back to index2020-07-26 Tyler Lee Baptism
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Good morning, my name is Tyler Lee and I'm Samantha's brother. 00:00:08.560 |
I'm a part of the youth group here and I graduated this past year from high school. 00:00:13.040 |
I've been coming to this church for over a year now. 00:00:16.240 |
Today I have the opportunity to share my testimony with you all. 00:00:20.480 |
I grew up in a Christian family and so I have been surrounded with biblical teachings and 00:00:25.320 |
believe that God and Jesus existed ever since I was a child. 00:00:29.480 |
Church became a bigger part of my life when I moved to Irvine for the first time. 00:00:33.320 |
I began to learn about and realize what being a Christian entails. 00:00:37.040 |
I became a part of a supportive youth group and attempted to understand Scripture on my 00:00:46.520 |
At the end of my freshman year when I attended a youth retreat, I felt that I was being called 00:00:52.720 |
Within the next year, after I reflected on my experiences and sermons from church, I 00:00:57.560 |
decided to start my own walk with Christ and start giving my life to Him. 00:01:01.440 |
Yet I did not develop a strong faith as I was living for myself still. 00:01:06.760 |
My high school years was a time of difficulty for me. 00:01:09.120 |
I saw more differences between myself and those around me than I could find similarities. 00:01:15.200 |
This resulted in numerous conflicts between me and my family. 00:01:19.160 |
After my freshman year, I was taken out of public school because I and my family were 00:01:23.240 |
unsatisfied with my education and enrolled in homeschool. 00:01:27.200 |
For the next two years, I felt completely dissatisfied for similar reasons, became increasingly 00:01:32.640 |
sad and continuously added to my list of differences. 00:01:38.000 |
For a year during my junior year, I was in the state of Washington. 00:01:42.240 |
During this time, I lost touch with many people, formed only a few refreshed friendships, and 00:01:48.640 |
I fell out of my devotions, prayer, and spiritual motivation. 00:01:53.320 |
I replaced these with reading whatever books and watching whatever videos interested me, 00:01:59.200 |
working on my hobbies and other things that focused on me to escape how I felt. 00:02:03.720 |
I also developed much more conflict with my family because of this denial. 00:02:08.000 |
I did not reach out to the people I knew before until closely to the end of that year in Washington. 00:02:13.480 |
I saw how I still felt the same despite my attempts at denying it. 00:02:20.760 |
Religion and independence were what I believed would get me through life, but it's God whom 00:02:25.040 |
I should rely on, so I submit to the authority of Christ as my Lord and Savior. 00:02:30.720 |
Up until the end of my year in Washington, I was blind to and had not carefully remembered 00:02:35.040 |
the blessings and protections I had been given by God and my family. 00:02:39.680 |
Ever since I realized this, I held close to the Fiance 48. 00:02:43.360 |
Finally present, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever 00:02:47.800 |
is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is a good review, if there is any excellence and 00:02:53.440 |
if anything is worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 00:02:58.280 |
I was blind because I did not take the effort to look for and meditate on these things around 00:03:02.840 |
me but focused only on what was easy to see, the differences between people. 00:03:08.560 |
When I came to Berean this past year, I found a place I could belong, where I could see 00:03:16.840 |
I feel that I have grown more in Christ than ever before, and though at the time have I 00:03:21.200 |
found myself being convicted of my thoughts and sins or reminded of God's power, grace, 00:03:25.880 |
and mercy by each sermon or Bible study I attended, as I do now, I have learned much 00:03:34.120 |
I have learned how to think more critically about my belief and how my actions are viewed 00:03:39.800 |
Through the conflicts I had with my family, I believe that Christ has opened my eyes to 00:03:46.000 |
see what he has given me through those around me. 00:03:49.200 |
I have noticed that despite the isolation caused by this pandemic, I was able to strengthen 00:03:55.120 |
my relationship with those around me, something that I did not have the chance or ability 00:04:01.600 |
I am thankful and joyful that I am connected with the body of Christ here.