Sharing Stories of Salvation

May 1, 2025 / by Pastor Scott Boerckel

“Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble.” Psalm 107:2

In this edition of the Oak Leaf, you will read several “testimonies.” What is a “testimony”? A testimony is simply a person telling their story of how Jesus saved them and what Jesus means to them.

In the verse above, we see that God’s Word encourages us to speak of our redemption. We are to speak up and tell our story of how the Lord has saved us, redeeming us from the worst trouble of all, the condemnation for being a rebel from God.
There are many benefits of testimonies:

—The person sharing the testimony is blessed by being equipped to describe in a short way just how Jesus has changed their lives. Crafting and sharing a testimony is part of being “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:16).

—Christians who hear another believer’s testimony are encouraged. They are encouraged that God is in the business of changing people’s lives. They are encouraged that the Holy Spirit is at work all around us. They are encouraged to share their own testimonies of God’s saving grace.

—God uses the testimonies of believers to draw non-Christians to faith in Christ. This is why the story of Paul’s conversion is related three times in the book of Acts. As people hear various stories of how people became Christians, God’s love and redemptive work becomes clearer and more understandable.

Testimonies draw us to worship God for the way in which He saves people by the unchanging gospel. There is only one way to be made right with God. That is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. One thread that runs through every Christian testimony is this clear, unchanging gospel.

At the same time, every testimony is unique. God works with individuals. He reveals Himself to individuals. So, it is no surprise that there are unique ways that He draws people to Himself. Some of those ways are highly dramatic, containing elements that can come across as strange to our own lives. That’s the wonderful part of being a Christian. God saves every believer the same way, but He uses unique means and results to put His glory on display in unique ways.

As you read the testimonies in this edition of the Oak Leaf, my prayer is that you will rejoice in God’s grace in saving everyone by faith in Jesus Christ, the “old, old story of Jesus and His love.” I also pray that you will rejoice that God’s grace is uniquely imparted to each individual that reveals God’s glory in a variety of ways. I hope that these testimonies will encourage you to write down your own testimony. Then, I hope that you will share it with some folks in your world who do not know the Savior. God may use your story to draw others to Himself.

Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so!

Pastor Scott

Scott loves being a pastor and teaching God’s Word. Before he was a pastor, he worked as a ceramic engineer (and bonus points for anyone who actually knows what that is). He sometimes uses the training that he received at the University of Illinois (Go Illini!), Grace Theological Seminary, and Jerusalem University College. Scott’s wife, Carol, is an awesome watercolor artist who really knows how to think Christianly about the arts. Scott likes cycling with friends, enjoying his ever growing family, and learning from the community of God’s people at East White Oak.