Before Jesus Changed My Life
I grew up in a Christian family that sometimes went to church. At a young age, I accepted Christ into my life. Growing up, my grandma talked about following Jesus in just about every conversation, sometimes even through simple VeggieTales songs. In high school, I still went to church occasionally, but I wasn’t truly following or being obedient to God. When I moved away to college, I thought I could figure out life on my own. I went out and did all these things, trying to fulfill myself. I thought that because I was young, that’s what I was supposed to be doing. I was invited to Salt and went whenever I felt like it, but I was living a double life. I struggled to understand God and why certain things happened in my life the way they did. Eventually, I became depressed and felt very lonely. I tried to fill that loneliness with relationships that were not God-honoring. I felt angry and lost, and I just wanted to find a sense of purpose in my life.
How Jesus Changed My Life
In the summer of 2024, I was invited to Salt Kickoff. I made quite a few friends there, but I didn’t attend consistently at first. Later that summer, after being let go from a job, I felt a deep sense of loneliness. I suddenly had nothing to do, and most of my friends had gone home for the summer. During that time, I decided to go back to Salt. I remember Jacob preaching a sermon about forgiveness and how important it is. That message deeply impacted me and still stays with me today. Since then, I’ve been asking God to change my heart. Through the hardships I’ve faced, I’ve learned to trust in God’s plan and to lean not on my own understanding. As I’ve started actively following Jesus, I’ve become more aware of the areas of my life where I’ve fallen short, and I’ve been working to change those things so that my life can better honor God. I have the peace of Christ in my heart now because I believe that Jesus came and suffered for our sins. His mission required that His son go through suffering, not around it. He suffered on that cross and resurrected from the dead so we can be saved because He loves us that much. We are free, and our sins are dead because of him. Romans 6:23 is a good reminder that our sins are dead because of His act of humility, we have the free gift of eternal life through Jesus.
My Life After Jesus Saved Me
After attending the Salt Conference in 2025, I experienced a big change in both my mind and my heart. Since truly choosing to follow God, the way I think and live has changed significantly. I now have a much more positive outlook on life, and I’m so grateful for the impact that Jesus and God have had on me. When I face inconveniences or challenges, I try to turn to God and let Him lead the way. I’m constantly reminded of Book of Proverbs 3:5–6, which talks about trusting in the Lord and not leaning on your own understanding. That verse has become a reminder for me to place my trust in God and follow where He leads.