Cardboard Testimonies

A couple of weeks ago we concluded a message series called "Renovation of the Heart" with a video clip called Cardboard Testimonies. In the clip, a series of people told their stories using big pieces of cardboard - on one side they scrawled the story of their lives before meeting Jesus, and on the other side they described the change that had taken place. At the close of our services that weekend - many of you chose to share your own "cardboard testimony" with us.

Here are a few of the cards we received:
Selfish self-made man; prideful, sinful, disobedient
     His child; everything I am/have came from and belongs to Him!
Afraid of rejection
    Confident of my worth in Christ
Cynical mocker
    Content servant
Angry and quick tempered
    Joyful in Jesus!
No church - little God
    Much church - very much God
Angry
    Blessed
Blamed God
    God forgave me and gave me peace
Hopeless,lost,failure
    Hopeful, found, man of God

I hope you find these brief and very personal expressions of life change as moving as I do! They remind me that there are stories being written every day all around us. They remind me that if we can just slow down enough to pay attention to these stories - stop,look, listen! - we might actually be used by God as he seeks to write brand new stories! Who will God place in your path today who needs to have someone listen to their story?

Or maybe it is your story that needs to be re-written. Maybe you don't like what is written on your side of the cardboard. While I don't know what is written on the cardboard of your life today - Jesus does, and he is always, always, ready to turn the cardboard over and start all over again.

At FBCG we celebrate stories of life change. We call them "FaithStories." Every FaithStory is as unique as a fingerprint - for God is infinitely creative in how he draws us to himself. But each FaithStory is also the same - because every last one of them is about Jesus and his power to transform the heart.

So pay attention to the stories around you -- and pay attention to your story - you might be surprised at all the writing going on!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has
gone, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17