Testimony of Ed Spitzlberger

Given during January 11, 2004 Worship Service

Good morning. My name is Ed Spitzlberger, and I have the opportunity to talk to you about the most important thing that has ever occurred in my life.

I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and I married Sue, my high school sweetheart, and we have 7 children. In June of this past year we had a 21 year old and 21 month old, we have 4 teenagers, 1 teenager in college, 3 teenagers, an 11 year old daughter and a two year old at home... so you can see why we go to church.

Well, we do go to church, we have been attending SGC almost 19 years.

This morning I have the privilege of sharing with you how God used an old friend to tell me about how I needed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

As I said, I grew up in Denver, attended parochial schools and went to church almost every Sunday. But I had no personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I started getting in trouble in high school and by the time I was in college, I was involved in all the wrong things. Things that were destructive and harmful ...I was living for the weekends and heading nowhere fast.

During that time, I didn't think I was hurting anyone but maybe myself, truth was I was hurting everyone around me. Even my friends were worried about me.

About that time I was promoted at my job at a local grocery chain. I was sent to a store where an old friend worked. We had gone to grade school together and, outside of a couple of times in high school, had lost touch, but we caught up quickly.

My friend was a happy guy, full of energy. He was a guy who you would like to be around -- he was always smiling. I asked him why it seemed he was so happy all the time and asked if he wanted to go to a party that weekend.

He told me that he didn't participate in that kind of thing anymore, that he had become a Christian.

I didn't understand what he meant ... if he was a Christian, I was a Christian after all we'd gone to the same church.

Well, I kept living the way I wanted to ...but my friend didn't care about that... he just kept befriending me and telling me about his faith.

He explained that a Christian was one that had a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus ... and that he knew that if he died today that he would be in heaven. I told him I didn't think he could know that... He told me that it didn't matter what I thought, or what he thought -- but it was what God said that was important.

Now I thought that was pretty bold and I asked him how he thought he knew what God said. He told me he read and studied the Bible and that there was a Bible study that we could both go to the following Wednesday and would I come.

Now I already told you that I went to parochial school all the way through high school. That's a lot of religion classes and I always did pretty good and had plenty to say. So I went -- and I listened -- and I didn't have anything to say.

I heard things at that study that I'd never heard before -- I heard that I was an enemy of God's and that God was not only a Holy God but a JUST God and even ONE sin not only disqualified you from being in His presence in Heaven but condemned you to hell. You see I thought there were some kind of celestial scales where if you were more good than you were bad you could get in. I thought I was OK.

I heard that there was only One way to get to heaven and that was through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Now I knew Jesus Christ as the savior of the world but had never known him in a personal way.

I heard that eternal life was a gift and that there was nothing I could do that would gain me any amount of favor with God. That this gift was simply for those who trust in his Son Jesus.

I went home and tried to go to sleep, but all those thoughts were going around in my head and I was confused and upset. So I prayed a prayer of desperation -God I don't know about all this but if you just show me what to do - I'll do it.

After a few more weeks went by, and a few more studies ... God showed me what he wanted me to do. I trusted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and asked Him to be Lord of my life.

I understood that I had to receive the gift He offered... I simply had to ask Him to forgive me to save me from what I really deserved and then determine to have Him rule my life and He would do all He promised ...

I have been changed and am being changed...I am no longer an enemy of God's rather He calls me His child..a co-Heir with Christ

I have been given new life - eternal life and I am thankful.

I am thankful to God who loved me when I was unlovable, who reached me when I had no interest in Him. I am thankful that His Word that penetrates a hard heart like mine. I am thankful for a friend who was obedient and who boldly shared the reason for the joy that was within him.

This is a new year when we celebrate new beginnings...make new promises, new commitments. Let me encourage you...If you don't know Him to start a new relationship with Him... I promise...You'll be thankful...