Audio Essay

The speaker started attending Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in California on Easter in 2020. They believe it's important to be part of a community of believers and that their religion provides support and happiness. The church has had a significant impact on their life, shaping their values and deepening their relationship with God. They appreciate being able to watch the church's live stream since they can't physically attend. The speaker also mentions the importance of music in their worship and the positive effects of religiosity on their mental and physical health. The Bible is emphasized as a guide for living virtuously. They acknowledge that religion may not be important to everyone but personally choose to devote their life to God. They are grateful for the love and faithfulness they experience through their involvement with Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. On April 12th, 2020, I began attending a church called Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in California. I remember this day very vividly because it was Easter and I immediately felt a connection to this church and community that attended. I personally believe that it is important to surround myself with other believers to uplift one another and fully develop as Christians. My religion gives me a sense of community and happiness because it encourages social support and pro-social behaviors. While the church itself is valuable, it is not just a place, but rather the assembly of people that come together to worship. I would also like to think that my presence and love for God impacts others as they uplift me. Looking back, it is hard to believe that it has been almost four years since my first Sunday at Calvary Chapel. This place of worship has had such a formative role in my life and will continue to do so because it has helped mold me into the person that I strive to become. I believe that Christianity has shaped me into the person I am today, not just because I grew up in a Christian household, but also because it has given meaning to the models and values that divine me as an individual. This church has opened my heart and mind to a new perspective and more profound understanding of my religion. Through the teachings of the Bible and the connection to my personal life, I have been blessed with a much deeper relationship with God and the invaluable lessons He provides. This particular church continues to play a pivotal role in helping me live my life for God. Although I cannot physically attend the church since it is in California, I appreciate that a live stream is available so I can watch every Wednesday night and Sunday morning. This place of worship that now feels like home has led me to great spiritual development and has allowed me to grow a much stronger connection with God. Before I attended Calvary Chapel at Chino Hills, I was rarely exposed to different types of worship, one being music, and it has become something that I cherish. Christian music is now a precious component of my daily life that I was never able to fully appreciate. It brings me a sense of calmness and peace to praise the Lord and magnify Him in a unique form. When I worship and sing, it is an active way for me to highlight God and place Him at the center of my life. All of my thoughts and surroundings become insignificant. This feeling is irreplaceable and underscores the positive relation between religiosity and both physical and mental health. The foremost reason that this church has become so influential to my identity is because of the way the Bible is presented and emphasized. The Bible is used as a gateway for an unwavering relationship with God and teaches me how to live virtuously for Him. When you pray, He's alive, He's listening. When you rejoice, He's listening. Very quickly, John 14, a little while longer, and the world will see me no more, but you will see me because I live, you will live also, verse 20. At that day, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I in you. That's a three-chord strand, if you think about it, wrapped together, a rope. He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is He who loves me, and He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love Him and manifest myself to Him. That is the Word of God and a promise to you. Every piece of who I am today is a result of my relationship with God, which has only been amplified by Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills. Although religion is a major aspect of my life, I know that is not the case for everyone. In fact, 15% of Americans do not belong to any religious group and do not appear to miss the benefits of religion. While I recognize that not everyone holds the same perspective on religion, it can be a complicated topic for others, I have personally chosen to turn to a power far greater than myself or man. Every day I pursue a life devoted to God, however, I am not perfect and never will be. When I think of Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills, I am beyond grateful to have such a meaningful place in my life because I am persistently reminded that He is a loving and faithful God.