Fall Baptism Testimonies

I grew up in a Christian home and went to church every week with my family, but I realized that I never had a personal relationship with God and I knew I had to change. So I decided to commit to Jesus and put him first in my life. I know I’m never alone and that he’s always there for me, and that’s important as a teenager. I want to be baptized to publicly declare to the world that I belong to Christ and him alone.

I grew up in a Christian home, and had a typical Christian upbringing where we went to church on Sundays and participated in church-related activities during the week. I slowly developed a stronger relationship with Jesus over time – one that became more personal as I grew older. In my second year of university, however, I came to a point where I found myself doubting the foundation of my faith more seriously than I had before. Why did I believe in God in the first place? Was the Bible really true? As I had been introduced to Christianity from an early age, I had never thoroughly considered these questions before. Although I still wanted to stay in Christian community, as I considered it a core part of my identity, I was starting to question the reasons why I considered myself a believer. I did not want to be “on the fence” anymore, so I decided that I needed answers to my questions if I were to take my faith more seriously and accept Jesus as complete Lord of my life. I withdrew from my Christian community for some months while reading and googling, in an attempt to objectively research my way to proving my faith to be true. In this period, I experienced how difficult and meaningless life could be when relying on my own strength, and my life was taking a turn for the worse. Rather than just looking to external sources for information, I was encouraged by a good friend to start reading my Bible again, although this time in my first language rather than in English. I reluctantly took her advice, and was surprised to find myself connecting with the words on a deeper level than previously. My curiosity about a personal relationship with Jesus was reignited, and I slowly started to recognize my need for Him and Christian community. Although I had yet to find answers to some of my questions, it somehow didn’t matter as much anymore.

Over the past months I have been encouraged by Proverbs 16:9, as I am slowly learning to give up control of my life more and more, trusting that God has the best plan for my current life circumstances and my future. Relying on Him has given me a new sense of peace and reassurance. I want to be baptized because I recognize that I have no power to live a meaningful life without Jesus, and I want to publicly declare my decision to be a committed follower of Him.

Before I gave my life to Jesus, I was always chasing something. I thought if I could just achieve more, get more recognition, or have more stuff, I’d finally be happy. But no matter what I did, I always felt empty and unsatisfied.

I was looking for purpose and validation. I wanted to feel like I mattered and that my life had meaning. I thought that success and being liked by others would make me feel secure and happy.

I struggled a lot with insecurity and loneliness. Even when things looked good on the outside, I felt anxious and like I wasn’t good enough. I was afraid of failing and being rejected, so I pushed myself really hard to try to prove my worth.

I was driven by the need to escape my feelings of inadequacy. I worked a lot, hoping that success would make me feel better. I also looked for acceptance in relationships, thinking that being loved by others would make me feel secure. I kept busy with different activities, trying to distract myself from feeling empty.

To try and feel better, I focused on work, relationships, and material things. I thought that if I could just achieve more and have more, I’d finally feel complete. But these things only gave me temporary relief, and I soon realized they couldn’t truly fulfill me.

Things started to change when I hit a really tough spot in my life and felt like everything I was working for was falling apart. I talked to a person here in Church who always seemed to have a sense of peace and purpose, and they told me about Jesus. I started exploring faith and realized that Jesus offered the love and acceptance I’d been searching for. Surrendering to Him brought me a deep sense of peace and fulfillment that I’d never felt before.

Giving my life to Jesus changed everything. Now, instead of looking for validation from the outside world, I find my identity and worth in Him.

Before I came to know Jesus, I was searching for something that could give my life meaning and purpose. I tried different things, but nothing seemed to fill the void I felt inside. I remember a time when I was going through a particularly difficult period—everything seemed uncertain, and I felt overwhelmed by the challenges I faced.

During this time, I started having conversations with some friends who were Christians. They shared their faith with me and talked about how Jesus had made a difference in their lives. Initially, I was skeptical, but the more I listened, the more I became curious about who Jesus was and what He had done.

One evening, after a particularly hard day, I found myself reflecting on what my friends had shared with me. I realized that I had been trying to handle everything on my own, and it wasn’t working. I began to understand that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and that He was offering me forgiveness and a new start.

I decided to trust in Jesus and repented of my sins. I asked Him to forgive me for trying to live life on my own terms and to guide me moving forward. In that moment, I felt a sense of peace that I hadn’t experienced before. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Since then, my life has been different. I’m not saying everything became perfect overnight, but I now have a sense of hope and direction that I didn’t have before. Jesus has become my foundation, and I know that I can rely on Him no matter what challenges come my way.

Since I trusted Jesus and repented of my sins, my life has changed in ways I never expected. One of the biggest changes has been experiencing His forgiveness. Knowing that my sins are forgiven has lifted a huge burden off my shoulders. I no longer carry the guilt and shame that once weighed me down. This freedom has given me a new sense of peace and joy.

My thoughts, attitudes, and emotions have also transformed. Before, I often felt anxious and uncertain about the future. Now, I find myself more at peace, even when facing challenges. I’ve learned to trust that Jesus is in control, and that has made a huge difference in how I approach life. My perspective on what’s important has shifted, and I’m more focused on living in a way that honors God.

Christ is meeting my needs in so many ways. When I’m feeling weak or discouraged, I turn to Him in prayer, and He gives me strength. When I’m confused or unsure about a decision, I seek His guidance, and He provides clarity. My relationship with Jesus means everything to me now. It’s not just about following rules or traditions—it’s about having a personal connection with the One who loves me unconditionally and is always with me.

One verse that has particularly resonated with me is 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This verse reminds me that my past no longer defines me; I am a new creation in Christ.

As for why I want to be baptized, it’s because I want to publicly declare my faith in Jesus and my commitment to follow Him. Baptism, to me, is a symbol of the new life I’ve found in Christ. It’s a way of showing others that I’ve turned away from my old ways and am living for Jesus now. I’m excited to take this step and to continue growing in my relationship with Him.

I came to Jesus at a very young age, going to church on Sunday, going to Sunday school and memorizing passages of scripture and learning the stories of the bible. I understood I was a sinner, but I did not understand why we needed to learn the bible. Bible reading and praying was just part of my life. I did not realize how serious this is.

Before when I went to church I really didn’t feel convicted but after I came to Canada and listened to the sermons I really felt convicted. I also searched if what the Bible says is real, and after a lot of researching and using logic. I can say confidently that the Bible is real and Jesus did in fact die and resurrect.

After this conviction I felt that God was with me and I am an anxious person but after this conviction I felt peace and all my

anxious thoughts went away. Afterwards, I strived to understand what a certain passage meant, which made my faith grow into a stronger person. Jesus dying and resurrecting assured me that there is hope in eternal life and it assured me that the he is not a distant god and cannot feel any emotions that humans are feeling, but a God can feel things because he has felt.

My life before Jesus was very lonely and I carried all the burden of responsibilities of life on my shoulders by myself. I was struggling with addiction and had no sight of relief. I came to Jesus at Union Gospel Mission and my recovery there, learning more about God and His power to be able to relieve me of my addiction.

And through this work I’ve been able to join the worship team at Christ City Church. And this has really re-triggered my joy in playing the piano on stage. And I feel great joy in playing and worshipping for an audience of one. Since coming to Jesus I feel for the first time in my life that I’m not alone. I feel like Jesus definitely has my back. And I feel that I have an opportunity now to serve also in second stage at UGM for the newcomers that are still struggling. And on the worship team in Christ City it has given me a great joy of life that I’ve not experienced before. I want to be baptized in order to confess my faith in Jesus Christ because he has helped me to put my whole life to death and has blessed me in His glory and grace.

I grew up in a Christian family, reading the Bible and memorizing verses but without understanding their depth or meaning.  I attended Sunday services regularly at a United Protestant church in India. I heard messages about doing good works and praying to God so he would provide you with whatever you want in life. I used to pray daily expecting benefits from God. However, I did not experience a close connection with God.

I once attended a three-day youth retreat where the speaker said, “Commit your life to God, and he will speak to you, and you can hear his voice” So that night, I prayed to God and said, “I will commit my life to you”, but I did not hear anything back. I cried and cried a lot, but I heard nothing. This made me upset and question my holiness or worthiness, especially after hearing testimonies from others who claimed God had spoken to them. I thought that only holy people could hear God’s voice and had this question in my mind: I read the Bible and pray every day, so am I not holy? Am I not worthy? Why did God not speak to me?”

I did my college at a Christian university. While studying, I would not miss any retreats, worship sessions, or Sunday services, but nothing brought me closer or helped me to have a conviction of my sin because all I heard was the prosperity gospel. On the outside, I looked very prayerful and sincere and made sure that I was in the good books of others, but inside, I knew my heart was not pure. I struggled with impure thoughts and emotions such as anger, pride, anxiety, stubbornness, and unforgiveness. As years passed, I did not experience or make any effort to change my heart, but my expectations from God were high. God blessed me with a good job and a happy life. I felt I was the happiest person in the world. In 2012, I had to face a great tragedy in my life. Completely broken, and anxious about the future, I felt lonely and started questioning God.  Why it ever happened to me. Why? why me? That was my only prayer. I thought God punished me because I did not give him first preference. I was trying to change myself, but it did not work out. I did not realize that God was molding me and had a plan and purpose for my life.

In the year 2017, Raj came into our lives he was an angel sent by God for us. Each day during our family prayer, he took time and effort to explain the verses that helped me to understand God’s love for me. After coming to Canada, God provided opportunities for me to listen to the sermons from our church elders which helped me to self-analyze my heart. I believe that God died for my sins and graciously gave me the gift of life as it is mentioned in Eph 2: 8,9. According to John 3:16, I gained assurance that, despite my sinfulness, Christ died on the cross for my salvation. Even now, I often feel anxious and have negative thoughts, and I feel unworthy. However, Raj keeps reminding me about the goodness of God, strengthening and encouraging me through verses. After accepting Christ as my saviour, I started reading the verses and understanding their depth, I talk to him, asking for his help and guidance every day to overcome the weakness and emotional challenges before me. Whenever I feel inferior, he reminds me of his love and fills me with peace. When I am afraid or feeling less confident, he reminds me of this verse: “I have set the Lord always before me; he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my flesh also will dwell in hope.”- Ps 16:7-9.

I want to get baptized to remind myself that, my old self is dead and now I am a new creation according to 2 Corinthians 5:17. I want to proclaim to this world that I am a follower of Christ, and I am taking this step in faith and letting him know that I am here and use me for your Glory.