The following story comes from an interview with my roommate; this testimony is a compelling witness to the transforming power of a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ! I hope you enjoy this article as much as I enjoyed the conversation!
Until an encounter with the Assembly of God congregation in his hometown, Brian Kuracz had lived a nominal, lukewarm Christian faith. His mother had raised him in a local Lutheran Church – but following Christ didn’t appeal to him in the slightest. It took an experience out of his routine and comfort zone to light a spark of passion within him.
Until an encounter with the Assembly of God congregation in his hometown, Brian Kuracz had lived a nominal, lukewarm Christian faith. His mother had raised him in a local Lutheran Church – but following Christ didn’t appeal to him in the slightest. It took an experience out of his routine and comfort zone to light a spark of passion within him.
Throughout childhood, Brian always viewed faith as attending church regularly, following rules, meeting expectations, and performing boring prayers. In the church that he attended as a child, congregants were accustomed to an air of legalism and liturgy; in fact, Brian didn’t even realize that Christianity could be enjoyable in any sense – it simply did not interest him. He continued to faithfully frequent worship services with his mother, but his life was never truly affected by the belief he held.
However, that all changed when Brian attended an Assembly of God church for the first time two years ago. Upon participating in the worship service, he observed that some people were truly enjoying the process of following the Lord. "There was more to it than going to Church. You can actually enjoy a relationship with Jesus Christ!” Since he was exploring interest in military enlistment, the idea of a personal God engaging in relationships with His believers was very inviting to Brian. Like never before (with the uncertainty of potential army life looming), he really needed something in which to put his trust – and he found that in a relationship with Christ!
The decision to follow Jesus completely transformed Brian’s life. After years of regular Church attendance, he was finally opening up to the Word of God – and allowing it to work in him. Brian began reading the Bible on his own time, by his own volition! Shortly thereafter, he started striving toward holiness as Scripture was renewing both his heart and mind; he felt compelled to aim for the standard of righteousness that Jesus Christ modeled. His choice to enter into a relationship with the Lord completely altered his existence!
It was then that his aspirations for a military career fell through; he was not able to join the Marine Corps, as he had so desperately hoped! Since childhood Brian had wanted nothing more than becoming a soldier, but his long-held dream did not come to fruition. Then, as if in response to his seemingly hopeless situation, the Lord reached out to him; while sitting in a worship service one day, Brian knew that he was being called to ministry – not in a sense that the voice of God was audible, but that a “seed was planted” within him to serve the Lord in full time ministry! After further investigation, prayer, and objective confirmation, Brian knew that God was directing him to be a professional minister.
For now, he is staying put at Valley Forge Christian College – where the Lord has ultimately led him to train for professional ministry; of course, God continues to do awesome things in his life! Though Brian does not yet know what specific profession God is calling him to pursue, he is certain that (in time) the right ministry will be revealed. His passion for ministry to young adults and for a potential military chaplaincy with American soldiers are both evident; however, Brian is sure to point out that his future is totally in the hands of God.
The Lord will surely work out the coming years of Brian’s life, as he did the years before; God’s movement in his life proves to be a powerful testimony – that one’s existence is completely transformed upon entrance into a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ!
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