Meet Holly Carpenter

Forrest Gump’s mama always said, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Well, she was right. I was stupid the first 18 years of my life, living for my fleshly desires, seeking the approval of men, and drowning my sorrows in alcohol and parties. At the bottom of the bottle and the end of a tumultuous relationship, the Lord brought me to my knees and showed me I wasn’t living the life He fully intended. As I began to seek the Lord through Scripture and community, I encountered a new way of life. For the first time, I was truly alive.

Forrest’s mama should have said, “Simple is as simple does,” because we’re a bunch of simple folks. Thankfully, Scripture imparts truth and understanding to the simple. In a sinful world where we have a million and one things vying for our attention, the Word of God serves as the reminder of where true life is, and its power is unmatched. It’s so powerful that it contradicts the reasoning of the world and captivates the heart of the selfish sinner.

Spending time in Scripture helps us see that His wonderful testimonies are to be trusted. As we read Scripture, we realize the testimonies are vast in number, but one of the best testimonies we can experience is our own. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Scripture can change our unwilling, rebellious hearts to long for God's commandments, understand our need for grace, and seek a life free from man’s oppression. The wisdom that can be found in Scripture can bring us from simplicity to understanding. The Word of God helps us understand the life He always intended for us by resetting our desires where they belong—with Him.

If you have new life in Christ, experience what it means to be fully alive. Abandon your simplicity and experience the unfolding of wisdom through the Word of God. The power of Scripture is the power to change lives, to bring us out of darkness and into the light of understanding. Let your testimony be a wonderful testimony of the Lord's transforming power.