My name is Chuck Scarle and I would like to give the testimony of how I was saved for the glory of God. I was raised in a home devoid of "religion" except for my catholic Grandmother who took my sister, brother and I with her to her catholic "church" for approximately four years. My parents divorced and we (the children)went with our mother. She remarried and we moved to Oklahoma. Still yet, no Christianity in the home. I rebelled at a very young age(cutting school,drinking,drugs,fornication, music, you name it) and ended up in prison with eleven felony convictions at the age of 22 and was incarcerated for a little less than ten physical years. I was selling drugs(and doing drugs ) while in a work-release center just before my release and was continuing(with my sins) after my release. It is only by the grace of God that I did not die(overdose,killed, etc.). Two months after my release, a woman that I knew came to find me for my mother. We talked and I decided to go with her to visit my mom. We then left the next day for Georgia, where her family lived. We married the day after getting to Georgia. We lived in a terrible part of town, I was working at wal-mart (minimum wage), and we needed to move to a safer location. We found a house(I believe the Lord led us) and were able to move in but had no money for food. Thank God for a need! We called a local Church(an Independant,fundamental Baptist Church)and the Pastor's wife said they'd help us, but only after we went to Weds. night service. I was mad about "having" to go to Church, but decided that was what I had to do to get help. Oh, God knew what I needed! My wife fell in love with Church and started attending often. I did not. She came home after a Sunday service and said that she had gotten saved(She had been in college and in a methodist organization, training to be in their leadership for four years prior to this). I started to notice a change in her, less arguements, less worldliness, her music went from rock to "christian?" rock. She had no leadership in the home, saved but under an unstable authority(me). She was actually fulfilling Scripture 1Pe 3:1 "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;" She compelled me to go to Church with her one night to hear a missionary preach. I said ok and praise be to the Lord God almighty! This missionary was in Japan but was sent back to the states to die(serious health probs). Since then he has been preaching six days a week in nursing homes, jails,and youth detention centers. He was sent home 15 yrs. ago! He preached a sermon called "Who in hell knows you". To coin a phrase, he preached hell hot and Heaven sweet, he told ME the only way to get to Heaven. My thoughts immediately went back to my grandma Scarle who, though a devout catholic, never mentioned Jesus Christ. Not even to her own beloved grandchildren! I reckon that if you get saved from an eternity of burning torment, you'd thank the One that saved you and tell the ones you love how they can stay out of hell. The stony ground around my heart broke at the thought of her being in hell. It became real to me, then so did the Lord Jesus Christ, and where I was headed foe eternity! Not being familiar to Church, I was unsure about what to do. We went home, went to bed, but I couldn't get to sleep. I slipped out of bed, went into the bathroom, got down on my knees and called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to save me from hell. I repented of all I had done, I believed in my heart that He could save me, and He did!!! I got up a redeemed, born-again child of God and haven't been the same since! The next morning my wife was listening to her "christian?" rock and when I heard that garbage, I came to her and said that it had to go. I told her that I had been saved last night and she and I rejoiced(and threw that junk in the trash!). Since then we've been in Church when the doors are open, I teach Sunday school, and I have been called to preach. I'm in Bible college learning from men of God how to contend for the faith and praising God daily for what He has done. He has been so very good to me and He is worthy to be praised for all eternity. I want to glorify His name whereever I go and in whatever I do, at work, home, in stores, and with my entire life and being. Psa 106:1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Welcome to the board Chuck, and thanks so much for sharing your testimony!

I enjoyed your testimony.