MY NAME IS HARLAN AND I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU HOW GOD HAS WORKED IN MY LIFE. IT IS NOT A DRAMATIC TESTIMONY BUT I FEEL GOD HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE.

Before I received Christ into my life. . .
I HATED GOING TO CHURCH. I USED TO LOVE TO SLEEP IN ON SUNDAY MORNING (I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON). I THOUGHT PEOPLE WERE CRAZY TO WAKE UP EARLY ON SUNDAY MORNINGS TO LISTEN TO A MAN SPEAK FOR AN HOUR. WHEN I DID WAKE UP EARLY TO GO TO CHURCH, I WAS BORED OUT OF MY MIND. MY DAD WOULD DRAG ME TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 7 YEARS OLD, I CAN REMEMBER MY DAD TAKING ME TO CHURCH WHEN I WANTED TO STAY AT HOME. I WAS SO MAD AT MY DAD THAT I REFUSED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IN THE CHURCH PARKING LOT. AFTER THAT INCIDENT, MY DAD GAVE UP ON BRINGING ME TO CHURCH. I WAS ALSO A SELF-CENTERED PERSON. I ONLY THOUGHT OF MYSELF AND HOW I COULD PLEASE MYSELF. I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN I WANTED TO BUY A STEREO BUT I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY. SO I LOOKED AROUND THE HOUSE AND FOUND 150 DOLLARS THAT MY MOTHER HAD HIDDEN IN HER CLOSET. BEING A SELF-CENTERED PERSON, I TOOK THE MONEY AND WENT TO THE STORE AND BOUGHT THE STEREO.

How I received Christ. . .
IT WAS WHEN I WAS ABOUT 14 YEARS OF AGE WHEN MY ATTITUDE CHANGED ABOUT CHURCH. I WAS IN THE EIGHTH GRADE AT KING INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL. I DID NOT HAVE MANY FRIENDS. IN FACT, I WAS LONER. ONE DAY A GIRL INVITED ME TO HER CHURCH YOUTH GROUP MEETING. THE GIRL WAS CUTE, SO I AGREED TO GO TO THE MEETING. AT THE MEETING, I MET THE YOUTH GROUP LEADER (HIS NAME WAS YOT LEE). THIS YOUTH LEADER MADE TIME FOR ME AND MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE. I CAN REMEMBER HIM PICKING ME UP FROM MY HOUSE JUST TO SPEND TIME WITH ME. HE WOULD TAKE ME TO HIS HOUSE AND TEACH ME HOW TO PLAY CHESS AND PING PONG. AS I GOT TO KNOW HIM BETTER, HE BECAME A CHRISTIAN ROLE MODEL FOR ME. I ALSO FELT A LOVE AND JOY IN THE YOUTH GROUP THAT I HAD NEVER FELT BEFORE, IT WAS THE LOVE OF GOD. I SOON GAVE MY LIFE OVER TO JESUS CHRIST AND BECAME A COMMITTED MEMBER OF THE YOUTH GROUP. I WAS BAPTIZED ON JUNE 7, 1981.

​After I accepted Christ in my life . . .
AFTER I BECAME A CHRISTIAN GOING TO CHURCH WAS NOT A CHORE OR A BORE BUT A NECESSITY. I FOUND THAT WHEN I DID GO TO CHURCH I WAS ENCOURAGED AND UPLIFTED. NOW GOD USES SUNDAY SERVICE AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT MINI CHURCH TO REFUEL ME FOR THE DAYS IN BETWEEN. GOD USES THE MESSAGE, THE SINGING AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF OTHER BELIEVERS TO ENCOURAGE ME IN MY WALK WITH THE LORD. ALSO, AFTER I BECAME A CHRISTIAN MY SELF-CENTEREDNESS DIMINISHED. I BECAME LESS SELFCENTERED AND MORE GOD-CENTERED. I HAD ATTENDED A CHRISTIAN CAMP AND FELT GOD TELLING ME TO SERVE HIM MORE. I HAD THOUGHT THAT ATTENDING CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY WAS GOOD ENOUGH. ALSO DURING THAT TIME, A FRIEND OF MINE, ROB GROSS WAS STARTING A NEW CHURCH AND HE ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO HELP. AT FIRST I DID NOT WANT TO BECAUSE I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THE CHURCH I WAS ATTENDING. I HAD ESTABLISHED A LOT OF CLOSE FRIENDSHIPS AND LEAVING THE CHURCH AND MY FRIENDS WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR ME. BUT GOD WAS TELLING ME TO BE A SERVANT AND NOT BE COMFORTABLE. ONE WAY I KNEW I WAS STRIVING TO BE MORE GOD-CENTERED WAS WHEN I WAS DOING MORE THINGS ACCORDING TO GOD'S WORD AND WILL INSTEAD OF MY OWN WILL.

Conclusion
BECOMING A CHRISTIAN HAS BEEN THE BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE IN MY LIFE. HOWEVER, BEING A CHRISTIAN DOES NOT IMMUNE ONE FROM HAVING PROBLEMS. A LOT OF TIMES WE TRY TO DO THINGS ON OUR OWN WHICH CAUSES US TO GET INTO TROUBLE. IF WE RELY ON GOD, HE WILL GUIDE US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I WANT TO END MY TESTIMONY BY SHARING A SCRIPTURE VERSE WITH YOU.

PROVERBS 2:20
"TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT."