Love Like Jesusنموونە

Forgiven Together

I was raised in church, but truthfully, I lived like God didn’t exist. When opportunities came up for me to show love to others at school or work, I didn’t really take them. I was a jerk. I was self-centered and prideful. Looking back, the major influences in my life were negative: the wrong friends, toxic relationships, sex, porn, and alcohol. I was caught up with the wrong crowd, lying to my parents, lying to my friends, drinking, and feeding the false ego I had developed. By the time I was halfway through college, I was doing terrible things that were wrecking my body and my life.

Fast forward to early 2010 a few weeks before Easter. My family had been invited to attend Life.Church. At this time, we hadn't been to church in several years. It was a critical time in my life and my family’s life, and this invite couldn't have come at a better time. We walked in and everyone made us feel so welcome and accepted. It was something I had never truly experienced walking into a church. During that first service we attended, I was overwhelmed with God's love and forgiveness for the first time in my life. The message spoke of forgiveness, and I understood the story of Jesus and His love. I didn’t wait. I decided to commit my life to Christ that very day. I felt God cleanse me of all the bad things I had done, and I was a new person. That wasn’t all, though. I realized I needed support. I needed to join a LifeGroup, a small group of people who do life together. I found a young, co-ed group that met weekly on Tuesdays, and I starting attending. This is where everything changed.

These friends loved me, accepted me, and most of all, showed me what living for Christ looks like. I'll never forget how this group of people loved me like Jesus would. They brought me in just as I was, and helped me to overcome my past and embrace this new life God had for me. I felt accepted, and I wasn't judged because of what I had done. They showed me the love and support I so desperately needed at this time in my life. God used this little group of 20-somethings to shape me into the person I am now. Fast forward to today, and I’m actually on staff at a church, on the small groups team, and get to hear story after story of lives being changed because of the love of Christ. God can change your life, and a majority of the time, He's going to do it through those around you.

Spencer Aston
Life.Church Broken Arrow