Life Testimony- Spring Conference '09

(Originally written March 28, 2009)

Key Verse: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Part I: God has Blessed My Life



I was born Courtney Elaine Richards on the evening of May 2nd, 1988 in Starkville, Mississippi. I was the first child of four—two daughters, two sons. My sister, Autumn, is 19, two years younger than I, and my two brothers, Travis and Shawn, are 17 and 15.

With my father as a Southern Baptist pastor, my family moved around a lot. Moving was always hard; every time, we had to start all over again. My father always said it was according to God’s will; I went along with it, but I’d be lying if I said I liked it, or that I really understood. We moved a total of 7 times, lived in 5 different states and learned in 5 different school systems (6, if you count the 3 years I was homeschooled). We’re now living in Dundee, Michigan, and have lived there for 6 years.

I practically grew up in the church. Most of my extended family members are avid Christians; in fact, my grandfather is a retired pastor, himself. This has been both a blessing and a curse: it has given my faith roots and me much Biblical knowledge, but is a heavy burden, as well. When you tell people you’re a preacher’s kid, they expect certain things of you. Kids at school thought I was a goody-two-shoes (and sometimes I did or said bad things just to prove them wrong). I was always held to a higher standard because I was the oldest sibling, too, which I always found unfair. Being the oldest meant setting an example for the others, an example that I wasn’t always willing to be. At other times, I would use it to rub it in their faces: “I get to ride up front ‘cause I’m older,” or “I get to ‘cause I was born first.”

There has always been a lot of pressure for me to succeed, both in my schoolwork and in my spiritual life. I accepted Jesus as my Savior one summer at Vacation Bible School; I was eight. Ever since then, people expected to see a change in my life, and from the outside, I did change. I wanted to succeed and be the smartest kid in my class; I wanted to grow closer to God. There was certainly a desire there, or I shouldn’t have changed at all—but faith was still a bridge I hadn’t crossed all the way.

I tend to be a logical person, and it was easy to look at life from a practical perspective. Good grades meant that I could graduate and get into a good college, so that I could graduate again and get a good job. Having faith seemed natural- I grew up around it; it gave me something to believe in, a reason to have hope when things went bad, and formed a basis for my morals, my values, even my political standpoint. Faith just made sense. It was easy to use those values to my own advantage—I knew that certain things were wrong and could hurt me, and it was easy to turn away from most temptation; but while the logical, head-belief was there, my heart was only dabbling its feet in the water.

I remember one time in particular: I was a member of the drama club in high school, and at one of the cast parties, some of the kids brought along some cigarettes and alcohol. I knew it was wrong, and so I left, wanting no part in it. I was concerned about not compromising my reputation as a “good kid,” and about losing my status in the National Honor Society, but I was acting upon my brain’s own knowledge more than my faith. As I get older, the temptations become smaller and more subtle, but the results are the same. If I overcome the temptation, it is usually not because of a faith-based conviction.

Still, I have been blessed with a good home, a bright and active mind, and a few small (yet undeveloped) talents. I won’t say it has all changed, but I am beginning to correct that through Bible study—something that was almost completely absent from my life. I went to church, but when I read or heard the Bible, I wasn’t impressed by any specific word or lesson. It was easy to fall out of routine and forget it altogether. I had a deep enough understanding that I could get by without it; at least, I thought.

Part II: I am God’s Workmanship

I came to UT after I graduated, and had always wanted to join a Christian group on campus. It was hard to decide which group was the best, but I put off doing any real research. Still, I had a desire to continue in Christian fellowship through my college years, and M. Susan Lewis found me one day my second year. There were no hidden catches, no fine print; she simply asked me, “Do you want to study the Bible?” I was reluctant at first, but God gave me the strength to answer with a tentative “yes.”

Susan brought me to where I need to be. For two school years now we have studied the Bible, and being a part of the UBF has allowed me to grow in my knowledge and join other students in Christian fellowship. I’ve been to and participated in many events—the Purdue conference, Student Night, Songfest, Narrowgate study meetings, and services—and from each one I have learned something. My first Christmas service, in 2007, I played the role of a Pharisee’s daughter who thought she knew everything because her father was a religious leader. Instead, she learned about the story of Jesus and the importance of personal faith. I realized that that was me—that while I had the knowledge, I didn’t act on that knowledge in my own faith, but rather as something that I should do.

2009 was different- God had really impressed upon me the desire to stay faithful to Bible study and to my growth. I felt the lack of real inspiration in my soul and knew there was still a gap to be filled in my heart. I wanted to understand God’s purpose for my life on a deeper level. Through prayer I accepted Matthew 6:9-10 as my key verse: “This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’” Instead of just speaking in flowery words, I have really taken the verse to heart and reflect on it every time I study or make a decision. God helped me to have a sincere attitude to study the word of God.

Through James Bible study, God greatly touched my heart. The chapter 1 study taught me that many would pass away under their trials, but I deeply wanted to stay, and to persevere; and that I should rejoice in my trials as I did so. Then, James 5;1: “Now listen, you rich people. Weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.” I am truly rich in Christ and in my blessed life: being raised in a Christian family and fellowship at church. But I had been hoarding my wealth for myself instead of sharing in that and using it for God’s glory. I desired to be a Bible teacher; for “whoever turns a sinner from the error his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).

This taught me to value and attend the Spring conference, instead of going to Animarathon with my friend. I also had financial issues in coming up with the attendance fee; but once I made a decision to attend and placed my faith in God, those issues were resolved. God opened my heart to the Word of God and gave me a desire to become a Bible teacher.

Writing this testimony made me think about who I am and what I live for. God gave me Ephesians 2:10, which says “we are all God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” I am not some creation of my parents’ or my life’s design; He has prepared good works for me to accomplish. Up until now, the things I did were more out of a sense of duty, that those were the things that a Christian should do—and I wanted to do them, but never fully understood why. Now I can do them with a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper understanding of who I am in God’s eyes.

So, I keep studying the Word of God with a learning mind and practice to obey. I pray to experience joy in God’s Word and, in God’s time, grow to be a Bible teacher to lead others to Jesus.

One Word: I am GOD’S WORKMANSHIP, and He has prepared great things for me.