John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

It was the mid-60’s and I was an angry teenager. I did not know why I was angry. I was in fear that I was going to be like my oldest brother who had been removed from our home because of his violent temper. I didn’t want to end up like him.

In church that Sunday I made my first earnest prayer. “I don’t want to be like this.” At the alter call my hand went up, shaking, unsteady, unsure. In that moment the peace of God overcame me and my anger escaped me. That was easy. I stood in awesome wonder of how God could do this to me. I did not understand why or how, only that He did.

I was baptized and everyone treated me as one saved. They even pushed to have me elected as president of the county Baptist Youth Fellowship. Then Satan came knocking with temptations that made me question everything that had just happened. I began wondering if this was salvation at all. Had I changed?

Whenever I take on a new disciple I remember my beginnings and the first thing I ask is for their salvation story. No one was there for me in my first days to explain what was happening. I want to know how it felt for this disciple to be changed in an instant. I want to know if anyone was there for them. I want to know if there was any understanding of what it meant to be this new creature in Christ.

I don’t expect every story to be like mine but there are certain elements of every telling that will help me understand where this disciple is in their growth or if like me, back then, they were left alone when Satan attacks.

Do you have a clear understanding of your salvation story? Let’s hear it.