“I have been going to church since I was born. I was adopted into a Christian home and my father was a Lutheran school teacher. I have no recollection of my parents ever sinning,” Mike shared. “As for me, I knew that I was someone who dealt with sin from early on.”
“In all my years of Christian schooling, I didn’t understand the love that God had for me. I picked up on the fact that the wage for my sin is death,” Mike continued. “Jesus saving grace eluded me for most of my life. While at one level I knew He died for my sins, it did not really reach me at a level of real understanding.”
Mike and his wife felt they were guided to Green Valley and Desert Hills Lutheran Church, but they didn’t know why until now. “I had prayed that as I aged I would, with God’s help, develop more wisdom. Slowly, with the help of the Holy Spirit and the understanding I was getting from Desert Hills worship and our ministers the message of God’s love and salvation plan was coming in.”
“Now I have a better understanding of God’s plan and His agape love,” Mike commented. “I understand His plan of salvation for us through His Son and I now realize how important the work of His Holy Spirit is. While God sent Jesus, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help us in daily life.”
“I know that for me and maybe others the work of the Spirit isn’t always clearly understood,” shared Mike. “He was sent here for many reasons. Some are to keep us aware that we are sinners and in need of forgiveness and He is here to guide and enlighten us on our earthly journey as well as filling us with strength, spiritual gifts, and wisdom.”
“The Holy Spirit also gives us strength to witness, to help us pray to the Father, and to help us become intercessors. In other words, learning to pray for others and taking the focus off us. This is something I surely wasn’t doing,” Mike explained. “The good news is, He tells us, that all of us can become intercessors. As an intercessor, we learn the importance of praying for others.”
“I am learning a new love for the third God of our Trinity,” Mike concluded, “and I am so grateful that I was granted this wisdom in the last days of my life, and I believe with the Spirit's help I will continue to grow until my final day comes!”
Desert Hills Lutheran Church invites you to learn and grow in your faith and knowledge through our worship services, bible studies, and sermon discussion groups.