Earnest Heart
“I just love how the Kingdom changed my dream to be Jesus’s dream, and now that’s the dream I’m living.”
The world is full of people from different walks of life, and with that comes many different experiences and points of view. However, having a different perspective doesn’t necessarily means that we’re right. When confronted about our beliefs, we have two choices: we can choose to ignore new information and potentially remain uninformed, or we can accept the new information and have our lives changed forever.
It was the latter Tony choose to do, and the scriptures have made a significant impact on his walk with God.
Ricky Jean~ Chief Editor
Ricky: Tell me a little about yourself. Where did you grow up, stage in life, working, going to school, are you from DFW originally?
Tony: My name is actually Anthony. A lot of people don’t Know that, a lot of people know me as Tony. Another name people don’t know is Rodgers. That’s my second name. I grew up in Kenya– that’s East Africa. I came to the United States like three years ago. It’s been fun. What I love most about my experience ever since I came are all the opportunities we have here in this country.
When I first came I really wanted to live the American Dream. But I just love how the Kingdom changed that dream to be Jesus’s dream, and now that’s the dream I’m living.
Ricky: What are some of your favorite hobbies, and something you would consider unique about yourself?
Tony: I enjoy playing soccer. I played in the streets growing up, it was like the most popular game. No Football or Basketball, it was all soccer! It’s actually the real Football. Also I enjoy singing a lot. That’s another thing a lot of people don’t know about me. I used to be a singer/songwriter. I was actually in the process of establishing a whole song writing career by the time I was studying the Bible.
Ricky: Tell me how you were met/invited to Church?
Tony: Before I became a disciple I had a few friends in the church. Precious Dunamis, Favour Dunamis, and Ruby Villegas. I knew all of them from school and from other friends. Precious tried to invite me so many times, but I just didn’t want to come. I kept saying no or ignoring her messages. After a while Ruby invited me to church on Instagram. I saw her post a banner about Sunday Service, and I was just wondering about it.
During that time I used to go to church on Saturday, so since I had Sunday free I was just curious. So she invited me out and I wasn’t doing anything on Sunday. I came through and that’s when I met Tyler, and Kenny. They started studying the Bible with me, but then I fell away from the studies. That’s when Bob picked me back up, and I started studying again, and that’s how I got baptized.
Ricky: Describe your relationship with God prior to studying The Bible and how it has changed?
Tony: The biggest change in my relationship with God is the feeling of fulfillment; knowing that I have true salvation. I did grow up religious. My family was very religious, they were all Protestant. They were always fired up about God. Every time I get on a skype call with them they always remind me to focus on my relationship with God. It’s something that is like a family culture.
The reality for me growing up (especially during my teenage years) was always having no answer to the question: if I wasn’t born into a Christian family would I be Christian? Basically am I a Christian on my own convictions or my parents’? That was the biggest dilemma for me. That’s what made me start church hopping, looking for a place to seek God, and to seek God fully.
I always had love for God. I just didn’t know what loving him means in biblical standards. And what following him means, and what it means to be a true disciple. That’s probably the biggest information I got, because all the knowledge I had is now being done in the right way ever since I got baptized. This was the biggest change that I’m super grateful for.
Ricky: What are some of your favorite scriptures and why?
Tony: One of my favorite scripture is John 8, because it made me realize it’s not good enough for me to know the teachings, I have to uphold them everyday. So I can be a true disciple and be set free. Another one of my favorite scriptures is Matthew 28, which is the creed of the church, which has become my creed now.
It’s so special to me because, when I got baptized it was probably the one part of the bible studies I wasn’t sold out to. Coming up as an introvert I was always really skeptical about the idea of going up to meet people. Going to share my faith. It was definitely calling me out of my comfort zone. But ever since I started doing it, and got accustomed to it, with prayer and petition, it became easier.
Ricky: What advice would you give someone who has started studying the Bible or is considering it?
Tony: How much do you think you know, versus how much do you think the son of God knows about your salvation? And if you know the answer to that question, then answer this question: who would you trust to know the way to heaven– you or Jesus? If you trust Jesus, then go through the Bible studies and find out what that way is.
Any other way, regardless of how much you love God, it doesn’t matter if you grew up going to church or how good you feel about your prayers, all of that doesn’t matter if you don’t do it the way Jesus says it. The advice I would give you is just go after the conviction of doing things in the way God wants it.
Ricky: What do you love about the Kingdom?
Tony: I definitely love the discipleship that I get from everyone. I feel like it’s helped me change so much in my character. I’ve grown to become a different person in so many areas. I also love the feeling of having a family that could really ride or die for me. If I have a need, anything it may be; food, financial help, as soon as I tell a couple people about it, I’m going to get help.
Of course having pure relationships with people, because that is something I did not have in the world at all. So getting to have pure relationships with people, brothers and sisters alike. Pure in speech, in thought, in conduct, it’s just awesome for me to have.
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