New Beginning – Training To Be A Christian Leader

New Beginning

CLI Graduate, Will Williams went from a life of pain into a new beginning in Christ. He now is eagerly serving God in everything.

My name is Will Williams; I am 40 years old and married to one of the most beautiful and wonderful women God created. I have three children Morgan, Destinee, and Dylan. We live in the USA, and we are proud Texans! The struggle of living in a “Christian” country where everybody is “Christian” is if you talk about Jesus Christ or anything to do with the Word of God, you get the answer “This is not Sunday” or “Oh, I grew up in church”. So to evangelize and minister in the “Bible belt” is very hard and overrun with watered down Christianity.

Will and his wife both have come from a background with hurt and pain from divorce. Through God they have a new beginning and new perspective on their painful past.

We are a blended family, which means we have been divorced. I had Morgan with my ex-wife and she had her children with her ex-husband. This was all before God redeemed us. This is something that will be significant later on in my conversion.

Neither my wife nor I grew up in a “Christian” home. We both lived, as we wanted to and did what we wanted to. We met at work, I drove a truck and she did payroll in the office. Divorce was common for both of us since both of our parents were divorced as well. I went through several relationships and live in girlfriends. She dated and had some live in boyfriends. We started to date and started having sex and then we moved in together.. You see the pattern of sin that I followed. We lived together for a year and decided to get married. After a year of marriage and many nights out at the bar, we started fighting. We would go out to the nightclub every other weekend when we did not have the kids. We not only were fighting we yelled at the kids and cussed at them like sailors. We got drunk and partied and got drunk and partied. The kids and I were not getting along at all. I thought something was wrong with those kids. I did not see my sin; all I saw was “me”.

Will and his family were sadly lost without hope, but God opened up an opportunity to have a new beginning in Christ.

She (my wife) got an appointment with a woman that was a Christian and her husband pastored a church. Angela and I were not seeking out a Christian counselor at all. I could care less who she got, but God was doing something big and none of us had any idea what was about to happen. She was taking the kids to her, and it had been about 2 weeks. Angela asked me again to come and sit in with them. I said, “Ok, I will come and sit in there, but I do not need any help.” PRIDE! I went and it was ok; she talked about God and different things, and I just shrugged it off. Angela and I thought we knew God and who He is; I had my beliefs and she had hers (Religious Pluralism). She grew up Catholic (did not practice), but stopped going when she moved in with her boyfriend in high school. We were “good with God”… well with our gods we made up in our minds. The counselor asked us to come to church with her. She was very kind and loving and something was different about her. We talked about it, and we decided if it seemed weird we would be gone!! We sat in the back row just in case. We went and the pastor was funny and it was not too bad at all.

One Sunday, Will and his wife truly were able to start their new beginning with God’s grace.

We went on a Sunday and had been going for about two weeks when the pastor started talking about the good news. I asked Angela,” What is the good news.” She said, “Are we getting out early or something?” We listened, and he gave the Gospel! I knew right then and there that I was a sinner in need of a Savior!! I saw with new eyes and listened with new ears! I was broken for my sins, and I knew what I had done to Jesus Christ! It was as if I hammered the nails into His hands myself!! I was the one who mocked Him and spat on Him!! I did not go up to an alter; I fell in my seat and repented of my sins at that moment! I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior! He paid for me and saved me from my sins and hell! I looked over to my wife, and I saw her crying. It was not until the ride home that I asked her why she was crying. She told me she had given her life to Christ! I told her,” ME TOO!” Our life transformed from that day until now. It has been seven years, and we have truly been made into a new creation!

The day we got saved I found myself seeking and studying God’s Word. Everywhere we went I told people my testimony that has the Gospel in it. I believe I can identify with being called as an Evangelist and a church planter. I currently lead a life group with our church, and we help with feeding and ministering to the homeless. I found myself doing prison ministry. The young man that I disciple just started his 30-year sentence.

CLI has given Will more knowledge and understanding in his new beginning with God.

Having this scholarship is everything; I cannot afford any paid seminary or Bible College right now. When I found CLI, I could not believe the training I could receive from a “free” Bible Institute! We are a one-income family, so the freedom that CLI gives me is outstanding! I do desire to graduate from CLI with a Diploma of Divinity. I would love to put that Diploma to use in the Mission Field planting churches.

My prayer is that I will listen to the Holy Spirit when He tells me no, yes, or wait. I pray for humility and strength in Him. I pray that I can use this time with CLI to grow and gain insight in ministry.