My Personal Salvation Testimony: I came to understand the Gospel through the ministry of my parents and my local church. God used my family, church, and Christian school to guide me into faith in Christ as the only solution for my sin problem. I accepted Christ at the age of four with the understanding that my while my sin separated me from a holy God and was punishable by an eternity in Hell, Jesus, God's own Son, had paid the penalty for sin; God's forgiveness is extended to those who turn from sin and follow Him. One day in Kindergarten a teacher's aid spoke to me about salvation. I made the decision to repent of my rebellion against God and place my faith in Jesus Christ to save me from Hell. My Spiritual Growth: During my late teenage years, I began to drift away from God. Although my father was a pastor and I genuinely believed the Gospel for my personal salvation, I was not actively seeking God in all areas of my life. I'd always valued academics, and I began college with selfish ambitions of building material wealth and success for my own glory. God caught my attention by allowing my mom to develop cancer. My parents' faith became very practical and evident in their suffering. Their genuine trust in God and commitment to His will was missing in my own life, and I began to long for it. My own faith, I realized, had become a mere academic exercise. I knew a lot about God, but in many ways had drifted away from actually knowing God. Although I had lost so much time seeking earthly gains and missed out on so many spiritual blessings, God graciously welcomed me back into real fellowship with Him and started to work in ways I could never have foreseen. As He taught me to live for Him, He allowed me many opportunities to minister to both my church family and to unbelievers in my workplace. | Answered Prayers and Providence: As I grew older, I developed a desire for a wife. However, when things did not progress on my terms, I grew discouraged. God confronted my selfishness and idolatry by showing me that He had His own plan to use my singleness for His glory. He gave me opportunities to minister that I would not have had if I had not been single at the time. I had to choose whether I would try to bring glory to God despite personal difficulties. I chose to make God first in my life, placing Him before my desire for a wife. Once I finally surrendered this desire to God, He brought a wonderful woman into my life in a way I never expected. We were married November 4, 2006. He answered my own prayers and the lifelong prayers of my parents far above any of our expectations. I now had a wife who desired to serve God above anything else alongside of me. We began to seek God's will for our lives, serving together in our local church in Massachusetts and working to pay off student loans. The Call and Confirmation: During our first year of marriage, the Lord continued to change my heart’s desires concerning ministry and life goals. I had a Masters degree in History, but no clear goal as to what to do with it. My wife urged me to consider seminary training which, she said, wouldn't be wasted even if I never pursued a ministry career. At first, I balked at the idea, wishing to start a career immediately. However, God was changing my own heart and answering my wife's prayers to increase my love for Him and my burden for ministry. I decided to pursue a Masters of Divinity at Faith Bible Seminary, a ministry I greatly admire and respect for its commitment to truth and discipleship. In July 2007 we moved to Portage, IN, where I began a 3-year pastoral internship and seminary training program. I graduated on June 12, 2010 from the most rigorous and spiritually rewarding training program of my life so far. As God revealed Himself to me through the intense study of His Word and the trials of our circumstances, He has blessed my wife and I with a love for Him and His people that we didn't know was possible. Lifelong pastoral ministry--a mere possibility only a few years ago--has become the central burden and passion of my life. My wife and I can't imagine doing anything else; we're excited to see where God will lead us next as we seek to serve Him together to build His Church. | My Personal Interests and Hobbies: Most Influential People in My Life: My father (Rick Oliver), Seminary Professors Brent Aucoin and Rob Green, and numerous Christian authors and speakers. Favorite Authors: Christian authors - D.A. Carson, C.J. Mahaney, Thomas Schreiner, Mark Dever, Paul Tripp, and many others Secular authors - H.W. Brands and David McCullough (I enjoy reading about history.) Favorite Music Artists: Sovereign Grace Music, Casting Crowns, Keith and Kristyn Getty, Caedmon's Call, Allison Krause Hobbies I Enjoy in My Spare Time: Spending time with my wife, hiking, bike riding, reading, sports, traveling |