A New Life in the Church, Robert Kieffer

My experience of the local church in Austin began in August of 1996 while studying mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin (UT). Although I grew up in a denomination, I had not attended any services for approximately three years. While starting my fourth year in college, I was far from God. But, I still possessed emptiness within and a hunger to know Jesus Christ, the Person I had heard about my whole life. I realized that I needed to start meeting again with other believers, preferably other students who also were studying at UT. Consequently, after praying to the Lord regarding my situation and inner condition, I took a tract from Christians on Campus and called for information regarding church meetings. I then decided to attend a meeting with the church in Austin on Lord's Day (Sunday).

Although, I was quite uncomfortable due to the uplifted atmosphere, which was not prevalent in denominational meetings I had attended, my spirit was enlivened, my soul was refreshed, and immediately I gained the sense of life, peace and joy that I rarely experienced before. During that first meeting, I finally saw and touched the person of Jesus Christ and the hunger that I had for the Lord was finally satisfied.

I continued my new walk with the Lord and increased my involvement with the local church in Austin by eventually attending meetings on the Lord's Day, prayer meetings on Wednesday, and meetings in homes throughout the week. I also received additional shepherding and fellowship from individual appointments made during the week with various brothers in the local church. As a result of meeting with the local church, I turned from my old, meaningless, independent ways and started living a normal Christian life, a life of receiving God's grace moment by moment and being under His divine blessings while maintaining an enhanced sense of joy and peace. My involvement with the local church ushered me into a way of having continual fellowship with other Christians. Spiritually, I learned many truths in the Bible, which laid the proper and necessary foundation for me to grow in life and to establish a close, intimate, personal relationship with the Lord. Not only was I growing spiritually, my humanity gradually became uplifted and genuinely corrected. I experienced a flagrant improvement in my character including the establishment of healthy habits of studying for classes, exercising, praying and contacting the Lord often. Thus, my experience with the church in Austin testifies that God is able to revive one's life by simply opening your heart to Him and being around other believers.