I remember the feeling of joy and the burden that had been lifted off my shoulders.
- Hometown: Ankeny, Iowa
- Children: 3
- Fun Fact: I am a big Iowa State Cyclone fan, love sports and spending time doing these things with my family.
I had the joy and privilege of growing up in a Christ-following home. My parents were both godly people and active in our church. Thanks to them, I grew up in Sunday school hearing God’s Word on a weekly basis. It was in those classes that I was blessed to come to understand the Gospel message at an early age.
One day when I was 5 years old, I can remember feeling God working on my heart and realizing I needed to be saved. Although I don’t remember any major circumstance prompting me to think about salvation, God was convicting me of sin. The whole day I remember fighting that feeling. I would get to the point where I was ready to call on God, and then Satan would jump in and tell me to wait ‘til later.
Finally that night, after getting home, I talked to my mom and dad, and then accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. I don’t remember all the details, but I remember the feeling of joy and the burden that had been lifted off my shoulders. Simple verses that worked on my heart such as Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, and John 3:16. I was baptized when I was 9. On my own, I wrote our pastor a letter telling him I wanted to be baptized, and then he told my parents that I had written the letter.
Life has had its ups and downs for me as I have tried to follow the Lord. The things of this world have consumed my attention more often than they should. Jr. High into High school for me was more about sports than it was about God. I cared more about baseball, girls and my social life then I did about living for God. I let myself become consumed with those things while still trying to act like I was following God. Thankfully, God got ahold of my life through a series of events and I began to follow him again.
It was even through many of these events that God led me down the path that I would follow through college to where I am today. Kristen and I were married in 2007 and have 3 children. We moved to Polk City and are thankful to be able to serve at Lakeside. God has given us a variety of ministry opportunities throughout our marriage and we look forward to what He has for us moving forward at Lakeside.