Jonathan Phillips shares his remarkable journey from a legalistic religious upbringing to finding freedom through the true gospel, including the pivotal moment when he had to defend himself with deadly force and how God ultimately redeemed his darkest days.

• Raised in conservative Seventh-day Adventism where God was presented as judgmental and angry
• Attended strict religious academies that reinforced his growing discomfort with organized religion
• Left faith behind as a young adult after feeling condemned for being unable to keep religious rules
• Worked as a corrections officer for 13 years while battling personal struggles with alcohol
• Experienced a life-changing trauma when forced to use deadly force in self-defense in April 2013
• Struggled with grief, shame and alcohol addiction in the aftermath of the traumatic event
• Found true freedom when his father helped him understand God's unconditional love in 2024
• Discovered the transformative power of belief and how it changes one's entire experience
• Now lives in a running conversation with God rather than under religious obligation
• Celebrates April as a time of redemption rather than trauma, testifying to God's healing power

If you've been hurt by religion or believe God is angry and judgmental, Jonathan's story shows that God is so much better than many of us have been taught. There is no shame or condemnation in Christ—only love.

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