Temple Baptist Church

To the congregation,

It is with a humble heart and a clear sense of calling that I submit this testimony of my path toward deacon ordination.

Having experienced the incredible grace of God through the community at Temple Baptist Church, it is an honor to be considered, and I am eager to give back to the church.

In December of 2017, I walked through the doors of Temple for the first time. I had been invited to Celebrate Recovery by family members who were already attending. Honestly, the first time I went, I only went to meet people in town because I was new to the area. Little did I know I was actually going to meet Jesus.

I had struggled in my past, and I knew I needed the Lord; I just didn’t know what that looked like. So, I figured CR was the place to start. I didn’t want to go to church on Sunday mornings with the "church people." (The funny thing is, now I am a church person.)

Soon, while attending CR, the Lord pulled at my heart to start coming on Sunday mornings. I obeyed, and one Sunday turned into every Sunday.

I was not raised in the church. I had heard about Jesus, but I never understood anything about Him. I knew He died to save us, but I didn’t fully grasp the severity of the situation. Throughout my life, every time someone mentioned Jesus, the Bible, or the Gospel, it was like they were speaking a foreign language.

I met my wife during the time I was transitioning to attending both Sunday mornings and Saturday nights. At first, we thought we didn’t need a piece of paper to show that we loved each other—we didn’t think we needed to be married. That all changed one Sunday morning. It was as if the blinders were pulled off my eyes. The Lord revealed to me what being obedient to Him meant. All of a sudden, the Gospel made sense. Jesus made sense. Being a sinner and having God send His Son to save me from destruction finally made sense.

I looked at my girlfriend and told her, "We are getting married." She replied, "No, we are not." I took her to Pastor Shane and explained in front of her what had just happened and how I understood what God wanted for my life. My exact words were, "We can’t just talk the talk; we have to walk the walk. You can’t just read the Bible and say you are a Christian. You have to try to live it every day. You have to try your best to do what that Book says."

She still wasn’t convinced. A week later, however, she came to me and told me that we were getting married.

We completed premarital counseling at the church, and we were married by Pastor Shane and then baptized a couple of days later at Temple.

We became leaders in CR, and a few months later, I was asked to serve as a leader over the men’s CR group. During this time, the Lord grew me and my wife in His Word. He revealed to me what leading my wife and family in a godly way meant. He showed me that my number one disciple is my wife, followed by my children—something I didn't prioritize before I was saved.

He taught us how to be obedient and how to bring Him glory through our actions. The Lord blessed us by letting us orchestrate a paintball ministry through the church to reach more individuals. He also grew me personally by using men in the church to disciple me and encourage me to teach on Saturdays at CR and on Wednesdays.

I felt a call to ministry, and thankfully, this church has allowed me to exercise this calling. I want to thank the church for the opportunity to serve as a deacon, for the privilege of serving our Savior in this new role, and for the tremendous part you have played in encouraging me to grow in my knowledge of and relationship with our Lord. It is truly an honor and a blessing, but it is also very humbling.

1 Peter 4:10-11

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."

Sincerely,

DJ (David) Hurst

A Flood of Evidence: 40 Reasons Noah and the Ark Still Matter

by Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge

4.8 Stars on Amazon / 4.3 Stars on Goodreads

Ken Ham is the president/CEO and founder of Answers in Genesis - U.S. and the highly acclaimed Creation Museum. Ken Ham is one of the most in-demand Christian speakers in North America.

Ken’s emphasis is on the relevance and authority of the book of Genesis and how compromise on Genesis has opened a dangerous door regarding how the culture and church view biblical authority. His Australian accent, keen sense of humor, captivating stories, and exceptional PowerPoint illustrations have made him one of North America’s most effective Christian communicators.

Mr. Bodie Hodge attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and received a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering. His specialty was a subset of mechanical engineering based in advanced materials processing, particularly starting powders. Currently, Bodie is a speaker, writer, and researcher for Answers in Genesis–USA. He is the author of The Fall of Satan, co-author of Dragons: Legends & Lore of Dinosaurs and How Do We Know the Bible is True?, and co-editor of the Big Book of History.

The book was created to address the countless questions asked over the years! There are hosts of books and resources on the Flood and Noah's ark in the creation movement. But there has been a glaring problem in this area for 50 years. There isn't one basic laymen book on the Flood and ark to give answers to those questions asked all the time. Most books are too shallow, too specific, or too technical for the average Christian to read or get much from. Most people in pews could use a book like this to give them the basic answers they need about the Flood and the ark, then they will be prepared to go into further technical books or specific books from there.

Information from amazon.com and goodreads.com

A Letter From DJ Hurst

October Memory Verses

A Flood of Evidence: 40 Reasons Noah and the Ark Still Matter

October

Who is Teaching this Wednesday?

What We Will Be Covering in CR

Can You Solve This Riddle?

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