Here Is...Tony Parks! (Part 2)

What is your story with following Jesus?

I was brought up in the Catholic Church so I knew God when I was young – but for a long time through High School I never went to church. Things were going good and I guess God was just left out. In year 10 and 11 things got a little harder. School was hard and I didn’t like it much. The fun things which my friends and I used to do as kids were now getting to old for us to do. Even ‘though I had people around me who loved me I felt very alone and down.

But it was at this time of questioning that God really drew me in. So it was a rainy cold day when I was feeling like crap, sitting in my room, when I started to read my school bible. Then I read a bit more and a little more. And I guess that’s how it got started. Not long after this one of my friends from school who was not a Christian heard of the youth group at Mittagong Anglican Church and all the cool stuff they were doing, so I went along with him as much to hear about God and what Anglicans believe as to get out of the house.

I was blessed really that God brought me to a place where I met some amazing Christians. Mark Adam was running the youth group and what an awesome encouragement he and the other youth leaders were. I can remember just having great conversations with Mark, Fuzz, Josh and Dan and the other leaders in their cars to and from youth group events.

At Harvest 2000 I got up and went down the front when they asked people to commit their lives to Jesus. The next day when I was at home in my room I talked to God for ages and I pretty much said “From now on it’s me and you”. I mad a promise that I was always going to love and serve him and he was going to be my God. I said I would never leave him if he would never leave me.

The start of my Christian life was exciting and I was always full on. I felt God very powerfully in me, working in my life. I started to go to bible study which was just up the street, and every day in study class I would read my bible the whole time – so growth happened very quickly.

SO that’s about it, I am still following God 7 years later. Someone once said being a Christian is like being married – it’s a lifelong relationship which you have to work at, it takes a whole lot of work sometimes but other times you just know it’s the only place to be and it really makes life worth living.

What's a favourite Bible verse?

Hard to say – but Romans 10:11 is encouraging:

For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."