Jim’s Testimony

Hello, my name is Jim Chapek I am a believer in Jesus Christ our Lord! I grew up in a dysfunctional family; alcoholism and physical abuse and a very UN Christian home. My 4 siblings and I were taken out of the home and bounced around from foster home to foster home for several years, and ultimately parental rights were terminated by the Nebraska Supreme Court. We became legal wards of the State,—but not many families want to adopt a snot nose, smart mouth, ill behaved 13 year old with a whole lot of baggage. I was finally put into a family that did take on the task of adopting me, but little did they know what they were in for!! This was my first introduction to religion.  They did their best to install positive values and a Christian way of life.  I got through high school and went on to college, got a great education, partied like most freshmen and rock stars, experimented with drugs, and all that went along with that, but still considered myself a “Good Person.” After college I got married. This is when my sin, through alcoholism, really took control of my life. On the outside I looked to be the poster child for success; at least in my eyes, great job, great wife, right house, car etc. I kept searching for something to fill the void that I felt in my heart and soul.  I found that comfort in booze.  I lost that marriage, kids, house, car etc. I went through treatment and was able to stay sober for several years. I stayed sober, miserably by just not drinking.  I was able to get all those things that I thought were so important back, but again the void in my soul was still there, this time even deeper than before. To qualify myself as a bad drunk and sinner, I have been in inpatient treatment 7 times, protective custody twice, I C U 5 times and 2 D U I’s After one of my many stints at the hospital, I moved back toColumbuswith my tail between my legs.  I managed to stay sober again for a short time; I spent 4 months at the Columbus Rescue Mission and was introduced to Christ. Thanks to the patience of Ted &Pam Pearson, I was able to get my head straightened out, and once again was able to stay sober for some time, and once again got all of those things back. I tried to fill that even deeper void with more things and more success.   I just wanted to feel on the inside how all of you looked on the outside.  Once again turned to the bottle, lost everything and hurt a lot of people in the process. My own personal BEST IDEAS got me to ROCK BOTTOM!! But Gods ideas through His word brought me to Christ, in Romans 7:24-25 and 8:1 it says “O wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?  I thank God-through Jesus Christ our Lord.  So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. I realize that I am a sinner and I could not fix my own sin problem, so I laid my wretchedness before the Lord just the way I was.  I confessed to God that I was a sinner and received the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior. In Isaiah 53:6 it says; “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” I know by Gods’ grace I am saved and am no longer a slave to sin but am a true bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ. This verse in Psalms 91:14-16 has special meaning To the wretch that was once me: “Because He set His love on me, Therefore I will deliver him, I will set him on high, because he has known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer Him. I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him with long life. I will satisfy him and show him my salvation!   Thank You