Stephanie's Testimony

Growing Together

On Sunday, Stephanie shared about the ways God used her One-on-One this fall. God is using our fellowship to help us faithfully follow Christ. Draw encouragement from Stephanie’s example. Take a moment to read her testimony below:

During the last few months, I had the opportunity to participate in one on one meetings with Melissa. Our study was on the Sermon on the Mount and we read a commentary, The Sermon on the Mount by Sinclair Ferguson.  

I was reminded that the Sermon on the Mount is applicable to our daily life as Christians. Our spiritual deficits lead us to mourn our sins. However, as we experience His gentleness and grace we are led to be gentle with others.  As people who have received mercy, we are called to be merciful. This calling felt daunting as I read it.

 As a child welfare social worker, I meet with people during low points in their lives. At times it can be difficult to have a merciful heart and it can be easy to judge people for the mistakes that they have made. But it’s only when we are in the mindset of experiencing his mercy toward our own sin that we are able to see others as He sees them and then we begin to extend the same mercy.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and we are freed through his grace to love obediently and where we fail His mercy is unending.

Reading this book with Melissa was a blessing. Prior to reading the book together Melissa and I had greeted each other at church a couple of times and we had also run into each other around the town.

Reading this book together gave us the opportunity to be intentional about our conversations. It allowed us to reflect with one another in the ways we could grow spiritually. Meeting one on one allowed for vulnerable conversations and an opportunity to really get to know one another. Our meetings led to purposeful conversations as well as intentional prayer and accountability.

I am grateful to have been able to spend the last few months getting to understand the Sermon on the Mount while also getting to know Melissa.