Partner Stories
A Place for Sinners
Starbucks, donuts, and sinners. These three words caught my attention in the midst of the pile of mail on my kitchen counter. It was a flyer for a new local church that had this to say, “A Place for Sinners.” I knew I would be welcomed there. In my past experiences church was not a place for those of us who had not led a perfect life. I was 24 years old, and church was about to change me.
A woman I was dating at the time had been asking me to check out church with her. I had attended her church in Orange County but didn’t really feel a connection. Then a friend of hers told her that his former youth pastor had started a church in Temecula the same church advertised on the flyer. I asked my girlfriend to check it out with me.
We entered Life (Alliance) Church to hear the pastor welcome everyone and let us know that if we were perfect this probably wasn’t the place for us. He had my attention. We began attending Life Church regularly, and I really felt a connection to the pastor. Week after week I would leave feeling as if he were speaking directly to me. But my life was still my own, and it was a mess. I was slowly and steadily getting closer to the bottom.
From the time I was 16 years old, I had experimented with drugs. It wasn’t until I was 19 that it became a daily need. My family, friends, and girlfriend were unaware of my addiction. I had been a functioning addict, but the addiction began to take over. I lost a lot of weight, fell behind in paying my bills, and didn’t care about any of it. I was too ashamed to tell anyone. I decided to test out the whole God thing and see if he really did care about sinners like me. One night I got down on my knees and prayed for his help.
The next morning I didn’t feel any different, but the possibility of different was there. I made a choice with my head, not my heart, to have God help me get clean. I became a recluse in my home for a few days and kicked a six-year habit. The bills were still there, and I had a heavy heart for the life I had been living. I wanted it all to change.
Within three months everything did change. I continued to go to church with my girlfriend and pray on a regular basis. She was waiting for me to give my life to the Lord. I was almost there. I asked her to marry me and was truly ready to move on with my life. All I had left to do was let go of it all and see what God could really do.
When I let go of my finances, I lost my home. Finally, I was forced to come clean with everyone. It was like an enormous weight had been lifted. My life was falling apart, and I was relieved. My family and my girlfriend were confused and hurt, but happy to know that the addiction I had been struggling with was now gone. The next day we went to our church, and I got on my knees as a broken man before the Lord. He has been with me ever since.
Life Church became our church. We became members, were baptized and joined a small group. A year later, my fiancé and I went through premarital counseling with Pastor John. The similarities in our stories were remarkable. He truly understood how I came to know God. There was no doubt that my wife and I were directed by God to be part of Life Church and have a man like John as our pastor. In the last three years I have shared my testimony in our church, dedicated my two daughters in this church, and made some great Christian friends. I even found a life verse: "Blessed is the man who persevers under trial" (James 1:12). The life that I had is in the past. With God running my life, I have become a better man. I rely on Him to get me thorough the difficulties that life has to offer. I still have a lot to learn and room to grow in my faith, but with God as the strongest link in my life, I will never be broken again.
About the author: Bradley Jay, a member of Life Church, is active in men's and children's ministry as well as home fellowships called Life groups.
Life Church opened with 200 people in 2003 and now has four church plants with thriving congregations. With the assistance of the Alliance Development Fund (ADF), a supporting financial ministry of The Christian and Missionary Alliance, Life Church has completed construction of the fellowship area, children’s classrooms, youth room, and offices, allowing a move from a rented middle-school auditorium to the church's own facility. The facility hosts four weekend services as well as mid-week programs. Community outreach has increased, enabling Life Church to fulfill its vision—Bring Life (Christ) to the Valley.
