Greetings, brother and sisters. 
My name is Jireh Owen. I’m 15 years old and recently finished my first year of high school. This is my testimony. Like many of you, I was born into a Christian family and attended church. Every weekend, I heard many Bible stories from Sunday School. But the problem was that I didn’t fully understand God’s Word and how devastating sin was at that time. During my early years of childhood, I was lost and didn’t know what my purpose in life was. I was influenced to meet the world’s expectations, such as getting good grades at school. But most of the time, I wanted to be an expert at everything, and I was so caught up in pleasing other people that I ignored God and did not place Him first in my life.

Soon after, I began attending fellowship groups like Teens in God’s Service (TIGS) at church. What I learned at TIGS helped me grow spiritually throughout my junior high years. Unfortunately, there were times of hardship when I was in middle school. I was struggling to fit in and the pressure of school caused me to have feelings of uncertainty. Before I knew it, I was submerged in my own pride and obsessed with enhancing my popularity at school. I was struggling with sin and I was proud enough to believe that I could overcome all of it by myself, without God. It took me some time to realize the severity of my sin and that I couldn’t overcome these spiritual battles by myself. I desperately needed God to save me. Soon after, I repented from my sins, looked to Christ, and asked God for forgiveness. In that moment, I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior and completely received the gift of salvation from God. That was the first time I truly understood and appreciated the Gospel. In the beginning, God created everything to be perfect. But sin entered the world and corrupted humanity, breaking my relationship with Him. Because of sin, I deserved death and the wrath of God by suffering in eternal hell. But God loved me so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for my sins so that I could receive the gift of salvation and spend eternity with God in heaven. For that, I am thankful for the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

Later on in my life, I began growing in my faith and strengthening my relationship with God. I would read the Bible every morning and talk to God through prayer. In times of tribulation, I repeatedly recited Joshua 1:9, which says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” This verse provided me confidence and the strength to overcome the hardships in my life. I was not lost anymore because God has a plan for me. Being good at everything isn’t one of my priorities anymore because as a human, I’m sinful and bound to make mistakes. I was not afraid to face failures in my life because I know that Jesus loves me, and He is enough. I wasn’t caught up in meeting the expectations of society and being popular among my classmates. I wasn’t focused on accomplishing my worldly priorities in order to please other people. I thought to myself, “Who cares about all of this? God is better!” Indeed, I was correct because these ideas only provided temporary pleasure and were meaningless. Instead, I seek to honor and please God by following His Word.

My spiritual growth toward God was partially due to the Wednesday Bible Studies, led by Pastor Tranwei and Pastor Glenn. One of the most important lessons that I learned was prayer. I remembered one time in elementary school, I was stuck on the hardest level of a math game. I couldn’t seem to pass the level no matter how hard I tried but I prayed to God for help. And guess what? A few days later, I was able to complete the whole level effortlessly and finished the game. These small moments of God working in my life reminded me how much God loves me and how powerful He is. It gives me comfort and reassurance that God always listens and answers my prayers. As a result, I began improving and integrating prayer into my life more often. I became eager to listen and study the Word of God. During the pandemic, Chris Chu has been disciplining me, Caleb Kuo, and Samuel Oen. Chris’s work has been a massive reason for how I’ve grown closer to Christ over the past couple of months. So, I thank all of the people who have helped me grow in my faith with Christ and encouraged me to stand firm in times of hardships.

Following my acceptance of Jesus Christ, I wanted to confess my commitment to Christ and grow with Him in His death and resurrection. That is why I am taking a step of faithful obedience to declare my testimony and be baptized. Thank you.