 All right, so Some of you have heard my testimony About about ten years ago that I started coming to this church Edgar had preached the gospel to me I Did well externally for a time, but I was full of pride hiding my sin If I did talk about my sin with the brothers, it was very it was in a very general terms and never with any specificity Not to anyone And I struggled with the churns with good reason. I was hiding a very secret sin For two and a half years. I was living a sexually sexual Morality and walking according to the dictates of my own heart lying to the brothers and pretending to be something that I was not The day that Jimmy Texanor died I was crushed by the weight of Austin Thinking that I was taken in the camp and that Jimmy died because I was hiding my sin It moved me to confess the sin in my life But I didn't repent I got put out of the church because of my sin and I continued living a moral life for about two years I still didn't know whether or not I was saved and I needed to know but instead of turning from my sin And turning to Christ I dove head to person to the world. I Consumed myself in drunkenness in drugs and sexual morality. I Intentionally seared my conscience so that way I would not be convicted by the word of God that I knew I tasted much of the world But it left me empty There were a lot of things that I wanted in the world and it promised me many good and fulfilling things I indulged but I was left wanting I partook but it gave me depression and anxiety. I Saw it after my idols, but they were all false and left me with no joy All I found was trouble hurt and worry I thought that I could grab myself a piece of the world of this world and then return to the Lord with it And I was wrong a Significant event happened in my life the ending of a relationship that filled me with Worldly sorrow I reached out to someone I knew my old best friend me the Cummings and she pointed out my sin My repeated insanity and she directed me to call Pastor Rick So it was finally time for me to start working on my repentance I Called Pastor Rick I told him that I was done living my life living life my way that I was done with my sin We began to meet up about every other week and very soon Edgar started coming as well They preached the gospel to me faithfully pointing out the holes and errors in my thinking I was doing all that I could to turn from my sin in my own strength But I was having an incredibly difficult time I felt deep I fell into deep sin so many times over those few months I kept failing over and over again, and I can remember thinking to myself on the drive to meet with Pastor Rick and Edgar I keep sitting. I'm not improving. They're gonna ask me how my week was and if I tell them They're gonna tell me no. Well, you keep sitting bro You're not taking these things seriously. Why are you wasting your time? Why are you wasting our time? Why are you wasting the Lord's time? You don't want the Lord. You're playing around. We're gonna stop meeting with you. I Was really scared of that I Got I got one I got an hour every two weeks to meet and talk with someone about my soul, and I needed that so much I had much reason to lie to them and to say everything's fine. I'm good But that is the very sin that got me to sell shit in the first place. So So I determined that Even if it means that they stopped meeting with me that I would confess my sin And when I did through many tears Pastor Rick said to me know all I'm very encouraged You didn't have to tell me these things and you did I thank God that God's not like us that he doesn't think like us. I Was trying so hard to repent and believe but there was something very wrong in my thinking I thought God would reject my coming to him. I Knew Christ came to save men, but I didn't believe that Christ came to save me But God is not like that the word of God teaches that if you draw near to him He will draw near to you and I held on to that promise with all that I had After several months the Lord granted me faith and repentance He forgave me of all my sins and I was free because Christ was bound and suffered in my place I've not incredible strength in the Lord's in the Lord strength to fight sin safety and comfort and prayer and a deep desire for the word I had to zeal to preach the to preach Christ to the world God has replaced my heart and changed my desires I've cut off and gouged out sin for my life rejected many a great temptation and in my whole and in whole heartedly pursuing Christ Doing all that I can to make my calling an election short praise God for I'm no longer asleep to my sin I've not been perfect It's not been perfect, but I no longer look to self but only to Christ and his finished work on the cross I look to Christ The world promised me much but lied and was unfaithful to me, but the Lord is faithful God does not lie and he offers eternal life And now because of Christ I get to partake in the work of Christ and preaching the gospel I'm a peacemaker reconciling men with God in Christ And he has united me with you all the body of Christ and I get to worship the Lord with you all and partake in the sweet graces of God Hmm Brothers and sisters as I run this race keep watch of me. Don't let me go I Do firmly believe that Christ will keep me fast and that I am in the palm of his hand But I must hold fast until the end Brothers keep me Keep me in your in your sight and especially in your prayers I wish to continue to avail myself of the means of grace as much as is possible and I need you Not be negligent negligent to remind me always of the hope that we have and of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Watchman watch out for me and I'll be watching out for you because I love you And I am so very very grateful to the Lord for bringing me to where I am today to be united with you all in Christ Based upon your evidence Thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ Repentance in faith burning from sin to trust him alone Based upon your commitment to serve the Lord Jesus Christ Remember a cornerstone man of church I baptized him my brother With a father a son and of the Holy Spirit Buried with Christ in baptism