 I've been coming to Cornerstone about this church for about two years now. When I first started coming it wasn't very consistent so I would come every now and then. Mainly because I wanted my sin more than anything else and I wasn't that soon to come to a church where everyone worships about that despite the various things that I left doing. Before my attendance here I lived a wickedly simple life that was unpleasing in the eyes of the Lord. I had no knowledge of the gospel or understanding of what sin was. I had no relationship with the Lord. Another thing I did was for my own self-pleasure. I only cared about the things that made me happy. I was disrespectful towards my mother, the woman who raised me this day. Disregarding wisdom from my brother and made my own decisions because my pride wouldn't let me take advice from anyone. If I was alone in my room I would rust over women that I saw on social media and proceeded to pleasure myself in the corner of the room. I partake in unbiblical relationships and pursue worldly dating that also consisted of the virtuous acts. I covet over materialistic things rather than be grateful for what I already have because I was never satisfied with anything I was given to. So I was always that once and more because I see what the Lord says about me. God's existence to me was like the stories that our parents would tell us as young children about how Santa Claus is reeling if you misbehave or end up on his Nautilus. You've never seen him or heard him, but you should believe in his existence because everyone tells you to. And I didn't want to be on God's Nautilus so I strive to be the best person that could be according to the simple world we live in. I believe that my good works would grant me a country into God's Heaven but little did I know I was on my way to Heaven. I didn't find myself until my brother in the world passed away and reached him out to God about two and a half years ago. Around the time, my brother had been admitted back into the church. I had a situation with my then-girlfriend. Being the naïve kid that I was, I ended up getting her pregnant. For a short time, for a short period of time, I was a father and she a mother. I wasn't ready for a child or the responsibilities of being a father and she wasn't ready to be a mother. I knew she'd be willing to execute whatever choice I decided to make so I shut down every feeling of guilt, sorrow and remorse just to call a shot that I selfishly fulfilled my desires. In my mind, I figured that having a child at that point in time was more of a burden than a blessing because the timing wasn't there and neither was my brain. Ultimately, I decided it would be best for us both to have her again abortion. So she did. The sixth commandment says that thou shalt not murder and yet I made her take the life of her unborn child simply because I didn't want to deal with it at the time. Even though the child hadn't been born yet, it was still living in the mother's womb. After things were said and done between us, I cried out to my brother for help because I was afraid of being kicked out of my mother's house. After having been filled in on the situation, he used this as an opportunity to preach the gospel to me. The Lord used my sin to open a door for my brother. When I was in high school, I used to call in the well whenever I needed help with any homework that was math related and we would sit on the phone for hours because instead of simply giving me the answers to the problem I had, he filled his role as an older brother and taught me how to work out the problems. With the experience he had from helping me with homework, he had an understanding of how I think. So he knew exactly how to teach me. And even though we're over a decade apart in age, he understood that if he was going to relay information to me in a way that I could understand him, he would have to be relatable to me. And I say all this because this is exactly how he preached the gospel to me. With my very little understanding of Christ and his work on the cross, it was evident that he would have to educate me in a way that I could understand. So to this day when he explains things to me from the Bible, he goes into what I like to call his movie mode. I read a few verses and then modernize the text for me in between reading the scriptures, which helps a lot. It wasn't until summer of 2020 where I not only cried out to my brother yet again, but I also cried out to the Lord. After a great deal of pain, sorrow, and depression that I felt due to complications I had with a friend of mine, it became clear to me how much I needed Christ in my life. I had still been living in my sin, but I realized something had changed when I said to the Lord, plant a seed in me. Then my brother's preaching of the Word. This is something I speak of his conviction. Almost everything I did was simple. That was simple, less conviction in my life. My desire for sin had slowly been fading away. I texted my brother and told him that I have a desire to be saved by the Lord and to live my life according to Christ. Ever since that day I've been coming to Cornerstone consistently. Shortly after contacting Noel, he needed someone to watch over his apartment and manage his Airbnb while he was on a business trip in Chicago for about two to three months. So I accepted the responsibilities. At the time my only way of coming to church was if Noel picked me up and since he was in Chicago I no longer had a writing. So it was my job to figure out a way to come to church while he was gone. And that's when I hit up Pastor Dale to see if he would be able to bring me to church at least until Noel came back. Thank you Pastor Dale. That's when I knew I had a hunger for Christ because even though my usual driver wouldn't bring me to church I had Uberdale. So I had stopped me from listening to God's word in front of the preacher and attending fellowships. I struggled with assurance for a few months because I still lacked proper understanding of the gospel. After being in a church surrounded by golly men and women whom all love the Lord and having such great pastors to remind us of who we are and why we need to be reminded of the gospel it became clear to me that my salvation is a grace of the Lord and a product of His work on the cross. God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to die for our sins on the cross so that we may have a way of knowing Him and His Father and being able to enter the kingdom of God. Christ gave me a new heart and I am born again in Christ. Since my conversion I now hunger and thirst to do with things that are pleasing to the Lord. My desires are no longer set on the things that are pleasing to my flesh but are now fixating on doing things that are pleasing to Him. Being saved doesn't mean you're not perfect. There are none who are righteous. No, not one. This means that I still have my sin battles. But rather than being enslaved to my sin and bearing shackles that time has gone to the flesh of our body I now have internal battles which are allowed to be achieved between my sin and my precious uses. Every day I'm reminded of how much I need Christ in my life because sentiation always rums the earth and there's still very many trials ahead of me. But I must continue to serve the Lord and be diligent and clear in keeping His commandments. If you're sitting here today, ladies and gentlemen and you're not convoked or you struggle with the shots I want to encourage you to continue to have faith in Jesus and what He did for sinners. I want to encourage you also to repent of your sins because nothing is possible without Christ. So you must continue to pray to Him and ask Him for help. I have moments in my life where I have my highs and that I don't struggle with sin. But I also have my lows where the devil is knocking at my door and just waiting for me to open it. And I'll close off my testimony with these words from Genesis chapter 3 verse 19 as a reminder we're nothing more than walking dirt. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground. For out of it you were taken, for dust you are and to dust you shall return. Amen. A blessing for us to baptize Neo too. I love to hear the testimony of a loving brother preaching the gospel unto Neo and the Lord using the preaching of the gospel to save them. And now you'll be able to see Neo grow from the Lord just a complete joy. So grateful for the true gospel, grateful for our brother and grateful to have Neo here. So, it's our joy to baptize our brother Neo based upon your professional faith with the Lord Jesus Christ turning from your sin to follow Christ alone by faith. It's our joy to baptize our brother Neo to the Father inside of the Holy Spirit. Baptize with Christ through the death.