e-mail Billy Wood to add yours
Class Testimonies
e-mail Billy Wood to add yours
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Brother Billy,
A note about Sunday School:
I never went to Sunday school as an adult and I didn't quite know what to expect, but I always feel very welcomed in Sunday School even if I miss a few. It has been a blessing to make new friends along the way. Even getting to know you as our associate Pastor has been fun! Recently, I have realized that I need to get serious and be faithful about Sunday School. I see I have much to learn as I hear your lessons from the Word of God and how to apply it in my life. For example, The Exodus became an exciting bible story for me. The Israelites were so difficult , but God always provided! I understand now why they had to stay in the wilderness so long. The same still applies to us today! Thank you, Your sister In Christ,
Tonya Roper |
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This Sunday school class has done so much for my family and me. My husband and I have built great friendships with the people in our Stevens group are learning how to be better Christian parents. The best thing to happen to me as a result of this Sunday School class is Salvation. I had always believed that I was saved at the age of 13 years old. During a series titled The Net, I began wondering and questioning my salvation. The last Sunday of the series Pastor Wood asked for people to share their testimonies. As people started telling their testimonies, it sounded as if they were telling my story, I came under conviction and was saved right then. Through the wonderful teachings of this class, I now know, without a doubt that I am saved. Karen Blalock |
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Jeff and I are so happy and blessed to have joined the Grace family. He was never baptized after being saved when he was 12 years old so he is planning to do that in a couple of weeks. He will be working this Sunday (firefighter) and hopes to get his parents to come to the service the next week for his baptism. My niece has recently been saved and her baptism is this Sunday morning at Crossroads church in Douglasville so I will not be in class this week. I have tried to figure out how to be in two places at once and have not come up with a way to do it. But I will be there on Sunday night. I wanted you to know that you (as a Sunday school teacher and pastor), Dr. Martin and Grace were an answer to my prayers. I have tried to get Jeff involved in church for many years and finally gave up 'nagging' and started praying. Of course that is what I should have done all along, but I didn't realize it. After several months of prayer, I just simply asked for him to find a church and I would follow him. He did. God lead us to you and I am so thankful. Jeff had not attended a Sunday school class in 25 years. Again, I simply asked, and he went. You hooked him. He has told everyone he knows how much he enjoys YOUR class. It is such a joy to hear him ask others to visit OUR church. I just wanted you to know why our seats would be empty on Sunday morning and how much being lead to Grace has filled our hearts.
Sharle` McKenzie |
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Billy,
Just wanted to give you my testimony as promised...
I grew up in church and attended every Sunday until I was a teenager. Since then, most of my adult life has been in absence of Church and Sunday School and if it wasn't for God, Grace Baptist Church, and the prayers of my wife, I would still be wandering around in darkness. It feels so good to be revitalized after being away for so long. I wish that I had found this Church many years ago. Our Sunday School class has been such a blessing to me and my wife. The lessons that Pastor Wood teaches are very informative, touching, and from the heart. It is hard to deny that God is alive and working through this man. If you were there for the lesson on bitterness, you would know what I mean. It's very refreshing to hear the truth and not some watered-down lecture that has been "edited for content". Thank you Pastor Billy and Pastor Martin for making a change in my life, God bless the both of you.
Jeff
Blalock |
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Bro.
Billy, I just
wanted to let you know I am thankful for you and Shannon. I am thankful
for the teachings Jamey and I are able to receive in Sunday School. I
can't tell you how many times we've struggled with something during the week,
(maybe even that morning), and you hit directly on it in Sunday School, which
helps us. I am truly thankful we can be in your class and I wanted to
let you know that. Thank you for the example you and Shannon both are
for us. Jamey and
I will celebrate our 2nd anniversary on Tuesday, March 1. It certaintly
has had it's moments of less than smooth sailing, but it has definitely been
more wonderful than I ever thought or knew it would be. I just wanted
to share that with you. It's definitely a praise. It's even more
of a praise that we can tell Savanna and Jordan what God did for us,
undeservingly. Anyways, hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Again,
thank you for everything. Jennifer DePriest |
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THANK YOU!!! I wanted to let you know that I have really enjoyed and learned a great deal through the Acts Alive series! Thanks! Giving God the Glory with Thanksgiving in our Hearts! Julia |
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Thank you… my grandma always says that “the man
is the head, but the woman is the neck which turns the head”… now I finally
understand.
I always enjoy your Sunday school class. |
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Dear Billy and Shannon: |
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I'm
loving the Sunday School lessons! It's been great learning about who God
wants me to be, especially before Chris and I get married! These
lessons will really help us build the foundation for our home and glorify God with our relationship. Thanks for letting God use you to teach! Ashley Ball |
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Bro Billy,
I just want to thank you for this
morning in sunday
school. I really enjoyed your lesson and I'm ready for more. I have enjoyed
the series on the family. I have never enjoyed a
sunday
school class until I came to Grace. You do such a good job getting the word
out and teaching so that we can go back home to apply it our lives. I look
forward to your class every Sunday. We love you and your family. We thank
yall
for loving us the way you do.
Thanks again
IN CHRIST
Sandie
Thomas
Phil 4:13
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Hi Bro. Billy
I
Just
wanted to drop you a short note to say thank you for teaching the " Father
Factor " series. As you go through the material you bring to light some of
the things my dad missed, and how important it is for me to break that
cycle. Its the little things I see each day with my children that validate
every thing your are saying.
Thank
You for your diligence and staying by the stuff. Your example is an
inspiration to me.
Mike
Farmer
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Hello Pastor Wood,
How are you doing this morning? This is (Wes)
Wesley (LOL), I spoke to
you Sunday morning just before Sunday school started and I was telling you
that my wife and I were going to be starting our next family devotional
series on the "father factor". We looked at the lessons that we have and
there were (I believe) 2 lessons that we were missing. But I'm not sure
because I can't remember if we started your class after you started this
lesson or before, and I know we were out of town at least 2 weekends
during the lesson. So my question is, when you and I spoke Sunday morning,
you said we could probably get a copy of all the lessons but they would
have your notes on them, can we get those? Actually, I would rather have
your notes on them because I know that you will have a lot of the
key points on them that you were speaking on; especially the weekends we
were gone. So if you could help us with that we would greatly appreciate
it.
Also, just to let you know, my wife and I are thrilled to be a part
of Grace, we are thrilled to be in your Sunday school class, you and
Shannon have been a blessing to us and every night we thank God for
sending us to you and to Grace. We pray that God will continue to bless
your ministry, and Grace Baptist Church, thank you for everything you are
doing.
Love in Christ,
Wes
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Bro Billy,
I'm sorry, and I have to ask your forgiveness. I've had very few instances
in my life where I've said I'd do something and haven't. This has been
eating at me for a while. A long time ago, you had asked for a few folks
from our Sunday school class to shoot you a short e-mail explaining what
aspect of the class had been a blessing to them. I said I would... and
never did. The initial problem I ran into was that I almost couldn't put my
finger on a specific reason as to why, or how I felt blessed. I just knew I
did. Then I started coming up with quite a bit... but it was hard to convey
in a little blurp. So I put it off and the next thing I knew, so much time
had gone by, I figured I'd missed the window, and it just wasn't relevant
anymore. Fairly recently, I think God boiled it all down for me and I've
really felt lead to at least share this with you.
The bottom line is your class was answered prayer, and it was a blessing
that was just slapping me in the face every Sunday. I should have shouted
that testimony out! IT'S ANSWERED PRAYER! ... IN THE LIFE OF A GUY WHO HAS
BARELY GIVEN GOD THE TIME OF DAY IN YEARS! I had fallen away from God and
any christian fellowship for almost 6 years. Just before we started coming
to Grace, I finally started listening to God again. It started with my own
devotional time. I wouldn't bother to try to concentrate with the kids up,
so I'd go to bed around 10p. Now, I'm not one to even twitch at night, let
alone get up. But every morning, around 1a, God would get me up and I'd be
alert and ready to read. I never set an alarm. I thought it was neat that
I woke up within a 15-20 minute time window every night. That went on for a
couple of weeks, and I just can't tell you how relevant every session
was. I never approached with a study plan, or an agenda, I just let God
lead. I knew that God wanted our family in a church and I'd prayed that God
would make finding that church easy. In the past, I've let my frequent
moves interfere with my Christian walk. It seemed I'd just get established
with a church family and get some good friendships and fellowships going,
and it would be time to leave. It was hard for me to look at that as a
chance for God to grow us more, and to lead us into other fellowships where
we could be blessed and be a blessing. I usually saw it as ........ aaaah! ...
back to square one .... AGAIN! We'd been in Ga around 18 months at the
time, and I was open and willing, but not relishing "trying" some
churches. As you know, some churches just don't make you feel very
welcome. But, my prayer was that I wouldn't let a congregation deter us
from God lead, biblical preaching. ...God, give us a place that your word
is preached and taught, provide for our children, and anything else is
gravy... I had started taking different routes home and making notes where
different churches were. We had noticed a billboard for Grace Baptist
School while in Hiram almost a year earlier. Cindy and I thought that if
the church had a school, surely there must be a ministry for children. So
we decided to "try" Grace. Every one of my concerns that I'd prayed about
was addressed, in the preaching, or in the bulletin, in our first two
visits. On top of that, Pastor Martin was doing a series on "Fit to Fish,"
and there were so many things mentioned that were so personal to my
situation that there was just no question that we were in THE PLACE. PRAISE
GOD! THAT WAS EASY! When we joined the church a few weeks later, my prayer
request was for God to help me and give me guidance in leading our family
back to a relationship with him. About a month after we joined Grace we
started Sunday School and into our lives popped "Biblical Home Improvement."
:-) God has me pegged for hard headed ... Because I've given him reason
to. But I'm not such a knuckle-head that I wasn't seeing the
obvious. "Biblical Home Improvement," "Fit to Fish," AWANA's, the bus
ministry, the Grace Baptist staff and church family have all been answered
prayers and blessings in our lives. Ahmee! :-)
That said, I'd like to throw a prayer request out. I just found out we'll
be moving again soon. The current plan is for us to be at Langley AFB in Va
on 1 June. That is a much more condensed moving plan than the norm. The
next couple of months have the potential to be very trying on the entire
family. I have a lot to do around the house to prepare. Because of our
short time in this house, we're on the bubble for whether or not we can let
it go without possibly taking a loss. I'm really looking for God's guidance
on whether to keep this house and rent it to try to get some more time/
equity built up. ... We'd love it If God provided us an opportunity to come
back after my retirement in a few years. We really love the area and the
church family and we're so excited about what's happening and what's going
to happen at Grace... There's just so many unknowns. I know God must have a
plan and a church home for us. Please pray for this situation in our lives.
One more prayer request. I've let brother Jim White know that, due to our
moving, this will be the last Saturday that I visit with him. I really feel
that it's God's guidance to step back and get busy preparing our family and
home for the move. And, I know that it's quite a day to visit on his
own. I feel if God's leading me to step back, he must be dealing with
someone to step forward. I'd like Grace to join me in praying that someone
will come forward to help brother Jim.
I know you're busy, and I didn't mean to take up so much of your
time..... That's why I left out the thesis statement and source
references. :-)
Know that we're praying for you, Pastor Martin, the staff and your
families. There's no doubt in my mind that God is working through you and
the devil must be trying to work on you. I thank God for the Grace
family. Just thinking about leaving... and so suddenly, really hurts.
Love in Christ,
Brother Todd Robertson
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Yippie! God's timing is so good!
I didnt know that a long time ago you had asked for a response on what
part of Sunday School class had been a blessing...(Cuz I'm not in
there with Jon anymore.) I had been meaning to let you know about what
God did but haven't yet! so, here it is:) a year in a half ago. You
causally said one Sunday night "We need a worker for the 3 year old
S.S. class" I knew God wanted me to do it, he had been dropping hints
but I wasn't quiet sure on what until that day.I let Brother Sammy
know that night that I was to do this. Then I knew God had a sense of
Humor because I worked with kids all week and now on Sun mornings!
Not knowing what God had in store, I went to that 3 year old room and sometimes asked God "Why?!?" About 6 months in to it I really started missing the lessons that I was taught in the Adult class. Then Jon started bringing it home and we would study it through the week and It change our family, us, our marriage - I cant even put it in words!!! I'm still in pain from the home improvement bible study- It really hit me hard this time! Thank God! So thank you for the boldness to teach everything that comes through that class, I know it has to be hard sometimes. But we need it! OK part two---- Somewhere along the line something happen and I lost My Joy, Faithfulness, and all this bitterness crept in and my relationship with My Lord wasn't right. I always said that I never wanted to be one of those people who was in church faithfully and then Gone and never to be seen again Yet some how I found myself almost there. I didn't want to come to church or Sun. School and I had all kinds of bitterness about everything. I don't know where it came from and it was there one day and it was bad. For real I don't know what happen! If you do please let me know :) I knew I was doing wrong but still kept doing it! what in the world was I thinking!?!? Then it occurred to me that the Lord wont put up with this long and that one day I may call out to him and he wont be there AND THEN LET ME TELL YOU WHAT HAPPEN!!!! I went to help Amber with her bible verse BECAUSE THEY DO THAT IN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL!!:) it was the "S" verse Seek ye the Lord while He may be found.-Isaiah 55:6 I could of thrown up! For real!! On that day I asked the Lord to forgive me! I don't want to ever be that full of bitterness again!! And on Sun. Feb 26th (2 weeks ago) HE gave me back my Joy!!! YEE-Haw!!! He gave me back my desire to want to be a church every service and He let me know a few other life changing things! I feel so much better now and I have a peace that I have never had before and I have learned to trust him more. I just cant explain it But who can explain our God and his wonderful Grace!!! Grace Baptist Church has changed our lives and I know it is Him! So please keep doing Sun. School! My husband comes home with some many notes on those lesson he says he cant write fast enough! So if you ever have to ask yourself why am I doing this they don't seem to get it--We finally are!! one more thing-I think what happen was during that study on the role of the mother and wife. God had really shown me somethings. I didn't think that I could make the changes in my life to be what God wants me be, so I just shut it out all together. BUT IT KEPT COMING BACK!!!! So I think God had to put me through that So that I could fully understand what he wanted me to do> I hope that makes sense. Now I know what he wants me to do and I have COMPLETE PEACE about it ( I have never had this much peace before!!) So I just said OK God!! I will do it and trust you fully! AND I GOT MY JOY BACK!!!!!!!! SORRY I went on and on But I realize where I was headed and God brought me back! I apologized to Mrs. Pangle and knew she was pretty fed up with me. I have a new out look now and I HAVE MY JOY BACK!!! Love you and thank God for you! Christy Willis
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Hey man! Today I just wanted to thank you and Shannon for praying for “US”, and for the Happy Anniversary wish. I especially thank you my brother Billy for God’s word through you to me as my Sunday School leader. God has really impacted my life and thought process through you. You deliver His word so extremely well. I feel loved and blessed just to be in fellowship with your entire family. Vince Bates |
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