back to index5-2-2021 Alice Lee Baptism Testimony
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Hi, my name is Alice and I'm a senior at UCI and this is my testimony. 00:00:13.160 |
My parents began going to an apostolic denomination church when I was little. 00:00:17.080 |
Then as I grew up, we went to a Baptist denomination church after they found out there was a deaf 00:00:23.120 |
After a few years of being there, we returned to the apostolic church. 00:00:26.840 |
In the midst of transitioning back and forth between churches, I never took my faith seriously. 00:00:30.800 |
Instead, I viewed church as a place that I was forced to go to. 00:00:34.880 |
As I grew up, I continued to be a nominal Christian. 00:00:37.200 |
I would only read scripture on Sundays because of sermons. 00:00:40.120 |
I never really saw a point in reading my Bible. 00:00:42.400 |
It was just a book that I had to carry with me on Sundays to church. 00:00:46.160 |
My prayers would only happen at church and consisted of either apologies for "bad things" 00:00:52.920 |
I saw Jesus as a genie that could grant me the desires of my heart. 00:00:57.840 |
During my senior year of high school, I began to face very difficult experiences. 00:01:01.680 |
That year, I fell into deep depression and anxiety after experiencing conflicts with 00:01:07.640 |
I sinfully put all my worth in my friendship with her and it slowly broke me down. 00:01:12.200 |
After a year of struggling with my mental health, I wanted to leave my hometown of San 00:01:17.400 |
With only three options and only one being in Southern California, I opted for Whittier 00:01:22.560 |
I thought this was my way to get a fresh start. 00:01:25.760 |
During my first year of college, I continued to struggle with depression and anxiety. 00:01:30.040 |
I placed my identity in friendships and held other people above God. 00:01:33.600 |
I thought meeting new people would fulfill my needs but quickly realized it did not. 00:01:38.160 |
At the same time that year, God placed a desire in me to grow in my faith, so I wanted to 00:01:44.960 |
I stumbled upon a friend of a friend's Facebook page and on there, I found YouTube videos 00:01:50.920 |
In those videos, she documented her time at Berean, attending car rallies, sports day, 00:01:55.640 |
I really wanted to go but I had no means of transportation. 00:01:58.960 |
I ended up finding a church closer to me that I could attend. 00:02:01.360 |
It was there that I began to learn more about God. 00:02:03.600 |
I was still living for the world as I had a shallow understanding of God. 00:02:08.480 |
After my first year of college, I returned home to San Francisco to attend community 00:02:13.280 |
That small desire to grow the year before disappeared after I came home. 00:02:16.880 |
I became more focused on transitioning to my new school. 00:02:20.000 |
I never felt a genuine connection when I went to church growing up and being at home was 00:02:25.320 |
I decided to stop attending church completely that year as it seemed pointless to go. 00:02:30.400 |
In November of 2018, I applied to transfer from community college and was accepted into 00:02:35.560 |
I accepted the offer and came down to Irvine during September of 2019. 00:02:40.000 |
Before coming, I remembered those YouTube videos and from that, I knew I wanted to at 00:02:45.400 |
When I first started attending at the beginning of my junior year, God opened my eyes to see 00:02:49.320 |
his holiness and convicted me of the truth of who I am. 00:02:52.560 |
I began to see my true nature as a sinner before a perfect God. 00:02:56.000 |
I was on the path to hell, but God, in his rich grace and mercy, sent his one and only 00:02:59.920 |
son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins so I can be reconciled with the Father. 00:03:06.540 |
My college experience has been anything but smooth. 00:03:08.920 |
Yet, as I look back, I see how sovereign God was working through these events to lead me 00:03:13.840 |
I needed to go through those times to see that I need Christ every single day of my 00:03:18.960 |
Even though I still struggle with sin, I am thankful to God because I am no longer 00:03:22.960 |
It is through his great mercy and sweet grace that I am able to pursue holiness in him. 00:03:28.200 |
As I continue to live my life, I recognize how much my life is not my own but belongs 00:03:33.880 |
As Galatians 2.20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, 00:03:39.600 |
And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved 00:03:53.840 |
>> I would like to introduce our next speaker.