For The First Time, I Realized That
I Was Undone Before God

Hello, my name is Debra. I am the oldest girl of six children. I have three brothers and two sisters. We were raised in a low-income family, which did not allow us to do very many things? Once a year, we would be able to visit my Grandparents in Alabama; this was the most exciting thing each year until we received a visit from Pastor Johnson and Brother Griffith.

During the summer of 1976, Pastor Johnson and Brother Griffith were out in our neighbourhood campaigning for Vacation Bible School for First Baptist Church of Point of rocks. They asked my parents if we could go and be a part of Bible school. My parents said yes, but we would need a ride to and from the location where Vacation Bible School was going to be held. This was no problem for the Pastor.

I can still remember each day as Pastor Johnson would come and pick us up in the church's van. We would have so much fun, singing and being taught about the Bible. This was all new to my sisters, brother and I. In our home we always acknowledged that there was a God, but we never talked about the Lord Jesus Christ.

At the end of the week Pastor Johnson gave me my very first Bible. He told me to read John chapter 17 to know what Jesus thinks of believers. This was a big question to me, who were believers and what did they need to believe?

As Vacation Bible School ended, Pastor Johnson asked my parents if we would be able to attend Sunday school at the church. Again my parents said ?yes?, but we would need a ride to the church and back home. Every Sunday, Pastor Griffith would come and take us to Sunday school. Brother Griffith was now the Pastor of the church, Pastor Johnson moved on to start a new work for the Lord in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Going to Sunday school and church-was very different for my siblings and I. We did not go to church as a family at first. We continued to learn about the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ. We attended the services at First Baptist Church for several months when my mother started to go with us. Pastor Griffith began to speak to my father. Soon we were all going to the church in Point of Rocks.

Our family appeared to be very loyal and dedicated to the Lord and the church, but this was just religion. We did not have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We were faithful to attend services; even my mother joined the church on a statement that she was saved when she was younger and my father made a profession of faith. We would all need to understand what the Lord Jesus Christ had done on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.

We continued to learn more and more about the Bible and the finished work that the Lord did on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. I began to understand, but was not able to make it personal to my life. I was now fourteen years old and the Lord was not finished working on my heart and life.

Our church was a part of a great youth group that moved to a different hosting church each month. It was Monday night in May, the hosting church was Pastor Johnson's new church in Martinsburg. The youth of his church decided to do a play about the death of Jesus Christ. When the invitation was given, the Holy Spirit had convicted me to tears of my need of salvation. The play made me realize that the sins in my life had put Jesus on the cross. It finally became personal to me and I understood for the first time that I was undone before God. I bowed my head and asked the Lord to save me.

I did not go forward during the alter call that night, but waited until the next Sunday and went forward before our church asking to be baptized.

I was baptized by Pastor Griffith and joined the First Baptist Church of Point of Rocks. There I continued to learn more about the Lord and His Church. I continued to be a part of the youth group and became secretary. I began to teach 2 and 3 year olds Sunday school class. I desired to learn more of God's Word and to grow spiritually. What a joy it was to know my sins were forgiven and I was on my way to heaven.