A Personal Witness (PW) is sharing one's personal story of faith. An effective way to tell an audience, or individual, about your joy of what God has done in your life...but PRIMARILY, that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, giving you the assurance of eternal life through His death and resurrection. If your story of faith doesn't include the assurance you have for eternal life through Jesus, it is just a Personal Story, not a Personal Witness.Keep in mind that the PW is about you. Don't preach, but share. Below is a suggested outline to spark your ideas.
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Some examples of Personal Witnesses are: |
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| Beth Bahrns Rachel Barz Rebecca (Bubbles) Dikeman Laura Drachenberg |
Kimberly Fetz Christy Jeppesen Anneliese Ploetz Mark Triplett |
| Many of these Personal Witnesses were written when the Ambassadors were young. The OAFC staff and web masters welcome new copies from OAFC youth and OAFC leaders. They can be posted here, on our web Crier page, shorter ones on our Home page and are published in both the printer Crier and in our E-Mail OAFC Crier. | |
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Beth Bahrns Personal Witness
I used to have a ring, a ring which has since become unwearable because the band
broke. This ring was quite beautiful even though the band was very crooked and definitely
not a perfect circle. But I liked this ring, I liked it so much that I wore it
almost everyday (which is probably why the band broke).
The imperfect circle of
the band reminded me of how very imperfect I am in God's eyes. At first this
scared me, a lot. How could someone as awesome and perfect as God care at all
about me?
Then I found a verse in 1 Corinthians. This verse 1 Corinthians 13:10
said "But when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears." I know
that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I believe that he is the
"perfection" that this verse is talking about. When Jesus came He
erased all of my imperfection. I know that he is the Perfection that has come to
take all my imperfection away.
beth bahrns
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Rachel Barz Personal Witness
Last summer I had the best friend a girl could ever ask for. we did absolutely
everything together, worked together, went to movies, and went to the beach
together. We shared our lives, problems and deepest secrets, especially at 4:30
in the morning when we knew we had to be up in 2 hours for b-ball and drivers
ed. Sarah and I had a great summer, but as school rolled around we didn't hang
out as much, and it became less that by the time December came we changed
friends and now no longer talk.
I loved her as friends love friends and I was loyal to her
with all of her secrets and promises. Some major changes in the both of us and
we are no longer friends. I wish we still had our friendship, and that it would
be the same as last summer.
I wish I still had the loyal friendship like Ruth and Naomi
shared in the Bible. Ruth 1:16-17 says: "But Ruth answered, 'Don't force me
to leave you. Don't make me turn back from following you. Wherever you go, I
will go, and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people are my people, and your
God will be my God. wherever you die, I will die, and I will be buried there
with you. may the Lord strike me down if anything but death separates you and me
.'"
While I lost a friend who was loyal for a summer, I have an
ever better friend who will remain loyal for eternity like Ruth. that friend is
Jesus. Hebrews 13:5&8: "Keep your lives from the love of money and be
content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never
will I forsake you.' Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and
forever." Jesus who is the same, Jesus who lived a perfect life, suffered
died and rose to confirm His sacrifice will never change. He will always be the
same loyal friend that I can count on.
By believing in Jesus as my Savior I know I will have eternal
life with Him forever. I know that Jesus will always be here and be the loyal
friend that I need.
Rachel Barz
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Rebecca Dikeman Personal Witness
It was a Thursday night, about 7:30. I had just gotten back
from State. I was at school and it was quiet; all of a sudden, I heard some
music. I went to see what it was, and found a couple of my friends. We talked a
bit and eventually the music program came up. I was shocked to find out that the
school board had decided to condense it due to lack of funds. Music is such a
big part of my life I thought that a cut in it would cripple my education.
If that wasn’t bad enough, that Sunday our pastor told us
that he had received a call from North Dakota. This new church was only a few
hours from his wife’s parents, who could help with their two small children.
After all the discussion, he decided to accept the call. Our Church was also on
subsidy at this time.
It seemed that almost everything that could go wrong or change had.
My sister was in a new school, my dad had plans to retire, and my mom was public
enemy number one because of the music program and her job as an administrator.
Yet, through all of this it was relatively easy to stay levelheaded.
I knew that God had a plan and everything would work out. In
Proverbs 3:5 and 6 is says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean
not on your own understanding; …and he will make your paths straight.” God
knows what is going to happen before the topic ever comes up, how we will react
to it, and how it will affect us. Consider Genesis 3 ‘The Fall of Man’, when
people first sinned and turned away from God; God knew that this was going to
happen before he created the heavens and the earth, and he had a plan. It
happened many thousands of years later but he kept his promise to save his
people. He sent his son Jesus Christ, who lived his entire life without sinning,
to earth as true God and true man. When Jesus was about thirty-three or so, he
was taken, beaten, nailed to a cross and left there to die. Most of the people
who came to see him mocked him. He died, was placed in a tomb and rose again on
the third day, saving us all from all the bad things we do.
God planned that situation perfectly, and although my
situation isn’t a drastic, I know that He will be just as thorough, because
“ My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ
Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.
Rebecca (Bubbles) Dikeman
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Laura Drachenberg Personal Witness
When I was four years old, my dad lost his job on the farm. To a four year old
it was confusing and scary when my parents told me that there were no jobs
around and that my dad had to go to Dallas and live with my aunt while he looked
for a job.
At first I thought we were all going to stay with my aunt, but that
was soon cleared up as dad packed his suitcase and drove away. I knew that he
didn't want to leave, that he'd be back, and that he loved me very much, but I
missed him so much. He came home as often as he could, some weekends and
holidays, but for my fifth birthday he couldn't come down. I was so upset, but
mom insisted that we celebrate anyways.
The last present I opened was a
surprise- "from Daddy." It was a stuffed bear. I knew that Daddy Bear,
as I had named it, was a gift that meant that my dad loved me and was thinking
about me. He couldn't wait to see me either. SO when I thought my dad wasn't
around, he was right there all along. He was in my heart and I was in his. Our
Heavenly Father is like that, too.
Though we are away from our Heavenly home,
God is with us here on earth, protecting and caring for us until He is ready to
take us home to be with Him forever. We know that He thinks about us and cares
for us. He blesses us. When we think that we are all alone and that no one is
with us, we can not be any more wrong. Our Father holds our hand through life
and carries us through it all. He loves us SO much.
He also gave us a gift, as
my dad did, to help us see that we are in His heart. He gave us faith. This
faith we can not have on our own. The Holy Spirit gives it to us as He works in
us. Through this faith we are able to believe in Jesus as our Savior and
Redeemer. We can believe that God is always with us and that His Son was
sacrificed for us.
Even though we sometimes feel alone, God comforts us through
His Word. In Deuteronomy 31:6, says "Be strong and courageous. Do not be
afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord you God goes with you; he will
never leave nor forsake you. And He won't.
Laura Drachenberg
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Kimberly Fetz Personal Witness
In the shadow of the cross I stand,
broken and abused,
Made ugly by the sin I carry,
weak and so much wearied.
I see the stains of red, red blood,
I see the splintered wood.
I hear the echo of His cry,
"Eloi, Eloi, lema sebachthani!"
I hear the jeers, the taunts, the tears,
I see Him smitten, broke, and bruised,
And in my heart I hear Him say,
"For you I've died this day."
His head bows down,
the world turns dark,
The ground beneath me shakes.
"Truly He's the Son of God!" I hear a soldier say.
My heart is rent,
the tears roll down.
"For me You died? Cursed and scorned?
My Savior, my Jesus, why? Why for me?
You know my sin, my guilt, my shame,
the things I try to hide.
You know them all and yet You'd pay the price?
There's nothing I can give You,
Nothing I can do.
Here I am, take me, O LORD, and make me as like new!"
In the shadow of the cross I stand,
no longer broken and abused;
I stand made white by His red blood,
my sins forgiven and forgot.
His little child I'll always be -
now and through eternity.
I wrote this one night as I thought about the pain and
suffering Jesus went through for me. He lived and died so that I might live. He
rose to give me new life in Him. Jesus gave me so much more than eternal life by
faith in Him. He's given me the desire to share all that I know about Him with
others in my life. He gives that desire to everyone who believes in Him. In Acts
3 verse 15 Peter says, "You killed the author of life, but God raised Him
from the dead. We are witnesses to this."
As a Christian, I am a witness to God's love and grace. I may
not have seen Christ's crucifixion, but I've seen what He's done in my life and
in the lives of those around me. Christ has called me as a witness. Acts 4 verse
12 says "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name
under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." I am privileged to be
a witness for Christ's saving name. I want to share the name that is above all
names so that others may know God's love and grace.
I am a witness called by Christ, and I will be a witness as
long as I have breath.
Kimberly Fetz
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Christy Jeppesen Personal Witness
While at a band concert, I thought about which
instrument was the most important to the whole band. The trumpets? Drums? Maybe
the flutes?
I thought, if you took out the drums you wouldn't have
rhythm, if you took out the flutes or any other instrument you couldn't see the
different points of view in your musical story. I came to my final
decision-every instrument is important and none other can replace any of them.
I thought about how a band is a lot like the Body of Christ.
You need every part. How no one else can replace each special person God has
created for his family. (1 Corinthians 12:18-19:) But in fact God has arranged
the parts of the body , every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they
were all one part, where would the body be?
The people playing the different instruments are like the
different kinds of people in the world. The music score is like the Bible; the
guide through life. And the conductor is like God; one who leads people and
controls everything.
God has created every one just how he wanted, each very
special in their own unique ways. Each with his or her own strengths and
weaknesses. He loved each of his children-even in their mistakes-so much that he
died and rose again in three days so that all who believe could spend eternity
in heaven with him.
God gave each person his or her own instrument. Figure out
which part you
play and learn to play that part well, for this pleases the conductor.
Christy Jeppesen
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Anneliese Ploetz Personal Witness
This past year I have been in Finland as an exchange student. It was one of the
best experiences I have ever had in my life. I learned so much about things that
I value. These things I probably could not have learned anywhere else. I learned
especially how much I took for granted.
When I got to Finland, the first thing I
realized I took for granted surfaced, English!!! I knew no Finnish, so it was,
interesting to say the least. As time went on I also realized that I took my
friends for granted. I missed the talks that I had had with them and how they
were there for me when I needed them. Yes, I had friends in Finland, but not the
kind where they know more about me than I do.
And finally as the holidays hit, I
saw how I had also taken my family for granted. I had never really thought that
I wouldn't have my family there with me. I thought that I would always be with
them. My host family was really nice, but I still missed my real family a lot. I
had never noticed all of the traditions that my family has, until they weren't
there.
In Finland and during my whole life I have taken a lot of things for
granted. One thing I hope to never take for granted is my salvation. I hope to
always remember that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to suffer, die, and rise in
victory to pay for all of my sins so that one day I can be with Him in Heaven.
As it says in Philippians chapter 4, verse 4, "Rejoice in the Lord always.
I will say it again: Rejoice!" I hope that this will always be my attitude
toward the Lord and life. That I may always be happy and never take fro granted
all that I have and all that my gracious Father has done for me.
Anneliese Ploetz
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Mark Triplett Personal Witness
When I attended a OAFC weekend that was a week before my
school's musical. Everyone in it was tired because we had been running 5 to 9
practices all week. I was a cowboy in the musical and all of our voices were
getting dry. I had been singing a lot during the couple of weeks before the OAFC
weekend. I was preparing for the musical, chorus, and the OAFC weekend.
On Friday night at the OAFC weekend the unthinkable happened.
Friday being just a week from opening night of the musical I lost my voice while
singing at the weekend. There have been a few times that I lost something I need
like smell or sight hear, or ability to talk. This time I doubted that there was
any possible way I could praise the Lord through music at the weekend.
In Luke 1 Zechariah could not speak he was anxious and using
hand motions to try and communicate. As soon as John the Baptist was born and he
wrote his name is John the Lord gave his voice back to him. When Zechariah had
his voice back he immediately sang to the Lord. On Saturday I discovered that I
could still praise the Lord after all my worrying. I could praise the lord by
playing my guitar I had completely forgot about that aspect of the music.
One other thing that spurred me on was Philippians 4:13 where
Paul said "I can do all things through him who gives me strength" My
voice came back Tuesday with plenty of time to get it ready for the musical.
More importantly though I was able to praise God with my voice though playing
the guitar that weekend I could almost speak through it.
Mark Triplett
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