If you became a Christian in your 20s or later...?

Question

what did you believe previous to salvation, how well have you fit in with the church and do you experience periods of backsliding?
I'd also appreciate if you told me which denomination, if any, you belong to.

I am really having a hard time choosing the best answer!

Answer 1

I became a true Christian a little over three years ago at the age of 60. Prior to that time (probably since my early 20s) I believed in the existance of a supreme being but did not have a personal relationship with Him.

Do I backslide? Yes and No. I have not lost my faith at any time since coming to Christ, but I have had times when I chose to sin that caused me great anguish.

If when you ask about fitting in at church, I assume you mean a specific church. I do not attend regularly because I am uncomfortable with the sameness and repetition. (reading this, then reading that, doing this, then doing that etc.) rather than spending our time learning about the Bible and how it applies to our lives and spending our time in actual worship through whatever means that might be. My favorite is music.

I was raised Lutheran but my "coming to Christ" came when I was attending a Baptist church with my son and his family. I found the praise and worship music to be very inspirational and for the first time felt that I had made a real connection with God. That of course was only the beginning. There is much more to worship and the personal relationship than music and emotion. Being a Christian for me has been the fact that I know that God is with me at every turn and during every moment of my life. He is now my best friend.

I would love to be able to find a local church where people seemed to care about one another as they seemed to in my sons church but have not as of yet.

Answer 2

I became a christian in my late 30's.
Before that I was born into Catholicism. Went to a catholic school thought that I'd see God someday and say that I did the best I could.
He was far away, out there somewhere.
I was here to do the best I could.
Grab them women, get boozed up.
Look for all the pleasure I could.
Hate people who did things to me.
Try to do harm to them.
Just the standard way that people are.
There are vestiges even now.
Had no idea that Jesus paid for me, I didn't have to pay. I didn't have to do penance. He did it all. WOWSER.
Unbelievable.
That hatefulness that I had on a continuous basis went away.
I never did get to the point of being someones door mat though.
Have attended many denominations, I am not a member of any.
Baptist,three different kinds,
Pentecostal, Congregational.
One thing that is most prominent, the love of the Bible. I love it. It is like food for me. I believe it with vigor. More than all the pastors I have ever met.
I believe that we are in the last days.
By this I mean from Jesus birth onward.
I believe that He will come back again.
I believe all that was said in the New Testament, about Jesus.

Answer 3

I was in my 30's. I grew up knowing about God and Jesus, a little but my parents turned away from church, so basically I had this "empty spot" in me, but didn't even remotely know what the problem was.
I found my experience of coming to Christ later in life to give me certain advantages. I was a clean slate, basically. I did not have to overcome a lifetime of religious rules, misperceptions, things like that. I was older and wiser, and I was able to realize pretty quickly that it was about relationship and not religion, partly due to "being new" to the whole experience, and partly from being exposed to excellent teachings.
How do I fit in? Great. I am a child of God, my church is full of my brothers and sisters, and actually people are surprised to hear my testimony. They just assume I grew up as a church punk. I also run in to people that have a tendency to judge me because I haven't "been a Christian as long as they have" but they are just judgmental and religious, and there attitude is about them and not me.
Backsliding? Not really. God delivered me from many many things, and He also took away my desire to return to them. I do, however struggle with my mind. I have a tendency to look to the negative, be suspicious of people, gossip, rebel against authority from time to time, that type of stuff. Thank God for the conviction of The Holy Spirit, a fantastic husband and amazing, strong friends!
Denomination? Assemblies of God.

Answer 4

Sorry. I was a Christian at age 9 in 1956.

Answer 5

I sought GOD as a child. I found Jesus at 39. I am part of the Body Of Christ.

Answer 6

if you convert in your 20's means you have self esteem problems, lack of self identity, insecure...I could go on but these are the reasons I think would explain believing in what amounts to "Santa Clause" when your an adult.

Answer 7

I sought God all my life, but I really understood his calling in my 30's.

Answer 8

No one is exempt from sin, we all do it.. There is only one person who is perfect.
God forgives us of our sins.
I do not belong to any 'certain' religion, I only follow the Bible/Gods Word..
God wipes away your prior sinning life once you get saved..

Answer 9

Don't forget back-pay on church donations.