Last Sunday, hundreds of people gathered to share their stories of faith and take the next step in obedience to Christ by being baptized. We heard from couples whose marriages have been transformed by Christ’s power. There were stories from men and women who, through a personal relationship with Christ, found the abundant life they’d hoped for after years of searching. Here are just a few of the remarkable testimonies shared by people in our Watermark family.
“Through the death of three family members, God was faithful even when I was faithless. He showed His love by surrounding me with believers who spoke truth, encouraged and loved me. Through all the hurt, pain and loss, I was able to see who God is. God is Love! He transformed my heart and mind, and I surrendered my life to Him. He renewed my spirit and transformed the pain and destruction in my life – making it positive fruit. Now I have peace, regardless of my circumstances. God is my protector, provider, healer and loyal friend. I’m no longer trying to fill an empty void in my life as God continues to fill it with His joy. My cup overflows with Him!” – Patricia Ombywayo
“I didn’t grow up in the church. I believed in God’s existence, but I didn’t have any knowledge of Jesus Christ. I lived in shame and guilt of my continual sin. I often rejected the gospel and thought believers were ‘obsessed.’ I didn’t want God to take over my life. One day, God used a friend/coworker to reach me after I confessed that I desperately needed change. I was sick of being weighed down by my anger, bitterness, isolation and passivity. I had witnessed a change in her and desperately wanted change for myself. I trusted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior about a month later. I believe that Christ will finish what He started in me. It is faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone that has saved me.” – Josh Pickett
“Growing up, I knew about Jesus and what He had done on the cross but I had no real relationship with God. I pursued worldly relationships that were centered around my needs. It wasn’t until a three-year relationship ended painfully my junior year of college that I realized I had nowhere to turn. I began seeking the Lord with my whole heart, and my life has never been the same. I heard the beautiful story of God’s gift of grace through Jesus Christ for the first time at a Christian camp. How could a story I’d heard multiple times have such a different meaning?
I immediately believed and accepted Christ as my personal Savior. I never thought a broken, selfish, messed up person like me could be worth rescuing. But Matthew 9:
12-14 puts that into perspective. Jesus came for people like me. Discovering biblical truths has brought me a joy that the world can’t take away.” – Katie Baumgratz
“I once believed I could somehow earn my salvation through a combination of works and good behavior. But God in His infinite love used a teacher who was a believer to explain to me that my salvation came from Christ alone and not by works. I began to fully understand the gospel in high school. But in college, I slowly became distracted by worldly pursuits. After college, God used a job to bring me to Rockwall, Texas, where I got involved in my first small group. God used those men to admonish me
in grace and truth. I came to Watermark in 2006 and fully trusted in Christ for the first time in my life. My life radically changed after that. I gradually became devoted to pursuing the Lord in every aspect of my life – although some areas have been easier than others. Now I have a continuing desire to know Him more and make Him known wherever I go.” – Will Noll
What an amazing Sunday this was. For those of you who were there how were you impacted? Leave a comment below and tell us.
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