Chris DeMorell
I became a Christian my junior year of college at Ohio State University. I grew up in Boonton, NJ and came from a single parent family and for as I long as I can remember I always wanted to go to a big university. My family was non-practicing Catholic, sometimes going to church on the holidays. I was a typical teenager growing up with a circle of friends and for the most part staying out of trouble. I was accepted into Ohio State University and began attending in September of 1997. I was a member of a fraternity my first two years at and did the worldly activities that they involve themselves in. I gradually found it to be more and more unfulfilling and empty. I believe that the Lord began to draw me at about the end of my sophomore year because I began to do less with the fraternity and began attending a Catholic church just off campus. I remember going and reciting what they put up on the screen but never felt that I was being taught anything. Nothing to apply or direction given for how to live my life. I was also at the time reading up on East Asian religion. I began to believe that there had to be a God and also that there was a way to approach Him. I didn't know much about Christianity at the time. My only exposure to it was through a friend in high school who used to invite me to his youth group meetings during our senior year. Other than that, I was pretty much ignorant of the Bible and it's message. It wasn't until my junior year that I had decided to focus more upon my studies and I think not having the constant social activities of the fraternity to fall back on, I really began to search for answers. I became increasingly disillusioned with the sinfulness of promiscuous relationships and felt that it was time to get my life right with God. By His grace, I received a New Testament from the Gideons who did regular evangelism efforts on campus. Little by little I would try and read through it starting in Matthew. One night I read on the back cover the verses which explained how and what it meant to be saved. In reading these verses relating to the problem of sin and God's provision through his Son Jesus Christ, I made a decision to accept Jesus Christ as my personal Savior from sin. It wasn't long after that the Lord brought me to a campus Bible study where I was able to learn more about the Bible and get to know fellow believers. It was through this that I began to grow and decided that I wanted to commit my life to the Lord and live for His glory (Colossians 3:17). I gradually began to turn more and more away from the sinful activities I had been engaging in. I had a great burden to witness to my family and friends about the grace that God had shown me. I am still witnessing to them to this day and understand that it is God who has to open their eyes. I know that if we put our faith and trust in Christ and lean not upon our own understanding, He is able to work miracles in our lives. If I had to claim a salvation verse, it would be John 3:16. It was God's love that impacted and changed my life during a time of loneliness. I am very thankful that the Lord has brought me to Parsippany Baptist Church which is very sound in its' doctrinal stand. I have been very blessed by the ministry of our pastoral staff who give much time and effort to the teaching of God's word. Currently, I am working as a computer technician which is truly a blessing because having majored in secular psychology I did not know what career path to follow. But after turning it over to the Lord and looking to Him for direction, He's allowed me to maintain a career in this field. I praise Him for His goodness and mercy which He has shown toward me in sending His only Son to die on my behalf. I know that He is faithful and that He receives all those who come to Him by faith.