Who Am I? What Do I Believe? Essay

1. God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth.

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; I believe God is the creator, ruler, and redeemer. (Genesis 1:1 , Revelation 4:11) Jesus Christ is the Son of God.( John 1:14) Jesus became a man and was conceived by the Holy Spirit, lived a sinless life, and willingly gave himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all

I am Thomas Wayne Rice, Christ follower, senior, camp counselor. I first started following Christ in the 1st grade, I had always know of Christ, I was raised in church, but half way through my 10th grade year I learned what it meant to actually have a relationship with Jesus. That is when it all changed for me I stopped living my life for myself and began a new life. This is the story of my salvation and where God is leading me.

In the past seven weeks we have learned about many different worldviews and have examined our own personal beliefs. After learning the many aspects of the different worldviews, I conclude that I hold a Christian worldview. I have a

I would like to share with you some of my experiences. I joined the military in 1996, after high school and I went directly to Marine boot camp. There I learned some of my most important personal values such as pride, perseverance, team work, and attention to detail. Marine Corps boot camp is an experience like no other I have had in the world and one I am immensely proud to have. I rose in the ranks quickly, I started as

I was a Follower of Christ and I didn’t even know it. I was the last of three boys to two faithful Christian parents. My parents attended St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Akron, OH. I was baptized and confirmed by the same Bishop. Some of my earliest memories are of me standing in the pews with my parents and stacking the prayer books as if it were my own pulpit and I would pretend to be the priest giving the Sunday sermon. I didn’t know what he was talking about but I always thought that I would be like him one day. I was an acolyte and attended the youth programs regularly with my friends. I completed my studies to earn my God and Country award with the Boy Scouts.

In May of 2005 I finally accomplished something that really meant a lot not only to me and my family, but to the people of the United States of America. Even while being in Iraq from April 2007 to November 2007 and losing a brother in arms while I was there I still felt honor. After finding out I will be a dad in June 2008 I became a Non Commissioned officer July 1st and a married man by July 2nd. Once August 2008 came I found myself saying yes to four more years. Once August 2012 came I was a well-established family man who became a marine vet who is instilled with nothing but honor, courage, and

What do I believe to be true? I believe that God exists and that he is the creator of everything that exists. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, John 1:1” (NIV). This is biblical proof that God exists. The verse that explains that God has always existed is, “Revelation 22:13, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (NIV). God has been alive forever, since before my start and before the start of everything I know. God is the originator of creation itself.

The moment I strolled into the Marine Corps recruiting office was the first time I experienced conformity without any reluctance. Which turned out to be absolutely shocking since I spent my teen years doing the opposite of what was expected from me. I understood by joining the military, I would need to conform my expectations and beliefs in order to successfully enter and exit the Corps.

Humanity was originally created in the likeness of God, to walk in his presence; they were made distinctly human with the ability to reason. Humanity knows love because they are made of love, in the image of God who is love. (1 John 4:16) After the Fall, humans are no longer pure enough to walk in His presence and are punished for the sins they have committed. The purpose of humankind changes from caring for the earth and all its inhabitants; to spreading the word of the Lord. The Christian Worldview recognizes that humankind is sinful by nature because Adam and Eve, God in his graciousness sent His only son to die on the cross to atone for those sins.

Joining the military was astonishing in very many aspects in my life and it truly molded me into who I am today. I will genuinely say that the most important people in my life are my mother and father. I am not a parent myself but I have had years to only imagine how tough parenting can be; especially when raising three stubborn boys. My mother and father are very open minded and kind hearted to everyone regardless of who they are. I will be honest here and say that I may not have been as grateful as I should have been when I was a younger kid, but that’s just life. When you are younger, everything is very simple and do not realize the little things in life. I had no other worries except for, “What’s for dinner?”. The military made me realize how much I appreciated and very much needed my loved ones. Travelling far away to Marine Corps Recruiting Depot, San Diego California and starting my very own journey was one of the toughest decisions at that time to make for myself.

Whether clearly defined or not, everyone holds a worldview. Through life, travel, study, and contemplation, I have sought to clarify and substantiate my worldview. When comparing my beliefs to various other worldviews, mine stands up as logical and rational. Most importantly, my Christian worldview can be applied to contemporary problems and even explain many of the world’s issues. Though the Christian worldview is one of the most criticized, it provides substantive answers instead of more philosophical questions. After all, a worldview is only worthwhile if one can explain and defend their beliefs.

It was no different for the individual I chose to interview. My interviewee is a male that served in the United States Marine Corps. He grew up in a small town in Mississippi. He remembers himself as a rebellious teenager. He knew that he did not have the money for college, and joining the military was an option. The Marine Corps, not only would assist in college funding, but it would give him the chance to travel the world. At 17-years old his mother signed the paperwork in 1995 so that he could enlist, but because of delayed entry he did not go to boot camp in San Diego, California until July of 1996.

My military service reshaped who I am. My training stripped away any sense of entitlement and I learned more about myself in four months than I’d ever known before. It not only gave me discipline and taught me to perform under pressure, but everything I did wasn’t just for me anymore. I was working hard for the marines next to me in my platoon. The time came when each of us hit a breaking point physically or mentally.

I am a Christian and I believe in the Holy trinity: God, the Son, the Holy Spirit.