This is our new interview series, hearing from some of the Christians at Westoning Baptist Church.
Please tell us a little about yourself and how you became a Christian
I live in Flitwick and work as an osteopath and run a business. I’ve lived in Flitwick for 8 years but have moved a few times before that – Kent, Shropshire, London, Milton Keynes and back to London.
I became a Christian after I went to London to study. We didn’t have halls for my college so I just shared a flat with a Christian lady. I had terrible homesickness which lasted for months. During that time the church became a place I loved going to- there was friendship, warmth and kindness. The preaching was like I had never heard before – clearly explaining and applying the Bible’s teachings. I started to take an interest in reading the Bible and it came ‘alive’ to me as never before – full of amazing stories and teachings. Over the course of time I became more aware that I was a sinner and needed to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour. Someone told me ‘Jesus is the friend who will never leave me’ – a simple truth but it moved my heart. There wasn’t a time or a place but by a gradual change over a few months I became sure that the Lord Jesus Christ had died for me and I was forgiven and saved.
Who had the greatest influence on your theological development
If I had to pick one person out of the many influences there have been it would have to be the retired pastor Stuart Olyott. I have greatly benefited from his books on Hebrews, Romans and other subjects. His sermon series on knowyourbiblerecordings.org have been an immense help in developing my Bible knowledge.
I’ve heard him preach a few times and was particularly affected by his preaching on Isaiah 6 at Aberystwyth conference many years ago – ‘Whom shall I send?’
Tell us about a favourite Bible verse or passage
There are many passages I could mention – some that influenced me when I became a Christian and many that have been special since but there is one verse which I could almost call my ‘motto text’. It is what I always try to keep before me in prioritising home, life and business responsibilities – ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness’.
Can you share something about prayer
Prayer is not something I always find easy but it is something I enjoy. What a tremendous privilege to be able to communicate with the King of heaven and earth and to call Him my Father. Many prayers have been answered, especially in the healing of family and friends from illnesses and seeing friends become Christians. I have been very thankful that some prayers have not been answered in the way that I requested. How wise and kind is our God.
The further I continue in the Christian life I see that God’s timing is not our timing. There are so many examples of great long seasons of waiting and preparing by the Lord in the Scriptures – Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and many others all had long periods of waiting in their lives or even the Lord Jesus who didn’t start His public ministry until He was around 30. This encourages me to keep on praying for friends and family to become Christians and wait patiently for answers to prayer.
How does your faith affect your daily life?
Faith in God helps me through each day and shapes the way I think, speak and behave. Many times I fail by still doing things which do not please God but He is a loving and forgiving Father. I am thankful to be able to trust God who has already planned out my life. I am so looking forward to spending eternity in heaven and that puts everything that happens here on earth in perspective. Being a Christian is the one thing that really matters in life, everything else will be gone one day. Another favourite verse sums it up well ‘Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me’ Galatians 2:20.