My name is Rileigh and I've been going to Summit for almost exactly three years now. I wanted to share the work God has been doing in my life since then. I started my drive from Chicago to Florida exactly three years ago today. I never wanted to move to Florida, ever. I didn't have a good reason to back up that statement, though. I didn't have faith in God back then. However, I ended up moving here because God told me to do so. I definitely fought Him on that. But everywhere I went, something about Florida would pop up. At that time, I was at the lowest point in my life and figured what else could I possibly lose. I honestly didn't know why I was choosing to listen to Him.
In the years leading up to this move, I had convinced myself that God did not care about me. I always believed He existed, but never had the faith that He loved me. I was so wrong.
Saturday, January 12, 2019 I realized that I would have to go to church in the morning with all of my family. I really didn't want to. I truly believed that there was nothing that can be said that will change my mind on how I think God feels about me. But I went anyways. I will say, I really had no intention on listening.
I walked in that morning and the screen said Jesus Is Better. It caught my attention and I thought to myself "ok maybe but not for me". During the sermon, I was actually paying attention to what was being spoken, not just hearing words.
The moment in the service that I realized that Jesus IS Better, was at the ending prayer. The Pastor had said "there is one person in this room that doesn't know you as their Savior". I tried so hard to fight back tears. I knew God had brought me to Florida to literally save my life. The next day, I bought a notebook and opened my Bible for the first time in what had to be around 8 years. I haven't looked back since.
I used the world to fill my voids and put my faith in those things. I never put my faith in Jesus and yet still wondered why I was falling down what felt like a bottomless pit. A few months after I committed my life to Jesus, I realized my suffering wasn't for nothing. My pain had a purpose and that purpose was for me to get so far down the pit that I needed a Savior. Because otherwise, I would have never given God the chance.
As I was re-listening to the sermon from January 13, 2019, three years later, God spoke to me in different ways and brought new things to my attention that I couldn't fully grasp back then.
God has done so many amazing things in my life during these three years. I still faced trials, especially in 2021. This time, I was able to put my faith in Jesus because my faith is rooted in Him.
Thank you for preaching the Gospel to every man, woman, and child. My life has been forever changed.