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Friday, June 24, 2016

Jeremy Vuolo's Testimony


For those who are eager to learn more about Jinger Duggar's boyfriend, Jeremy Vuolo, the 28-year-old recently created a video in which he shares his personal testimony. After giving a 10-minute introduction/mini sermon, Jeremy begins his testimony at 10:26.

Born on September 5th, 1987 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jeremy aspired to become a professional soccer player from the time he was a young child. He played at the collegiate level at both Hartwick College and Syracuse University, while earning a bachelor's in business administration and beginning a master's in finance.

After playing on a professional Finnish soccer team for one year, Jeremy joined the New York Red Bulls and later the San Antonio Scorpions. Feeling called to enter full-time ministry, he ended his athletic career in November 2014. Jeremy was ordained into ministry on March 5th, 2016, and currently pastors Grace Community Church of Laredo, Texas.


Photo credit: Julia Myers/TLC. YouTube video credit: Grace Community Church of Laredo, Texa

93 comments:

  1. What kind of church turns you into an "ordained minister" in a year, without formal education in the subject? Someone explain.

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    1. In Acts, the Pharisees accuse Peter and the rest of the disciples of being "uneducated men," and saying that they weren't fit to preach the Gospel because they lacked the proper training. But it didn't matter that the disciples hadn't had a formal education, because God had saved them and was using them to save others. In a nutshell, the only requirement for being a minister is that God is truly calling you. He only does that to people who are fit to be one.

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    2. What formal training did the apostles have? Many of the early preachers did not have formal training either. It can be done by correspondence or by God's appointment.

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    3. Jeremy did already have a college degree. He seems to have unlimited capabilities. I am glad he was chosen by the Lord to lead a flock and that he agreed to serve in this way. He could be rich in the world.

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    4. does it matter the Pastor that does my church never went to seminary but knows the bible and studies the bible deeply. As long as you are a follower of Jesus and deeply study the Bible you can teach the bible. Jim bod preaches to his family and is not a pastor what school did he go to? Peter James and John never went to a school but Learned from jesus himself?

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    5. How long does it take God to call you? That is as long as it should take for sinners on earth to "ordain"

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    6. If you're truly called by God, you don't need to go to college or school to preach. The Holy Spirit speaks through you and helps you to also know what to say and preach. You are called by God.

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    7. Ordination comes from the Holy Spirit leading church leaders. Seminary is not the only way to become a Pastor. Seminary didn't exist in Biblical times and it is only our current culture that demands it.

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    8. I could not attend a church where someone stood up & preached just because he (and only "he," never "she") felt called to it. I want to know my minister has years of study under proper teachers, in an established institution of higher learning, with a church governing board watching what is then done. Otherwise, you may as well set up a soapbox on a corner and call yourself a preacher.

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    9. If a minister does not have some study he surely will have problems when someone will ask him for bible explanations that aren't just trust God and all will be fine. Just my personal experience

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    10. Just because you got a college education and a degree does NOT make you fit to teach the Gospel.

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    11. Not true. When you are called by God to preach He speaks through you, the servant. It doesn't hurt to go to a ministry college but that doesn't teach you what to say. God and the Holy Spirit speaks through you, plus you need to pray and read the bible for God to help you preach His Word. I've known and heard hundreds of preacher that never attended college and they were anointed by the Holy Spirit and could preach fire and brimstone. Hallelujah!!

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    12. ....And just because you feel compelled to teach the Gospel does NOT make you fit to do so. It goes both ways, 6:38.

      I agree with 4:13 that he could fall very short in the counseling dept. (for starters) if he was not properly trained.

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    13. That is the problem in the US. Anyone can say.. hey I have a calling to preach.. and call themselves a minister. Many do not have the critical thinking skills developed by a classical education and yet they think that because they have studied the bible, they actual understand it.

      They take passages out of context; they do not know anything about the history of the middle east during the time period the various events are suppose to have occurred.
      They are using versions of the bible that have been mistranslated and modified through the centuries.

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    14. Of course the holy spirit speaks through the servant but i'm not talking of maybe intimate issue such as let' say I dont have faith anymore. I'm talking of more thecnical questions such as lets say what were the languages used in the bible? Why some words where translated in a certain way? And so on
      If you dont have some study you cant answer this questions but of course in their lifestyle probably no one will ever ask tbh

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    15. I don't think Saul/Paul went to Bible college, yet look how he turned out.

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    16. Yeah, I thought it was obvious, but 2000 years ago colleges didn't exist. This doesn't mean we should replicate how they lived at that time.

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    17. Well about Paul you can read for yourself he was edecated even if there was no modern college at the time, so i think we should agree we disagree on this one.

      Paul (source wikipedia) While he was still fairly young, he was sent to Jerusalem to receive his education at the school ofGamaliel,[Acts 22:3] one of the most noted rabbis in history. The Hillel school was noted for giving its students a balanced education, likely giving Paul broad exposure to classical literature, philosophy, and ethics.[35] Some of his family may have resided in Jerusalem since later the son of one of his sisters saved his life there.[Acts 23:16] Nothing more is known of his background until he takes an active part in the martyrdom of Stephen.[Acts 7:58-60;22:20]Paul confesses that "beyond measure" he persecuted the church of God prior to his conversion.[Gal. 1:13-14] [Phil. 3:6][Acts 8:1-3] Although we know from his biography and from Acts that Paul could speak Hebrew, modern scholarship suggests that Koine Greekwas his first language.[36][37]In his letters, Paul drew heavily on his knowledge of Stoic philosophy, using Stoic terms and metaphors to assist his new Gentile converts in their understanding of the revealed word of God

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  2. Do all ministers of his faith - and what exactly is his faith? - talk so much?

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    1. Umm, what kind of question is that? He's a Christian pastor, and he's sharing the Gospel message.

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    2. There are 66 books in the Bible which he is preaching the Christian faith from. It takes awhile and a good summary of how to get it and be on track within 18 minutes is not too long. Saying he is talking too much, considering the life and eternity changing nature of the conversation, is not in order.
      Once a person accepts Christ they should have a hunger for the word and good preaching. I appreciate it, my challenge is too be a doer of the word and not a hearer only.

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    3. Pretty sure he's a Christian.

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    4. Well if you would have paid attention to everything he was "talking so much about" you would know what his faith is. It's pretty clear.

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    5. No it's not clear - where did he say Baptist or Catholic or Lutheran or Jewish?

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    6. my church has a board and a membership committee who follow the gospel and the bible so we do have rules. all churches should and a membership and elders. but only you can know in your heart if your church is right for you?

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    7. So what denomination is he? "Christian" is not a denomination. Be more specific.

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  3. Congradulations now I'm waiting on Jana to find someone.

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  4. Excellent testimony!

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  5. I love this! So excited for you both! :)

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  6. Great testimony. PTL!!!

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  7. May the Lord Bless you both in your courtship. Hope to hear about wedding plans before long, W

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  8. Praise God! Thank you for posting this. It was such an encouragement to me.

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  9. Wow! What an awesome man, he has such ability!

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  10. So, so encouraging.Such a wonderful testimony showing us that we can never get so far away from God that we can't come back. Praise His Holy Name!

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  11. Just looked up Tim Conway pastor of Grace Community Church in San Antonio. Watched the video Paul or Jesus...I think it was. OH my! What a message! I see why Jeremy learned so much under his ministry. I just Googled The church and Tim Conway. Awesome message.

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    1. Yes, I enjoyed Tim Conway when he was on the Carol Burnett Show, too.

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  12. How is drinking "sinning"? There is wine drinking in the Bible and Jesus turned water into wine.

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    1. Some churches still use actual wine for communion, not grape juice.

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    2. If you actually research the kind of "wine" that they drank in Biblical times, you'll find that most had little to no alcohol content in it. Nothing like the wine of today.

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    3. The Bible says look not upon the wine . . . for in the end it will bite you as a serpent.

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    4. Actually, Biblical wine was alcoholic. There are instances of it being used to treat wounds, heal the stomach, and induce intoxication. Why would there be warnings over & over about the dangers of ingesting too much wine, if it were plain grape juice? Fermentation hasn't changed in 2000 years - alcohol happens.

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    5. Drinking alcohol is not a sin but being drunk is....

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    6. Nothing wrong with drinking a glass of wine. The Bible warns against being drunk with wine. For all who claim that the wine of Bible times had little to no alcohol, then why did the Bible warn against being drunk with wine?

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    7. The wine that MOST people in Bible times drank had little to no alcohol. However, there were those who waited until it had "fermented" and then drank it. The Bible is warning against this behavior.

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  13. Once one of my localities' most eligible bachelors finally surprised everyone by going with a young lady who never stood out in the community. She is a lovely woman and they have three beautiful children now. Jeremy reminds me of that guy who was into sports too.

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  14. He reminds me of the late John Ritter.

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  15. Jeremy kinda hints that he isn't well physically pure.... I didn't think the Duggars in paticular would approve such a courtship. To us it may be no big deal but to them it is.

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    1. I agree the implication is there. I wouldn't have thought the Duggars would ok someone with that background for one of their daughters.

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    2. If he decided that he was not going to be intimate with anybody anymore until he's married, why not. Maybe he made choices he regrets.

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    3. What if a girl said the same thing and then wanted to marry a Duggar boy???

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  16. He makes it seem like having fun is a sin. I don't think the Lord wants us to feel guilty for having healthy fun. There's also a responsible way of drinking, in moderation and without losing any amount of consciousness.

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  17. I noticed in their courtship announcement video that Jeremy, like I've heard the Duggars do before, thinks traditional dating doesn't imply committment, or that it automatically means sleeping around or being with a different person every week.
    It's not like that, though: you can date and be committed to that relationship, be honest, respectful and enjoy and explore life together, even without thinking about marriage from the very first day.

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    1. I think people might be trying to operate in a God denying, secular humanist spirit if they try to be like the 2nd paragraph of this comment I am replying to. If people are praying and living in the Holy Spirit then their relationships are in Christ. Jesus said to some women as soon as they can!e up to Him, "Woman what do I have to do be with you?".
      Jesus said," I am the way and the truth and the life". Look to Jesus for what to do. There is a way that seems right to man but the end there of is death. And, lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him. These Duggars and Bates girls said they tried to keep level headed but they looked to Christ for strength to behave wisely and eventually they found out where things were headed. It is pretty intense and hard to stay cool, calm and collected.

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    2. I agree. How can a woman know what she wants in a husband, if she courts and marries the first man who comes along?

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    3. Exactly: nothing wrong in having experiences, as long as you're honest, kind and respectful.

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  18. Love the testimony he gives.Love to see that he is a pastor.God Bless him

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    1. And already an avid vlogger! He fits right in!

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  19. Wow,what a blessing!Marry the man!

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  20. I'm happy for Jinger. He sounds like a terrific guy and they both look happy together.

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  21. Melanie Camirand LandryJune 25, 2016 at 12:28 PM

    Thank you for this inspiring and encouraging message! Always encouraging to see the passion for Christ in young people.

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  22. Excellent message, brother! All glory to Christ our Savior! I have been blessed by streaming Pastor Conway's preaching for many years.

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  23. Wow! I wasn't planning to watch more than a few minutes of this but was so impressed by his knowledge and advice I ended up watching the entire testimony! Very inspirational

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  24. He comes across as a mature man of God. Good choice, Jinger.

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  25. Great message. He is an excellent speaker, but he moves his hands way too much while he is talking, and I found it very distracting.

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  26. Hey did anybody know this guy had a past? He lives the college wild days and who knows what else he did. Why would jimbo allow his daughter to get with someone who has more experience than her? Something is not right about this.

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    1. Very different backgrounds. Could make for some difficult challenges if married.

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    2. It's none of OUR business of his past! I'm sure Jimbo has checked him out! If he does have a past it's called Forgiveness that kicks in everytime!

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    3. Hopefully he will be a great influence on Jinger. She has always seemed more open to the outside world than some of the others.

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    4. I wonder if Jimbob and Michelle would approve of a young lady "with a past" to court one of their sons? Not critisizing or trying to sound hateful, but I'm really curious if they would give a young lady the benefit of the doubt like I'm assuming they have Jeremy for Jinger. I'm glad they did because they make a lovely couple. We are to believe Josh changed, here's hoping Jeremy left that old life behind --so would a female receive the same grace?

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  27. This video is SO AWESOME, from the beginning to the end!!! God bless both Jeremy and Jinger!!!

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  28. I honestly don't believe God cares if you go to church or not, if you feel compelled to share a "testimony" or mission to others, or follow a list of man made rules for salvation. God is all about love, the genuine kind that is free from conditions. That is His charge for us... to love one another as He loves us, unconditionally. One day we will each pass on to a better world, where these earthly hang ups will be but a memory.

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    1. Some churches sure have complicated rules for that salvation, don't they? Like they alone figured out the only path, or they alone were told by God what was right. What about everyone else??? I don't believe God favors one group over another. In fact, I think it brings Him sorrow for people to try to claim that. It's like...arrogance.

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    2. Hebrews 10:25
      Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (NIV)

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  29. Sounds like he had been a pretty normal high school & college kid. Nothing wrong with having some fun. You're only young once. Although I do have to wonder if it would be tempting to have fun again, the way Josh was temped.

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    1. What Josh did was not "having fun". Having fun and betraying your spouse, your vows and your family are two completely different things. Nothing wrong in honestly dating and drinking in moderation.

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    2. Yep, easy to stray from the straight & narrow, especially when you've had fun already on the crooked & broad.

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    3. Or maybe now that he's experienced what the world has to offer, he can make a more meaningful decision that he's rather follow Christ?

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  30. It's so awesome that God can bring good out of even the darkest parts of people's past and use it to encourage others! This video was awesome! Thank you!

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  31. Praise God for the Good news of the Gospel! Keep preaching Jeremy!

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  32. So grateful to God that he has placed a man like Jeremy into Jinger's life who can lead them to walk in the spirit of God together!! I love this new couple and they are SO CUTE!

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  33. Congratulations, Jeremy and Jinger!!! You seem so created for each other! :) -I know the Lord brought you together! To both of you, I love your passion for serving & obeying Christ and being bold for Him! Thanks for the encouragement to make Christ our all! He truly can justify (just as if we had never sinned) & wholly cleanse us no matter how sinful we are! Praise the Lord!!!

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  34. Praise the Lord for His great salvation which He gives by His Son, Jesus Christ! Thank you for sharing the gospel and your personal testimony.

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  35. I think it's sad that everyone refers to him as a professional soccer player, when clearly his real calling is in the ministry. I guess it's flashier to call him a professional athlete.

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    1. This post accurately states his background. Once a pro soccer player, now a pastor. What's wrong?

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  36. wow!! Inspiring!!!!!

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  37. Thank you for this video. I'm sad that there wasn't a post for Michael Duggar's (Josh's little boy) birthday June 15th. Also could you please update a few pics at top of this blog: Spurgeon, Meredith, and Israel, I bet there are newer pics of the 3! Thank you Ellie and Lily!

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  38. I think one of the good things that came out of the heartbreak from Josh's scandals is that many more people who may not be christian are now visiting this blog, some as observers only, and some as skeptics of God and the christian faith and hopefully they too who are reading this will turn from sin with a sincere heart and accept Jesus as their Savior too! He is the only way, truth, and life!

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  39. I am so tired of the back and forth that goes on on some of these pages. I think most of us come here to learn more about the family and congratulate them, not nitpick, suspiciously question and enter into debates. Can we just wish them well and keep it moving? Goodness.

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  40. This great guy played in my hometown in Finland :) Great athlete and an devoted christian. Jinger is one lucky girl!

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  41. I can't believe that no one is making this association...What happened to Jill's analogy "if you have a problem with drinking, you stay out of the tavern...that she so proudly stated? Jeremy admits to having a problem with publicity and attention seeking, so why then is he seeking out a woman who will bring him some of that? One would think he would stay miles away from any female who would bring him notoriety...Doesn't make sense. He also lost pieces of his heart...why is that ok for Jinger to get a partial heart?

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    1. I don't think there are as many of the Duggar rules set in stone these days. It was great to say those rules - they got you a TV show for being so different and so hard-lined - but they are not living up to their own words these days at all. Sad. They just keep smiling for the camera, while the rest of us recognize the hypocrisy. At least viewers are smart enough to recognize that when they see it. Good thought-provoking post, 4:28AM.

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  42. I really don't like the expression "slave to God". I'm sure God wants, no slave, just free people who voluntarily embark on this journey of faith everyday.

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  43. People tell it go ... everyone has a pass..Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. You go girl be happy don't put mind to any of them

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