Gary Hamrick - Thanksgiving Eve Service (01/22/2026)
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On this Thanksgiving Eve, Pastor Gary leads a special service focused on giving thanks to God through reading Psalm 105:1-3 and President Trump’s 2018 Thanksgiving Proclamation, emphasizing gratitude even in trials, and shares powerful personal testimonies from church members about God’s faithfulness, mercy, and miraculous work in their lives.
Opening Greeting and Introduction
Good evening, everybody. It’s good to see you out tonight on our Thanksgiving Eve service. This is a little different from what we normally do on a Wednesday night. We are presently going through the book of Hebrews on Wednesday nights, and so we encourage you to be with us if you don’t normally worship with us on Wednesday nights. But for this evening, we are tabling our study through Hebrews for the moment because we just want to give thanks to the Lord, and we want to celebrate His goodness, and we just want to give glory to Him. And so, as we’ve been telling you for the past couple of weeks, we have tapped a few people on the shoulder because of different stories we know concerning their lives and how the Lord has worked in wonderful, amazing ways and asked if they would mind sharing. And so tonight, they’re each going to take about five minutes to just give thanks and to give testimony to the Lord’s goodness in their lives.
Scripture Reading from Psalm 105
And before we start to introduce the different folks who are sharing this evening, I wanted just to begin by first reading from Psalm 105, verses 1, 2, and 3. It says this: «Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, which we’ve just done; sing praises to him, and then it says tell of all his wonderful acts.» So that’s the next thing we’re going to do. «Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.» So we praise Him tonight, and we’re thankful that you’re here to worship the Lord and celebrate with us.
Reading the Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation
I also wanted this evening, as I customarily do, to read the presidential proclamation on Thanksgiving. Every year, the president issues a proclamation at this time of the year in regards to Thanksgiving. And so I would like to read the President’s Proclamation on Thanksgiving Day.
«We recall the courageous and inspiring journey of the Pilgrims who, nearly four centuries ago, ventured across the vast ocean to flee religious persecution and establish a home in the New World. They faced illness, harsh conditions, and uncertainty as they trusted in God for a brighter future. The more than 100 Pilgrims who arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts, on the Mayflower instilled in our nation a strong faith in God that continues to be a beacon of hope to all Americans.
Thanksgiving Day is a time to pause and to reflect with family and friends on our heritage and the sacrifices of our forebears who secured the blessings of liberty for an independent, free, and united country. After surviving a frigid winter and achieving their first successful harvest in 1621, the Pilgrims set aside three days to feast and give thanks to God for His abundant mercy and blessings. Members of the Wampanoag tribe, who had taught the Pilgrims how to farm in New England and helped them adjust and thrive in that new land, shared in the bounty and celebration.
In recognition of that historic event, President George Washington in 1789 issued a proclamation declaring the first national day of Thanksgiving. He called upon the people of the United States to unite in rendering unto God our sincere and humble gratitude, quote, 'for his kind care and protection of the people of this country and the favorable interpositions of his providence, ' end quote.
President Abraham Lincoln revived this tradition as our fractured nation endured the horrors of the Civil War. Ever since, we have set aside this day to give special thanks to God for the many blessings, gifts, and love He has bestowed on us and our country.
This Thanksgiving, as we gather in places of worship and around the table, surrounded by loved ones in humble gratitude for the bountiful gifts we have received, let us keep in close memory our fellow Americans who have faced hardship and tragedy this year. In the spirit of generosity and compassion, let us joyfully reach out in word and deed and share our time and resources throughout our communities. Let us also find ways to give to the less fortunate, whether it be in the form of sharing a hearty meal, extending a helping hand, or providing words of encouragement.
We especially are reminded on Thanksgiving of how the virtue of gratitude enables us to recognize, even in adverse situations, the love of God in every person, every creature, and throughout nature. Let us be mindful of the reasons we are grateful for our lives, for those around us, and for our communities. We also commit to treating all with charity and mutual respect, spreading the spirit of Thanksgiving throughout our country and across the world.
Today, we particularly acknowledge the sacrifices of our service members, law enforcement personnel, and first responders who selflessly serve and protect our nation. This Thanksgiving, more than 200,000 brave American patriots will spend the holidays overseas, away from their loved ones. Because of the men and women in uniform who volunteer to defend our liberty, we are able to enjoy the splendor of American life. We pray for their safety and for the families who await their return.
And now, therefore, I, Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 22nd, 2018, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to gather in homes and places of worship to offer a prayer of thanks to God for our many blessings.» End quote.
Seven times he referenced God in his proclamation, and I praise the Lord for that.
Thanking Church Volunteers
Well, as we started with worship to give God our thanks at the beginning of our service and then reading from Psalm 105 to kind of set the tone, the first thing we want to do after we acknowledge the Lord—obviously as the one who deserves all our thanks and praise—is we just wanted to thank you, the many volunteers here at Cornerstone who serve so tirelessly in many different ways in the life of the church. So we just have a short video clip in honor of all of our volunteers, thanking you for your service. So take a look at the screens.
Amen. We applaud you all. Thank you all.
Testimony of Matt and Kate Stavish
Well, joining me up here at the platform are the first to share tonight. And this is not an easy thing—you know, public speaking is the number one fear that people have in general. And so I don’t know how well you like public speaking or not, but you’re going to get a dose of it this evening, and so are the rest of those who are sharing tonight. But let’s give a welcome to Matt and Kate Stavish.
Man, now I know how you feel up here. Yeah.
Before we start, we just want to say—and I think we want to reiterate the fact—that this is just God’s story, and He is a merciful God, and He is a faithful God. And we’ve sat in the seats with stories that were pretty raw, and we just want to make sure that people understand that that rawness doesn’t go away; it’s just that God helps us through those things.
So Matt and I have been married now for over 12 years. Feels like just yesterday, honey. We’ve always been the ones who have tried to just control our lives—for both firstborn, both type A-plus personalities. Northern Virginia knows nothing about that. And we’ve just spent our whole life trying to control our jobs and where we lived and just how we were going to build our lives.
So when it came time for us to start thinking about starting a family, we just assumed that that would also be one of those things—until it wasn’t. So we spent many years trying to have children, you know, traditionally. We had timed getting tests done; we went to fertility doctors; we had surgeries; we finally chose to go through IVF. And all of those things just failed miserably.
I think the culmination of that well-intentioned effort came when we went with our doctors, and in June of 2013, they told us that we would never be able to have children. It was June of 2013, and I think this is the part that I struggle with the most, but I was angry. I was failing, and I had pretty much talked myself into the fact that I was not enough—not enough for my husband, not enough for my family—because I had failed at doing the one thing that women were built to do. Um, I was really jealous; I was sad, and I felt completely alone. And quite frankly, I was just broken.
It’s stating—I now know, looking back—that that was just not God’s timeline for me, and that I was praying and pleading to Him for things that I think at the time might have been a little bit selfish. Time passed, and I think we somehow just figured out a way to pray for things that were bigger than us. We started praying for patience and for trust and for other people’s lives that we just felt probably had it way worse than we did anyway. And we figured out, at least somehow, how to just let go of it.
We finally were able to change our perspective a little bit, and we decided that, after a long decision-making process, that we wouldn’t go through any more medical intervention and that, with or without children, we were just going to try to be as content as we could with the Lord and what He had planned for us.
On a September Sunday, I was convinced that I had the flu, and so I told Matt I needed to rest for a while. And suspiciously, he thought something was different, so he took the challenge and asked me if I would take a pregnancy test. And sure enough, in God’s plan and in His timely wisdom, we were pregnant with this four-year-old. I promised myself I wouldn’t do this. Um, God’s work is never done, and we will never claim that this is anything that’s over because He’s still orchestrating things in our lives, even down to tonight.
You know, in March of this year, we actually welcomed our second daughter, Eliza, who’s sitting over with our in-laws tonight. You know, our girls are our testimony, but they’re His—they’re His girls, and we’re just looking after them until we can thank Him in person.
But there’s one end to the story that involves Pastor Gary. So throughout this whole process, Pastor Gary prayed with us—before we found out Kate was pregnant and then shortly thereafter. He didn’t know the timelines of the pregnancy. So in the old facility, in May of 2014, as our journey through the Bible continues, we just happened to land on one spot, and Pastor Gary was moved to share the message from 1 Samuel and Hannah’s hope. And he compared and contrasted that to our story. That was on a Saturday night, and my in-laws were at the service. And after the service, they said, «Oh, by the way, I think you’re talking about Matt and Kate—that baby was born yesterday.» So just funny how things kind of line up.
So, but um, we’re very thankful for everything and all the work that God has done in our lives. And Happy Thanksgiving.
Testimony of Sam
Sam, Luke, Anya—Sam, come on up and share with us. Where are you, Sam? There you are. Let’s welcome Sam, everybody.
All right. Well, I didn’t trip up the stairs, so I’m halfway done, right?
I have a saying—it’s nothing unique; some of you might have heard it—is it odd, or is it God? And the way tonight is all coming together, it’s no question that it is always God.
1 Peter 1:6 through 7 says, «In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may prove genuine and result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.»
I grew up in New Jersey, raised in the Catholic Church. My parents weren’t drug addicts or alcoholics; I wasn’t neglected or abused as a child. But I still took my first drink when I was 12 years old to cover up my anxiety, depression, and insecurities. And my addiction was born.
At 14 years old, I started smoking weed. At 16 years old, I got addicted to prescription pills. And by the time I graduated high school, I had already been arrested three different times. Going to church was merely a formality for me, and I had no relationship with Jesus whatsoever.
After high school, I got addicted to cocaine and arrested for possession. And I figured all my problems were situational—if I could just leave New Jersey, everything would be fixed. So I left New Jersey and came down to Virginia, trying to run away from my problems. But the problem with that was, everywhere I went, there I was.
In 2006, I got arrested for prescription fraud, trying to feed my addiction. Several years later, I met a nice Christian girl named Rachel, and we ended up getting married in 2013. My addiction got the best of me. My wife came home after work one night and found me on the floor, unconscious and unresponsive, because I overdosed on prescription pain pills.
I woke up in the ICU with a tube down my throat, not knowing how I got there. And I was so grateful for that because I did not want to die—I just didn’t know how to live. I turned my back on God, and I’m so grateful that God never turned His back on me. He saved my life that night for a reason. It wasn’t to go back to living the way that I was living.
So I got involved in the church; I accepted Jesus into my heart; I got in a 12-step recovery; my wife and I got some good counseling. And life started getting really, really good.
Matthew 23:12 tells us that he who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
In sobriety, I got a little bit of an ego. My confidence turned to cockiness, and God decided that He was going to shut that down real quick. Unfortunately, I relapsed, and I went into a friend’s house and I took her pills, and I got arrested for breaking and entering. And I was arrested for the sixth and final time. And honestly, I was grateful for that too because I was so sick and tired of being sick and tired.
I had six months to do everything right before I went to court. And is it odd, or is it God, that when I went to court for sentencing, it was Good Friday 2016? The judge still sentenced me to three years in jail, but I think God was in the courtroom that day because she had a little bit of mercy in her heart, and she suspended two years and 11 months of that sentence. So I went to jail for 30 days—still not ideal.
When I got locked up, my wife was 10 weeks pregnant. Two weeks into my jail stay, she suffered a miscarriage.
Now is the part where I get to tell you how good God really is. So I’m sitting in my jail cell, praying, asking God why He has put us through this. My wife was at home asking the same thing. And sometimes the only thing between you and your challenges, you and your difficulties, you and your struggles, you and your pain, is going to be God.
Rachel and I both opened up our Bibles to 1 Peter 1:6 through 7. It’s by no coincidence—it’s by no chance—that we both opened up to that verse. Because in our marriage, we have suffered grief in all kinds of trials, but our faith in Christ has gotten us through those.
Today, I’m happy to say that we’ve been married for over seven years, and we have a marriage better than anything I ever could have imagined. I also have an 18-month-old baby boy who has never seen his father take a drink or a drug—and that doesn’t happen without the grace of God.
I’m also happy to announce that my wife is pregnant with our second baby boy, who also never has to see me take a drink or a drug—and that just doesn’t happen without the grace of God.
Grace is defined as undeserved favor—much of which God has shown me in my life. And I just ask and pray that anybody in here who is struggling with anything just let Jesus in your heart and know that His grace is enough. Because if His grace is enough for a guy like me—a sinner, six arrests, three treatments for substance abuse, jail, overdose, thief, felon—then His grace is enough for anybody.
Now, I’ve got one thing—postscript, really quick. Is it odd, or is it God, that my wife called the friend to take her to the hospital that day—that she met in church? That friend happened to be Kate Stavish. I didn’t know Kate was speaking today; I also didn’t know that she was going first. So you guys tell me: is it odd, or is it God? Is He just that good?
I didn’t know that other part to that story. That’s awesome.
I told you these are going to be good, huh? These are good stories. And this is real-life stuff to where people are living every day of their lives. And just to hear how the Lord has been working in miraculous ways—it’s such an encouragement.
Children’s Video on Thanksgiving
We’re going to shift, though, and have a smile because I spent some time with some kids last week to find out their ideas about Thanksgiving. And so we have a little video—a little fun time with the kids here at church. So take a look at your video screens.
Thank you for coming to sit down with me because we’re going to have just a fun conversation about a special holiday that’s coming up. What is it?
Hey, TV.
You’re absolutely right. Do you know anything about the very first Thanksgiving? A long time ago. What can you tell me?
I think that they fought in a war.
Who fought in a war?
George Washington.
George Washington. Okay.
I think the guy’s name was Lincoln, the boss. Lincoln was the boss.
Him around like, hey. He was the boss, that’s for sure. But actually, the first Thanksgiving was way before that. Yeah, can you believe it?
I read a book about—I forgot—was in the bunkers, like, because it—yeah. I mean, when you’re five, that’s a long time ago.
All right, little picture quiz. Everybody knows what this is, right? What is it?
There’s a chicken.
What? It’s a turkey.
It is. Yeah. Oh, okay. It’s all right; we’ll call it a turkey.
Which one do you want to eat?
This one.
Why?
Too many feathers here, right? You choke on some feathers.
So if people eat turkey at Thanksgiving, what do you think turkeys eat at Thanksgiving?
Turkeys.
How’s the turkey sound? Try it again.
Gobble gobble.
There you go.
I don’t even know what that is. What’s this?
P—an injective ham and turkey both.
I’m coming to your house. Is there room at your table for me?
All right. French fries. You get french fries at Thanksgiving?
You do.
You know, me sometimes.
So do dessert?
No, it’s healthier not to do desserts.
Yeah, I’m with you. Yeah, I mean, not really, but I understand what you’re saying.
When you think about Thanksgiving, it’s a time that we’re supposed to be thankful, right? What are you thankful for?
Jojo.
Jesus came down for His birth.
Yeah, isn’t that wonderful? Ah, Jesus loves us so much; He came down to save us.
Easily so with us. He’s always with us.
Absolutely. He’s protecting.
Yeah, that He protects us.
It’s not a trick question. Your mom?
Are you thankful for school?
No.
Mine in the earth. You’re—you’re what?
Busy. Family, friends, and family.
Do you have Verizon?
What do you think you have it? There’s a lot of other people don’t have genj dragons.
Yeah. Cats too.
I’m not sure if we should be thankful about cats.
Anyway, guys, thanks for coming out. I really appreciate you helping us to tell the story of Thanksgiving.
Pi5. Ah, good job. Good job.
Across the table: what are you thankful for?
I’m just—I’m thankful for my job.
Yeah, I’m thankful for my boss.
High-five.
Thanks. Good times. Good times.
We’re going to post that on our social media too, so you can watch that over and over again. Precious kids. That was always fun because you never know what they’re going to say. So that’s always a special time.
Testimony of Stephanie and David Griffiths
Let’s continue with our testimonies now. Going to ask Stephanie Griffiths to come up. Dave is going to come with her. Stephanie and David Griffiths, everybody. Welcome them.
All the people—I’m Italian, so you have to excuse me; I talk with my hands. So I wrote my testimony—even though it’s my story, I talk too fast, and sometimes he’ll give me a little nudge to slow me down.
I was raised in a very, very dysfunctional family. My mother left my father when I was three for another man. She raised me believing that my birth father wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. She married her second husband, who physically abused me because I wasn’t his real kid. And my mother’s father—so my grandfather—sexually abused me for ten years.
When I was finally strong enough, I came out about the abuse, but I was alone. No one believed me. Mm-hmm. My own mother refused to believe me, and she begged me to keep her father out of prison. They moved to New Mexico a short time after, and I never saw them again.
My trust in my mother was destroyed, and it was at this time I questioned God. We had occasionally gone to church for, like, Christmas—so we were like the churchgoers for the holidays. So it wasn’t really long enough for me to establish a relationship with Him. And besides, why would I want to? Who was this great God that was going to put a child through this kind of suffering? I didn’t hate Him, but I had no desire to know Him.
And so began my downfall. Many things occurred in my teenage years and continued into my 20s—much longer than five minutes, so I don’t have time to tell you all about that. I began cutting myself, and I attempted suicide multiple times.
At 21, I got married; at 23, I had a baby; and at 27, I was facing divorce. It was ugly, but I still turned my back on God.
I began to suffer from anxiety disorder. I was getting hospitalized and taking medications throughout the day. I turned to drinking—on days that I didn’t have my daughter, I would get blackout drunk. I quit drinking after I realized what I was doing to myself, but I still turned my back to God.
I married my soul mate—this guy. We have had—and still have—our fair share of heartache, struggles, pain, financial difficulties. My husband was raised Catholic; he had his own relationship with Jesus, but I wasn’t interested in what he had to say, and he began to lose his faith too.
I met with a friend one day. My life was a mess and falling apart. We were struggling to make ends meet; my husband had lost his job; dealing with now three kids in our blended family; my husband and I seemed to be at each other’s throats regularly. And all of this started to take a toll on me.
My friend—she invited me to Cornerstone. She was checking out Cornerstone, and invited me to tag along. She didn’t know my history or my relationship with God. I just told her God wasn’t my thing. But I went, and I think now, looking back, that God was starting to work on me.
Isaiah 28:16 says, «So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.»
This was the teaching on Sunday, June 3rd, 2018—my first day in church. This was also the day that I received Jesus Christ.
I cannot explain to you what happened, nor would I try to tell you—it’s personal between me and my God. I will say that I felt the weight of my sins leave my body and fly through the walls of this church. It has become as far from me as the east is to the west. I know now that the Holy Spirit has grabbed all of my garbage and pushed it under the waterfall of God’s love.
The Holy Spirit, in a moment’s time, changed my desires. He began a work in me. I felt my world and my walls—the protection that I had built for such a long time—fall down.
On September 30th, 2018, my husband and I were baptized together. I have given myself to my Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior. I’m a child of God. I give all the glory and all the thanks to Him.
He has given me fulfillment, purpose, and joy. I’m not perfect—I still mess things up a lot—but God loves me despite my flaws and my imperfections. And when things I was pursuing before continually let me down, God has never once left me—even when I didn’t believe.
He has shown Himself to me in His Word. God loves me even when I was at my lowest point. He rescued me from myself. I gave it all to God. He is the cornerstone, a sure foundation.
I have been medication-free since June 3rd, 2018. I go to God when my anxiety gets the best of me. My marriage is being rebuilt on God’s cornerstone. I am raising my children on His sure foundation.
My life has changed for the better since my salvation—even though times can be challenging, I have my Jesus. I put my faith in Him.
As it is said in Isaiah 25:1, «Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.»
And the Lord has worked quickly there—I mean, that’s just since this summer. So you know how the Lord is just transforming lives. It’s precious to hear; it’s wonderful to hear.
Testimony of Peter John and Family
Peter John, come on up—Peter, with your family now. While they’re coming up here, I know he might share a little bit about this, but they had to flee Pakistan because of persecution. I just heard on the news today—I told Peter John before the service tonight—I heard in the news this morning that Pakistan is one of the top five worst countries in the world in terms of their treatment and persecution of Christians. So you’re seeing a family here that’s been rescued out of Pakistan to come to the United States.
«Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.»
Good evening, church. Happy Thanksgiving.
My name is Peter. This is my wife Karen, my son Ephraim, Abraham, and Angelina is with me. As Pastor introduced, like we are persecuted Christians from Pakistan. We are one of the victims of persecution.
Thank you for giving us this opportunity to share something from our life as a testimony here. It is a little weird feeling because Pakistani Christians are not used to getting many opportunities like that. However, we are thankful for this wonderful church community, blessed men of God—Pastor Gary, Pastor Mike, Frick—who have welcomed and supported us, made our little family here. Thanks once again.
We have all been encouraged here to be part of different ministries in Cornerstone family. My wife is part of children’s ministry; myself, part of usher’s ministry; and most importantly, my children feel excited to be in children’s ministry as well. And we also have been given the honor of leading the care group in our community. And I manage a group on Facebook named United Christian Youth Fellowship. It has 50,000 members, and many are listening to wonderful teaching of Pastor Gary these days every week. And I believe there will be many more testimonies shared here sooner than later.
This is our older son, Ephraim, and he had his baptism here. Please keep praying for him. We do believe that he’s going to be a mighty warrior for God, for the glory of God.
This evening, we are going to share about our son Abraham very briefly. When he was born, he met with an accident at the time of birth—his hip joint got damaged. He was in a plaster for his first two months of life. Me and my wife were handling a lot of stress because of the pain his poor soul had to go through.
At the same time, we were told that Abraham had a rare heart disease, and this could be treated in U.S. or India only. The pure and impure blood was getting mixed, and this was causing, ultimately, his death normally in such cases. So doctors suggested us, like, you have just 15 days to get this fixed, and you just make it fast and get this done.
So we only had enough funds to go to India. Long story short, we reached there, and Abraham was treated for a long seven-hour open-heart surgery. Anyhow, we kept praying, as the Word says, «Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.»
The open-heart surgery was successful. He was moved to intensive care unit. However, a few days later, the doctor came to us and informed that Abraham’s lungs had collapsed, and they had to operate him on emergency basis. Abraham was such a tiny little boy. We were in tears, but we never stopped praying. In fact, this attitude encouraged the other patients in the ward, and there were Hindus, Sikhs who asked us to pray for their babies because of Abraham’s miracle.
The second surgery was successful, and he was still doing fine. But then something unexpected happened. Abraham came back from the operation theater, but he was still feverish. Doctors tried some medications, but in vain—until, after a few extensive tests, a team of doctors approached us again and said that they are very sorry; during the second surgery, they accidentally left a piece of gauze in his body. He needed another operation for this.
The third surgery—to be possible, they had to cut and open the same wound that was recently operated. Now, the hospital staff was very busy those days because they were just preparing—there was an inauguration happening, and President of India was invited to do the inauguration. And this was really, for anybody, perfect time to just report the incident to some media—since they would lap up any such stories then. We could have benefited financially or, like, morally.
But instead, we chose to fall down to our knees, kept praying, and forgive the doctors, technicians, nurses who made the mistake. Like I said, this is a very long story, but Abraham survived the third major surgery as well. And here he is today. He loves to praise God, and his favorite Psalm is, «The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, in whom I will trust.»
And we believe that «I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.» We pray that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel bless this church and all of you abundantly who have opened your heart to bless us. May God bless you with His right hand. May God bless America.
Great stories. You glad you came yet? Amen.
Video Testimony of Leah Brinton
We have a video testimony now we’re going to share with you. This is Leah Brinton. Take a look at your video screens.
I was raised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And when I was young, I felt like I was going to be the first female prophet because I was so invested in my faith.
Growing up in the Mormon Church, it’s a very all-inclusive kind of deal. I had many friends who went to high school with me who were Mormon, and I was always with them because in the morning we would wake up at about 5:30, and we would go to a church class in the morning to study the works of the gospel. And from there, we would go to school, and then after school we would have youth group kind of night. And then on Sundays, we would go to church for three hours. And so I was always with them, and I was always with my family, and I was always very happy, and I was very comfortable in my religion.
And that’s one of the things that made it so hard to leave was my life was on a track. I had good friends; I had a good family; I was in a good place. You know, we were in this good town.
I had one friend who I was very close to in particular, who went to Cornerstone here. And we, again, didn’t really talk about religion because it just was uncomfortable. But it started coming up more and more into conversation, and eventually they sent me basically an essay of their feelings towards my church. And I was very distraught, and I was very angry, and we became distant immediately.
And for the next three months, I kind of just spiraled downwards. I became suicidal; I became depressed; I was not in a good place. And I did not want to admit that it was the religion that I’d so furiously defended three months earlier.
The things that I really struggled with were, you know, the priesthood or polygamy or just the history of the Mormon Church. And while I loved the people—and I still do adore the people of the Mormon Church—I just could not believe the same things because it did not make sense to me.
I knew something had to change. I knew that my life was not right; I knew that I was not happy. So I decided to go to Cornerstone for one sermon, and if it was good, you know, I’d keep going back.
And when I first started coming to Cornerstone, it was amazing because the sermons made sense. There wasn’t anything that was really hard for me to understand or believe. It was all about love, and it was all about Jesus Christ, and it was about my own relationship with Him—and not having to go through anyone else to get to Him.
You know, there was an altar call, but I was so nervous about that because this was this huge church. When I first started coming here, I couldn’t even come in the sanctuary because it was just so intimidating to me. So I just hung out in the café. But there was an altar call, and it was then that I realized, you know, this is what I wanted; this is who—this was Jesus Christ, and this was His truth.
And so I, you know, chose Christ. And there—because my whole family is part of the Mormon Church still—our relationship was very tense and very difficult at the time when I was converting. There would be nights where my parents were just sobbing on the couch, and I would just watch them, and I would—you know, their hearts are breaking, and mine would break as well because I knew that I was—you know, this—they were crying because of me and the things that I was choosing.
And our relationship at the time—while at the time was very difficult—I feel like now it’s grown so much more. We’re a lot closer; we spend so much more time together. And I do feel like it’s because I have chosen Christ. And I feel like, because my relationship with Him has grown, I want relationships with other people in my life to grow as well.
He’s so much more than I ever could have imagined. And I’m so grateful for a God who, you know, accepted me before I accepted Him.
Testimony of Ron Colantonio
One more—Ron Colantonio. You’re the cleanup batter tonight. And I hope you’re not going to make us cry 'cause you got a good story, but it’s a tearjerker too. But we love you, Ron. Thanks for coming to share with us.
Thank you.
Hello, my name is Ron Colantonio, and I’m here tonight with my three daughters: Jennifer and Kristen and Jeanine. And we are here to give testimony to the following truths from God’s Word.
Psalm 34:8 says, «Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.»
And 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 says, «Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you.»
God is good, and we as His followers can rejoice always and give thanks in all circumstances.
We as a family have had a tumultuous last couple of years. One of my daughters had an emergency hospitalization and then surgery. Another daughter broke her leg. For a period of time, the doctors thought that I had cancer—which, after tests and scans, turned out to be negative. All three girls were struck head-on in a car crash that totaled both cars.
But most seriously and most significantly, my wife of 26 years and the mother of our girls, Bonnie, was diagnosed two and a half years ago with colon cancer. Bonnie had multiple major surgeries and months of chemotherapy. And just after Thanksgiving this time last year, the doctor told us the treatment was no longer working, and Bonnie died shortly after Christmas last year.
The moment she passed away, she met Jesus face to face.
For a year and a half, we as a family went through the pain and difficulties of her treatment. And for the last year, we have gone through the anguish and the grief of her death.
And through it all, God has been good, and He has allowed us to give thanks.
Our hope in death and in life comes from the same Jesus Christ that Bonnie placed her hope in.
In the midst of Bonnie’s chemotherapy—about this time last year and knowing that her death was likely—Bonnie wrote in her journal a list of 20 things she was thankful to God for. Here is her list, in her words—lessons learned.
I’m thankful for changed perspective.
Thankful that the Lord knows all my thoughts and fears and that I can bring them to Him.
Thankful that God is awake at all hours of the day and available at all times and all hours of the night.
Thankful that I can bring my what-ifs to Him. Psalm 29:11—"The Lord blesses his people with peace.»
Thankful that I can cry out to the Lord; He hears and answers. In desperate times, I cry out, «Help me, Lord, ” when I have no strength left—and then I get a few minutes of relief.
Thankful for a husband and daughters who can go to the Lord for me when I have little strength.
Thankful for others to call on when we are in desperate need—we need others to help us during these times.
Thankful and desperate for time alone with God to hear what He is saying.
Thankful for the Lord’s hand in all of this—the difficulties and the victories.
Thankful that God knows my every thought and fear that I can bring to Him. I am lonely at times; only the Lord really knows me. Psalm 139:1—"You know when I sit down and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.»
I’ve learned to enjoy the day the Lord has given me today. I’ve learned not to worry—be concerned, yes, but not worry—about tomorrow.
Thankful for the days I feel well enough to enjoy, even though more discomfort is coming.
Thankful to be able to enjoy friends and family while I can. Psalm 90:12—"Teach me to number my days.»
Thankful to be able to pray for my family while I can.
Thankful that, in You, Lord, I can recognize this as a blessing and not a curse.
Thankful that there is a new heavenly life to come. Life is hard, miserable at times, but we have heaven to look forward to.
Thankful that I am blessed with deeper conversations and frankly strengthened friendships and contact with past friendships.
Thankful for a changed perspective towards the eternal rather than the external—because I’m not feeling or looking good anyway.
Thankful for what Joni Eareckson Tada reminds me from 2 Corinthians 1:9—all this happened that you may not rely on yourself. I am not in control of my life; Jesus Christ is in ultimate control.
Thankful that I can recognize the truth of who God is. Sometimes I wish God fixes everything here on earth. As I read through God’s Word, I realize He does not fix everything here. Those who follow Christ do not get perfect, problem-free lives. But God is with us through it and gives us eternal life. God does not owe me a problem-free life.
Thankful that this has given me a compassion for others and what they might be going through. I am not so focused on outward appearances.
Thankful that God is sovereign and controls my life even when I feel like I control my life. This is a humble way to learn this.
Thankful that He has allowed me to relax more.
These are her words and her thanks to her God.
Psalm 34:8—"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.»
We are thankful for all God has done.
Closing Remarks and Encouragement
You know, folks, I hope that you have heard through these different testimonies just how real Jesus is. And it’s not just someone we talk about, but it is someone we have relationship with. And in knowing Christ in a personal way, He is our help; He is our hope; He is the one who sustains us and carries us when we can’t carry any longer ourselves. He’s the one who comforts us; He’s the one who provides for us.
You know, life will not always turn out the way we hope, but God has a bigger plan and a bigger purpose—but it’s sometimes unknown, obviously, to us. But nevertheless, we can trust the One who holds the future in His hands—even though we don’t obviously know what the future holds. As long as we trust Him who holds the future, our hope and our confidence is in the Lord.
And so all of these folks who have shared tonight are giving testimony of a real Jesus, a real Savior, a real Lord who has changed their lives and made all the difference in their lives.
And so let’s just thank the Lord for all these testimonies tonight.
You know, Hebrews 10:24 and 25 says, «Let us hold unswervingly to the hope that we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage each other—and all the more as you see the Day approaching"—the day of the Lord’s return.
So I pray—I hope that tonight has been encouraging for you as we just thank the Lord for who He is and as we just celebrate God’s faithfulness in our lives.
So let’s just stand. We’re going to sing a closing song together. Worship Him on the way out. Let’s lift our voices and praise the Lord.