Faith and Football

Alpha Course

Real Life Stories

Stephanie

How I was before I started my relationship with God:

Afraid, in pain, felt unloved, paranoid, insecure, full of guilt, hallucinations, offensive and lost.

My beliefs were very post modern – each to their own I would say. I believed all religions were the same and worshipping the same God – unknowingly, I was very wrong.

During the start of my relationship with God:

I went to the Alpha course, I listened and read and believed, but still did not accept God. The door remained closed. I felt nothing, I thought people were on a psychological high, but I did not truly understand or believe that God was alive today, through the Holy Spirit.

The more I prayed, went to church and attended Alpha, the more I could see there really was so much more to life than I had thought. God incidences were occurring one after the other. I began to realise my prayers were being answered, and I could recognise the evil one at work, trying to keep me from my path with God by planting doubt and fear in my head. As I prayed more and spoke about God to friends, some told me I was being brainwashed, or believed it was just a psychological crutch to help me get through life. My answer to this was if it was truly brainwashing then how marvellous it was to be cleansed into peaceful thinking. It is only now, I can see the truth and am so glad I felt God calling me to Alpha.

Religion is like a group of people worshipping a cake, all different cakes and arguing over which one looks the nicest, but when I looked hard at what was happening, these people weren’t enjoying the cake, they were just following the rituals that made up their religion.

When I went to Alpha, I did not see people bragging about a cake, or ramming it down my throat, I saw a lovely group of people eating, and enjoying life together. I then realised the difference between labelling myself a Christian and enjoying a fulfilling relationship with God.

From this moment, I could feel the Holy Spirit all around me, strengthening me and freeing me from all my past mindsets. I realised I was not interested in any religion, but I just wanted a relationship with a truly loving and forgiving God.

It’s not something you can read or hear to believe, you have to feel God speak to you which only happens when you choose to open the door to Him yourself.

I know I am only at the start of my journey with God and I have a lifetime to fulfil with His love and guidance. I have a new love for God, a desire to read the Bible and meet other Christians. I am now able to forgive fully and have a genuine concern for others’ wellbeing which is not driven through guilt. I love worshipping God and being in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

I pray for all the people I know who still don’t believe in God that they may be filled with the Holy Spirit as I have been and I am happy to say today that I will live by God’s will and no longer my own.

Coming to God is the best thing I’ve ever done and I hope to help others in their journey so they too can feel the love and peace of our God through Jesus Christ.

I really want to thank Stephanie for inviting me to the Alpha course – “How blessed are those feet that bring good news” – Our God is alive and today I show all that I come to serve Him, and only Him