Our Pastor Jeremiah Rice
My Faith Journey:
Being immersed in Bible knowledge from a young age, my mother prayed with me to know Jesus at age thirteen. At twenty-one, I experienced a spiritual crisis in college which coincided with my parents' divorce. At twenty-three, Jesus met me in a profoundly personal way that overwhelmed my defenses and engaged my surrender. Since that time, I've slowly and steadily grown in him as I've discovered that it's impossible to remain unchanged in the presence of the Almighty.
Family:
Passion for the Kingdom:
I believe that Jesus meant it when he prayed "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Because of that, I believe that what happens after we believe is at least as important as receiving salvation in Jesus. Christian character matters -- and the only way to mature in this is to know the heart and character of God.
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My Faith Journey:
Having grown up in a Christian home and Bible-believing church, I have known about God, Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection ever since I can remember. I accepted Jesus as my Savior as a young girl. A pivotal moment along the way came in repenting of my selfish belief that somehow I was earning God’s favor by my good behavior. A personal relationship with God is much more than performing Christian disciplines; and as such, committed myself to obedience in response to His love and sacrifice rather than from obligation. Seeking to know Him requires an unrelenting determination not to let the hardships of life downsize the bigness of God. It is generally in desperation that I witness the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
Family:
One husband, 3 daughters (1 son in law), 4 sisters (and their husbands), 12 nieces and nephews (and their spouses) and 30 great nieces and nephews! [and that doesn’t include my husband’s family ?]
Passion for the Kingdom:
God intends for us to live in community. We need teammates to face the struggles in our journeys. I desire to be a reliable, authentic teammate that supports, encourages, protects and points others to Jesus. With my struggle to overcome legalistic tendencies, my passion is to demonstrate the freedom found in God’s forgiveness, love and mercy in a winsome way.
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My Faith Journey:
I grew up the Assemblies of God church and in a Christian house. I was 5 or 6 when I made my personal decision to follow Christ. In Junior High at Bible camp I decided “I’m doing this.”
Family:
I’ve been married for 14 years. I have four kids. People tell me we are just getting to the busy stage.
Passion for the Kingdom:
It has lots to do with my full time job as a law enforcement officer. I see brokenness and hurting and people that are always trying to fill a void that can only be filled by God with other things. I see the destruction that can come from that. So my passion for the Kingdom is to try to show people around me that it can be different. I often see that problems in their life can be traced back to sin that leads to destructive behaviors. I heard at a young age about spiritual warfare how we are always in a struggle with forces of good and evil competing with one another. I see my position as engaging in that battle. I try to be firm and fair and live my life so others can see there’s something different. My passion is to show others that being a Christian doesn’t have to be stuffy! I like to strive to provide bits of hope, show mercy and compassion during dark times, be an encourager toward a better path.
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My Faith Journey:
When I was younger I used to say my walk with the Lord was two steps forward and one step back. Now that I have had a number of amazing interactions with The Holy Spirit, I'm just exciting to be part of building something great here at WE.
Family:
After my first wife LaNette was called home by the Lord, I was blessed with Patty becoming my wife. We have been entrusted with four great kids and eight grandchildren that fill us with more JOY than we could have ever hoped for.
Passion for the Kingdom:
I don't know of anything that brings deeper joy than a testimony of
someone who has come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
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