Dave Hammond’s Testimony

Dave Hammond’s Testimony

This video is from when Dave Hammond shared his testimony during one of our Zoom meetings, explaining how God worked in his life to come to understand his need for a Saviour and how he put his faith in Christ for the forgiveness of his sins.

Dave Hammond has also written his testimony which we’ve included below.


With my head bowed I prayed fervently as I sat there. The evangelist had said, “If you want to go to heaven when you die, then stand up right now were you are.” It was then that I realized my legs wouldn’t move; I could not stand up! My prayer quickly shifted to “Lord help me to stand!” Immediately I stood.

My enlistment in the Navy was just about up. I was stationed at Little Creek Naval Base just outside Norfolk, VA. As a seabee we spent most of our time at our base, mostly preparing for our next maneuver, which could be either south to the Caribbean or up north to Labrador or Greenland.

Wherever I was I enjoyed it because of the adventure. At base we lived in Quanset Huts which held about 20 men each. In our hut was a fellow seaman named Keith who was a believer in the Lord Jesus. Keith would sit at a center table and study his bible. I respected him for that, because I wanted to please God and eventually go to heaven. I was a churchgoer, and led a celan life. I did not smoke, nor swear, nor drink, and looked down on those who did so. In reality I was living the “Big Lie”, which essentially says, “if your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds, then you get to enter heaven.”

Keith one day invited me to go with him and another friend of his to some special meetings at the Tabernacle Church of Norfolk. It was awesome! The speaker’s message was entitled “Sermons from Science”, and everything he said was further proof from science that the Bible is true.

Now, the invitation had been given. The challenge now was to stand up. As I did, I heard the lady sitting behind me gasp aloud. (Thinking about this later in my life, I likened it to the saints praying all night for Peter’s release from prison. When the angel released Peter from prison, he immediately went to the place he knew they would be gathered. As he knocked at the door, Rhoda answered, but left him there and rushed to tell the others that Peter was here, yet nobody believed her announcement. I think this is the funniest story in the BIble, that they were praying for Peter’s release, God answered, yet it was such an impossible request that when the answer came, they couldn’t believe it.)

Likewise the lady seated behind me had probably been praying for some sinners to accept the Lord. Many children were standing, yet here was a young man in his twenties right smack in front of her rising. Unbelievable answer to prayer! (Thank you, unknown lady of so many years ago, for praying for me!)

Back to my story- now another challenge from the evangelist. “Come forward!” I shrank at making a spectacle of myself. The aisles were long. There were many, many people in attendance. Nevertheless, whatever it takes, I wanted to be saved. At the front the men were ushered one way and the women another to counselling rooms. Once there, I was introduced to an older man standing awaiting his assignment. He had on a suit, wore glasses, his hands although scrubbed clean, the grease around his nails gave evidence of some mechanics trade. He held a Bible. I thought “this is no priest, he’s not a minister, how can this man help me?” Best of all, though, he knew his Bible. He spoke very nicely to me, spoke of my situation, and referred to his bible as the Word of God. He showed me many verses concerning salvation, but nothing clicked until he pointed to Matthew 11:28-30. “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” That verse was meant for me. All my life was composed of trying to be and do good. I had been laboring and it wasn’t adding up. I was not going to make the grade. I needed Jesus to get me in. I accepted Him as my Saviour then and there.

As we were parting from the room a young man stopped me at the door and my counselor urged me to tell the young man what I had just done. I told him I had accepted Christ as my Savior and was now bound for heaven. The young man who had an open Bible in his two hands asked, “how do you know what you just said is true?” As he asked me this, he ever so slightly pushed his bible towards me. As I was pausing to correctly construct my answer, his slight movement was profoundly meaningful for the rest of my life. I answered “Because God’s Word says so.”

From that moment on I knew I must trust in, study, and obey the Bible for guidance and strength for my life. Now, years later, here I am like that lady sitting behind me, praying that this brief message about my testimony might touch your heart and cause you to “rest” in Jesus. No human being can earn or merit a place in heaven. The penalty is so great that only the Son of God Himself could pay the price. He did so on the cross of Calvary many years ago. Before He died, was buried, and rose from the grave, He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” 

Will I see you there?

Stand up! Come forward! Accept!