Growing up I had continually heard the “good news”, but my heart did not fully know the good news. I partially knew His love and that He had died for me, but I didn’t know He lived for me and that He REALLY loved me. My attempts to avoid shame through striving for perfection left me feeling that the Christian life was really more of a burden rather than the “good news” God had claimed it to be. Thankfully, God showed me that the good news, REALLY is good news, that God really is good, better than I thought He was. That He had come to die for me, but also to live the Christian life for me and through me; what a relief. Today I am so thankful that He really is GOOD, that He continues to renew my mind and show me that He is always stronger, more loving, more kind, more patient, and more understanding, than I ever thought or imagined Him to be.
Growing up in a Christian home my life was immersed in Christian culture. In many ways, it was a blessing. One such blessing was my mom who invited me to accept Christ into my life at the age of five one Sunday morning while home sick from church. From that day on, my relationship with Christ grew and although I knew He was there and I encountered Him from time to time, I did not know exactly who He was. God continued to pursue me and grow my desire for Him, and for a deeper relationship with Him.
I had some time on my hands after finishing high school while waiting to attend Capernwray Bible School. It was then that the God's word first became alive for me. God revealed to met the truth of Galatians 2:20 and showed me that my pride was getting in the way. The verse states, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me.” Through this verse He showed me, that my pride no longer needed to hold me back, that it was crucified on the cross. This is a life lesson for me and one that I constantly keep learning in new ways as He continues to show me how deep my pride runs, and the many faces pride has.
Mike Penninga
Mike Penninga is first a foremost a son of God, a husband of Michelle, a father of 3, and a pretty good tennis player. A grad of Trinity Western University and ACTS seminary with a background in broadcast journalism, Mike has a passion for sharing the life changing news of Jesus Christ in understandable and captivating ways. He has been the lead pastor at KGF since March 2009.