back to index2022-07-24 Maggie Mobley Baptism Testimony
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- Hello, my name is Maggie and I am 13 years old. 00:00:14.600 |
Some of you may know my family because we've been going to this church for 10 years since 00:00:21.040 |
It's rare for there to be a kid like me sharing my testimony, but it is truly by the grace 00:00:25.280 |
of God that I am following him at such a young age. 00:00:28.880 |
It is such a blessing and I would be lost without him. 00:00:32.480 |
As I mentioned, my family has been going to this church since I was three. 00:00:37.240 |
I am so grateful to have parents who love the Lord and have faithfully taught me about 00:00:42.680 |
I always believed the gospel truth because it was all like I had ever really been taught. 00:00:47.920 |
I thought of myself as a pretty good kid and thought that I was going to heaven when I 00:00:52.200 |
died because I affirmed gospel truths, went to church and read my Bible. 00:01:01.520 |
I didn't love him and was just doing outwardly religious things for the approval of people. 00:01:07.160 |
I lived with this false assurance for most of my childhood. 00:01:10.800 |
It wasn't until 2020, about two years ago, that things started to change. 00:01:16.600 |
God used the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit in March that year, to reveal my sin and the 00:01:25.040 |
In the main sense of my life were anger, bitterness and apathy. 00:01:28.600 |
These things manifested themselves in many ways. 00:01:31.860 |
I yelled at my siblings all the time for virtually no reason. 00:01:35.920 |
I was really disrespectful to my parents, slacking off in schoolwork and chores because 00:01:42.560 |
And I stopped reading my Bible and paying attention to online sermons because they were 00:01:48.360 |
I didn't love God and it began to show itself outwardly. 00:01:52.600 |
I noticed my sin and began to doubt, could a true Christian behave like this? 00:01:57.800 |
At first, I distracted myself from my doubt and just dismissed it. 00:02:02.560 |
But over time, I came to an absolute certainty that I could not be a Christian. 00:02:08.000 |
This made me sad and fearful, but I tried to distract myself from that as well. 00:02:12.940 |
I sought satisfaction from the things of the world, thinking that my fear wouldn't matter 00:02:20.720 |
But my sin continued to get worse and worse, not only outwardly, but at the heart level 00:02:25.960 |
I can confidently say that during that time, I hated God. 00:02:30.560 |
As I saw the ugliness of my heart, I grew more and more desperate, but my pride kept 00:02:36.560 |
I thought that my way was better than God's way. 00:02:39.240 |
I thought that I was strong enough to fix my sin by myself. 00:02:42.800 |
I thought that I didn't need Jesus, but the more I tried to be self-sufficient, the worse 00:02:51.160 |
I knew this deep down inside, but I didn't want to admit it. 00:02:58.280 |
That fall, I was 12 and entering the youth group. 00:03:01.920 |
I went to youth group mainly because I wanted to make friends and also because my parents 00:03:08.800 |
I sought satisfaction through friendships, but despite this wrong motive, God used the 00:03:13.160 |
teaching in youth group those first few months of seventh grade to soften my heart and show 00:03:17.760 |
me that all my strivings were futile and that all my attempts at good works were useless. 00:03:23.520 |
I realized that I needed Jesus and that I couldn't rely on myself. 00:03:28.280 |
I had always been taught this as a kid, but it wasn't until this time that I really, truly 00:03:37.280 |
I was brought to a point of total desperation one night that fall. 00:03:42.200 |
I had a lot of time to think about things and I thought, "I'm a terrible person," because 00:03:49.600 |
No matter how hard I tried, my heart was ugly and full of sin. 00:03:53.960 |
In that moment, I realized the staggering truth that someone had already been punished 00:03:58.080 |
for my sins, but it wasn't me who had been punished. 00:04:06.520 |
He bore the wrath that I deserved, and his resurrection is proof of the fact that he 00:04:18.440 |
I told God that I needed him and that I couldn't change the state of my heart on my own. 00:04:26.160 |
He heard me and caused me to be born again that night. 00:04:29.040 |
I turned away from my life of sin and turned to Christ, surrendering my whole life over 00:04:36.960 |
I saw in that moment the overwhelming and incomprehensible love with which he loved 00:04:42.600 |
There was no reason that he should love a sinner like me, but he did. 00:04:47.520 |
I couldn't understand why, but I was so grateful for what Christ had done for me on the cross. 00:04:57.240 |
I began to read the word, seeking to know this God who had saved me. 00:05:01.600 |
As I read, it wasn't just Bible knowledge, but it took root in my heart and caused me 00:05:07.880 |
The Holy Spirit empowered me to love those around me, regardless of whether or not they 00:05:13.480 |
It was very hard, but I began the process of uprooting the anger and bitterness in my 00:05:20.280 |
I also met up with my youth group teacher, and God used and still uses her wise guidance 00:05:24.580 |
and counsel to mold and shape me in the likeness of Christ. 00:05:31.480 |
There are still many areas in which I need to grow. 00:05:35.200 |
But the Lord has brought me through so much, and I know that no matter what happens in 00:05:42.400 |
No matter how many times I hear it, the gospel can never grow old. 00:05:46.640 |
It is the foundation of my life, my identity, my hope, and my joy. 00:05:52.440 |
I look forward to the time when I can meet my Savior face to face, and I know that he