Sandra Hardage
Sandra Hardage is the founder of My Journey of Faith Ministries, a Bible teacher, speaker and author. She a wife, mother and grandmother of eight grands who are the delight of her life.
After retirement from a professional career in education, she felt God’s leading to begin an online ministry named My Journey of Faith Ministries. The ministry has many facets including an online magazine, a radio show, book club, daily devotions, an annual retreat and so much more. All of this for the purpose of bringing glory to God and for encouraging Christian women to share their faith stories.
She is the author of FAITH Joseph’s Story, a novel and Bible Study. You can learn more about Sandra, her ministry and her book at sandrahardage.com.
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Sandra's Faith Story
I am a saved sinner saved by the grace of God and because Jesus Christ died for my sin, I am His child. I am nothing apart from Him.
I am a wife, mother of 3, grandmother of 8. I was raised in a Christian home from a long line of descendants who were saved by the blood of Jesus. But since their salvation does not save me, I am grateful to my parents who took me to church and taught me the lesson that Jesus died for my sins. I can remember a time during a revival when I was 12 years old when the Lord was tugging at my heart. To this day, I remember the song that was playing : “Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe, Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow . “ I knew I was a sinner even at that age. I knew Jesus died for me and because He had died for me I would have eternity in heaven. I was baptized and knew I was a child of the King.
As I grew older, I discovered I could not live a perfect life. I could not be “good” enough. I had yet to learn about grace and I was stuck in legalism. I tried very hard to be perfect but the harder I tried, the lower I sank. As college years rolled around, I discovered that worldliness had an appeal. I drifted farther away from God-even though I went to church every Sunday. I knew something was missing. Being a Christian was too much work. There was no joy.
Since I am a southern woman, I was taught to be a lady at all times, I was taught to hide my feelings, don’t talk about certain topics or people who did bad things, put on a smile and pretend everything was perfect. We had to act “good” in an appropriate manner because you couldn’t tell who might be watching. And because I was the oldest, I must set the example for my 3 younger sisters. I did refrain from “smokin’, drinkin’ and cussin’ so by those accounts, I must not be "that" bad. What I discovered was God doesn’t classify sin by big and little sin. He considers sin to include anything that is not holy-(lying, cheating, murder, gossip, lustful thoughts. disobedience, etc.). I came into this world with a sin nature. When this reality hit me, I knew by that account there was no way to be perfect. And then I learned about Grace.
Jesus died for me because of His unconditional love. He loved me even though I was not perfect. He loved when I was unlovable. He loved me enough to take on flesh, become the sacrifice for my sins on the cross, die an excruciating death, be place in a tomb for 3 days, be resurrected from the dead in order to conquer sin and death. My sin, my death.
I began to hear the message of grace. I read: Romans 11:6 "And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."
Ephesians 2:4-5 "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved."
God’s grace is given freely. There is nothing I can do to earn God’s grace. It is a gift. A gift is something given to you that you didn’t pay for or didn’t deserve. God’s Grace is a gift from God to those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. With that gift comes forgiveness of sin, cleansing, healing and eternal life in the presence of Almighty God. Grace changed my life and freed my spirit. I no longer “work” for love. I "work" because I love Him. I am His child no matter what I do because He loves me unconditionally. He has cleansed me from all sin-past, present and future.
"God's love is greater than all my sin."
Satan’s great lie is that you are not “good” enough to be loved and set free by Jesus. Your mess is so bad that Its not possible for God to love you or use you. His great lie is that you are unworthy. Sisters, don’t believe it. You are free. Your sin is forgiven. You are cleansed by the blood of Jesus. You are REDEEMED. And because of what Jesus did, your can and will be used by Almighty God Himself!! Guilt and shame are gone!
Remember: Jesus died that you might live. He died for you past, present and future sins. Have you accepted Jesus, the gift of Grace, as your Lord and Savior?
FAITH Joseph's Story
At the age of seventeen, Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, faces the wrath of jealousy, hatred, and deceit from his own brothers. He is thrust into a world of slavery, lust, and power. Joseph experiences a culture so different from his own that he must adapt quickly just to survive. He learns to trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and be content in the difficult circumstances that challenge him far too often. Narrated by Joseph, Faith-Joseph's Story communicates the power of this young man's faith-faith that began in the midst of a plot to murder him and ends with his rise to power in Egypt. It shows the perseverance one must find to overcome the negative experiences that happen in life, and it provides a testament to the importance of placing complete faith and trust in God. With Bible study materials and a leader's guide included, Faith-Joseph's Story tells how, from the depths of a pit, to the darkness of prison, to the grandeur of a palace, a young man remains committed to God's divine plan.