Relationships the Key to Finding Christ

For 1 1/2 years I prayed for Matt and I asked God to draw him to Himself. Not only did I pray but I began to reach out to him and befriend him. He likes to golf so we began to golf together. Then I invited him to a "Connection Week Party" that our cell groups host every month and the rest is history! I will let Matt in his own words tell the story!

A New Beginning with Christ – This Is How It Happened!

Just like everyone, I have been exposed to sin throughout my whole life. Unlike everyone else, but probably like most, I pushed my sins away thinking that they would go away. Even after years of hiding out, sins would sneak up on me and remind me of what had happened. I may not have felt as bad as I did when it happened but I would still feel a certain level of guilt and uneasiness.

I knew for sure that by getting married it would make my past disappear so that my life would start over again. And by moving out of town I could run away from a life once lived.
I have a great wife, a healthy 12 month old foster child, a great job, a great family, but I still can’t let go of the past.

My wife, Kelly, used to attend Allen at its’ former location on a regular basis. I would go once every couple of months or so. Once Allen opened for services in its’ new building during the fall of 2007, we began to attend on a very regular basis, almost every Sunday. Excited by the fact that we were regularly attending Church, my in-laws began asking us to come to their Cell Group on Thursday nights. By the way, other than being two of the greatest people I know, the in-laws lead a Cell Group out of their house in Fruitland.

I never showed up. I did not go because I had an excuse; I had to work on Thursday. Notice I said I had an excuse not a reason. Kelly had an excuse also; she didn’t want to be “preached” to. Come on, are you kidding me? We would do anything with Kip and Sharon when they asked. Anything that is, except go to their group. We were both scared.

We were invited to attend a different group that meets on Wednesday night when I did not have to work. Now I was going to use the same excuse so that I did not have to go, I don’t want to be preached to. It didn’t matter what night of the week it was, we were scared of going to hang out with people that we may or may not know and read the Bible.

We received an invitation from the Wednesday group to come over for a game night, just show up with some food and play games for a couple of hours. Now we are talking. So we showed up and had a blast. We skipped the next three or four weeks and then there was another game night. Again, we loved it.

After talking about it, we decided that we should try to go one night and see what Cell Groups were really about. I believe that the first night we attended was on chapter 3 of the “Live” book. Other than the leaders, we actually knew a couple of the people that were there. So there we sat, waiting for someone to stand up and start reading scriptures from the Bible for the next hour.
IT NEVER HAPPENED!!!

What we experienced was a group of adults that were brought together to talk about the Lord in ways that we can all understand. Here we were, in an open room, surrounded by others that were not afraid to talk about their feelings, their lives, and their personal battles. We were all brought together as a group of one to discuss the lessons of the “Live” book, and those books that follow, and how they pertain to the Bible. Scriptures were read, but that was done a verse or two at the time, not chapter by chapter. I began to think to myself that this may not have been a bad idea to show up here tonight. As we drove home that night I remember telling Kelly, “I actually enjoyed that tonight”. She felt the same way. There was no pressure, no intimidation; there was no spot light that would shine down when you spoke out loud. This was as comfortable and non-confrontational as being with your best friends!

That is why we went the next week, and the next week, and the next……. It took a couple of months, but I finally began to realize the reasons that I would show up every Sunday and Wednesday night. I was looking for help. I never heard a voice, but someone was telling me where to get the help that I needed. I began to understand who God was and what His Son sacrificed. Now it was my turn to confess my sins and accept Jesus Christ in my life!

And that is what I did on July the 30th, 2008. It just so happened that this was a Wednesday, the day that our Group meets. Once we are all assembled and getting ready to open our discussion for the night I was asked to announce my big news of the day. I was caught off guard by the request but thought why not, I am surrounded by Christians. After letting everyone know that earlier in the day I accepted Christ in my life, I was shocked at what took place next – applause, cheers, and even a “Birthday” cake.

Even though it has only been one week, I can feel the guilt being washed away. I am beginning to read the Bible everyday and memorize verses that stick to me. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” I have probably heard that over a hundred times in my life but I never knew what it meant. I do now!

Here is a good one, take a minute or two to read Psalm 103:1-12. Those words are POWERFUL! After all of that time I thought I could run away from my past, but all I had to do was ask for forgiveness and receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. The past cannot be forgotten, but mine is being forgiven.

If it were not for the Cell Group, I may not stand where I do now. Who is to say? I just wish Wednesday came more than once a week! Thank you to Kelly and my family for their love and support. Words cannot describe how much I appreciate the guidance and leadership of someone that has become special part of my life, Michael Sove. By Matt Jones

Friends keep inviting and keep praying you'll never know when God will use that invite to change a life!