Student Testimonies
COLLEEN LUCAS
I grew up in a Christian family and I’ve gone to church my whole life. When I was six years old I decided to trust God as my savior; I became a Christian. When I was nine I moved to Paradise. At first it was hard. In Middle School I made some good friends that have helped me make good decisions with my life.
In 8th grade I became angry because my brother seemed to get so much attention for the bad things he did. I rebelled against my parents so that they would notice me. My freshman year my mom said, “you’re just like your brother!” Those words rang through my head… I didn’t want to be like my brother. Towards the middle of my freshman year I decided that I wanted to change and live more like God would want me to.
The summer of 2010 I went to Hume Lake. That was probably the best experience of my life. After Hume, I started living my life the way God wants me to, not my way. The only possible way that I can do that is by God’s strength, not my own. At Man Vs. Wild 2010, Shawn McBride talked a lot about courage and not being afraid to share your faith. Ever since then I have prayed that God would give me courage, and he has. My family and friends encourage me daily, and while I still struggle with living my life God’s way, because of him I am able to do so.
RYAN RIDGE
Hi, I’m Ryan Ridge and this is my testimony. I’m a freshman at Paradise High School. I did grow up in a Christian home. I accepted the Lord when I was 8. I was into the idea of going to church, but I wasn’t serving the Lord. When I was in 6th grade I realized that being a Christian is more than just going to church. Anyone can go to church and call themselves a Christian, but God wants us to serve Him and He wants us to teach His word to non-believers.
I rededicated my life to God at Hume Lake. I was a student leader in Jr. High and I was involved in the sound booth. Being a freshman in high school is a scary transition… there are lots of temptations in high school, which can lead you down paths that end with regret. I knew I needed to be involved in the high school group. It is a great way to get to know God better. I have a great relationship with God and I love serving Him. I’m also part of the student leadership team. So don’t fall into peer pressure; instead, give God control of your life.
JOSH GILLANDER
I was born into a Christian family where my parents and my brothers always went to church. I finally accepted Jesus into my life when I was about five years old at the Vacation Bible School over the summer. However, for years I lived my life like a lukewarm Christian, which is someone who claims to be a Christian but doesn’t live the complete life of one. In Revelation 3:16 it reads “so, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spot you out of my mouth.” And that was me. In fact, before my sophomore year I had barely ever read my Bible. I was so confused at what God wanted me to do yet I never bothered to read his word that he clearly provided for me. It was as if I were a soldier fighting a battle with no weapon or armor.
A few years ago, God gave me a strong conviction to study his word. I started to read the Bible more and more and I would realize just how awesome it really is. During my sophomore summer our youth group read the book “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. One of the chapters discussed being lukewarm and how God detests it. He would rather us be on fire for him or just dead cold than have us be in the middle. That summer, God gave me another conviction to run a bible study during school. So last year we started an on campus Bible Study of the book of Luke, most Thursdays for the entire year. I decided to continue the study this year as well as the same time and place. However, none of this could have happened without God, his almighty will, and his Son that he offers to all who wish to receive him as a ransom for our sins. “Yet to all who receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” – John 1:12
JOSH GOERDT
When I was 5 years old, my family lived in Alaska. I had my mom and a dad. My mom knew she was fed up with my dad’s excessive drinking and smoking… so she took me and moved to Paradise, CA. We immediately found a family in the Christians that we met here, and they invited us to join them at the CMA church. We started going when I was 6. I was baptized when I was 8, but I had no real idea why I wanted to do it. For a while nothing big or drastic happened with my life, but when I turned 14 everything broke down.
Drama started to tear at my soul. At times I wanted to commit suicide. I really had no intention of knowing God. I started hanging out with the wrong friends, and started doing the things of the world. I became depressed throughout this time of my life. However, I am proud to say now that my faith has grown and God has done miraculous things in my life. He is an amazing and loving God, and I’m glad that he has brought me from where I was to where I am today.
HOLLY RAY
So I should begin this by introducing myself … my name is Holly Ray, I am a junior at PHS and this is just about my life right now and the way God has influenced it. I could tell the same story I’ve been telling at church my whole life, about how I was raised in a Christian home, but I would like to just tell you about my life as of recently. Last year I went through a period of small depression, which was unusual for me (for those of you who know me I'm usually high spirited). I felt as if everything was going wrong…. Well I found that I had just been going through the motions of life and just simply living. Recently I realized just how important living my life for God and loving it matters. A few months ago I lost my grandpa to suicide, and I realized I had no idea where he stood with God and where he ended up. That scared me enough to look at my own life and see that I don’t want to live life thinking “what if?!” So I have chosen to know what will become of me and let God take control of my life. I challenge you to join me and give God control, even if you think it’s too late. The fact is, it doesn’t matter when you take your stand for God.