Testimonies

Testimony of Greg B. Stedman

                       I was born January 11, 1961 in Newport R.I.  My father was in the Navy and we moved approximately every three years until he retired in 1972.  At this point, we moved to my parents’ hometown of Dayton, Washington, situated 30 miles north of Walla Walla, Washington.

My parents went to the Methodist church and I was sprinkled as a baby. We attended faithfully in my early years, and at one point I was an altar boy and helped with communion.  Looking back I wonder about this as I don’t recall any profession of faith in Jesus Christ as my personal saviour.  I could tell you who Jesus was in history, I knew of his birth, and his resurrection. I had head knowledge of him but nothing in the heart. Along with a public school education, the teaching of evolution, the influence of the rock-n-roll industry and my father employing the philosophy of Dr. Spock in child rearing, the course was set for a path leading to rebellion and destruction.

While bowling with a youth group from the Methodist church on one particular Saturday, a bunch of my hippie friends showed up.  When they noticed who I was with, they started teasing me about becoming a Christian geek. At this point of my life, I made a conscious decision to go down a path away from Christianity, toward what I perceived to be fun.

This decision resulted in seventeen years of heartbreak for my family and me.  I was trying to fill the emptiness in my heart with sex, drugs and rock-n-roll.  I joined the U.S. Navy in 1979 and was discharged in 1983. In 1984 I became a correctional officer at the Washington State Penitentiary.  My life was still one big party. Oh there was pleasure in sin for a season but no true joy.  I had no hope from my Methodist upbringing. I figured I had no chance. I thought I had to be good, REALLY good to get to heaven, if there was a heaven, and if there was a hell I was a prime candidate and deserved it.

In the year 1990, the situation in the Middle East was getting tense.  It sure seemed that the world was unraveling at a pace of Biblical proportions. I thought I  had to be GOOD in order to earn heaven. So since I knew I couldn't stay good for very long, I came up with a plan.  I got a little pocket Bible and started reading  the book of Revelation, thinking if I could figure out when Jesus Christ was coming back, I could get good right before that and have a shot.  At this time, an old friend who had become what I thought was a Jesus freak knocked on my door. Is this a coincidence? I don’t think so. There I was drinking a beer, smoking a cigarette, reading the Bible.  He asked what I was doing and I told him, he chuckled, and informed me that I probably wouldn’t be able to understand what I was reading.  Why? I asked. He told me to turn to 1 Cor. 2:14 and that verse made sense of the situation.  He explained to me how to be saved by the scriptures.  I put him off at that time but did say I would go to church with him some time.  I went to church, where I heard the preaching of the gospel, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures. I was shown Romans 10:9,10 , and decided this was what I needed, so I prayed to get saved, yet a part of me still wanted to hold on to things.  My friend went to PBI that September, and no one from the church followed up on me.  Later they regretfully told me they didn’t think I would pan out.

I spent another year of no victory and going through the wringer. Then in July 1991 I went back to that little old Church in Touchet, Washington.  The Preacher didn’t know I was going to show up that day but God did, and I heard a message on the Prodigal Son.  I went down to that altar broken and ready for a new life. I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ and told him I would try His way, as mine was obviously wrong. I purposed to be there whenever the church was open, Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday prayer meeting, Monday night men’s Bible Study.  I began serving in the church, teaching teen Sunday school, and helping with the youth group.

In 1994 I surrendered to preach at men’s Bible study while watching a preaching video of Evangelist Tim Lee. He preached the message, “Why I can’t quit.”

In the winter of 1995 I was led of the Lord to go to Pensacola Bible Institute. Upon arriving in Pensacola, in April 1996, I got involved with visitation, and street preaching until I could start classes in the fall.  I met Anna that spring and we were married in August, and started school. What a schedule!  The classes were from 6-10 pm Monday thru Thursday and I also worked a 50 hour per week full time job.  Only God and his faithfulness could get us through such a schedule.  What a blessing! All Glory to the Lamb of God!

After graduating in 1999, we headed back to the Pacific Northwest, to help in the church at Touchet, WA.  Through different events, trials and such we landed in Post Falls Idaho in the fall of 2002 where we have been these last 12 years. I have been involved in just about all facets of the ministry here and my family has grown in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.   I am blessed that my sons and daughters have learned to serve also, in the church, publick ministry, and nursing home ministry.  All three of my sons preach in the nursing home and enjoy it. Praise God.