My Testimony and Calling
Greetings. My name is Melissa Hobbs, this is the story of my testimony and calling. I grew up in the United States in a place called Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Currently, I reside in the state of Texas (USA). I attend the Top Hand Cowboy Church in Valley Mills, Texas. I am also a student of the Christian Leaders Institute for continuing education in the ministry (Learn more about free Bible and ministry classes online, Click Here).
My Journey
My family and I always attended church in my hometown of Indiana. We went every Sunday for Sunday School and Wednesday nights for youth meetings. I loved going to church as a child and thank my sweet mom for taking us. She encouraged us to stay true to God in every area of our life!
At the age of 12, I was saved and baptized. However, over the years I had many struggles, which pushed me into a backslidden condition. In 1996, I said enough was enough. Then, I totally gave my life to the Lord. I surrendered all to Him and headed straight forward. I was determined to make it and to be an overcomer of any obstacles put in my way!
My Calling
In 2008, God called me into the ministry to preach His Holy Word. However, I ran from that call at first. It was because I was Baptist, and as a woman, that wasn’t an option. But submitting to God was the best thing I did! I could not let tradition stand in my way of serving the Lord to the fullest! Obedience to God is better than obedience to man’s traditions. My faith and trust are in God alone, the one true God. It is an honor to have accepted the call to preach God’s Word!
Many times I questioned my calling. However, time and time again, God reassured me that this is where I am to be! I heard Him say so plainly, “I love you, preach my Word.” How much more reassurance does one need after hearing those precious words?
Hebrews 13:5, “…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” encourages me. No matter what we go through, God is right there carrying us through! God sets us where we need to be. We must be obedient even if it means stepping out of our comfort zone, and that is what God has done for me!
I received my Local Minister’s License on February 15, 2009, and my District Minister’s License the following year through the Church of the Nazarene in Kentucky. Then, I attended the Nazarene Bible College where I received my certificate of completion in the Ministry Preparation Program (MPP). I love studying God’s Word and learning all about Him. I am so excited to see what God has for me in the next chapter of my life.
Continuing Education in the Ministry
Continuing my education in the ministry is so important to me. I searched for more ministry classes but could not afford the high tuition cost some colleges ask. Then I came across CLI, which offers free ministry classes. What a blessing it is to know I can still further my ministry education through CLI at no cost for the classes. I am excited to be at CLI to further my education in ministry. Thank you, CLI!!
In closing, I’m a Christian under construction. God is molding me each day into who He wants me to be. My desire is to preach God’s Word and minister to the poor, the sick, and the sinner. Without God, I am nothing, just a pile of dust. With God, I am a holy, sanctified, Holy Spirit-filled pile of dust being molded into a vessel that God can use according to His will and not my own!! Less of me and more of God! May God bless His children to stand strong and bold in His service!
Steps to Sign Up At Christian Leaders Institute
Step 1 – Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2.
After you register, you will automatically be enrolled in the “getting started” course. You will locate the course at your “home” button when logged in. Scroll down to find the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2 Link. Click the link and open the course.
Step 2 – Complete Part 1 of this course. Then you can enroll in mini-courses or regular courses.
The Christian Leaders Getting Started Class Part 1 shows you how to enroll in courses and mini-courses. Part 2 of the course connects your calling into ministry with programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute. Part 2 will offer some ministry training and introduce you to the other programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
Into His Marvelous Light
Hello! My name is Dwayne Tanner, from the United States. I am studying for my call to ministry at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about free Bible and ministry classes online, Click Here).
“But God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of this world to confound the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27). This verse speaks volumes as I ponder, “Why would a holy and all-powerful God be mindful of man?” (Psalms 8:4). Surely His ways are not like ours!
41 years of living has not diminished the awe of this truth. What God saw in a skinny, quiet, insecure, fearful, introverted nobody decades ago once baffled me. By my senior year of high school, I had had enough of life. The mundane of day-to-day living had caused me to become bitter, angry, hateful, anxious, lonely, deceitful, fearful, and suicidal. Despite growing up with a hard-working father and a caring stay-at-home mother, I struggled in my youth to find meaning in life and a place to belong. I found myself very critical of people, places, and things. I did not realize the war I was ultimately waging was one against the Creator of these very things; myself included.
My Journey
Even with the vast diversity growing up in New Jersey afforded me, I felt trapped in a bubble of mediocre norms. There had to be more than the charades and noise of shallow lip service that bombarded my existence. There had to be more! And if not, I wanted out. Without me realizing it, God’s sovereignty was at work. Frustration had driven me to the truth. I acknowledged that the world hadn’t defined certain subjects/terms accurately. Nor could it, because, as I would soon learn, these things were not carnal but spiritual. Issues of love, joy, and peace were never properly experienced or shared apart from God. God embodies and authors them. My awakening from spiritual slumber began with an encounter with Jehovah Shalom, the God of Peace.
Some people have dramatic conversion testimonies like Saul on Damascus road. I wasn’t one of them. In fact, I didn’t believe I had a testimony for quite a while. I had never committed the well-known sins like drinking alcohol, smoking, drugs, and pre-marital sex. I could have easily been labeled a goody-two-shoes. Oh, the day! Then, I discovered that “good” was not good enough in the kingdom of God. I learned that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. My false self-righteousness rooted in pride separated me from eternal security with a loving God as much as any other sin.
Perspective Shift
This revelation removed the scales from my eyes. It brought a shift in perspective on life and how to live it. Romans 12:2 teaches that we not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. My mind was hijacked by false ideologies, influences of wicked intentions, and exposure to things contrary to a holy and pure God. It took His truth to set me free. His Word began to wash and cleanse me just as He promised it would. As I committed to prayer, studying, fasting, and fellowship, I witnessed God doing miraculous things in my life.
Over the years, I discovered many facets of God’s character. As seemingly complex as the things of God and who He appears to be, I am often reminded of just how simple He can really be. God is love (1 John 4:8). He wants us to know His love and to share it. This truth was hard for a once introverted, self-righteous, bitter person to receive. I am grateful for the Father’s love that has replaced my heart of stone with one of flesh.
By faith, I have been saved. Without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). It is my desire, more than ever, to please Him who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). I accept the call, as His chosen possession, to show God’s goodness to others. Then, they too can please our awesome God.
CLI: Studying for My Call to Ministry
It is at this point that the value and importance of studying for my call at the Christian Leaders Institute (CLI) come into play. If faith is required to please God, then how do we get it? Romans 10 informs us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word. How shall they hear unless someone preaches, and how can one preach unless they are sent? CLI equipping me to share the gospel is a blessing.
The call to do so beacons more intensely in me now. Several trusted spiritual leaders confirmed my call multiple times. One of whom has directed me to CLI without knowing that I was praying fervently about studying and increasing my Bible study time to be a more effective witness and teacher of the Word. Studying online for my call without a financial burden is a huge blessing. It allows me to still serve my wife of 15 years and our four children (7,10,12,21). It also allows me to serve in youth ministry and work as a graphic designer.
The harvest is ripe! I want to help close the gap of few laborers. I am grateful for the opportunity CLI presents to prepare many to serve and answer the call of the Most High God. Thank you for trusting and obeying your call to this ministry. Thank you for providing this privilege for others to grow and mature in their spiritual walk. This opportunity of studying for my call to minister is a gift! Grace and peace!
Steps to Sign Up At Christian Leaders Institute
Step 1 – Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2.
After you register, you will automatically be enrolled in the “getting started” course. You will locate the course at your “home” button when logged in. Scroll down to find the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2 Link. Click the link and open the course.
Step 2 – Complete Part 1 of this course. Then you can enroll in mini-courses or regular courses.
The Christian Leaders Getting Started Class Part 1 shows you how to enroll in courses and mini-courses. Part 2 of the course connects your calling into ministry with programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute. Part 2 will offer some ministry training and introduce you to the other programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
My name is David Weigel. This is the story of my spiritual awakening. I am from the United States in Minnesota. Married to a wonderful woman, we currently have no kids, although we are hoping. Recently, I began studying at the Christian Leaders Institute to grow my relationship with God and learn more about the Bible (Learn more about free Bible and ministry classes online, Click Here).
My Youth
I grew up in Minnesota without very much influence from the church or any religious organization. In my early years, my parents did enroll me in Sunday School. However, for whatever reason, they stopped me after a few classes. We never really went to church unless it was the obligatory Easter or Christmas service. During Christmas each year, we would go to my grandmother’s house. There the whole family would get together. My grandmother would pack 40+ people into her basement so we could all celebrate the holiday together. It was customary for one of the 18 grandchildren to lead prayer before we ate. I always wanted to do it but never got the opportunity. I assume it was due to the fact that I never was brought up religiously.
During my High School years, I dated a girl that was very religious. I was interested in her and attended church with her on Sundays. I went to church because she went to church. However, I had no interest in what the pastor said or in developing a relationship with the Lord.
University and Military
After high school, I went to a University for one year without knowing what I wanted to do. I did okay in school but quickly realized I didn’t want to continue until I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. So after my first year, I enlisted in the Army. I went to basic training. While in basic training, I attended church services. Not so much to learn about Jesus, but to get away from the drill sergeants for an hour.
God’s Intervention: The Dream
About a year after training, I was deployed to Iraq. During my time in Iraq, I became more religious. I wasn’t scared of being in a war zone, I just had down time where I could read the Bible and listen to Christian music. It wasn’t about wanting to grow my relationship with God either.
Then towards the end of that deployment, I had a dream. I remember it like it happened yesterday. I was moving towards a man with a bright light behind him. It was so bright that I could only see the shape of his body. He was holding out his hands while I moved toward him (when I say moved, I wasn’t walking but more like floating). I remember saying in my dream, “I am not afraid. I am not afraid.”
When I woke up the next morning, I requested a meeting with the chaplain. I was sure it was Jesus that I saw in my dream. So, I met with the chaplain and told him about the dream. I said that I thought it was Jesus. But, he said “No. Jesus doesn’t come to us in our dreams.” I was shocked and didn’t believe him. I still don’t believe him. I believe I saw Jesus that night.
Thereafter, I spent the next 13 years in the military deploying three more times. However, once again, I did not attend services or read the Bible. I was just alone.
Life Outside the Military
After I got out of the military, my life started to unwind. I was extremely depressed and severely suffering from PTSD from my numerous deployments. It got so bad that I tried to commit suicide. Thankfully, I survived. The doctors don’t know how due to the number of pills I took, but I survived. I call it divine intervention. I spent the next seven years completing different types of therapy for my depression and PTSD. Focused more on the therapy, I worked periodically. As time progressed, my mood and PTSD never really changed.
Then in March of this year, I started a new therapy. A therapy called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. This therapy worked wonders for my depression. It worked so well that I applied for my first full-time position. I was hired as an IT specialist for a company that has the Lord as its backbone. Christian music plays in our bathrooms, and people have Bibles, scriptures, and crosses on their desks. I knew this was the best spot for me to grow in my relationship with God and His people.
God Intervenes Again
During my few short months with this company, something truly amazing happened. I received an email from Christian Leaders Institute about the Christian Leaders Academy. For whatever reason (divine intervention), the email went to my inbox rather than my spam folder.
Here I am now, realizing all the times God has reached out to me: the holidays at my grandparents, the girl I dated in High School, my dream in Iraq, God intervened during my suicide attempt, and with my email from CLI.
I am now ready to listen and am thankful not only to God but to CLI to help me start and grow my relationship with God. God bless you all.
Steps to Sign Up At Christian Leaders Institute
Step 1 – Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2.
After you register, you will automatically be enrolled in the “getting started” course. You will locate the course at your “home” button when logged in. Scroll down to find the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2 Link. Click the link and open the course.
Step 2 – Complete Part 1 of this course. Then you can enroll in mini-courses or regular courses.
The Christian Leaders Getting Started Class Part 1 shows you how to enroll in courses and mini-courses. Part 2 of the course connects your calling into ministry with programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute. Part 2 will offer some ministry training and introduce you to the other programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.