I was born in Montana in 1979 and grew up without regularly attending church. At age 11, I heard the gospel for the first time at a friend's church, realized I was a sinner, and accepted Jesus as my savior. My family also became Christians and joined the church, but we stopped attending after a couple years. For the next four years I was without direction until rediscovering God's purpose for my life.

1. God’s Work of Grace in Our Lives
I was born in Missoula, Montana in July of 1979. I grew up in a good home with
parents who worked hard to provide for their family. As a young boy, we spent
much of our family time in the outdoors. We did many great activities, but
church was not one of them. I heard the gospel for the first time when a friend
invited me to Florence Baptist Church in Florence, Montana. We rode the bus to
Sunday School. It was in this place that I listened to the Word of God preached.
At the age of 11 years old, I discovered that I was a sinner destined for Hell.
That day, I bowed my head and heart to Jesus Christ and trusted Him as my Per-
sonal Savior. After this, my family accepted Christ and became members of Flor-
ence Baptist Church. We attended for about 2 years and then dropped out of
church. For the next 4 years, I did not darken the doors of a church. Sports be-
came my idol, but gave me no peace. I had no purpose or clear direction for my
life and was