Ever wondered how faith can shape and transform lives? Today, we're thrilled to have the privilege of hearing from Elizabeth Stewart-Williams, a preacher's kid, who candidly shares her faith journey and how she found salvation in Jesus Christ. Elizabeth's testimony is a powerful reminder of God's grace, available to anyone who seeks Him, proving salvation is more than just a pathway to heaven.
Elizabeth's unique upbringing, marked by a strong familial commitment to God's Word, community service, and sports, has had an indelible impact on her faith journey. This episode explores the fascinating intersection of these diverse elements, all under the vigilant guidance of her father, the preacher, and her resilient mother. Elizabeth's family showed her the transformations that are possible when people accept Jesus, emphasizing the profound power of faith.
In the final segment of our conversation, we delve into the importance of a covenant relationship with Christ. Elizabeth credits her family's faith, especially her father's unique approach to religious teaching, as integral to her journey to salvation. Elizabeth's insights on teaching children the significance of a relationship with Christ from an early age are sure to inspire, and her powerful testimony underscores the incredible impact of her faith journey. Tune in for an episode filled with powerful reflections, inspiring testimonies, and a deep dive into a unique faith journey!
Plan of Salvation:
Hear: Romans 10:17
Believe: Hebrews 11:6
Repent: Acts 17:30-31
Confess: Matthew 10:32
Be Baptized: Mark 16:15-16
Be faithful unto death: Revelation 2:10
Contact Information:
Elizabeth Stewart-Williams, MDR Website: www.iamprose.org Email: elizabeth@iamprose.org Phone: 713.820.6833/ 469.390.9024
Ever wondered how faith can shape and transform lives? Today, we're thrilled to have the privilege of hearing from Elizabeth Stewart-Williams, a preacher's kid, who candidly shares her faith journey and how she found salvation in Jesus Christ. Elizabeth's testimony is a powerful reminder of God's grace, available to anyone who seeks Him, proving salvation is more than just a pathway to heaven.
Elizabeth's unique upbringing, marked by a strong familial commitment to God's Word, community service, and sports, has had an indelible impact on her faith journey. This episode explores the fascinating intersection of these diverse elements, all under the vigilant guidance of her father, the preacher, and her resilient mother. Elizabeth's family showed her the transformations that are possible when people accept Jesus, emphasizing the profound power of faith.
In the final segment of our conversation, we delve into the importance of a covenant relationship with Christ. Elizabeth credits her family's faith, especially her father's unique approach to religious teaching, as integral to her journey to salvation. Elizabeth's insights on teaching children the significance of a relationship with Christ from an early age are sure to inspire, and her powerful testimony underscores the incredible impact of her faith journey. Tune in for an episode filled with powerful reflections, inspiring testimonies, and a deep dive into a unique faith journey!
Plan of Salvation:
Hear: Romans 10:17
Believe: Hebrews 11:6
Repent: Acts 17:30-31
Confess: Matthew 10:32
Be Baptized: Mark 16:15-16
Be faithful unto death: Revelation 2:10
Contact Information:
Elizabeth Stewart-Williams, MDR Website: www.iamprose.org Email: elizabeth@iamprose.org Phone: 713.820.6833/ 469.390.9024
Welcome to the Call by God podcast with Adne Godin and myself, nixon Sylvain. This show is about dialogues of biblical characters and testimonies of Christians who submitted to the will of God. Each week, we bring on one guest so that they can share their story of how they were called by God. I hope this show inspires you. Cr13jubuj. Welcome to the Call by God podcast, a podcast where we share personal stories of faith and discuss the Bible teachings on salvation. I'm your host, brother Nick, and I'm here with my co-host, sister Adne, and we are honored to share these powerful stories with you.
Speaker 2:
Today we have a special guest with us, Elizabeth Williams, who will be sharing her testimony of how she came to know Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Elizabeth will discuss her struggles before finding salvation. In addition, she will expound on her decision to follow Christ and how that decision has had a positive impact on her faith journey and on her life.
Speaker 1:
Elizabeth's testimony will remind us that, no matter our past, god's love and grace are available to all who seek Him. It will also serve as a reminder that our salvation is not just about getting into heaven, but also about the transformation that occurs in our hearts and lives when we accept Jesus as our Lord and our Savior. So join us as we listen to Elizabeth's powerful testimony. Sister Elizabeth, welcome to the Call by God podcast. How are you doing?
Speaker 3:
I am blessed. Thank you for having me. This is an honor.
Speaker 1:
Amen, Amen. It is definitely a blessing to have you here, Adne. I see your eyes. You're kind of like lit up.
Speaker 2:
Oh, my goodness, sister Elizabeth Williams. I met her through Donielle Dockery, who invited me to be a part of Precious Jewels, and I spoke to her a couple of weeks ago and it was just so amazing, amazing. She literally truly blessed my whole life Also, even giving me the fire that burns bright for me to start looking into law school again, because I've always, always wanted to advocate for people, especially those who are being mistreated. So I am excited. I am so excited to have our dear sister Elizabeth Williams to join us on the Call by God podcast.
Speaker 1:
Amen, amen, I love it, I love it. So we're going to go ahead and dive right into it. But before we dive into our initial question, sister Elizabeth, just tell our listeners just a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 3:
So foremost. First, I am a lover of all things, Jesus Christ. I am a single mother of two beautiful children, boy or girl. I'm also I'm a survivor and I am what you would call a dispute resolver. So I help people in mediation. That's my professional vocation, my spiritual vocation. I teach women in finding their own spiritual vocation and supporting that. And I lead some things. I do a lot. I do do a lot, but it's all for the glory of the kingdom of God. So that's a little bit about me, Amen.
Speaker 1:
Amen. And you know what. We want to dive into your pool store. We want to know your world. Listen, she is a woman with many talents. She is doing a lot for the kingdom of God and I'm telling you, I got an opportunity to meet her for the first time and she's just one of those sisters that you just don't want to let go, one of those family members that you just they could just hang around. So she is definitely down to earth, but we're just going to get right into her story because I can't wait and actually, in fact, I bought my bag of popcorn.
Speaker 3:
You better do it. Yeah, I just don't want to leave this mic right now.
Speaker 1:
I just don't want to leave the mic, so I'm going to just stay put. But, sister Elizabeth, would you be willing to provide a glimpse into your upbringing and background?
Speaker 3:
Yeah, so I come from a lot of preachers. My family so, my father, my grandfathers, my brother they are preachers, and so, and then my mom, sister Floora Williams, is not one to play with when it comes to Jesus. So I did grow up in a household that was surrounded by Christ, but I think the difference was in being a PK, a preacher's kid. The difference in my upbringing was my dad. He was really into community work, building, and he took the time to teach us the Word of God. So, like I give the example, he started a ministry called Body and Soul In the heart. I grew up in Houston, in the heart of the hood, Cashmere Gardens, and we used to walk the streets proclaiming Christ, I mean, and the way that he did it was not one of judgment, but the way that he did it was one of connections. So I remember just holding his hands, meeting every type of person that you can think of, from gangsters to homeless people to business owners, and he treated them in the same manner. And so having that element, and then, on top of that, my dad was really purposeful, will it be? Williams Jr was really purposeful in making sure that we didn't just take on his religion or his belief. So our Sunday, so Saturdays which I laugh about now because I think back like I don't think we were supposed to be cleaning out crack houses, but we were up in that. We were up in that cleaning and helping the community. You know, you think you know I come from that era but what the other element is he would take us after worship, after Sunday worship, sunday morning worship and he would take us to the library and we had to study what we believed. So I know and understand the differences of pretty much every religion you can think of, not because he told me, but because we studied and we read it for ourselves.
Speaker 3:
So I got baptized at the around the age of of 10. I got baptized and the reason I got baptized is because it was just, it was clear, and it was a clear understanding of you know, of how I love, what God has done and the state that I'm in and and this is what needs to happen. And then, on top of that, we saw transformation. So my dad is also a LPC and he's also. He dealt with chemical dependency counseling also and you would see people who would go from being in the streets to finding Jesus, to changing their lives. And so when you see that, that transformation, and when you see that, that movement that occurs whenever you get connected with God and really give your life to it, we saw that and so it was almost like, why wouldn't I? When I see it, you never stop with seeing life. But what you saw was transformation and I think that was profound and that's why I, like all my brothers and sisters we don't they always say, you know, are y'all sure y'all are PK kids?
Speaker 3:
Because a lot of times PK kids get that you know stigma and it's because everybody is looking at your life. But that's the other element that my mom brought in is that you should be proud that your father has chosen a profession where people are looking at. This is just, this is something that you were born into and you can either fight against it or you can embrace it and really learn and understand why he's doing what he's doing. And I think that that, like, if you, if you understand that element, then you'll understand my upbringing and then also my, my family, like my mom, even though she she technically was a stay at home mom, but my mom this is why I wear a lot of hats now she ran her businesses. Mama was in the community, like we were everywhere, we weren't just at home. So so part of that. And then also, just like I said, working like we worked, it was not to just sit in the pews, was not. That was what you're supposed to do in praise and honor to God.
Speaker 3:
But the real work happens throughout the week in your lives, and so that was my upbringing, that was the strength. So, going from so, in my childhood they called us the not the Bill Cosby now, but the Huxables back in the day, because we would get up in the morning, all my brothers and sisters, we would work out five in the morning this is before school and my dad, my mom, they will all be back. So we were a like, we are a sports family, I would say. All my brothers and sisters, all of us, played sports. I ran track, played basketball, my brothers played football and track and my sister she did the same thing basketball and track. We all ran in college. We all did something in regards to sports, but it was always unity, together, togetherness. So that was my upbringing.
Speaker 1:
I'm a little curious though. I'm a little curious because so you mentioned, you guys went door knock, you go into, crack houses door. It's kind of like evangelism, work, right, you're doing with that with your family. So I guess my question to you were you doing that before you got taken? I know you mentioned you got saved when you was 10. So were you doing that before your salvation? So I guess my question to you because I know that's young, because my son is like near that age I'm a little curious to know, like, how did you take what was taught to you in the home or within the church and to, like other communities such as the school, Like did you proclaim the gospel to them? If so, how did you go about doing?
Speaker 3:
that Okay. So it was almost like a part of that's just a part of life. It was no. I think now people separate, but the way that I grew up was this is what we, this is who you are, this is what we do right. So it had a profound like.
Speaker 3:
I remember holding the bags of growth. So body and soul. My dad would preach, get food for the soul and then you would receive food for the body. So we would pack those bags and we would. My mom, I remember and I believe this is why I look at the church different than a lot of people who have been in for a long time you would have to take the bags out and hand them to people and then say you know, you wouldn't just hand it to them, you'd be like God bless you and we were taught to look in the eyes and we were taught to you know, because this is a soul, this is a person that God has created. So you take that and then you also take that to school.
Speaker 3:
I give an example like, for instance, my brother. My brother is literally in like middle school, high school, and he would call other members of the body. He would call them and say, and these are young boys and you could hear them in the hallway saying hey brother, drain, how are you doing today? Hey brother, they would talk like they were, like they were at church, and so it transcended and never, you know, it didn't stop, it just became. You're like oh, this is, this is who I am, unapologetically, and I think there was no embarrassment with it. I think people put embarrassment with Christ a lot of times, but but I, it was the way that my, you don't have embarrassment when you're seeing someone who used to be in the street, completely strung out, and then you see them transform into something like a completely different person than what that does for you is. You're like God is real, you know and you believe in it and you stand strong on it and you, you're unapologetic about it. You almost the carnality I call it carnality, the carnality mindset leaves.
Speaker 3:
And that's how, to me, as a young age, like we weren't, we weren't allowed to sleep in church. My brothers had to sit on the front row. I did it with my son. There was no, there was no sleeping. They like sit on. You had to pay attention.
Speaker 3:
We had Bible studies throughout the week, but it wasn't Bible studies of generality. It was Bible studies of purpose. So life application. If you hear my brother speak now and preach now, a lot of that is what we were taught in regards to okay, how should you be living? Not giving a general, general piece or conversation that a lot of people give fluff to right? Oh, they give the safe answer no, like my.
Speaker 3:
We dealt with realness, so you be real about it. And so when you're real about it and there's no fluff with it and you're not putting up a front, you know it was times where my, my mom would literally clean out our closet of clothes. These are our clothes, they're like our clothes. She would literally clean out our closets and we're going to church and we're looking over and I'm seeing my favorite, I'm seeing my favorite dress and I look over and she would look at us and say you better not say nothing. You know, and you look like what. You know.
Speaker 3:
She was like somebody was in need. You don't say a word and that it just builds in you what it's all about. And then you become it's about the kingdom. You know, the movement is about the kingdom, because God is going to take care of everything that you need and you grow when you do work, when you do spiritual vocation, like God has called you to do in Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 10, when he's already given you a good work, when you've come out of the world, then you understand, hey, the movements that I have to make in God. You're unapologetic about it.
Speaker 1:
I like your parents approach, even just to put you guys in at the front seat. There's a degree of reference there Because I could recall when I was a kid, like we had no respect, you know, when, you see, because your family already had that fear of God already. So they was like, ok, our kids got to follow, whereas for me it was different. There was more like a religious group. You know, parents was like they read the word once in a while, they prayed, but it was like more religious. And there was another degree of reference, like because we didn't see that happening at home so we went to church. It was like, oh, you know, this is just church. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:
And even I like the approach that you, you know, when I and that's what the reason why I mentioned how did you handle that while going to school, because I could even recall when I was in school there was this one kid that was in middle school and he didn't have no shame talking to folks about Jesus and I wanted to know how was your approach and the way you talked about it. And I think it's good to know that if there is somebody that that's a teenager per se, that's out there and they're a Christian, you know, sometimes it could be intimidating, but I mean, when you know Jesus, you got to be bold. You, you know, although there the enemy will put some kind of fear inside you, you know, or shame, but we can't be ashamed of the gospel and I like, yeah, I like your approach with that.
Speaker 3:
Even in school there was never a. I respected people where they were, but I just I. So people didn't cuss around me because of the standard that I set. Like. The standard was just like I used to count how many cuss words people would say. Really, I know, I know. I would literally be like, do you know you? You just said like 32 cuss words in like four sentences and they would be like I said, hey, let's try some different words, and people got to the point they wouldn't cuss around me.
Speaker 3:
So it wasn't so the way that I would come, because I never wanted. I know people have different backgrounds. The way that I grew up is not the way that others have right. So I wanted to be respectful of the, of where they were in this journey, and I believe everybody is on this journey. So I wanted to be respectful of that.
Speaker 3:
But then, at the same time, it was a standard for me to where I was just like like hey, can we use a different word? Like what other word would you use besides the 14 that you just used, you know? And so it wasn't offensive. They were just like oh, and that's what they call me essentially. Oh, you're so sweet, like you know, and it was like OK, and it just became a standard, like you know, because I didn't cuss, you know, I didn't, you know those things were just that became the standard, but I wasn't judgmental.
Speaker 3:
I still, to me, you can be respectful of where people are and still proclaim Christ and give them the opportunity to elevate, which again it goes back to that, that transformative, because every like I said, everybody does not come from where you come from, so you have to give God, gives us God. One thing that I've just learned, that I love, that I've learned God gives us space. He doesn't even understand our time, so he gives us space. So we should give space to people, not even time, like give them space to be able to see that journey. So Amen.
Speaker 1:
Now I'm going to have to, you're going to have to go back into your archives. I know you've been in the body of Christ for three decades now and counting and counting, and I know you mentioned it earlier that you gave your life to the Lord at 10. And I'm going to be asking a lot from you right now.
Speaker 3:
OK, OK.
Speaker 1:
But I want you to take us back. You know there was that movie Back to the Future. What the the movie Back to the Future? Did he go back or did he go? Did he go in the future? You remember that movie? Did he go back? Yeah, he went both ways.
Speaker 3:
He did, both, he did, he went both ways. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:
So I need you to go back. I want you to go back and take us back until how did you get to know Christ? And I need you to go in detail, Because I know the gospel, but there may be some other people that per se that don't know the gospel, and I know you mentioned that your parents, you know, took you to the library one child to get to know Christ and stuff. But I want you to go more in detail. How did all that come about? Because one thing to read it, but it's one thing to receive it. Take us back to that.
Speaker 3:
So it was a compilation of the ministry work and it was the ministry work and it was also the teaching. So the first instance, the first instance where I was just like man God is real is when my dad was. It was actually a member, they were a member of the body and they got on drugs and then they got it. So I saw them before and then they got on drugs really bad and they were at a body and soul and we were handed in the back to them and my dad saw them. You can tell they were ashamed and he came in and he hugged them and they broke down crying and my mom came out and hugged them and then my dad for the next I think almost two weeks straight were ministering to them and they got back off drugs and they got their life together and then they were gone and then it was like wait, okay, what was this?
Speaker 3:
But then there was which people don't a lot of times. People like to discuss, but preachers struggle with just being able to just preach the word and tell the truth because there's agendas everywhere. So there was rifts at the church where we were at the time and I'm sitting there and I'm like I'm looking at and I can hear members of the body who you would think that are really a part of the church, like really dedicated and really talk. My, they talk your father up and did it. But then behind closed doors, you can hear as a child, which a lot of people don't realize, especially PK kids. You can hear the rumors and how they talk about behind closed doors and the things that are stated.
Speaker 3:
And at this time there was a move because I mean, the attendance for the church was up, like things were going well, money was going up and they wanted to use money, for there was a dispute on where to use money and how to use it. And what a lot of people don't realize, especially within the church, is they your dad could be preaching one Sunday and then the next Sunday gone. That's what happened. And then to see that transpire for no reason, right. So you're uprooted because we lived in a percentage. You're uprooted out of that and then you're just you're transition. But the amazing thing for me to see was to see the response of my father doing that timeframe, because you would have thought that anger would have just set in and been like forget the church, right? Especially after everything that was done. But what actually transpired was he came closer, so the teachings, so instead of him he could have took in additional works. But he decided he said I need to teach y'all, which I thought I was like okay, right, you know.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 3:
And so we knew, so I know the death barrel in resurrection like the back of my hand. You know, I know, I know here, believe, repent, confess and be baptized. I know, I knew it from the back of my hand. But then what he did was so, this was the compilation of that. Then what he did was okay, y'all have to know this more, this has to be a life application. And so the questions then came yes, well, why? The why? Questions came, which is the foundation of, I believe, even my trajectory. Now, the why question was why did I go down the crossfree? Why are you where you are now Right? So it was like why are there multiple churches? Why, if he said I'll be my church, what then? Why? And then he would take us, and that's when we'd go to the library and we would sit down and we would go through Catholics and Presbyterian, we would go through Well, who started it? How was it started? Okay, who was Martin Luther? How was it started? So we, literally we, had to take the time to understand. And then from that point it became almost like man. He loves me, he loves me so much and all he's asking for me to do is to not only follow him but help others. So the devil is here to kill, steal and destroy and God is here to build up. And I know what destroy and kill looks like cause. We saw this whole time. But then what was that's the pricking part for me was man. He loves us so much. It's not to say that life isn't going to hit us, but he loves us so much that even when things do happen, he wants us to follow him, not to hurt us but to love us. And it was aha for me and that was the point of saying oh, it was like man, I gotta give my life to him because he gave it for me and he loves me and I'm covered. And that was huge because I'm like like, even like, my dad went through all of that and I'm looking and he and my dad is happy and just, but all of this just transpired. I mean, even we were still going to the different, we would go because he was a thing. That's the other part of my daddy's things, right. So my father's a singer, my family, they sing, so he would still have to go to these places where these same people have talked about him. And he had to sing and he did it for the love of God, they had nothing to do with him. And I'm looking at them like man and he's looking like I'm covered, it doesn't, you know? And it's because the blood is in me. You know, christ is in me, I'm in Christ and I'm walking as him. And then that was the thing was like man, I gotta get covered. I'm out here, I'm covered.
Speaker 1:
Hey, amen Amen.
Speaker 3:
Like I gotta get connected. What am I doing? You know so, and it was real like and I think that that was the blessed part I think we shielded with my own kids. I didn't shield, which was a blessing. I knew it was a blessing in my life. So, you know, because of what I saw and understanding what you come from, I never, you know, I didn't drink in school, like I didn't struggle with that because I'm like I literally would look at me like that's not gonna go the way you think that it would go Right, and it's all in the reason being. It's because I was already doing the work of the Lord.
Speaker 1:
I really enjoy your story. What I'm hearing from your story is that your parents played a pivotal role and to your salvation and that shows me the importance of a household, of a household structure which has the foundation of Christ, and the reason why I wanted you to go back, because I want people to understand the importance of their covenant relationship with Christ, that this is not something you take lightly. You know, like I told you back in the day, they all those religious, we said the sinner's prayer, we would just all over the place, but just to hear your story, how you came to Christ, and even the discipline, like I would say, your dad, he discipled you guys.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's real he showed you guys the way and that's so encouraging, Like if there's an adult parent that's listening to this episode, that they could take the same steps to there, because a child is never too young. Never too young because salvation is given for all you know, and even the children that have the knowledge of Christ, Because you know these kids are smarter than we think, Believe it or not.
Speaker 3:
But yeah, it's amazing. Even I'll go into it, though, but even with my own kid, because what I was going through I was worried for them. But then I actually reached back and looked at what my parents did for me and I was like I had to transform it into what was best for me at that moment. But it had similar, the similar elements of not only just being real about, just being real about Christ and not sugarcoated Like my family does not believe in and I'm not and let me start with this a disclaimer I'm not saying that it's wrong, but what I'm saying is my family did not believe in children's church. It was almost like what is that you know? And it was like you don't. It was like oh mama, I wanna go back in the back and play this. Ain't you don't play with God? That's how my family operated, so you never see the kids just go back in children. My children never did. They didn't go to children's church with me Like they had to.
Speaker 3:
You know, my son was like four years old, standing up in the front learning how to focus, like. Even if you come to North Colony Church now, my nephew sits in the front and he's six now and he's learned how to sit and then pay Cause, that's. You don't think that they're getting that, but it, man, they come back and they hit you with it A little bit later and be like, you know, my daughter the other day, mama, now you know we're doing a delusional series at church, and she was like now, mama, you know. You know, uncle Willie already just preached about delusion, you know, and it's like, it's like, oh, you got that. And especially for boys, especially for boys, because it was a training of learning to sit. It's a time to sit and listen and then it's a time for movement. But yeah, no, they didn't. They were like, nah, you gonna get this work, you, you go get this real work, you gonna get this real work.
Speaker 1:
So stay tuned for more as we delve more into Elizabeth's powerful, God-given testimony. See you next week. That's it for now, but before we go, please continue to listen, subscribe, share our podcast. Also, if you want to support our show, please scroll down to the bottom of the show notes and click on the link that says buy me a coffee. We were greatly appreciated. Thank you for listening and remember God is good all the time, and all the time God is good and also Jesus Christ loves you. Thank you and I'll see you next week.