Porter, Phillip

 

Licensed to preach the Gospel by Rockett Baptist Church, Red Oak Texas.
Served 2 years as Chaplin for Texas Civil Defense Ellis County Texas.
Volunteered at Union Gospel Mission Dallas, Texas preaching the Gospel.

My wife Traci and I now live in Pflugerville Texas and would love to fill in on Sunday in the Austin Area. I enjoy the smaller Churches and preaching the Gospel and always try to deliver an uplifting, positive message that will edify and promote the Kingdom of God. I have delivered numerous sermons and lead Worship for several smaller Churches (25 – 200). Thank you for your time. I have also added a small portion of my testimony so that you may know that I can identify with everyone and any situation.

Testimony:
Salvation Testimony
Phillip Porter
972 515-9715

My life before Christ can be summed up in one word, “empty”! I filled my everyday existence with empty thoughts of people, jobs and life. I wouldn’t say that I was a “bad” person, but chased after things like money, women, alcohol, and often cigarettes. I played golf every Sunday instead of being in Church. I read “girly” magazines instead of the Bible. I tried to fill that void in my soul with material things, ungodly people and unproductive activities. Like I said, I was not a “bad” person, but I was just a “lost” person. I grew up in Church. I knew of Jesus, but I didn’t want to give up my life to be something that I didn’t really believe in. I knew of Jesus, but I believed that just being good was good enough. I knew Jesus, but I didn’t think that I needed to be saved; I didn’t believe I needed the cleansing blood of our Lord and Savior. The problem was; I didn’t “know” Jesus!

I had a good friend that I worked with and we played on the same softball team as well. He would invite me to church on a regular basis but I would always have an excuse why I couldn’t make it. I just did not want to go. Church was boring and filled with a lot of stuffed shirts that were always telling me I was going to “Hell” if I didn’t straighten up and fly right. However, one Sunday morning he called me and invited me to breakfast, it wasn’t Church so I agreed to go. I guess I should have known something was up when he informed me that he would be picking me up. My suspicions were confirmed when we pulled into the parking lot of the Church and he turned to me and said “you are going to enjoy this”! We sat down and the service began with the normal singing and prayer time and then the Pastor came out and began to talk. He opened with a few jokes and then a few more and I then I realized that he had a very good sense of humor. The message was funny and honestly I don’t remember ever laughing as much as I did that Sunday morning. The message was from 2nd Corinthians chapter five. Through the humor I began to feel uneasy, I began to hear that small voice, I began to understand what GOD has been telling me all along. “HE died for ALL, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for HIM who died and ROSE again on their behalf!” I began to weep, I began to hurt, I began to feel ashamed, I began to Know GOD! “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold new things have come!”

I finally understood. I was not a bad person I was a “lost” person. My actions were for me but I wanted them to be for HIM! It was that day; I acknowledged my sins and repented. I asked for forgiveness and accepted Christ into my heart. I was a new person and I finally had a purpose.

Although there have been many hurdles and challenges in my life and many more to come. I know that God is with me. I feel the need to serve and not be served. I fill myself with the “word” and not with empty images. I pursue actions that hopefully produce fruit, not emptiness. My faith is tested every day, but God gets me through it. I am a good person, not by anything I have done, but because of what Jesus Christ did for me and all, on the cross.

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him!”