I was raised in church and my parents even served in my childhood baptist church as youth leaders. I could have never imagined that my life would play out the way it did after I graduated high school and went to college.. I will just say this.... for the next 25 years I would love for the dark powers of this world. After a tragic accident that claimed the life of my 7 1/2 month old daughter, I must have made an oath to myself that I wanted nothing to do with a God that would allow such pain. I truly thought I was being punished. Fast forward to 2016..... I found myself in a place where I knew that God was calling me to come home..... to come home to Him.
Through a series of events (that I know now were divinely orchestrated by the Holy Spirit), I was invited t Grace Life. I attended only because of Celebrate this Recovery in the beginning. Then I found myself attending a D group with other women on Tuesday mornings, from there I was invited to a women’s bible study. I thought I had been saved when i was 10 but I truly didn’t experience true salvation and repentance until May 17, 2015 . I decided to attend a Sunday morning church service in January of 2016. I heard the gospel preached in a way that I could understand and I felt so much love from total strangers. Shortly after I met with the pastor, Joel Frederick and my good friend who so happened to be the church secretary. After telling Joel ALL of my past I just knew that he was going to tell me that I didn’t belong at this church. But instead I witnessed something that truly changed my life forever. This pastor never once blinked an eye or gasped as I told him the person I had been for so many years. His response was a “so you have a past? “ in a light hearted way and then he said “we all have a past but if you have put your trust in Jesus then it’s all been nailed to the cross.” Me? Forgiven? Accepted by “normal” lol people???? YES! That is exactly what I have been given as a member of Grace Life ! Unconditional love and acceptance . I have listened to a lot of “popular “ preachers but I’m telling you... Joel is the real deal. He preaches the gospel straight from the word of God. He is the best teacher and shepherd I have ever met or heard. I hope you will listen and maybe even visit our church if you , too, are broken, been hurt in the past by religious people am desperate for some hope. You will
Find that and so so much more!!!
