Nino Marques de Sá

I am Joshua Noeh Sembrano and this is not your typical turning point story. There are no big dramatic conversion moments in my testimony. In many ways, this is the story of the older brother who realized that he, too, was a prodigal son. It is simply the story of a sinner saved by the grace of God. If you are in a rush and only have a minute, there is a short summary at the end. If you can bear with me for 10-15 minutes, here's the whole story: Growing Up “Christian” I am originally from the...

You have probably heard the phrase, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” This phrase is often attributed to St. Augustine, but there is no evidence that he actually wrote it. It is often more correctly attributed to the 17th-century German Lutheran theologian Rupertus Meldenius, although the precise origin of the phrase is disputed. I have no issue with the sentence itself or the spirit behind it, which is a call for loving unity around the things that...

I am Lhivanne May Sembrano from the Philippines. I was raised as a Roman Catholic. Growing up, my understanding of faith was merely about going to church every Sunday with my parents, reading Bible verses from time to time, casually praying to God, occasionally praying the rosary, doing good works, loving my neighbours, and being a good person in general. When I was younger, I began to realize the inconsistencies between what I believed, what my practices were and what I understood about God;...