Laura Johns

Laura Johns

Graphic Designer

Life Story

The Lord has been so faithful to me from day one. In His mercy, He gave me parents who made every effort to tell me all about the wonderful love of Jesus. What havoc I was spared by their commitment to serve Him completely and follow His design for family. They believed I understood the message of the gospel when I was very little. But I most remember one twist in the plot that would really bring me to trust His goodness and rely on His grace.

As a kid I was bullied and I became very hurt and angry. When I would come home from school my mother cared so well for me in this pain. But with great sadness, I remember in turn making her my verbal punching bag. How clever I thought I was—surely there was no harm done since, after all, she was deaf and couldn’t actually hear my shameful words. Then one day I realized she knew all about it. And it did not stop her. She was glad to love.

Not too long after this something happened to my mom and she was taken away to Mayo Clinic for treatment, leaving me wondering whether I would ever see the joyful, loving mother I knew again. It was then Jesus showed me the magnitude of His love. It was like my mom’s had been and even more so. He was there. Even though my sin was cause enough to require His death on a cross, He had a joyful love that pursued me and would never fail. “He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21).

As an adult the Lord pointed out my veering Pharisaical heart bound by fear, perfectionism and striving. I had become so focused on how rule-breakers fall short of the glory of God, so He gently showed me that the “rule-keepers” do too. To have been weighed in the balance and still found wanting is only hopeless to those with no Savior.

And so my story goes on, under the cover of His faithfulness and magnificent love. In Him I have life as I sojourn now, and for all future ages “as [only one story] of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7).

Hope for The Village Church

My hope is for the gospel to be faithfully preached to North Texas and the world, its freedom and future hope fully realized. The truth of the Word to be cherished. That its people are equipped for suffering, with growing trust and satisfaction in God and His sovereignty. For the Church to live in community, united as a very diverse family. For His Name to be proclaimed through serving the community, showing it what it is He loves. To be faithful to Him leveraging all that we have, including His favor, for His glory.