My Journey to Faith

My name is Travis Burris and I am from the small town of Murray, Kentucky in the United States of America. I first began my journey with God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when I was 11 years-old. My best friend at the time was very active in a Baptist church and invited me to come along. I thought nothing of it spiritually, but just wanted to go because I would be around other kids I knew. After speaking to the pastor about Jesus Christ I experienced a false profession. However in the year of 2004, I was born again during a revival at a United Baptist church where I later became a member by baptism.
After going through years of church service, revivals, and gatherings with other Christians I can relate mainly between Pastor, Evangelist, or Youth Minister. Since I was recently laying on my couch and the Holy Spirit startled me with the words of “Preach the word, be instant in season and out of season.” Therefore I have been led through God and the Holy Spirit to spread the gospel not only in my community, but also throughout the state of Kentucky and hopefully into our nation and world. Of course within my own country like many others, there are sizable amounts of nonbelievers and those who are lost without God and Jesus Christ. Satan has blinded them from the glorious possibilities of eternal life with Jesus Christ. I know this because at one time I was that same person. I was mixed up in drugs, alcohol, my family disowned me for many years and I was lower than the bottom of the barrel. As Paul states in the New Testament “I am the chiefest of sinners,” and I felt the same way. I knew there was a heaven and a hell and the road I was on was spiraling quickly to the fiery pits of hell. As I laid within the darkness of Satan’s grasp, luckily as my hand was reaching up for help, God was reaching down and pulled me out of that wicked darkness.
My ministry dream is to either develop a church solely based on God’s love that will be more active with the community and surrounding area. I would also like to reach out into farther countries who are less fortunate to hear the gospel and do not have the same freedom as we do here in America. God’s word is to be heard by all men and women, not just the select few in a small area.
I pursued this ministry course and learning opportunity through CLI because of my dear uncle who had recently lost his wife from passing on to be with our Lord and Savior. He is a devout Christian and pastor at a small church in Oklahoma and is very knowledgeable in theology, scripture, doctrine, and walking with God. After my experience with the Holy Spirit moving through me to “Preach the word” my uncle was the first person who came to mind to ask what is my first step. He led me to CLI after he has participated in the courses as well.
I can only humbly ask for everyone’s prayers for me to receive the proper guidance, knowledge, and wisdom to not become a well-known pastor or evangelist, but to be a spiritual leader that people in my community can count on to save souls from the clutches of Satan.
In my community, the Salvation Army has been a large influence to me by sharing their gracious love for others within the community. By feeding people, giving them shelter, or even reaching out to nursing homes and preach the gospel has truly inspired me to become more involved within the ministry. After I spoke with the Captains of the local core, they highly advised me to continually pray and to stay within God’s word because this would be one of the greatest journeys of my life. And so far, it has been nothing less than that.
Lastly, one of the largest reasons I have chosen this path to the ministry is not only to be a “soul saver,” but also for my son. Since he is only 2 years old now he has not reached the age of accountability, but he is already aware of church, and who Jesus is. I want to be able to show him how to be a Godly man in life, not just in a church setting.