HIS GLORY IS IN YOUR STORY! 

On this page you will find testimonies submitted by members of the Radiant Life Church family of the goodness of God in their lives.  If you would like to submit a testimony for consideration, please email it to the webmaster by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The story you are about to hear is true. You may find it shocking (as do I, in retrospect), but it did happen. This story is mine.

Let me begin by saying I grew up in church. There was no time that I can remember before moving out of my parents’ house that I did not attend church.

I was trained in what to believe; and, to some extent, why to believe it.

I knew "all the answers", and most of the questions. I was, for all appearances sake, a "very good boy."

However, I was eight years old when I first discovered the pleasures of what would become my addiction.

No, I didn't start drinking, or smoking, or using illegal drugs. I could never have gotten away with those things.

No, at the "ripe old age" of eight, I discovered the most powerful drug known to man. I discovered sex.

Now, mind you, I didn't have a clue what it was I was doing, or what it's true purpose was, I only knew I liked it.

Around the age of thirteen, I made another fascinating discovery.  Catalogs had wonderful pictures--pictures that enhanced my "drug".

And by my fifteenth birthday, not only had I figured out that others could (and would) share in my drug. I also discovered I could (and did) have it every day.

And as I grew up, so would my "pictures".

I got married at the age of 19, and I was in heaven! But me addiction made me very selfish and it took its toll on our relationship.

(Not that my addiction was our only problem, but it was a problem) By the age of 30, I was "using" 3 times a day, and rarely touched my wife.

Fast forward to Thanksgiving 1999. Age now 38. That was when it happened. My addiction crashed. Actually, it didn't happen by itself, it had help - lots of help.

You see, I was home from work for the holidays. That when the collapse started. I had found online "friends;” all of them girls.  Some even sent me "self-portraits."

Then, my wife found them.

I couldn't hide anymore. I tried to make excuses, but there were none. I expected her to leave immediately; or, worse yet, throw me out. I knew I deserved it.

Imagine my surprise when, instead of leaving and giving up, she demanded I get help, NOW! She even found me an on-line "pastor" who would hold me accountable for every minute of every day.

For the next weeks, I spent many hours with this man, even staying awake at night, my body shaking in tremendous pain from not having my drug. And, for the most part, I did fairly well. But even then, I would easily "forget" the promises and progress I had made. I tried for weeks (nearly 11) to do everything I could to quit, but couldn't.

On Sunday Feb. 20, 2000, I was at a small Pentecostal church. I don't remember the sermon.  I couldn't even tell you one single point the young pastor made. I did know, however, that I wanted to be free - once and for all. I found myself at the close of service, crying at the altar.  My experience was something like this:

"God, you know I’ve tried and tried help me do better. I know you can help me do better."
REPLY: "Let me show you something."

At that moment, it was like I stepped back in the spirit, and saw myself kneeling at the altar. Everything was as I expected, except for one thing. I had a "beautiful", bright yellow dandelion growing out the top of me head. Seemingly instinctively, I reach out to pluck the yellow bloom from my own head. Instantaneously, it returned. Again, I tried to pluck the flower, being sure to grasp the stem and some leaves; again, it instantaneously returned. For a third time I grasped the ugly weed, getting as much of the flower as I could. And again, it just as quickly returned.

"God!" I cried. "I can't get it all!"
"I know. Now let me get it for you."

I saw, and felt, as God's hand reached through the top of my head, extending all the way to the middle of my chest. I felt His fist close inside me, seemingly ready to pull out my very heart. I felt Him begin to pull, and the tightness inside my very toes and fingers. I saw as a very large, developed root system was pulled from the top of my head, still holding the dandelion. Suddenly I felt the struggle give way. And, there it was; a whole root system, perfectly shaped like my body, was there in His hands. My body felt strangely empty, and wonderfully clean.

As if on cue, the young pastor said, "Pray for His Spirit to fill the empty places!"

So I did. I cried out, "God, put your Spirit where the weed was. Let it fill me just as much, and more."

The vision ended here, so I didn't "see". But I can imagine God blowing as I felt a cool, gentle wind sweep over and engulf my entire being.

That was over nine years ago, and I still experience that cool gentle wind. I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that God rescued me from destruction that day. And I know that even though temptation still arises and tries to lure me back to that place, God has changed my life completely, and I will never be the same. I am now free, and I no long have to be bound by those things which once ruled my very existence.

 
-Samuel

I was diagnosed as dyslexic when I was in the fourth grade.  I remember as child that my parents took me to church and during one church service my parents took me up to the front of the church for prayer for God to heal me of my dyslexia.  I was very hopeful that God would heal me instantaneously, but it didn’t happen that way.   

After months of discouragement and teasing in school, my parents enrolled me in a Christian school. There I would have a teacher work with me, one-on-one; teaching me to reading and write which was something I was told wasn’t possible.  My teacher was a great encourager, but it still wasn’t always easy.  I got discouraged a lot out of frustration with myself and with God.   I had hoped and prayed several times that God would heal me from dyslexia.  Sometimes I even asked God what I did wrong to deserve this condition.  

Despite my frustrations and lack of understanding as to why I had to go through all this pain, a verse that always brought me encouragement when I was down was, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13).  Through years of hard work, I did learn how to read and write. One day as I talked to God, He showed me that it was nothing I did that caused this learning disorder.   

I can now read and write.  And even though God didn’t heal me the way I was expecting, I did receive my healing  from Him through a process over time.

-          -Brooke