Ben Smith

Growing up in a Christian home, the gospel always seemed to permeate the air. Attending church was as much a part of our weekly schedule as evening meals around the table. My parents demonstrated an active devotional and prayer life and used every opportunity to teach scripture and demonstrate obedience to it. Therefore, at age nine, it was the most natural thing for me to make a profession of faith in Jesus.

My dad shared the gospel with me while eating lunch at a local park. I understood that I was a sinner deserving of hell and that Jesus died as a sacrifice for my sins so that I might be made righteous and be saved. I believed this to be true, and at the park that day, I confessed Jesus as my Lord and believed that God raised Him from the dead. The following Sunday, I made my decision publicly known at our church and was later baptized on January 27, 1985.

At that point, not much changed outwardly in my life. As a nine-year-old, my parents controlled almost everything about my life. The crisis of my faith would come in the early days of my teenage years.

I did not doubt that I had made a genuine profession of faith as a nine-year-old, but in those days, I desired to run as far away from the Lord as possible. This was not just typical teenage rebellion; this was a spiritual crisis, and through it all, there was never a moment, no matter how rebellious I was, that I ever felt God had abandoned me. The fruit of growing up in a home saturated in the word of God and faithfully joining the church for worship and Bible study is that even as I desired to abandon God, I could not abandon the testimony of His word that was so deeply woven into my heart and mind.

During the summer between Junior High and High School, God brought me to repentance and drew me back to Himself. I do not doubt I was saved as a nine-year-old, but God matured my faith from immature rebellion to unrestrained devotion that summer. High school was a time of growing in the word of God, wrestling with a sense that God was calling me into full-time ministry, and learning how to live out my faith in everyday life. I am so thankful that the Lord changed my heart before the start of High school and gave me those four years to use for Him and grow in Him. There were many momentous spiritual moments in high school (not the least of which was surrendering to the call to ministry), but the greatest was what God did that summer prior to high school.

A testimony to my failures and shortcomings would be voluminous, but a testimony to the grace of God would be greater still. In every area of my life (marriage, parenting, ministry, financial, etc.) I have strived to surrender everything to Jesus. And in all these things and much more, I bear witness that God’s grace has blessed me more than anything I could accomplish. The Lord continues to sanctify me and draw me to a deeper obedience to His word. I have witnessed His faithful provision and leadership.

I believe that the Bible is the word of God, written by men and inspired by God. I believe the Bible is true and without error, and God’s revelation of Himself to man. I believe that the Bible is the testimony to Christ and the hope of salvation in Him.

I believe that God is holy (perfect and without sin) and that all men have sinned and deserve the righteous wrath of God and to be separated from God in hell.

I believe that Jesus is the eternal Son of God. I believe that God created everything through Jesus. I believe God the Father offered His Son Jesus, who was without sin, to be the once-for-all sacrifice for man’s sins. I believe that Jesus died on the cross, was buried in the grave, and three days later rose again to life, defeating death. I believe that He ascended to heaven, lives today, and will one day return to gather the saints to Himself in heaven.

I believe that anyone who believes that Jesus rose from the dead and confesses Him as Lord will be saved, having their sins forgiven and receiving the promise of eternal life with God in heaven.

I have built my life and placed my eternal hope on these things. I have given my pastoral ministry to making these truths known to as many as possible.