My Salvation Testimony
Born on December 12, 1979, I was the first son and second child of Winston and Debra Wainscott.
Although I had a wonderful home life with exemplary parents, I was not raised in a Christian home. My family did not go to church during my childhood, and the things of God were not discussed. It was not until my early teens that my family started to attend church.
At the end of my freshman year of high school I was invited by a friend of mine to attend Teen Camp with the Hyde Park Baptist Church of Austin, TX. I looked forward to a week and thought it was going to be a week of nothing but fun, fun, fun. The first night of services was a totally new experience for me. The preaching was nothing like anything I had ever heard before. My interest was peaked by this man that seemed to have a real passion and burden to explain to us teenagers that there was more to life than what we merely saw or touched every day. He faithfully preached the gospel every service that week, and there’s no doubt in my mind now that God made sure I was there to hear the gospel for the very first time in my life. I remember many teenagers going forward at the end of the service and talking with counselors. I wondered just what they were doing and why they seemed to be so emotional.
Tuesday seemed to fly by and I was again sitting and listening to this preacher who seemed to be talking to me personally. By Wednesday morning it seemed as if I had the weight of the world on my shoulders, trying to process what I was hearing from the preaching services and wondering what was I supposed to do with it if it was really true. There wasn’t anywhere I could go to get away from my feelings (the Holy Spirit was really working on my heart, convincing me of sin, righteousness, and the judgment to come). I was faced with the fact that there was something going on in my heart and I wasn’t sure what to do with that. After lunch and the afternoon activities I retreated back to my bunk to try and sort out some of the feelings. While lying on my bed another camper in the dorm came over and asked me if everything was ok. I began to share my troubles and concerns with him, and at the conclusion of my rambling his simple reply was that I needed Jesus and needed to be saved! An orphan boy, named Jimmy, from the Texas Baptist Children’s Home led me to the Lord that afternoon in our cabin.
On June 6, 1995, at the Highland Park Baptist campgrounds I placed my personal faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross, trusting Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I called upon the name of the Lord and He saved me! That night in the services I waited anxiously for the invitation time. My heart lept with joy at the opportunity to go forward and talk with a counselor about my decision earlier to trust Christ as my personal Savior.
Thursday morning I called my parents to let them know that I had gotten saved the day before and asked for their permission to be baptized at the conclusion of the camp. They rejoiced at the good news, and agreed to drive out to the campgrounds to see the baptismal service held Friday evening which concluded camp. The last two days of camp are just a blur in my mind up to the point of the baptismal service. With my parents and younger brother there to watch, I was baptized in Lake Travis, taking the first step of obedience in my new Christian life.
I praise the Lord for prompting my friend to invite me to summer camp, I praise the Lord for Brent Farren’s faithful preaching of the gospel that week, I praise the Lord for prompting Jimmy to question me about my salvation, I praise the Lord for not being willing that any should perish, but that Keeton Wainscott should come to repentance. As my 30th spiritual birthday approaches this coming June, I’m so thankful that the gospel is STILL the power of God unto salvation, and that Christ saved my soul from hell that summer day back in 1995!
Approximately one year after trusting Christ, with one year of Christian School behind me, the Lord began to work in my life concerning what He wanted me to do with the rest of my life. During the summer of 1996 I surrendered to preach, believing that the Lord wanted me in full-time Christian service. In subsequent years, leading through graduation from Great Hills Christian School and Pensacola Christian College, the Lord more specifically ordered my steps into the ministry, now serving Him as a Pastor.
My Wife’s salvation testimony
I have attended church since I was only a few weeks old. My mother is still faithful to the same church in which she raised my siblings and me: Calvary Baptist Church of Tallassee, Alabama, pastored by Jim Voss. At the age of eight, God got my attention during a sermon preached by Sammy Gates. I fought conviction during the invitation, but later that night before bed, I went to my mother and told her I needed to be saved. She led me to the Lord by my bed, and I trusted Jesus as my own Savior that night, January 18, 1988.
Born on December 12, 1979, I was the first son and second child of Winston and Debra Wainscott.
Although I had a wonderful home life with exemplary parents, I was not raised in a Christian home. My family did not go to church during my childhood, and the things of God were not discussed. It was not until my early teens that my family started to attend church.
At the end of my freshman year of high school I was invited by a friend of mine to attend Teen Camp with the Hyde Park Baptist Church of Austin, TX. I looked forward to a week and thought it was going to be a week of nothing but fun, fun, fun. The first night of services was a totally new experience for me. The preaching was nothing like anything I had ever heard before. My interest was peaked by this man that seemed to have a real passion and burden to explain to us teenagers that there was more to life than what we merely saw or touched every day. He faithfully preached the gospel every service that week, and there’s no doubt in my mind now that God made sure I was there to hear the gospel for the very first time in my life. I remember many teenagers going forward at the end of the service and talking with counselors. I wondered just what they were doing and why they seemed to be so emotional.
Tuesday seemed to fly by and I was again sitting and listening to this preacher who seemed to be talking to me personally. By Wednesday morning it seemed as if I had the weight of the world on my shoulders, trying to process what I was hearing from the preaching services and wondering what was I supposed to do with it if it was really true. There wasn’t anywhere I could go to get away from my feelings (the Holy Spirit was really working on my heart, convincing me of sin, righteousness, and the judgment to come). I was faced with the fact that there was something going on in my heart and I wasn’t sure what to do with that. After lunch and the afternoon activities I retreated back to my bunk to try and sort out some of the feelings. While lying on my bed another camper in the dorm came over and asked me if everything was ok. I began to share my troubles and concerns with him, and at the conclusion of my rambling his simple reply was that I needed Jesus and needed to be saved! An orphan boy, named Jimmy, from the Texas Baptist Children’s Home led me to the Lord that afternoon in our cabin.
On June 6, 1995, at the Highland Park Baptist campgrounds I placed my personal faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross, trusting Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I called upon the name of the Lord and He saved me! That night in the services I waited anxiously for the invitation time. My heart lept with joy at the opportunity to go forward and talk with a counselor about my decision earlier to trust Christ as my personal Savior.
Thursday morning I called my parents to let them know that I had gotten saved the day before and asked for their permission to be baptized at the conclusion of the camp. They rejoiced at the good news, and agreed to drive out to the campgrounds to see the baptismal service held Friday evening which concluded camp. The last two days of camp are just a blur in my mind up to the point of the baptismal service. With my parents and younger brother there to watch, I was baptized in Lake Travis, taking the first step of obedience in my new Christian life.
I praise the Lord for prompting my friend to invite me to summer camp, I praise the Lord for Brent Farren’s faithful preaching of the gospel that week, I praise the Lord for prompting Jimmy to question me about my salvation, I praise the Lord for not being willing that any should perish, but that Keeton Wainscott should come to repentance. As my 30th spiritual birthday approaches this coming June, I’m so thankful that the gospel is STILL the power of God unto salvation, and that Christ saved my soul from hell that summer day back in 1995!
Approximately one year after trusting Christ, with one year of Christian School behind me, the Lord began to work in my life concerning what He wanted me to do with the rest of my life. During the summer of 1996 I surrendered to preach, believing that the Lord wanted me in full-time Christian service. In subsequent years, leading through graduation from Great Hills Christian School and Pensacola Christian College, the Lord more specifically ordered my steps into the ministry, now serving Him as a Pastor.
My Wife’s salvation testimony
I have attended church since I was only a few weeks old. My mother is still faithful to the same church in which she raised my siblings and me: Calvary Baptist Church of Tallassee, Alabama, pastored by Jim Voss. At the age of eight, God got my attention during a sermon preached by Sammy Gates. I fought conviction during the invitation, but later that night before bed, I went to my mother and told her I needed to be saved. She led me to the Lord by my bed, and I trusted Jesus as my own Savior that night, January 18, 1988.
