few years. He has called us into a deeper and a more surrendered relationship with Him everyday and there is nothing I desire more.

After moving to 2 different states since 2021 and arriving back in Massachusetts for what we feel could only be being lead back here for His purpose, I believe the Lord has put a hunger in my spirit to not only know the Word of God well but to teach it. With a world that is dark we are called to “Let your lights shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) All I desire is to be with Him and to spend time in His word. To sit with my family and read the Word of God and help my children understand and apply what the Lord is telling us brings me such joy. To help minister to those who need hope and are looking for truth, I desire to be there to tell them about Jesus and His love for them. The Lord has radically changed me and filled me with the Holy Spirit to bear fruit that once was never there before Jesus was my Lord and Savior. He has given me joy instead of disheartenment the world had given me, love instead of disgust, peace instead of anxiety and fear, forgiveness instead of holding grudges, faithfulness, kindness, and gentleness instead of anger and aggression, patience instead of losing my temper with friends and family, and self-control in all things that this world tempts me with.  He has given me eyes to see and now its time to tell the life changing hope and grace that Jesus Christ our Lord so freely offers me and for all who believe in their hearts that He is that Savior their soul so desperately needs.