Faith Stories: Jenay Sprunk

As a child, I had a lot of confusion about God. I attended Catholic school. I asked a lot of questions in religion class but was told to be quiet and follow along. The Catholic teaching of eating Jesus’ body in communion and praying to statutes caused me great fear and confusion. In 3rd grade I touched a statue's eye, and it didn’t blink. I decided then that statues couldn’t hear me if they couldn’t feel my touch.

During High school years in public school, I was happy to be free of religion classes and church. By the time I graduated from high school, I was a believer in evolution and the nonexistence of God.

In 1990, I met Mario Peart. Mario was unlike anyone I had ever met, and he talked about Jesus ALL THE TIME! I became interested in his genuine connection with the Lord. His faith walk was not a bunch of strict rules and perfect rituals, and he openly shared his struggles and how Jesus changed his life. Mario was an open Bible for me. He never missed a chance to talk about my sinful condition and my need for a relationship with Jesus.

In 1991, Mario invited me to his church. I was NOT excited about going to church but he said we would go for breakfast after church, so I went for the breakfast. I’m thankful today that God’s thoughts and ways are always higher than mine. In my first Bible teaching service, the Pastor taught on Mathew 7:13 – 14, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” I was amazed at the teaching, but the message was not good news for me since I knew I was on the wide road.

Outside of church, Mario was continually planting the good seed with a lavish hand. The Scriptures that took permanent hold of my heart are Romans 3:10 and 23: “There is none righteous, not even one…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and, John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Although I have tried, I have never been able to escape the power of these verses! Eventually, I rebelled against God. I spent 10 years trying to run away from God and His best for me, but God and Mario hung in there with me. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

In 1995, I got married and moved to Monroe. The next 7 years were a time of change. Nothing seemed to go right. I was a frustrated and angry person. I moved into a time of verbally assaulting anyone who didn’t agree with me. My days were filled with deception, constant anger, swearing, strife, arrogance, idolatry, and list goes on…..my conscience was glaring in on me, and I was not happy with who I had become.

In August 2001, I was tired from the constant burning anger in me. I sat still one day and heard, “COME TO ME, YOU ARE WEARY, I CAN GIVE YOU REST,” Matthew 11:28. The business of the day rushed me out of that peaceful moment. Over the next week I would keep remembering that peaceful moment. Finally, one day in all my pain and exhaustion, I fell to my knees and cried for two hours. When I ran out of tears, a thought came to me, “JUST ASK JESUS INTO YOUR HEART.” I looked for my “prayer to receive Jesus” card that Mario gave me, but I couldn’t find the card. A new thought came to me, “YOU DON’T NEED THE CARD -YOU NEED TO BE SINCERE.” So I kneeled and prayed something like this, “Lord, I am a sinner. I have made a giant mess of my life….I can’t do anything right… and I have sinned a lot. Please help me. Please forgive all my sins. I want Jesus to be my Savior, and I believe that there is no other way to you except through Jesus. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”

Shortly after praying to receive Jesus, the Trade Towers went down, the Catholic Priests were revealed for pedophilia and my mother-in-law got brain cancer. For the first time, I felt scared of the incredible power of God and that NOW was the time for me to get busy and learn all I could about Jesus. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” I opened my Bible and read over my familiar verses and prayed, “God show me what you want me to know. I don’t know where to start. I don’t know how to seek after you. Please show me.” God answered this prayer in amazing ways!

In September 2002, the Lord led me to Highland Park Evangelical Free Church. In late October 2002, I was at home listening to a tape and Pastor Mike was teaching on 2 Corinthians 11:4, “For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.” The “loudest” part of the verse on my heart was, “if one preaches another Jesus.” I felt sick, and then I got that rush of pain that goes through your body like when you almost have a car accident. A lifetime of idolatry collided in my head, and I felt overwhelmed. Then everything felt clear and I said, “Oh Lord, I get it! I really get it!” That Scripture permanently freed my heart and mind from old false teachings.

So today, by God’s mercy and free grace, I stand here in Christ completely forgiven. I accept and believe in Jesus’ death on the cross, which pays my sin debt in full. Apart from this, I can not make myself acceptable to stand in God’s presence. By God’s grace, He has removed my spiritual blinders, shown me the truth, opened my mind to the Scriptures and caused me to believe. I am growing familiar with the inexpressible peace and protection of the Lord. By God’s grace, I have been born again into new life and placed into a family of believers, and I know that I have a secure salvation because of Jesus’ death on the cross. I desire to know Jesus more fully and to walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him. As a result of the challenges in my life, I see God increasing my patience and dependency on Him. I admit I am a long way from perfection, but God loves me and He hears me. When I am weak, the Holy Spirit helps me respond with joy, gentleness, and pure thoughts. All of my sinful anger and swearing have been taken from me through no effort of my own. I am forever thankful of God’s constant, loving pursuit of me. It is my sincere desire to acknowledge Jesus as my Savior today and for the rest of my life.