hear how god delivered kim…

I grew up in a Christian home and was baptized and on fire for Jesus when I was 15. It didn't take long, however, for the world to draw me in and I started making deliberate choices that I knew were contrary to God's will. Long story short, that led to many years of immoral living, a growing divide in my relationship with the Lord, strained relationships with my family, and over two decades of addiction to alcohol. With praying parents and a God who continued to draw me to Him, after many years my heart increasingly yearned to have a restored relationship with the Lord and a hunger to learn and grow spiritually built up within me. I eventually surrendered all of my life to Him, except...my reliance on drinking.

For several years I got involved with another local church and then had a desire to go deeper and find a body of believers that was radically in pursuit of making the gospel known. That led to FBC in 2016.

The Lord has been at work every step of the way in leading me to relationships that have edified and encouraged my spiritual walk at FBC. That included quickly joining a wonderful, loving Connect Group who welcomed me in from day one. Relationships deepened and I was able to share my drinking struggle with a couple ladies from that Group who prayed for me and held me accountable. (I am so thankful for them!) After numerous bumps in the road, when I finally heeded the call of obedience and total surrender of that struggle to the Lord, miraculously Jesus lifted those chains in a way that I was unable to do myself for over 20 years. I have now just recently celebrated a milestone of 1,000 days of sobriety and am so thankful for His power and freedom!

In addition to my Connect Group, God has provided numerous kind, welcoming people at FBC over the years who have given me the opportunity to participate in other areas of the church - such as the Women’s Ministry team, Greeting/Next Steps Station, and Journey/Discipleship groups. That has enabled my relationships within the church to grow wider and deeper, but also exponentially strengthened my walk with the Lord. He continues to give me an increasing passion to know Him and make His name known. And I also see Him opening up doors to use what He has done with my struggles and failures to encourage others and share the gospel.

I am so thankful that we have a God who loves us in the midst of all our "ugly stuff" and reminds us that the onus is not on us to clean up or get right before Him. But rather that "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinth 5:21). And, furthermore, that we have the awesome privilege and calling of now "going" to share the best news ever!