When I first visited our church in 2003, we were still meeting at Highland Hill Baptist Church. I’ve been looking for a church for a while at that time but haven’t found one I felt connected and belonged to. Maybe it was because our church was a smaller church; everybody was especially close to one another. I liked pastor’s sermons, his interpretation and explanation of bible teaching with real life stories. I also liked all the fun activities we organized. They help build the community we all can belong and come to enjoy.
I didn’t come to know of Christ until I went to College. I was first introduced to Christianity by my English professors from Louisiana. At first I thought of it as superstition, didn’t want to receive its message, plus I felt intimidated by the Revelation part of the Bible. I thought I could do better with my own youthful effort and hard work.
When I was a child, I didn’t even believe I will ever die. After I got older enough to understand that everyone eventually dies, it became a great burden in my heart. And I was afraid. Who wasn’t? We’ve all heard of stories in which ordinary people and emperors alike go to extremes to search for ways to prolong their lives to ten thousand years. After learning that to become a true Christian, and simply by accepting Jesus as our savior, we get to go to heaven and enjoy eternal life within the glory of our God, what a relief I received for my burdened heart!
When I first started coming to church, I was still not a committed believer. But I was committed to learn more about our Lord, Jesus Christ. During that time, I was in a part of my life when I started earnestly searching for the purpose of life. When I was a kid, I seemed to have a purpose to grow up, go to school and study hard. Then my purpose was to graduate from college and go to the USA. After I got here, my purpose was to settle down, have a family and kid, work hard to buy a big house and a nice car. After I accomplished that, I was totally lost. For some of my friends, their whole purpose was to raise their kids. Then I thought after my kid grows up, she is going to repeat what I did and still what’s the purpose? I pondered over the question time and again, did a lot of research, the answer always points to our Lord, who has a purpose for each and every one of us! In the Bible, great kings like Solomon found answers in Him to the same question great long time ago!
I am so glad I found our church and was able to grow spiritually. I was baptized at our new church. And I was so happy my mother decided to accept the Lord too and she was baptized with me that same day! To me, our church has become an important part of my life. It is a great place where we can come on a regular basis and refocus our eyes on eternal glory, and involve ourselves and our family in a loving, caring and supporting environment.
我第一次參加塔可馬市華人基督教會的主日崇拜是在2003年,當時教會還租用一所美國禮拜堂的地方來聚會。那段時間我不斷地在找一個令我有歸屬感的教會,可是一直沒有找到。也許是我們的教堂規模比較小的緣故,所以每個人都很親近。我喜歡牧師的講道,他深入淺出,用真實生活故事來傳譯和解釋聖經,我也非常喜歡教會組織的各種有趣的活動,不但能夠邀請社區內的朋友來參加,也可以藉著活動使我們更彼此了解和認識,給大家帶來不少的歡樂。
我直到讀大學才開始認識基督。第一位介紹基督給我的是一個路易斯安那州的英文教授。最初我把基督教當成是一種迷信,所以不接受它的啟示,甚至有扺觸情緒,我覺得憑自己的年輕和努力可以把一切事情做當好。
當我還是個孩童時,我從不認為我會死。長大以后當我懂得每個人都會死的時候,我心中有了沉重的負擔,我開始害怕,誰又不是這樣的呢? 我們都聽說過無論是平民還是帝王都為尋找千年不老的方法而走極端,當我成為一個真正的基督徒,信仰耶穌為我的救主之後,我懂得有一天我們會來到天堂與偉大的上帝一起同享永生,我心中如釋重負。
當我剛來教堂的時候,我還不是一個真正的基督徒,但我決定去尋找認識主耶穌。那段時間,我開始認真地探索人生的意義。當我是個孩子的時候,我的人生意義是成長、上學和努力學習,隨後是大學畢業和赴美深造。當我來到美國,我的人生意義是穩定下來,組成家庭和生養小孩,努力工作,買大房子和好的車子。當所有這一切都實現以後,我開始迷失了。
我的一些朋友把全身心地撫養小孩視為人生意義,然後我就想當我的小孩長大了,她將重復我的人生,那麼人生的意義又是什麼呢? 我反復思考,多方探索,答案總是從神那里找到,他給每一個人生命的真意義。在聖經中,遠古時代的所羅門王,也在神那里找到同樣的答案。
我真的很高興,我找到了可以歸屬的教會,在靈性上也不斷長進。在教會搬進現時的基址後,我決定接受洗禮。感謝主,我的母親也接受了主的救恩,與我同日洗禮。對我而言,我們的教會是我生命中很重要的一部份。禮拜堂是一個美好的地方,在這里我們可以每週聚會在主內更新我們的意念,也可以共享主內大家庭的友愛、關懷與支持。[:zh]我第一次參加塔可馬市華人基督教會的主日崇拜是在2003年,當時教會還租用一所美國禮拜堂的地方來聚會。那段時間我不斷地在找一個令我有歸屬感的教會,可是一直沒有找到。也許是我們的教堂規模比較小的緣故,所以每個人都很親近。我喜歡牧師的講道,他深入淺出,用真實生活故事來傳譯和解釋聖經,我也非常喜歡教會組織的各種有趣的活動,不但能夠邀請社區內的朋友來參加,也可以藉著活動使我們更彼此了解和認識,給大家帶來不少的歡樂。
我直到讀大學才開始認識基督。第一位介紹基督給我的是一個路易斯安那州的英文教授。最初我把基督教當成是一種迷信,所以不接受它的啟示,甚至有扺觸情緒,我覺得憑自己的年輕和努力可以把一切事情做當好。
當我還是個孩童時,我從不認為我會死。長大以后當我懂得每個人都會死的時候,我心中有了沉重的負擔,我開始害怕,誰又不是這樣的呢? 我們都聽說過無論是平民還是帝王都為尋找千年不老的方法而走極端,當我成為一個真正的基督徒,信仰耶穌為我的救主之後,我懂得有一天我們會來到天堂與偉大的上帝一起同享永生,我心中如釋重負。
當我剛來教堂的時候,我還不是一個真正的基督徒,但我決定去尋找認識主耶穌。那段時間,我開始認真地探索人生的意義。當我是個孩子的時候,我的人生意義是成長、上學和努力學習,隨後是大學畢業和赴美深造。當我來到美國,我的人生意義是穩定下來,組成家庭和生養小孩,努力工作,買大房子和好的車子。當所有這一切都實現以後,我開始迷失了。
我的一些朋友把全身心地撫養小孩視為人生意義,然後我就想當我的小孩長大了,她將重復我的人生,那麼人生的意義又是什麼呢? 我反復思考,多方探索,答案總是從神那里找到,他給每一個人生命的真意義。在聖經中,遠古時代的所羅門王,也在神那里找到同樣的答案。
我真的很高興,我找到了可以歸屬的教會,在靈性上也不斷長進。在教會搬進現時的基址後,我決定接受洗禮。感謝主,我的母親也接受了主的救恩,與我同日洗禮。對我而言,我們的教會是我生命中很重要的一部份。禮拜堂是一個美好的地方,在這里我們可以每週聚會在主內更新我們的意念,也可以共享主內大家庭的友愛、關懷與支持。[:]