God Can Save Anyone
Hello, my name is Damon Akers, and I am at the Christian Leaders Institute for their online ordination opportunity (Learn more about online Bible classes, Click Here). From the United States of America, I grew up in a small rural town called Pulaski, Virginia. I graduated from Concord University located in Athens, West Virginia, in May of 2019. My degree is in Sports Management with a minor in Business Administration. I currently live in Atlanta, Georgia, and work for Fellowship of Christian Athletes. My story is one of God’s goodness and faithfulness, and it’s unique to a lot of people.
Early Struggles
I did not grow up in church and honestly was against God for an extended period. I knew of God and thought He created the universe. But I was not interested in any sort of relationship with Him. Going into middle school and high school, I struggled with depression and not knowing who I was. I could fit into any group of people but had no idea who I was. I got involved in pornography very early in middle school. My addiction was to the point I would lie to others when anyone caught me looking at it.
In high school, the identity search and addictions only got worse. In my junior year of high school, a teammate’s ex-girlfriend sexually assaulted me in my grandmother’s house. This event heightened my depression and made me suicidal. I thought daily, “Who will miss me? Nobody is going to notice if I’m gone. What good God allows this stuff to happen to decent people?” Every time I attempted suicide, something would always come up and stop me. Examples of this are phone calls from parents, text messages from coaches, severe storms that prevented anyone from traveling. I never knew what was going on or who was stopping me until I found Jesus.
Finding Jesus
In my freshman year of college, I was immediately surrounded by three extraordinary individuals. They showed me the true love of Christ, but I didn’t know it. Then, one day in November, my cross country teammate, Cimmarron, asked me to attend a revival session. It was being held at Maranatha Baptist Church in Princeton, West Virginia that night. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I said yes.
That night changed my life forever! That night, November 5, 2015, that Jesus made it clear to me that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life in this crazy world. For the first time, I truly encountered God and couldn’t ignore Him. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior that night and have been walking with Him ever since.
It has not always been easy, but it has always been worth it. The Lord has indeed turned me around from the person I was when I started college. I can’t praise Him enough for who He is and all He has done in my life! He saved me even when I hated Him. Talk about a good, good Father!
Online Ordination Opportunity at CLI
My ministry desire is to share the Gospel with any and everyone who will listen. I believe I have the gift of teaching and want to use this gift for God’s glory. Christian Leaders Institute has given me an excellent opportunity to become ordained as a minister, and I can’t thank God enough! I found CLI because my father is getting married, and he has asked me to perform his ceremony. I’m so thankful that he trusts me to have this honor and that the Holy Spirit has moved in my dad’s life ever since I became a follower of Jesus.
Christian Leaders Institute has been a tremendous blessing in this process. I highly recommend that anyone who wants to become a minister sign up and take advantage of this fantastic resource. Thank you, CLI!
Learn more about online ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
