The Hollimans wouldn’t be who they are without the people God put in their lives. Now, with similar stories that have shaped their hearts, they get to help others grow in their faith together. As you read their story, think about how God has used his people to care for you—and how he might use you to care for someone else.
How did you begin a relationship with Jesus?
Brenner: “I thought the golden ticket to heaven was being a good person. I was raised on Christian morals in a loving home, but we didn’t go to church very often, and the concept of a relationship with God was foreign to me.
“I was intrigued by spiritual things and got involved with a Christian organization in high school. There, a leader taught me more about Jesus, but I still wanted to live for my own desires and felt a deep need to perform to earn people’s appreciation.
“In college, the desires of my flesh got the best of me. My alcohol abuse got so out of hand that I got kicked out of school for a semester. I realized I lost the ability to control who I became when I drank, and I knew I needed help.
“One of my friends really pursued me at that time. He was living life differently from anyone I knew, not for the approval of others but for God. He seemed so satisfied with his relationship with God and not the things of the world, but I still wanted to do both.
“The more I spent time with that friend, the more I felt the weight of my sin. I recognized that Jesus came to this earth, lived the perfect life I could never live, took the weight of my sin on himself when he died on the cross, and rose again three days later to allow me to have a relationship with God. That was when I decided to put my faith entirely in the Lord.”
Sarah: “I grew up going to church consistently and calling myself a Christian, but I never fully understood the gospel. I put my identity in performance, striving to maintain an image of a good person who did good things. I was like a chameleon, manipulating who I was to match what I thought others wanted to see in me.
“I found myself in a routine of drinking almost every night in college, seeking approval and friendship. But it just left me feeling more empty and lonely. I still went to church on Sundays to maintain a good image, but I felt like I was living a double life.
“I knew the way I was living was wrong and felt so much guilt, but the shame just drove me to seek comfort deeper in my sin. I really questioned God’s goodness and wrestled with the thought, Am I really a Christian?
“I realized I had a decision to make: I’m either all in on a life following Jesus or all out. I finally understood that Jesus’ death paid the penalty for my sin and his resurrection frees me from the power of my sin. That’s when I fully surrendered.
“I spent the next summer working at a Christian youth camp surrounded by other believers. That’s where I learned how to read my Bible, how to pray, and how to share the gospel. The gospel became real for me, and I realized how much God loved me. My life completely changed, and I fell in love with God and his people.”
What has walking with Jesus looked like after you surrendered to Christ?
Brenner: “After school, I moved to Dallas and got involved at Watermark. As a young believer, I still wrestled with control and tried to convince myself I could manage my sin on my own. God made it very clear that I couldn’t. In his kindness, God led me to Re:generation, Watermark’s recovery ministry. I’m now five years sober.
“Through Re:gen and my community group, God put men in my life who challenged me to walk and abide in Jesus daily and taught me how to date well. Sarah and I met through mutual friends. We realized we had a lot of similarities in our upbringings and how we viewed ministry. Our communities really invested in us and cared for us through dating and engagement.”
Sarah: “God’s people and the church have been the biggest pillars in my story and in our marriage. After I graduated, I moved back to Dallas and was on staff at Watermark for a few years. I also went through Re:gen, which was monumental in both of our lives.
“In Re:gen, I realized there were unhealthy habits and lingering shame that may have been holding me back from pursuing the Lord as fully as I could. The gospel became so practical for me, and now I fall more in love with Jesus and experience his grace every day.
“We love getting to serve together in Re:gen because of how transforming it was for each of us. We also get to serve by sharing Christ with our families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers who don’t have a relationship with him. We believe that the same God who changed our lives can change theirs.
“As we look back, we see that God has changed the trajectory of our lives and broken generational sins through the help of his Church and his people. The family of God is so tangible to us now, and we wouldn’t be who we are now without them.”