Doing The Right Thing

To find true happiness some people search everywhere except inside religion. A young man accepts an invitation that changes his mind.

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Todd Brown: So I looked at religion as one of those things. “Let me figure out how to make it in the world, how to acquire material things, or status, or whatever the case may be. And then one day, then I’ll go find God. But not today.”

[Show open]

Stories of Faith

My name is Todd Brown. I was born on the Caribbean island of Antigua. I grew up there until I was about 12, 13 years old. I migrated to the states, June 12, 1995. I have four brothers, three sisters. In Antigua, the primary religions on the island [are] Anglican religion, as well as Seventh Day Adventist.

My mom always instilled in me to pray and remember to put God first and just have a general guidance, in terms of being a good person.

The Contradictions

My main questions regarding God growing up was, “What [is] our purpose in life? Why is life unfair? Why [are] there some instances you hear of, God is, you know, He’s going to make fire and brimstone and punish you.” But it seems contradictory when you hear, “Oh He’s so forgiving and He’s such a kind and gracious God.” So I was kind of mixed in that aspect. And then the other thing was, I felt like I was made guilty if I had too many questions. You’re supposed to just accept it and things shown in mystery and just follow. And that never really sat right with me.

An On and Off Journey

My relationship with my brother, Claus, he was the cool brother. Every time we speak, 605 of the conversation will be around church, and “You need to take your faith seriously. You need to be saved and…” He was a member of the Church Of Christ, so he got baptized in the Church probably in the early 80’s to mid-80’s and he would invite me on the weekends to come out with him.

My first impressions of the Church Of Christ initially was mixed. For him to be in a church that seemed predominantly Filipino at the time, it was a little curious to me.

An Awakening

I came across some documentary on some lessons on Jesus Christ. So that was the first time I kind of viewed religion in a different perspective. So to see Jesus in a sense of, like a historic text, not someone who’s biased or trying to sell me on their faith or religion, was interesting. So that made me kind of dig into it and did more research. Made me curious that I wanted to take Bible lessons again. I felt it was a good way for me now to ask more educated questions.

And then especially when the lesson is about different prophecies that happened throughout mankind. I’m like, “Oh, I researched that.” I literally witnessed the growth and some of those prophecies being fulfilled. And to witness that as an outsider, it was… awakening.

“The Church Is Consistent”

I remember we were just holding worship service[s] in one of the brethren’s basement. “Why is everyone else thriving and they’re just worshiping in someone’s basement?” And then over the years, it grew, and they got their own place of worship. The Church itself spread to different locals throughout the country, across the world. People from different cultures, religious backgrounds, different stories. And then now, people turn away from [their] church. Certain churches are accepting teachings they didn’t accept before. But then this Church is consistent. It’s consistent in its belief. It’s consistent in its teachings. And it’s consistent in its growth.

“I Had A Lot Of Questions”

When I first heard that this is the true Church, it was a turn-off. It sounded presumptuous, to be honest. I didn’t know it was based on. When you make a bold claim like that, you have to be able to back it up. And then later on, now revisiting…the worship services from a different perspective, whereas more, I guess, objective… and… almost with an intention to dispel that this is the true Church, only to be met with facts and prophecies.

-What type of questions did you ask as a Bible student?

Different questions I asked as a Bible student was, “Why did God create us? If God is so omniscient, and He knows everything, why do we still have to pray? What’s the proper way to pray? Why is prayer important?”

“Did My Own Research”

It took me about six to eight months to finally become committed after my last Bible study lessons. It was a life-changing commitment. I was living my life, I guess, comfortably. And certain things or temptations that I enjoyed, and I didn’t necessarily want to sacrifice those things to follow religion. The other reason it took me a while was… part of me couldn’t believe it was real. It was, “Okay, I have all these questions, I did my own research and now I’m going to trip you up in the Bible studies.” And none of that happened. It actually…all my questions got answered from the Bible.

“Put God To The Test”

I was in the worship service one evening. In the lesson, the minister asked, “Put God to the test.” So I’m like, “Okay.” Well I needed a car at the time. And I previously was in a dealership earlier that day trying to negotiate for a car and the price just wouldn’t come together. So I had a personal prayer like, “Well, if God, if You’re so real, I’m getting this car.” And then literally, when I came out of worship service there was a voicemail on my phone from the car dealership. It was like, “Oh, Mr. Brown, you know, we couldn’t get the car you want but we got something different, that we were able to approve, all the paperwork is done, you can pick it up tomorrow morning.” And I was like, “Alright, alright.” I promised that if I get this car, then I’ll have more mobility and I can not only do my work, but I could go to every worship service and be consistent.

Seeking Substance

As I started to accomplish certain things and got a taste [of], I guess, the lifestyle I thought I desired, I realized it wasn’t as meaningful before I had it. Sometimes you look at religion as a restrictive, conforming way to live our lives, whereas most of us want to be free and feel like we have control and power over what makes us happy.

What the Church Of Christ offered that was missing in my life was a true sense of…truth.

“Your Salvation Depends On It”

So what I would say to people who don’t need a church as long as they believe in God, I would, “Dig deeper. Ask questions. Pray to God. Ask Him for that guidance. Ask Him for that acknowledgement and confirmation to find His truth.”

The reason I would encourage people to give the Church Of Christ a chance and listen is your salvation depends on it. It doesn’t cost you anything. If you give something a chance, either you gain from it, or your life remains unchanged. So if there’s a gain to be had, why wouldn’t you pursue it?

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Todd was baptized in the Church Of Christ on October 31, 2014.

“I Have A Cheat Code”

My biggest fear is missing out on God’s promise. In this journey, there’s a lot of ups and downs, but I take comfort in knowing that my faith is strong, and that God always fulfills on His promises. I feel humbled in that sense, because I know I don’t deserve it. And looking at my life ahead, having God’s promise and having God’s guidance, it feels almost like a superpower–almost like I’m cheating, like I have a cheat code. But I’m humbled to have it and I’m grateful that I do. So that makes me very optimistic of the future–trials and triumph.

[Show close]

Stories of Faith

Something Was Missing in My Life

Searching for a connection to God, Emani had biblical questions no one could seem to answer. In college, an old friend helps her find her way to the truth.

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I Knew Something Was Missing in My Life

Emani Thornton: In elementary school I used to go to the library and pick out Bibles and just read them on my own. Inside the Baptist churches, they will usually tell you a scripture and then give you a story that will go along with it, a personal story that doesn’t really connect or resonate with my life. I mean, I know I [was] just six but I tried to find meaning in it myself because I couldn’t understand what preachers were talking about.

[Show open]

My name is Emani Thornton. I’m 24 years old. I was born in Lexington, Kentucky. I was raised by a single mother. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with my mom because she worked. Because of that, I guess I would be known as a latchkey kid. It was my responsibility to take care of my brother, bring him home from school, cook us meals, make sure our homework [was] done.

Missing A Connection

We didn’t really go to church. My mom, though, she was born African American Methodist. So that was definitely influenced in our household. But nothing really that stuck. I would ask my mom to take me to church every other Sunday. I kept going back so much when I was younger. And to someone else, it may sound like, “Oh she was really into it.” No, I couldn’t really find the answers that I was looking for. It just felt like I was being told a story. Nothing felt genuine and more of all, I didn’t feel a connection to God.

Even while I was going from church to church, I used to go to the library and pick out Bibles and just read them on my own. Inside the Baptist churches, they will usually tell you a scripture and then give you a story that will go along with it, a personal story, that doesn’t really connect or resonate with my life. I [tried] to find meaning in it myself, because I couldn’t understand what preachers were talking about. I would ask what a verse meant. And I would just keep getting another story about everyday life. Nothing that was really biblical.

Even at a young age, I could feel that I was missing something in my spirit. And I knew I was missing a connection to God. And I was searching already for a way to reconnect.

Reconnecting

I met my friend, JL, in 8th grade Civics class. There was a project coming up and the teacher paired us together. And we just instantly hit it off. We actually went to separate high schools and saw each other again in college where we reconnected. He introduced me to a lot of his friends who were from [the] Church. And I thought they were really cool. And ultimately, after a while, he invited me to an evangelical mission, where I just got to listen.

At that time, I would have considered myself agnostic. I know God was out there. And I didn’t want to be considered Christian by the standards of the people who were around me because I didn’t agree with them. I didn’t want to be associated with a church that didn’t truly praise God the way that He was meant to be praised.

The Answer I Needed

Inside the Church Of Christ nothing was answered with a personal anecdote. If there was ever a question it was read in the next verse. So I don’t think I ever asked a question because it was always answered right away.

When I learned about the Apostasy, and how that separated a lot of people from the true Church, that gave me the answer I was looking for of what I felt that there was a disconnect in my life.

The Closest I Felt To God

Being a part of the Church Of Christ was something that I was meant to do. I started out in Virginia Beach, and my baptism was going to be in Maryland. That was probably the closest that I felt to God during my entire journey and during my entire search.

The Church Of Christ offered love [and] support. I just found a meaning to my life. It wasn’t until I found the Church Of Christ where I felt like, my life has a direction and a purpose. And it’s to serve God.

I hold a lot of responsibilities in the Church. It continues to push me to work harder. And honestly, it gives me a lot of happiness and fulfillment. I just hope that I can continue to make my God proud because when I am successful, I make it known that it wasn’t me, I always return the glory to Him. I never boast about anything that I do. I just hope it inspires people to open up their heart and to let God work through that like He has for me.

[Show close]

I Was Broken and God Helped Me Heal

Marisol prayed earnestly to find relief from her heartache. A random stop in front of an INC chapel in San Pablo led her closer to her answers.

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Marisol Cuahutle: I was sad for most of the time because I was previously abused by a close family member. And nobody knew about it. And since then, I had always asked about God. My mother [would] say things like, “There’s a god, we have to pray.”

[Show open]

Stories of Faith

My name is Marisol Cuahutle. I was born and raised in Mexico until I was 12 years old. My mom had to move here (U.S.) because she was a single mother. I remember her saying that she had to go somewhere so we can have a better life. She left and [left] us behind for six months in Mexico. When she had enough money to bring us with her, she brought us here to California–Vallejo, where I grew up.

At the beginning of my childhood everything was going well, but I have something in my past that had always brought sadness inside me.

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Marisol Cuahutle

Seeker

“There’s A God, We Have To Pray”

I was sad for most of the time because I was previously abused by a close family member. And nobody knew about it. So it was some sadness that I had since the beginning.

And since then, I had always asked about God. My mother [would] say things like, “There’s a god, we have to pray.” And since I was 12, I remember praying at night time about what’s going on, what was happening, why was this happening all the time to me. We never stepped into a church with my mom. But she always mentioned that there was only one God.

“Things Kept Pushing Me From Trying To Believe In God”

I myself, started looking for something. I went to a Catholic Church. I asked one of the priests, “Why do you guys allow people to pray to the saints if the Bible doesn’t say that?” He just said, “Well, this has happened in for so many years, we cannot change anything that has been done. We cannot undo anything, so we would just keep doing the same thing.” And that crushed me.

One day, I went to this church, and they asked me to fill out a questionnaire and asked me how much I earn. Which was like, “Okay, you know what … ?” It [kept] me … pushing me away from all these churches, from trying to believe in God.

“It Broke My Heart”

I actually met someone when I was 28 years old. And I had a relationship with him. I got pregnant. When I told the father of my child, he decided to leave and told me that he couldn’t be there. I cried too much. And within two weeks I had a miscarriage. And when that happened, it broke my heart. That was my breaking point.

“This Is A Sign”

I was crying. And as I was crying. I said, “God, please, You can help me. I need to know exactly what’s going on. I need some [healing], I need my heart to be [healed]. I cannot continue like this.”

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Marisol Cuahutle

Seeker

One day, I was driving from Fairfax to my house. I actually went to and stopped by in front of Iglesia Ni Cristo–the chapel in San Pablo. From there, I was like, “Okay, so this is a sign.” I Google Church Of Christ because that’s what they had in front. When I found INCMedia.org, I started searching around and I found this video called The Message: Turning to the Bible [During] Uncertain Times. It grabbed my attention because I was going through kind of a similar thing. I went all the way down to the website. And it [said], “Ask a question.” And that’s where I asked a question. That’s when Darlene was the one that contact[ed] me.

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Darlene Alejandro

INC Media Services

“I Took All The Bible Lessons”

And after having a little conversation with them, she asked me if I wanted to meet with a minister so he could answer my questions or read from the Bible. When Brother Richie reached out to me, and Darlene was there as well,

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Brother Richard Juatco

Minister of the Gospel

they asked me questions and I [answered] and I also asked questions. Brother Richie asked me if I wanted to attend one of the Bible lessons online. Due to the pandemic, they were doing it online. So I attended the first one that night. And after that, I took all the Bible lessons.

When they reached out to me and they started reading from the Bible, that’s what grabbed my attention. When I was in the Catholic Church, they won’t actually read from the Bible. They have this [news] magazines. I don’t know exactly what they use, and they go by them. They don’t actually tell you, “Oh, this is where you … that it says, you have to pray for this person or that person or this image or … “ It doesn’t really say anything like that. And when I saw that Brother Richie was reading from the Bible, it was obviously one moment that they made me realize, “Okay, let me continue.”

“I Started Praying, And It Made Me Feel Good”

First time I went to a chapel, It was the best feeling ever because it was the first time that I walked into a church without feeling judged, without feeling guilt. As soon as you walk in, it’s a good feeling. I started praying and it made me feel good. I wanted to heal, but I didn’t want to stop doing what I was doing. I thought it was okay for me to keep doing what I was doing that, “Well, God is going to forgive me, so it’s okay. I’ll just do it and He’ll forgive me.” But then I’ve learned that He wants more from us than just saying “sorry” or saying ‘thank you.” He wants more from us.

“There Is Happiness”

I wish I would have found you all. I wish I would have searched for it and try it before. And probably that way, I wouldn’t have gone through what I went through.

Interviewer: What’s your favorite answered prayer?

Marisol: The [healing] of my heart. I have forgiven a lot of people because of that. I have prayed to forgive [those] who has hurt me. So I have forgiven.

What makes me happy also is that I have a sister. She and I will always do everything together. And she was hesitating on coming to the Bible lessons. One day, I invited her and she liked it. And she started her Bible lessons. And she’s about to [be] baptized. If I ever have to tell someone my [age] … when I was 18, I will tell that person, “You know what, you need to start going to [worship services], you need to find God because you can save so much pain. You can save so much sadness.”

Now, I see that we need God. We only need Him in our lives, in our families, in the marriages, in our friendships, in order for us to have the happiness … because without Him, there’s no happiness.

[Show close]

Stories of Faith

I Couldn’t Feel God in My Life

A young woman searches for answers from her friends after suffering trauma at a young age, and struggles with a constant feeling: “Why can’t I feel God?”

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I Couldn’t Feel God in My Life

Interviewer: What makes you happy?

Maricar Velasco Crisostomo: Food. Tacos. It makes me happy. Traveling? Because I traveled for a long time because of work, one of my favorite things to do is actually [to] meet other brethren from around the world at all [of] the other chapels. It’s the coolest thing knowing that wherever I go, I will always have a home.

I mean, I’m in San Francisco, I met all of you today! I have a home, this is so cool!

Interviewer: Yes, you always have a home. That’s true, the world is so small when you’re part of the Church.

Maricar: Yeah, I love it.

[Show open]

Hi I’m Maricar Velasco (Crisostomo), I’m 29 years old, and I was born and raised in San Diego, California. My parents were doing their best, but there was so much tension and friction because they’re trying to instill Filipino values in me while we’re living in America and around the time when I was nine years old, I went through a lot of personal challenges. I felt like maybe they didn’t understand what I was going through, maybe I would be blamed and it was my own fault and at the age of nine I went into a depression.

What started happening when I was nine years old, I started getting sexually molested, and that went on for four years. And I didn’t know how to cope with that as a nine year old. And by the age of ten, I was suicidal and every single day [in] 5th grade thinking about ending my own life… I was praying and praying, I’m like, “God please protect me. God please watch over me.” Like, “Can You please make sure that it doesn’t happen anymore.” And I was going through constant stress, and fear, and anxiety and praying to that god, and hoping that I would be okay.

I turned, a couple years later, to my friends. I’m talking about people who are twelve, thirteen, fourteen years old that I found out had similar experiences too, but how can a twelve, thirteen, fourteen-year-old guide you in the correct way when they’re still going through their healing process too?

“I Didn’t Feel God Here”

I was definitely the hardcore Catholic but it was more so for the social aspect. I know in my mind that going to church, it’s the good thing to do because that’s what good people do. And when I got into college, I, right away, started looking for a Catholic community and I connected with some friends from high school and they brought me to the Catholic clubs on campus. But something that constantly was just in the back of my mind, right when I sat down for mass was, “I do not feel God here.”

I thought I felt God my entire life. I spent hours in the chapels when I was younger but for some reason when I was sitting down to worship God at that time, I just couldn’t feel Him and because I couldn’t feel Him, I stopped attending Catholic masses for about a year or two. But then going into the post-grad life, I needed more spiritual guidance. And my friends at the time, they [went] to other Christian churches or other Protestant churches and they were inviting me. And when I was going to these churches I thought it was so cool!! There were concerts in the beginning, we were jumping and dancing and it blew my mind! And I thought, “Okay, this is it, like this is definitely the church for me! I’m so excited, I feel good! And because I feel good, God is here!”

But then after going to those churches that exact same voice in my head was just coming back. Like, “Why do I not feel God here?” And then that’s when I really started searching. Every single weekend I was checking out different churches. It was at that time when I was introduced to the Church Of Christ.

“I Was Searching”

There were two people that came into my life within just a couple of weeks. One of them I ran into in a taco shop in San Diego! When she invited me to the Church, it was truly the perfect timing and because of Michelle, I am so so thankful because she was very persistent and [invited] me over to worship services. And after a few Bible studies I knew I had to be baptized in the Church Of Christ.

My first impressions of the Church Of Christ is, I liked how [the worship service] was structured. I loved how the Church Of Christ really [focuses] on “Please pray beforehand.” There was a focus on God. There was nothing else, it was really just prayer, the teachings, singing and worshiping God, but there wasn’t a focus on someone’s own interpretation of the Bible.

“Hard For Me To Accept”

But then, because I started hearing things that I did not grow up with, hearing beliefs that were never told to me. There was so much tension in the beginning. I always thought, “I’m right, because I know the Bible. I grew up with the Bible my entire life. There really is…” like “…there [are] three persons in one. There really is God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus.” And for months I could not accept the teaching that the Church Of Christ was teaching. That those are all separate and there’s only one God. And that was so so hard for me to accept. And at the first Bible study I was thinking, I’m not converting into this Church, there’s no way. But I’ll attend, like I’ll get to know these 28 lessons.”

“A Lot Of Questions”

Since I had grown up believing in the Bible my entire life, after I heard that first lesson, I could not debate with any of the other teachings that we taught in the Church Of Christ because everything else was biblical. I love how every single time I asked a question, not only was there an answer for every single one of those questions but there was an accompanying Bible verse for everything. That’s when my beliefs started building.

“Chasing Happiness”

Another question was [about] the apostasy, the popes, why were they put in place? Why are they such strong and dominant leaders in the Catholic faith? And learning the truth about everything and everything truly being biblically backed up, every single time was amazing! And all of those teachings, the community that’s built within the Church, the care that the brethren and the [Church] Administration have for one another. It was so amazing because I constantly thought I was trying to pull direction and guidance from my friends who were so young and were still trying to figure out direction themselves, and if I had that guidance when I was that young, if I had the teachings of the Church Of Christ instilled in me at that young age, that I’d probably–that I would be in a different place, compared to where I was when I was nine years old or ten years old.

What I’ve realized is, when I was not a member in the Church Of Christ, I was constantly searching for some form of fulfillment. And I always wanted that acceptance and that happiness and fulfillment. And I was trying to find it in so many different avenues. And what I realized, reflecting back now, that I’m part of the Church Of Christ, is that I truly was just looking for something that’s already in the Church. Because all of that happiness that I was chasing, all of the fulfillment that I wanted in my life, I feel it every single time I sit down in the pews [for] worship service.

“What I Wish I Knew’

What I know now that I wish I knew when I was younger is the truth and having confidence in the truth. Because I went to a lot of Bible studies when I was younger. I went through the entire Bible course within the Catholic church. I never missed a mass. I was super dedicated in my [Catholic] faith but I never truly felt like I actually knew what all of these teachings meant.

It’s so beautiful to know that God is always watching over me and that He is always taking care of me and He is always working in my favor.

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“God guided me to the Church that He wants to be worshiped in versus where I wanted to worship Him in.”

“My Hope, My Rock”

The difference between my prayers now versus before is beforehand I was constantly not sure if it was going to be answered or not. But to me now, every time I pray I always think, “God, if it’s in Your will, if it’s in Your timing, and if that’s really what You want for me, no matter what, even though I really want this, I want whatever You want for me.”

God is definitely my hope, my rock, the One that I always know that I can lean on.

There’s No Wrong Time to Look For God

A shining light in her community, Faye felt fulfilled after dedicating her life to helping those around her. Then she found her true purpose in life.

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There’s No Wrong Time to Look For God

Faye Taylor: During the drive down, I kept thinking about it. I was like, “Why am I so adamant to get to Florida? And what is this driving force?” Once I settled in, I get this knock at the door. And it’s one of the maintenance guys. I thought they were coming in to make sure that everything was to my liking or what have you. But he was coming to invite me to a Bible study [in the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ)].

One day, I decided to go to Bible study. Shock and awe [are] the two words I have for that.

My name is Faye Taylor. Born in New York City.

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Stories of Faith

The Bronx, New York

I was a foster kid in the foster care system. My foster mom, she got me at three years old. I had a good upbringing. We traveled a lot throughout all of the Bahamas. Went to school in Puerto Rico, for a little while. And it was nothing but family, so it was a good…good time.

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Faye Taylor

Seeker

I had a good mom and she took in kids from all walks of life. She was amazing.

“I Couldn’t Explain It”

My foster mom, she passed away in 2003. And then after that, I just immersed myself into work. After all of that had happened, I never really had time to mourn her death. With that, I decided then that as soon as I retire, I’m leaving New York because there’s nothing holding me back.

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Jacksonville, Florida

During the drive down, I kept thinking about it. I was like, “Why am I so adamant to get to Florida? And what is this driving force?” I couldn’t explain it. Once I settled in, I get this knock at the door. And it’s one of the maintenance guys. I thought there were coming in to make sure that everything was to my liking or what have you. But he was coming to invite me to a Bible study [in the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ)]. I said, “No, no, no. I’m not interested right now.” That went on for about a month or two.

“Getting Answers I Didn’t Know I Needed”

One day, I decided to go to Bible study. Come to find out, that everything that was being taught, was being taught from the Bible. I just attended for a while without asking anything. Until one day, there [were] telling me that they didn’t celebrate Christmas. The questions started… because I lived my whole life brought up with Christmas, and it was a really, really big deal in my house. Once I was asking questions about it, I got the answers that I needed and how it came about. Because I always thought that Christmas had a lot to do with Jesus. And come to find out, it had nothing to do with Him. They don’t even know when He was born or what day He died. And I always thought that was common knowledge, but it never was.

I was getting the answers that I didn’t even know I needed by just asking questions and seriously paying attention to what was going on around me.

“End Of That Journey”

My aunt, who was a Jehovah’s Witness, invited me to a meeting. I went, I say, and [I was] gone. That’s how that went. I went to a friend’s New Year’s celebration at her church. We went in. I was listening as much as I could listen through the music, and the screaming, and the jumping up and down. When I decided I had enough and I was about to leave, they closed the doors, and they told everyone to sit down and dig as deep in your pocket and whatever is in there, take it out and give it to them… For what? So I excused myself. That was my last connection to a Baptist church. That was the end of that journey.

“I Was Doing The Right Thing”

I went back to the Bible studies [in the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ)] full throttle. I didn’t miss not another one. I didn’t miss anything. At the Bible studies [in the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ)], with the minister reading from the Bible, it was authentic. It wasn’t forced. Any and everything that you could think of in terms of a question, he can answer and flip to any page in that Bible and would answer it.

For anybody that’s looking to come to a Bible study [in the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ)]—just listen. I can personally guarantee you that whatever you hear, you can relate it to [something] in your life, and see the honesty and the truth in it. I knew I was doing the right thing. More importantly than anything else, it did feel right.

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Faye was baptized into the true Church Of Christ in 2018.

After I got baptized, a situation happened back home. It involved a couple of deaths. And I wasn’t able to get there and I was really upset. And I couldn’t seem to function. So I just got down, I prayed and I prayed. And everything just went away. And that sense of peace just came out of nowhere. I was able to make sense of everything and know that I’m going to be all right. Problems are going to come but there are solutions to everything. And it starts with prayer. I’ve found that God fills all voids. He doesn’t leave you bare. He gives you a sense of peace. I’ve never known this kind of peace and tranquility before in my life. Having my membership in the Church Of Christ has done wonders for me. It has helped me. I’ve grown from it. I’m still growing each and every day.

[Show close]

Stories of Faith

I Left Catholicism to Find the True Church

When Peter realized that the Bible wasn’t the sole basis of Catholic beliefs, questions began to fill his mind. A friend suggests he search incmedia.org

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I Left Catholicism to Find the True Church

Peter Kaisara: Mom and dad said, “Go to church.” If you don’t go to church, you get a smack on your backside. At the time, I thought that the Catholic [church] was the true church. When I started studying the Bible in the Church Of Christ, it really shocked my system.

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Peter Kaisara
Former Catholic

[Show open]

My name is Ah-Ka-Peh-Kah. Peter Kaisara, born in the Cook Islands on the island of Rarotonga. We have six in our family, and I’m the last born and I’m the, you could say, the naughty…naughty one. While I was going to school, I was doing, you know, bad things, like drinking, smoking while at school. And pretty much partying, and when we go to school while drunk. Eventually, I quit school at a very young age.

“Forced To Go To Church”

Mom and dad said, “Go to church.” If you don’t go to church, you get a smack on your backside. So it’s pretty much being forced to go to church, but to me, I had no clue what God is, and pretty much I’m just copying like everybody else.

Not to say that I’m a proud Catholic, I couldn’t understand what the Bible was saying. Even though I was reading it. I did feel that something in the Catholic Church wasn’t true. Seeing the doctrine of the Catholic Church, doing the opposite, that made me question, you know, my faith in the Catholic Church and made me want to search more.

I posted a post about the Catholic Church and one of my friends in New Zealand commented on that post. So we were debating on that post in terms of the Catholic faith and one of the brothers in Perth, Australia, commented on the post and telling us, “Hey guys, you know, check this website.” I [thought], “He thinks that this is the true church”

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So he put the [incmedia.org] website underneath his comments. So that’s the site I went on and had a look at the website.

“It Shocked My System”

When I [clicked] on incmedia.org, I started reading all these topic[s]. It was…to be honest, I haven’t read anything like this before. It was…I was at peace reading it. So I replied to this brother in Perth, his name is Don, and asking him for information on how could I find any local church in my area. So he came back two days later, and provided me with the phone number of one of the ministers in my area.

When I started studying the Bible in the Church Of Christ, it really shocked my system, and I said to myself, “I was doing all [of] these things the wrong way, worshiping God, praying to God.” Because in the Bible, the Bible said, “Do not worship idols.” And as you can see in the Catholic Church, they have all these statues scattered in the church.

“The Lesson Was Amazing”

Listening to Brother Glenn, the first lesson he did… it actually [drew] me closer to the lesson. And as we go along to the second, to the third, it’s–my faith grew, and I truly believe that God has shown me the true Church.

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Peter Kaisara

Joined the INC in 2021

Everything they said to me, actually [came] from the Bible, and they didn’t, you know, give their own opinion. And the lesson was amazing! Now that I fully understand, I was fired up, I was hungry, I needed more.

“I’m On Top Of The World”

If I listen to Jesus Christ, telling us in John 10:9, “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.”

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‘I am the door; anyone who comes into the fold through me will be safe…’

[John 10:9 Revised English Bible]

That was the ‘aha’ moment for me.

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Peter Kaisara was baptized in the Church Of Christ in 2021]

I feel that God has answered my prayer. I feel that He directed me to the true Church Of Christ and I feel that I’m on the top of the world because I know that God can actually hear my prayer. I feel grateful for the love and mercy of our Heavenly Father.

[Show close]

Stories of Faith

I Was Guided by the Truth in the Bible

When searching for a church what do you look for? Where lies the weight of your decision? Find out how this Bible-based Church became the answer for Marda.

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Marda Debnam: Being a member of the Baptist church, I never believed in trinity [doctrine]. A part of me felt that I had been cheated out of a lot of good years in my life because I did not know the truth.

[Show open]

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Stories of Faith

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Marda Debnam

Former Baptist

My name is Marda Debnam. I’m 58 years old and I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. I’m the sixth of seven [children]. My parents were very hard-working. We lived near my grandfather, who was a big farmer. So growing up, it was nice to play outside. My father’s father, we call him Daddy Fred, was actually a deacon in the Baptist church.

“I Never Believed In The Trinity”

Jesus spoke these words, life up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

[John 17:1&3 New King James Version]

Being a member of the Baptist church, I never believed in the trinity [doctrine]. The minister in the Baptist churches that I attended, did not preach from the Bible that much. They would take one or two verses and base their sermon on that. So they were talking more about what was going on in the world versus what the Bible says. So that was always a concern for me. I didn’t really consider looking for another place of worship, until I actually moved to Norfolk, Virginia to get ready for college. Whether it was Jehovah’s Witness, Methodist, other Baptist churches, it just didn’t feel right. I felt that a lot of it was very much like I had [experienced] before. The minister was just telling me what he thought, what was going on in the world, but not really preaching from the Bible, and that was a concern.

“Cheated Out Of Good Years”

I was a college student at Norfolk State University and had gone through my placement office, and had accepted a part time position at the Norfolk Naval Base. I was assigned to work with Kathlyn Gonzalez, who was a member of the Church Of Christ. As we were working together, without any pressure, she invited me to a Bible Exposition, as it was called at that time. And I was just really blown away [impressed me that the minister was just reading from the Bible. And the choir really blew me away. To see the choir members singing, to see brothers in the choir, crying. So to see a man willing to weep, because he’s so moved by the hymns, and not being concerned about what other people in the congregation are thinking, that was very impressive. After the tenth lesson, I knew that this was the true Church. And I definitely wanted to be a member.

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Marda Debnam

Former Baptist

You know, I’m one of these people that if you show me something, and you can prove it to me, I don’t resist. Everything that I was listening [to] was from the Bible, it was truth. The minister could explain it. And I was trying to apply what I was learning every time I had a Bible study lesson. A part of me felt that I had been cheated out of a lot of good years in my life because I did not know the truth. But I was just very thankful that at least I was still young enough to learn the truth and just change my life.

“Learning To Pray”

Marda Debnam: When I became a member of the Church, I was taught [that] there are certain things that we should pray for, and in [a] certain order, and I didn’t realize that. And so that’s why the Bible study lessons are so helpful. But when we know what we’re supposed to ask for, and in what order, and we do that, God is always there to answer our prayers.

“God Is Always With Me”

I’m single, I don’t have any children. And for the most part, I rarely feel lonely because I know that God is always with me. Every time you put God first, especially before man, before anything, any job, God will always, always, always take care of you. God has provided me with everything and more than an abundance of what I need.

I Found Confidence in My Faith

Taryn went to many different Christian-professing churches with her parents. But in her adulthood, she found herself still wondering what to believe.

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I Found Confidence in My Faith

Taryn Griffin: We did have to find different churches every time we moved. That was kind of my parents’ job since I was still young. I went with my family because that’s what seemed right at the moment.

[Show open]

My name is Taryn Griffin. I am 23 years old. I was born in Colorado and lived most of my life in San Diego, California until I moved here to Hawaii.

“We Believed We Were Christians”

While I was in Colorado, I did live with both my parents, my grandparents, and my cousins. So, I do have fond memories of bonding with family. We all went to churches. We believed we were Christians and we would go to churches that claimed to be Christian.

When I was about four or five, my dad joined the military. And after he finished his boot camp, we moved to California. First, in Monterey, California, then San Diego, California for a good long time and now here in Hawaii.

One of the biggest things that military kids face is constantly trying to make new friends because you’re moving around so much.

“We Did Have To Find Churches Every Time We Moved”

Right in the middle of high school, right in the middle of your young adult life, my family, we moved to Hawaii. And at first, I had just gotten comfortable being in California for a good eight years. Moving to Hawaii from California was definitely a big challenge for me, at first. I was super nervous. It was definitely harder to jump in and find friends because everyone’s already found their groups in high school. So, that definitely made it a little bit challenging.

We did have to find different churches every time we moved. That was kind of my parents’ job since I was still young. They would already talk about trying to find a place that was based on the Bible. Especially since my mom had an off-putting experience with a church that she went to when she was younger. So they really put time and effort into finding a church that they liked and they felt comfortable with.

“I Never Really Felt A Connection With The People In That Church”

Well, when my family would get together and we would say our prayers, if I was going through a rough moment, I probably said some prayers to ask God for help and guidance. I think we tried a couple different churches. We went and my family felt, at least, a little bit more at ease and more comfortable or more confident.

Though I never really felt a connection with the people in that church, necessarily, I went with my family because that’s what seemed right at the moment.

“In The Church Of Christ They Answer All Questions”

One of my friends that I had met talked to me briefly about the church that they went to and asked me if I was going to church and probably invited me a handful of times. Being that I was already going to church with my family, I guess I felt content. They encouraged me to…to try it, come to an activity, see if I liked it.

The first activity or event that I do remember going to with the Church Of Christ was a CFO or Christian Family Organization activity. Everyone was really friendly and it seemed like a casual and really comfortable way to be introduced to the Church, I guess.

When we sat down, the minister brought out the Bible and had a certain topic that we were going to talk about that day. Every question that was brought up was answered straight from the Bible. It was very clear and easy to understand.

“I Was Trying To Figure Out What To Believe”

In the Church Of Christ, they give you a question, they answer it. They give you another question and they answer it. Every question that was brought up was answered straight from the Bible. Even the questions that I had going on in my head, before I even asked them, it was already answered.

So it was very, very easy to understand, very clear and it was refreshing. As I was going to Bible studies in the Church Of Christ and going to church on the weekends with my family and still trying to figure out what I believe and what’s real, what’s true. It’s amazing how timely the Bible studies were because I remember there was one lesson pertaining to the topic of Valentine’s Day that I had just learned. And then, when I went to church with my family that weekend, it was also about Valentine’s Day. And I was like, “I already have the answer to this and this is not it.”

I guess at that point my angle kind of turned. Maybe the Church Of Christ really is where I am supposed to be because I’m getting all of these timely answers.

“I Became More Consistent With Bible Studies”

After listening to a handful of lessons, I became more and more interested and more and more curious. Especially, you know, growing up as [a] Christian or believing that I was Christian. There were definitely a few lessons that took me by surprise. And that’s when I really started getting curious and I wanted to learn more. I became more consistent with my Bible studies and wanted to know…what was really in the Bible.

“It Was A Game Changer”

Some of the lessons that really stood out that caught me off guard that I thought were different or surprising or shocking were the one about the trinity and probably about Christmas too. Growing up, always having and celebrating Christmas , and then finding that it’s not actually in the Bible was…was definitely a game changer, especially when it came to the trinity. The churches that I do remember going to, they always taught the same thing about the trinity. And then, here in the Church Of Christ, there is no trinity. So that took me off guard. I was like, “What do you mean there’s no trinity?” I learned that there’s only one God. God is only one. And they read the verses to me. They showed me the verses, I could read it for myself.

Growing up, always celebrating Christmas, my family always tried to implement, you know, the true meaning of Christmas, part of the holiday. Going to Bible studies in the Church Of Christ and learning more, that was one of the lessons that really stood out to me because Christmas isn’t actually in the Bible. And that was shocking.

I was nervous to share what I was learning with my family because it was shocking for me to find these truths and to learn about these truths. And I just wasn’t sure how they would react and there was still more for me to learn.

My family was curious as to where I was going. I told them that I was going to Bible lessons and [worship] services with my friends in the Church Of Christ.

Being 18 at that point, they were understanding of me making this decision on my own.

“Whatever I Was Missing Before…Now, I Have It In The Church Of Christ”

I just remember being in a worship service and it was during hymn singing. I really felt the presence of God and the singing was so beautiful and I just really felt it. From that day, I kind of was like, “Okay, this is where I want to be.” I felt like God was telling me, “This is where you’re supposed to be.”

Having this newfound confidence and peace of mind, I felt like whatever I was missing before, now I [have] is in the Church Of Christ. I feel more whole in the Church.

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Taryn was baptized in the Church Of Christ on November 25, 2016.

Being a young adult and trying to figure things out and learning how to live life on my own can be challenging and sometimes lonely. In the Church Of Christ, there’s…there’s so much love and it just feels like…like family. Anyone and everyone should give the Church Of Christ a chance. Because for me, I found truth and I found confidence in my faith and I found a home. I’ve never felt stronger in my faith than I do now.

My life has changed so much after joining the Church Of Christ. Despite whatever trials or hardships life throws at me, I just feel more confident that God will guide me through it because I’m in the true Church Of Christ in these last days.

I have a relationship with God.

[Show close]

Stories of Faith

INC MEDIA SERVICES

Trusting in God’s Timing

Life is a series of choices, and for some, God isn’t always their choice. Tawanda chose to make time for God not only for herself but for her son, as well.

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Trusting in God’s Timing

Tawanda Cochrane: I went to probably, like, four lessons and then I stopped. Sister Rose, she’s like, “Don’t let life get in your way. God gave you twenty-four hours in a day and you can give Him back at least an hour or two hours for Him, to serve Him.”

[Show open]

My name is Tawanda Cochrane. I was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia on February 27, 1979 at 3:22 p.m. My mom’s biggest blessing that day. I have one sister who is older than me, so it’s three girls. Growing up, most of my childhood as I got older, about ten or eleven my mom and dad separated due to some domestic violence issues.

“Standing Up For My Mom”

It was hard for me to live [with] the domestic violence. I felt deep down inside, I had to stand up for [my mom] because she wasn’t going to stand up for herself. All she wanted to do was to protect us. Us kids. After a while my dad got help and eventually came back until I [was] old enough to stand up to him. Like I told him, I was like, “I shouldn’t have to stand up to you like this, you should know better.”

“Honor The Father and Mother”

It was hard. But [my mom] always taught me one of God’s commandments: honor thy mother, honor thy father. And she was like, “Even though he’s doing this, you still need to honor him and respect him.” And that’s something she taught until the day she passed away. “You’re going to honor him.”

Now our relationship is way better. We talk, I want to say at least once a week.

“I Didn’t Blame God”

My mom always taught us the Ten Commandments and to make sure we knew [them]. She would get us dressed every Sunday, send us to church even though she didn’t go.

What I knew about God when I was a kid, [is] that you pray to Him. He’s the Almighty Father. Let Him know what’s bothering you. As a child, I didn’t blame God about what was going on at home, I had just—I found that the church [or chapel] was my safe place. There was something always going on at the church [or chapel].

“Standing On My Own Two Feet”

My senior year in high school, I had a lot of recruiters asking me, “Would you like to join the Army?” “Would you like to join the Navy?” I was like, “I know, I’m already eighteen, I can sign my own documents.” I was like, “Yeah, I’ll be ready Wednesday morning to go do my physical.”

When I joined the military, in boot camp they had church service [and[ I went every Sunday. That was in boot camp. But once I left boot camp, church kind of [fell] to the side.

“Bouncing From Church To Church”

But when I transferred from Norfolk, to Lemoore, California, out here, I would go to church every once in a while. I met my husband here on the base. He seemed very [religious] at the time. Then he got shipped out and something about that deployment was different, because when he came back he wasn’t the same person that left. It seemed like I was just being sadder and sadder and sadder instead of [being] happy.

And I just started bouncing from church to church to church to find—I guess, a family [feeling] that I fit in because my family was so far away. And I was living a reckless life, drinking and partying like it was the thing to do but deep down inside I knew that wasn’t the right thing to do.

“God Give 24 Hours In A Day”

God introduced Sister Sally into my life—I was working at the Fresno VA Hospital and I met her ] [there] and she seemed [like] such a nice lady. She’s like “Hi, I’m Rose.” And I’m like, “Hi, I’m Tawanda.” And she’s like, “Oh okay, yeah this and this…” And she was going so fast and I was like, “How do people understand what she’s saying?” And she’s like, “We’re having a Bible study tonight, would you like to come?” And I was like, “No, thank you but I’ll keep that thought in mind.” And I met her a couple more times [when I came] down and she’s like, “Hey, we’re having a Bible study tonight, would you like to come?” And I was like, “I have no babysitter.” And she’s like, “If you’re worried about a babysitter, don’t worry about that. There [are] a lot of mothers that are going to be at the Bible study where you can—they’ll take care of him.” And she’s like, “My two daughters are going to be there so you can have them watch your son.” And I was like, “Okay, I’ll come.” And I started going to the Bible studies. I went to probably—I signed up for Bible study to be a Bible student that night. I went to probably, like, four lessons and then I stopped. And [Sister Rose] was like, “Don’t let life get in your way. God gave you twenty-four hours in a day and you can give Him back at least an hour or two hours for Him, to serve Him.” And that kind of stuck with me.

“God’s Timing”

When I first met Sister Rose, my mom had passed away and I was still—I wanted that mother figure. I wanted a mother and my mom was gone and Sister Rose being that mother figure, she took care of everybody in the clinic. Then when I started going to the Church Of Christ and going to the Bible study and everybody’s like, “Hi Sally!” and I’m like looking at her, and she’s like, “Oh, that’s my name.” And I was like, “Oh…” So I’m thinking her name is Rose, but she’s like, “No, they [called] me Sally [ever] since I was little.” I was like, “Oh okay.” Her name at work is Rose, Rosalina. But everybody that knows her in the Church Of Christ calls her Ka Sally and she made me feel comfortable. I talk to her about anything and everything like I would with my mom. And with the life battles that I was having [and] not understanding why my son’s father didn’t want to be a part of his life. And Sister Rose told me, she’s like, “He got a way better father—the Almighty Father. God, God is going to be his Father. He’s going to provide everything that little mad needs.” She said, “You just got to have faith.” And that’s what really got me going to every Bible study, every evangelical mission.

Interviewer: What can you say about the timing, God’s timing of putting Sister Rose in your life at a time when you had just lost your mom?

Tawanda: I needed Him to answer me with that because He knew how close me and mom [were] and because after she passed, I was back on that downward spiral. And I knew if I’m—and I just kept praying, “God help me, help me.”

That’s my answer to my prayer, that I get to have a second chance with another mother. From every Bible study, I felt like in the Church Of Christ, I’m always with family and [there was] always a hug waiting for you, you know? And I was like, “I need to be part of the true Church, not just any church but the true Church. And in the Church Of Christ, I’m there. I’m happy to be here.

From that Bible lesson, it says it right there in the Bible. The Church Of Christ, the one true Church.

“The Difference”

And that’s what I’ll always believe. What was said in the Bible is what’s true. This is God’s Holy Scripture. And that’s—I always will believe that.

The difference between the Baptist [church] and the Church Of Christ: In the Baptist worship service, there’s a lot of loud singing and a lot of jumping around, screaming—the minister would put the Bible verse in their [own] version. How—their interpretation. But in the Church Of Christ, from the time I walked in the door, I felt the calmness, the peace and the serenity of the chapel.

“My Biggest Fear”

I’m so amazed by it, you know. I’m a part of this, I’m a part of the Church Of Christ. I’ll be telling my friend, “Hey, let’s—come join us [in] Bible study.” And they’ll be like, “No, not tonight.” And I was like, “Oh, okay.” Now I know how Sister Rose felt about inviting people. But I still go, “Hey, okay!” And then I wait a week and go like, “Hey! We’re having Bible study again.”

Interviewer: So are you Sister Rose now?

Tawanda: Yes, I’m Sister Rose now and I keep going and right now my best friend, she’s like, “You weren’t going to give up until I went to Bible study.” And I was like, “No, I wasn’t.” I said, “I’m going to keep going until I can get your older kids in to coming to Bible study with you, you know?”

Interviewer: Why do you not give up even though people have said “No” to you?

Tawanda: [Because] it’s one of God’s commandments. I don’t want anyone to have that second death in the lake of fire. My biggest fear is that I won’t save enough souls, I won’t get enough people to hear God’s message, you know? Because I feel every soul should be saved but they need to hear the message to be saved.

“My Favorite Answered Prayer”

I feel [that] having the Church, the Church Of Christ, helped [in] raising my son. I know he’s on a good path for his salvation and with all the brothers in the Church I know he won’t lack any male leadership roles that he might need. With this pandemic, it’s hard for him to understand why we’re not at the chapel and why we’re not—

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Tawanda Cochrane

Joined the Church Of Christ in 2018

—why he can’t see Brother Isaiah, or Brother Ron or Brother Ray or Brother Rolly as often as he used to. Coming out of his shell more than he used to. Because when he first—when we first started he wouldn’t talk. Now once he sees them he’s—”Bye Mom! Going with Brother such and such!” “Okay! See you in a little bit.”

“He’s Driving My Life”

My story of faith is encouraging. No matter how hard life is, God is going to be there to get you through. And I want my story of faith to encourage someone else and believe God will take them through whatever they’re going through. No matter how bad the world is getting, I see my future is a bright one because I’m not going to let go of my membership in the Church Of Christ and keep God first and my Lord Jesus Christ in the driver’s seat. And as long as He’s driving my life, it’s going to be a really bright future.

[Show close]

Stories of Faith

INC MEDIA SERVICES

Learning There’s A Right Way to Worship God

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Ron’s mother was a devout Catholic. But Ron couldn’t understand why she would pray to the Virgin Mary when the Bible prohibited the worship of idols.

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[Show open] [On-screen text graphic]

“You shall have no other gods before ‘Me.
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image-
any likeness of anything that is in heaven above,
or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water
Under the earth…”
[Exodus 20:3-4 New King James Version]

Ron Espanto: I remember watching the The Ten Commandments. They talked about the Laws of God, the Ten Commandments. And one of them, you shall not worship any other God or not make any idols. That always stood out-the worship of idols. That’s what made me feel that something’s not right with what we’re doing. I was already asking that in my head, “What is the truth? There must be something true out there.”

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STORIES of FAITH

I’m Ron Espanto, I’m 49 years old. And I’m currently living in Waipahu, Hawaii. I grew up in a neighborhood in Kalihi [Hawai’i]. It’s basically for low-income people. Growing up there, back in the 1970s, and 1980s, it was pretty rough. There was a lot of drug use in that place, a lot of illegal activities that people were doing back in those days. Both of my parents are Filipino. My dad came here, maybe late 1950s, early 1960s. My parents, they always taught us to do the right things. We came from a dominant Catholic family.

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Ron Espanto
Former Catholic

I was born Catholic. They also made it important that we always recognize God, you know, to serve God. Although my parents were devout Catholics, you know, we didn’t go to church on a regular basis. Probably just on important dates, like for instance, Christmas or Good Friday. Actually in our home, we had a statue of the so-called Virgin Mary. It was about 15 inches tall. My mom would light candles at night or on a certain occasion.

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“Something’s Not Right”

While we were growing up, the thing that always got to me was the worship of idols. That’s what made me feel that, you know, something’s not right with what we’re doing. I remember watching The Ten Commandments. They talked about the Laws of God, the Ten Commandments. And one of them, you shall not worship any other God or not make any idols. That always stood out, growing up as Catholic. Because, when we did go to church, we would literally see the statues. When I would ask my mom why is she praying to this so-called Virgin Mary or the so-called image of the Lord Jesus Christ, she would always tell me that that’s what she was taught. She would always just say, “Oh, you know, this is our belief.” We would go to the Catholic [chapel]. There’s so many things that they would do. Rituals, if I may say, that I just felt that it was not necessary.

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“I Know Deep Down…It Was Wrong”

I have relatives that are members of the Church Of Christ. They would always invite us to attend their worship services, to the Church gatherings. Again, I wasn’t looking for that. After high school, I decided to just go to work. So I started off as a dishwasher. Worked my way up, prep cook, all the way to lead cook. I was 19, I think, when I was already running the kitchen, and it was busy. I felt pretty good. Every two weeks. you get your paycheck. Then you go out, you hang out with your friends, have fun. We would go out drinking. I was introduced to, like, all different types of vices.

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Ron Espanto
Former Catholic

Everybody was doing some type of drug, whether it’s they were snorting coke, they’re smoking crystal meth, smoking weed. And I got caught into that. I know, deep down in my heart, that was just wrong. You’d feel good for a little while. But then, it got to a point where it just started to…get out of hand.

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Tragedy Hits Home

In 1991, my mom was diagnosed with stomach cancer. It spread throughout her body. When she was diagnosed with the cancer, she told me to take her to this house of this so-called “healer.” I noticed all [these] little statues, like Virgin Mary, so-called Lord Jesus Christ statue. So, I asked my mom, you know, “What are we doing here?” And she said, “He’s gonna pray for me.” “This is where I can get healed.” Out of respect for my mom and because I love her, I told her, “Okay, well, just do what you need to do.” Still, her condition never improved, you know, she’s getting worse by the day. There was that one time she was praying, she was praying to the Virgin Mary statue that we had in our house. That’s when I told her, “Why are you doing that? Why are you praying to one statue?” “The one that you’re supposed to be praying to is to God. Not to these idols, not to these statues.” And that’s when she got really upset, she was really mad. My mom was 56 when she passed. I was devastated.

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“What Is The Truth?”

I was mad at God, and I asked God why He did this. I also asked, from God, “What is the truth, then?” Just before October of 1992, that’s when my cousin invited me to attend one of the Bible Expositions of the Church Of Christ. And that’s what I told him, I said, “You know, I believe in God, you know. I don’t, I don’t have to…go to any church to serve God. I could just serve God, you know, how I want.” I already was denouncing the Catholic faith, even before my mom passed away. I was already asking that in my head, “What is the truth? There must be something true out there.” And when I decided to undergo the Bible studies inside the Church Of Christ, the minister told me, “If you don’t believe what I’m saying, bring your Bible. I will use the Bible that you bring to teach you then.” So I did, I had, I think a King James Version. And throughout my Bible study, aside from the other versions that [were] there, he used my Bible. He even highlighted the verses. They would first tell you what the Bible is about, because that’s our basis right there-why we believe in God. And then from there, everything just clicks into place: Why do we believe in the Messenger of God? Why do we believe that Jesus Christ is not God, but He is a man? Why [should we not] worship idols? All my beliefs that I had in the past [were] being torn down already, [were] being ripped apart. And what was being built up…were the true words of God, in my heart.

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Things I Had To Let Go Of

While I was still undergoing Bible studies, attending the worship services inside the Church Of Christ, I’m not yet baptized, there are things that…I had to let go of, and it was kind of difficult, at first. Even the vices that I did [weren’t] easy to let go…because the transition is not automatic. There were times when I wouldn’t attend the worship services. Or I missed a worship service on purpose, I felt bad about it. I remember one of the head deacons telling me, [he] said, “Oh, you know, Brother, you’re about to get baptized, but you’re missing worship services.” That’s when I said to myself, “I’m not going to miss worship service again. I want to complete what I started. I want to become a member of the Church Of Christ.”

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“God’s Mercy”

Now that I’m in the Church Of Christ for so many years now, with God’s mercy, I don’t have [any] regret. Not even one ounce of regret.

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Ron Espanto
Joined the Church Of Christ in 1993

To me, the church is my life. I’ve been married for almost 23 years now, with God’s mercy. I have a loving wife, loving family, loving children-God fearing. The way I look at it now, I could’ve gone a different route, but knowing that…God called us, God called me to be inside the Church, really, this is a true blessing coming from God.

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“I Want To Serve God”

I would always say to myself, “I want to be a member because I want to be saved,” I never said before, “I want to be a member because I want to serve God.” But now that I’m in the Church for these many years, that is my mentality-that I’m a member of the Church Of Christ to serve God. When I look back at my life, and look at all the things that I’ve experienced, I always thank God because He allowed me to have that knowledge, that wisdom, that enlightenment. The enlightening moment is when you get to know the true God. I’m just glad that I was able to come to that knowledge of truth that I received inside the Church Of Christ.

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STORIES of FAITH

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