Sarah's Testimony

For those who may not know me, my name is Sarah and I’m a student and basketball player at KCU.

I just want to start by thanking the Adams and Rutlidge families. Thank you for taking me in as one of your own. Thank you for loving me despite all I’ve done. Thank you for being there for me. And thank you for letting me get to be part of your families and experience things I never got to as a kid. If it wasn’t for all of you I would not be standing here today.

For people who don’t know me. I was never raised in a Christian home, but was very fortunate enough to go to a Christian school my whole life. None of the God stuff ever made sense to me and being an only child really made me jealous of all the people around me growing up. All I felt like I had was basketball. Basketball became my outlet to my life and it allowed me to meet so many people including everyone in this room. After deciding during my senior year of high school that I was not going to continue my basketball career in college, I spent that year after I graduated, coaching high school girls basketball. Shortly after that season ended my uncle passed away. I flew down to a small town in Tennessee for his funeral and my dad said “hey you know I still get emails from colleges about you for basketball” and at this point I had missed playing a little bit so I asked him “would it be possible if I could play if I wanted to” and he replied with “well yes!”. When he brought up those emails, the only place that came to my heart and mind was KCU. I can’t explain how or why, it was truly a God thing. After praying and seeking wisdom from so many people, I decided that I was going to leave my home of Alaska and go to Kentucky. I wholeheartedly believe that God called me to this place to be a light to my team and to spread His good news. After facing many lows I decided to go back home to Alaska and coach again. I was so angry with God and doubted Him for taking me away from my home just to go back. I doubted and didn’t understand so much that I completely walked away from Him and just did what I wanted to do.

Fast forward to January 11, 2026 I came here on a Sunday morning for church and the question Pastor Ben started with was “what has your heart?”

When he asked this question I was reminded of how I was in high school. I was the type of person who longed to be in a relationship because I thought that would fill the void of all my insecurities, or my relationship with my parents, or distract me from the real things I was going through. I found my identity in temporary things instead of eternal things. I constantly compared myself to others. I would try to fit in by dressing a certain way or talking a certain way or listening and watching things I wasn’t supposed to. All of this led me to almost taking my life multiple times and it is my the Grace of God that I am still standing here today.

In Pastor Ben’s sermon he talked about the points of how we were created for an eternal purpose, how your eyes reveal the direction of your soul, and how you cannot serve 2 masters… when he got to that 3rd point, that’s when I felt the spirit nudging me to rededicate my life.

I am by no means perfect at all. In fact, I’m far from it. I still sin every single day. I make mistakes. I mess up. I fall short. But one of the coolest things about God is that He doesn’t take record of our wrongs. I think a lot of us have this mindset that “well the things I’ve done are too bad for God to forgive” or “why would God love me after all I’ve done”.  

Maybe you’ve grown up in the church, maybe this is your first season in the church. It does not matter where you have been, what you have done, where you came from, or what your past looks like. God just simply wants your heart. He doesn’t want just the good parts, he wants it all. I think a lot of us also just struggle with comparing our walks with other believers. I know I have.

Everyone’s walks and relationships are going to be different. You don’t have to have it all together to get right with God. You don’t have to wait for a right moment because the reality is that we are never promised tomorrow. The reality that we live in is that there is a man named Jesus. He came to this world to show us the perfect example in how to live. He made disciples out of the worst people. He performed miracles and showed us the greatest example of love by laying down his life for us and dying on the cross and rising 3 days later. If he hadn’t died and rose again, we would have no purpose. He gave us a way to have a relationship with Him and a way to experience true life.

So I’m gunna ask this. What has your heart? And whatever it is that has your heart, is it pointing you closer to God or further away from him?

Giving your life to God doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. In fact, God tells us in His word that we will face trials and tribulations. Giving your life to God means taking up your cross daily and living a life in full surrender to Him. It means being set apart from this world and living boldly for the one who came and died for you. You don’t have to have it all together. You don’t have to wait for the right moment. God wants all of you. Not just the good, not just the bad. He wants it all.

Maybe you have made that decision to give your life to the lord and you are in a great place and your doing all God has called you to. Maybe you haven’t made that decision and you’re scared. I encourage you to talk to someone. Talk to God because he hears you. He wants what’s best for you and He wraps you with open arms.

There is no better decision in your life that you can make then the decision to give your life to the lord and when you do, it is the most rewarding thing you can experience. You get to experience freedom, joy, peace, love, and a rest that only comes from Him.

Wherever you are on your walk, you are not alone. You have a story to tell that was written by the true author. You have an eternal purpose here. You are loved, chosen, cherished, forgiven, redeemed, and more than enough. I know that if God can use me and transform my heart and my life, He can surely do the same for you.