Another Life Transformed for God's Glory

To lead a person to Christ is about the biggest honor and greatest adventure a person could experience. I had the honor and privilege to lead Dave to Christ on Nov 5th 2008. He followed this decision in baptism and faithfully attends my cell group with his wife Crystal who also followed the Lord in baptism. Below you can see the outline he used as he shared his testimony on January 4th 2009.

DAVID COOPER’S TESTIMONY

HI, MY NAME IS DAVE COOPER I HAVE JUST RECENTLY GIVEN MY LIVE TO

CHRIST AND BAPTIZED HERE AT ALLEN MEMORIAL. PASTORS BILL AND

MIKE WANTED ME TO SHARE MY TESTIMONY WITH THE CHURCH. THE

OLD ME WANTED TO SAY “NO!” BUT THE NEW ME WANTED TO SAY “YES!”,

SO I SAID “WHY, WHAT COULD I HAVE TO SAY THAT PEOPLE COULD WANT

TO HEAR?” THEY SAID THAT MY TESTIMONY IS A POWERFUL ONE THAT

COULD POSSIBLY HELP SOMONE ELSE FIND AND ACCEPT CHRIST INTO

THEIR LIFE. ALL THAT I HAVE TO DO IS ANSWER 3 QUESTIONS:

I. WHAT WAS MY LIFE LIKE BEFORE CHRIST?

II. HOW I MET CHRIST AND MADE THE DECISION TO INVITE HIM INTO MY LIFE?

III. WHAT HAS MY LIFE BEEN LIKE SINCE I ACCEPTED CHRIST IN MY LIFE?

· WHAT WAS MY LIFE LIKE BEFORE CHRIST?

I WAS BORN IN 1978
MY DAD WAS INCARCERATED BY 1981
MY MOTHER DIED OF HODGKINS DISEASE ON MAY 15, 1985 WHICH PUT ME IN TO THE CARE OF AUNT AND UNCLE.
THEY GAVE UNDYING LOVE,DEVOTION AND SUPPORT
MY ANSWER TO THEIR GIVING WAS ANGER, LIES AND DECEIT

· HURTING THE ONLY FAMILY I HAD LEFT
· MOVING AROUND LIVING WITH OTHER FAMILYS FOR ABOUT 7 YEARS
· WITH ONE FAMILY I MET WHO IS NOW MY WIFE CRYSTAL
· CRYSTAL HAD LEFT ME ONCE, UNABLE TO HANLDE MY LIFE STYLE
· VIOLENCE,AGGRESSION, DRUGS, ALCOHOL, AND ALL THE PARTYING I HAD DONE
o AGAIN I WAS ALONE

o I LATER MOVED IN WITH A CHRSTIAN FAMILY WHILE LIVING THERE:
· THEY TRIED TO GUIDE ME TO CHRIST
· I WOULD NOT OPEN MY HEART TO HIM
· I RECONNECTED WITH CRYSTAL
· WE SOON MARRIED HAD A CHILD AND MOVED BACK TO THE EASTERNSHORE

o BY COMING HOME I FACED ALL THE PROBLEMS I HAD LEFT BEHIND AGAIN
· CRYSTAL SHOWED ME LOVE AND SUPPORT
· NEVER LEAVING MY SIDE
· WITH HER HELP I CONQUERED MY PROBLEMS
· I WAS STARTING A NEW LIFE

WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE SECOND QUESTION.
· HOW I MET CHRIST AND MADE THE DECISION TO INVITE HIM INTO MY LIFE?

· NOW I WAS TRYING TO LIVE HONESTLY
· UNABLE TO FIND LEGITAMITE WORK
· WITH NO MONEY ABOUT TO LOSE EVERYTHING
o BUT IT FELT GOOD DEEP DOWN
· I STARTED ANOTHER MY JOURNEY TO FIND CHRIST

o SUSAN WHITE, A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY HAD TOLD ME SHE HAD ATTENDED A WONDERFUL CHURCH AND THOUGHT I MIGHT LIKE IT

· SO MY FAMILY ANDI CAME TO ALLEN MEMORIAL
· THIS WAS MY THE FIRST TIME IN CHURCH IN 9 YEARS
· AND I LOVED IT
o WE LISTENED TO A GREAT SERMON AND RECEIVED AN OUTSTANDING WELCOME IN THE WELCOME CENTER
· IN THE WELCOME CENTER WE WERE INTRODUCED TO A CONCEPT CALLED CELL GROUPS
· WITH THE WAY IT WAS EXPLAINED TO US WE COULDN’T RESIST ATTENDING ONE
· THE CELL LEADER TREATED US LIKE WE WERE FAMILY
· WELCOMED US INTO HIS HOME
· WE ALL TALKED ABOUT THE CURRENT LESSON
· THEN HE TOOK THE TIME TO LISTEN TO OUR PROBLEMS
· OFFEERED TO HELP IN ANYWAY HE COULD
o THIS MAN DIDN’T KNOW ME BUT HE ALREADY CARED AND MY FAMILY AND I WERE TOUCHED
o LATER THE NEXT WEEK I CAME INTO SOME MORE FINANCIAL COCNCERNS
· I CAME TO TALK TO PASTOR MIKE TO SEEK GUIDANCE
· AFTER TALKING ABOUT MY SITUATION HE ASKED IF I HAD GIVEN MY LIFE TO CHRIST.
· I SAID MY WIFE HAD BUT I FELT UNWORTHY DUE TO MY PAST.
o HE GUIDED ME THROUGH THE STEPS TO PEACE WITH GOD
· EXPLAINING NO ONE IS UNWORHTY
· WE JUST AREN’T AWARE THAT JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS TO FORGIVE US FOR OUR SINS
· NO MATTER WHAT WE DO THE LORD LOVES US
· WE JUST HAVE TO RESPOND TO HIS OFFER OF FORGIVENESS

ON NOVEMBER 5TH 2008 I ASKED THE LORD TO COME INTO MY LIFE AND FORGIVE ME AND TO HELP ME THROUGHOUT THE REST OF MY LIFE.

WHICH THEN LED HIM TO ASK ME IF I HAD GIVEN MY LIFE TO CHRIST? I

TOLD HIM MY WIFE HAD ALREADY COMMITED HER LIFE TO CHRIST BUT I

HAD NOT BECAUSE I FELT UNWORTHYBECAUSE OF MY PAST. HE WAS

PROMPTED AT THIS TIME TO GUIDE ME THROUGH THE STEPS TO PEACE

WITH GOD. HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT NOONE IS UNWORHTY OF THE

LORD’S LOVE. THEY ARE JUST NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE TO FACT THAT HE

DIED ON THE CROSS TO FORGIVE US FOR OUR SINS AND NO MATTER

WHAT WE DO THE LORD LOVES US WE JUST HAVE TO RESPOND TO HIS

OFFER OF FORGIVENESS. ON NOVEMBER 5TH, 2008 I ASKED THE LORD TO

COME INTO MY LIFE.

· WHAT HAS MY LIFE BEEN LIKE SINCE I ACCEPTED CHRIST IN MY LIFE?


NOW A BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN I HAVE HAD A LOT GOOD THINGS COME

INTO MY LIFE:

a) I HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH MY A LOT OF PROBLEMS THE RIGHT WAY

b) MY LIFE NOW IS HAPPIER THAN EVER FOR THESE REASONS

i) MY DAUGHTER AND HAD I NEVER REALLY CONNECTED BEFORE AND NOW WE ARE INSEPERABLE. I CAN TRULY FEEL HER LOVE TOWARDS ME.

ii) THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MY WIFE AND I COULD NEVER BE BETTER

iii) I AM FINALLY COMING INTO A SOMEWHAT MORE STABLE BUT LEGITIMATE FINANCIAL STATE

iv) I WENT ON AN ENCOUNTER WITH OTHER MEN LIKE ME AND RECEIVED A CLEANSING AND FRIENDSHIPS I COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED

v) I NOW ALSO HAVE INNER PEACE AND AM GRATEFUL FOR THE DIRECTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO NOW LIVES IN ME.

vi) THE BIGGEST HELP NOW IS MY NEW WONDERFUL AND MUCH LARGER FAMILY THIS CHURCH. I ALSO HAVE A NEW FRIENDSHIP AND INTIMACY THRU MY CELL GROUP.THIS ALL HAS HELPED GET THROUGH MY RECENT PROBLEMS. FOR THAT I THANK YOU ALL BECAUSE WITH OUT YOUR PRAYERS, HELP, AND LOVE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE IT THIS FAR

I APPRECIATE ALL THE LOVE CHRIST HAS BROUGHT INTO MY LIFE AND I

WILL NEVER SECOND GUESS THE ALMIGHTY POWER AND LOVE OF THE

LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Cell Insights for Growth
Week #1
Cell Groups are a Big Priority to God


If you are like me perhaps this thought has crossed your mind. “I’m just a cell leader.” Can I be the first to tell you that there is no such thing as being “just a cell leader.” In the eyes of God cells are a “Big Priority.”

God created all of us with a desire for community. This connecting with one another is essential because we were created to work together. Just look at the writings of Paul and you’ll see over and over again the term “the body of Christ.” Paul showed us how we are all interdependent and how no part could survive on its own.

1 Cor 12:21 (NCV) The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the foot, "I don't need you!"

Living a life of isolation has damaging results. Listen to this quote by Phil Zambaro a Stanford University professor, who writes,

“I know of no more potent killer than isolation. There is no more destructive influence on the physical health than isolation of you from me and us from them. It has been known to be the central agent in the etiology of depression, paranoid schizophrenia, rape, suicide, mass murder, and a wide variety of diseases.”

It has been said that our hunger for relationships is a key distinction of our humanity. Small group experts Bill Donahue and Russ Robinson write,

“God created us with a ‘communal gene,’ an inborn, intentional, inescapable part of what it means to be human.”

This explains why cell groups are so important to us at Allen and not just a ministry option. Think about this, people don’t just come to church to satisfy a spiritual itch. They come internally wired with a desire to “Connect.” What better way is there to satisfy this desire and need to connect than through an effective, growing and multiplying cell group.

This year as you learn to lead a cell group where people move from isolation to connection, from loneliness to love, recognize you are involved in one of the greatest ventures on the face of this planet. Your cell group is a “Big Priority” to God.

My prayer is that your cell will experience real biblical fellowship in 2009. Chuck Swindoll describes what happens when real biblical fellowship occurs. He says, “Fences come down. Masks come off. Welcome signs are hung outside the door. Keys to the doors of our lives are duplicated and distributed. Joys and sorrows are shared.”

Insight for Week #1
Your cell is a “big priority” to God!

Take time to thank God for the opportunity He has given you to be involved in a cell group. Determine to become with God’s help the best cell leader you can possibly be! Thank you for your hard work and diligence.