A personal testimony to Christ

Justin “JJ” Johnson

The space between
a life and grace.

By His Grace

A life I give Christ the glory for.

“I will fear no evil,
for you are with me.”

Psalm 23:4 · WEB
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A testimony to Christ’s grace

Even here.
Even now.

I · The breaking

There was
a breaking.

I’ve battled personal demons. I lost a career early on, and for a time I lost my direction.

II · The wilderness

Still within
His reach.

More than once, I came within inches of losing my life.

III · The way through

Grace made
a way.

There was a night when Christ took the wheel and saved my life. I carry that with me.

IV · The restoration

I am still here.
By His grace.

To Christ be the glory.

I.

Beginning again

My testimony

What I had to face

Beginning again.

There were decisions I made and ways I looked at life that cost me years.

Starting over meant facing those things. And honestly, being afraid to fail made it harder to begin again.

Christ saved my life. That’s the truth at the center of this story. He’s carried me through moments I didn’t know how to get through. I’ve stumbled, and He’s picked me back up.

My relationship with Christ is personal. I’m still rebuilding, still learning to take responsibility, and still learning how to be present in the life I have.

I don’t have a finished testimony in which every problem has been resolved. My faith belongs in the middle of the work that’s still happening.

I’m grateful to be here, with the opportunity to build something meaningful with the life ahead of me.

Justin “JJ” Johnson

This is my testimony to Christ’s grace.

Continue the story

The people beside me

The people beside me.

I haven’t walked through this alone.

My grandparents, my family, and friends who kept encouraging me and holding me accountable have all helped me move forward.

My friend Mannok reminds me that iron sharpens iron. My cousin Kieron keeps me accountable. And my grandfather Mark’s advice about keeping my head down and my nose to the grindstone has stayed with me.

Sometimes the encouragement was simply, “Keep pushing.” I’m grateful for the people who kept showing up.

Justin

Room for healing

“He heals the broken in heart,
and binds up their wounds.”

Psalm 147:3 · WEB

Scripture

Words to
hold close.

From Job and Corinthians.
Room to pause, read, and reflect.

World English Bible
Read each passage in its chapter.

01Job 19:25My Redeemer lives

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives.”

Read Job 19
022 Corinthians 12:9Grace in weakness

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Read 2 Corinthians 12
031 Corinthians 13:13The greatest of these

“But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.”

Read 1 Corinthians 13
II.

The heart of Merci Group

By His Grace

The heart of Merci Group.

In a world deeply fractured by turmoil, judgment, and division, Merci Group operates on a singular, foundational truth: Jesus Christ died on the cross for absolutely everyone.

His grace is a radical, universal love that knows no borders, backgrounds, or boundaries. It belongs to the White, the Black, the Muslim, the Buddhist, the Atheist, the Straight, the Gay, the Rich, and the Poor alike.

  • The White
  • The Black
  • The Muslim
  • The Buddhist
  • The Atheist
  • The Straight
  • The Gay
  • The Rich
  • The Poor

Scripture teaches us a beautiful, upside-down truth for these times: the meek will inherit the kingdom of heaven, the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.

Moving beyond profit margins.

This studio exists to live out that grace in plain sight. We are completely unconcerned with maximizing corporate profit margins off independent creators. Instead, we use our digital craft to extend pure compassion and heavy financial relief to the family-owned, immigrant-led, and neighborhood food brands that hold our communities together.

That is why we created the Grace-for-Service Covenant:

The Grace-for-Service Covenant

  1. i.

    We waive the traditional, high upfront costs of premium web development, bespoke branding, and business intelligence software.

  2. ii.

    We swap our digital agency fees for real-world community restoration.

  3. iii.

    Our partners pay for their digital assets by opening their doors, using their wholesale food networks, and hosting regular food banks to directly feed the hungry and broken-hearted in their local neighborhoods.

We trade our premium pixels for your hot plates, ensuring that your culinary business thrives online while the vulnerable are cared for on the ground. No matter who you are, what you believe, or who you love, you are met here with absolute reverence, total respect, and a commitment to excellence.

In Jesus’ name, we build. Amen.

Putting care into practice

What I hope
to give.

I want the work I do to reach beyond me.

I want to help my family and contribute to local outreach. Youth mental health, support for neurodivergent kids and children navigating divorce, and helping people experiencing homelessness are causes close to my heart.

Those are things I hope to help make possible as MERCI grows. I want my gratitude to become something useful to someone else.

There’s work ahead of me. I want to do it well, treat people right, and honor Christ in how I build.

If you’re wondering whether you can start again, I want you to know why this means so much to me.

I’m starting again, too.

10%

Of Merci Group LLC’s profits

I pledge 10% of Merci Group LLC’s profits to charitable giving.

These are three organizations I want to support. You can also give directly through their official websites.

Justin “JJ” Johnson

Children’s health

St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital

Research and treatment for childhood cancer and other serious pediatric diseases.

Give directly to St. Jude

Emotional well-being

The Jed Foundation

Supporting the emotional health of teens and young adults and working to prevent suicide.

Give directly to JED

Children in need

Compassion International

Supporting children in need with food, medical care, and other essential assistance.

Give directly to Compassion

To Christ, with gratitude.

For the life
I have.

Justin “JJ” Johnson

Return to the beginning

By His Grace

Take a moment.

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The Creation of Adam

Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam: Adam and God extend their arms, their fingertips nearly touching.
Michelangelo · The Creation of Adam
Image supplied by Justin Johnson.