An Amazing Sunday Morning Miracle
On the weekend of March 18th and 19th, Clayton and I lead a marriage retreat at Sunday Morning service at Cottage Hill Church in Mobile, Alabama. The Lord is so good. God’s design for marriage preached the gospel and lead people to salvation on March 19, 2023 at Cottage Hill Church in Mobile Alabama. Here is my testimony.
This event was my first event since my emergency appendectomy, and I had to pace myself because I was technically still in my recovery period. My sweet husband was so kind to make sure he handled my luggage and all the gentlemanly things - but I guess he sort of had to since it was a marriage conference, right?
I was thankful that Pastor Alan and Kathy (picture: blue and white shirts) invited Clayton and I because we truly felt welcome, loved and at home with their family over the weekend. Also, we became fast friends with Neil (campus pastor) and Ali White (pictured with me and Clayton) who were wonderful hosts.
Friday night and Saturday morning we led 4 sessions at the marriage conference, and spoke together on marriage during the Sunday morning service where Clayton and I experienced an amazing Sunday morning miracle. The service began with worship singing and 4 baptisms.
One of the young men who was baptized had become so curious how to know Jesus that he simply called and asked someone at the church to explain how he could be saved. Once he understood, the person led him to Jesus on the phone. Afterward, this young man shared his story with his roommate, who also became curious and also came to know Jesus by asking someone at the church to lead him to Christ over the phone.
To be honest, I was feeling weak and tired Sunday morning, but after I witnessed these two baptism stories and offered my attention to God in worship, my soul was full of the presence of Jesus. So, when Clayton and I sat on the stage to teach, I became overwhelmed at the presence of God in the room. Clayton thanked everyone for having us, introduced me and paused for me to share, but I was unable to transition into teaching. Instead, I began to weep, shared how I felt the presence of Jesus in the room and said something like, “If you’ve never felt the presence of God before, I pray that right now, in this service, you would feel his presence and that he would reveal himself to you.” In this moment, Clayton knew we needed to give a call to know Jesus as Savior - even before any preaching of the gospel from our lips had occurred.
30 people responded to the gospel in this moment. They prayed with Clayton and raised their hands professing their newfound faith. I proceeded to share that although neither Clayton or I had taught on how to know Jesus, the worship music and the baptisms we had witnessed were a kind of experiential preaching; both confessing and displaying what it means to die to yourself and receive Jesus’ gift of salvation.
Clayton and I have experienced this kind of service (worship, salvation, then preaching) at other speaking events, but never when we were co-teaching on marriage. And, never when we were speaking on marriage in a venue not hosted by our ministry. So, for us, this was a first time experience which I am treasuring and marveling at today…and I think forever!
The Lord is so good. God’s design for marriage preached the gospel and lead people to salvation on March 19, 2023 at Cottage Hill Church in Mobile Alabama. You can watch the service here.
