One Wednesday, as we wound the study down, just as almost everyone had left, one man quietly said, “Well, I’m a Catholic and this seems different than what I’m experiencing. You understand and teach the Bible and Catholics don’t. What’s the deal?” Those are words of invitation to a former Catholic. There were two other men in the room, friends of Nick (not his real name), and I asked if they wanted to stay and if it was OK with Nick. Everyone agreed and in a relatively short time I had explained the real Good News to him. Just as you might have expected, when it came time for me to ask him, “Who would you say that Jesus really is?” – well another group had come to occupy the room and the tables! After re-locating to a smaller, nearby unoccupied office, Nick encouraged me to finish what I was telling him. He heard, perhaps for the first time, through newly opened ears, about the substitution of Jesus and His righteousness for Nick’s sinfulness. He was very quiet when I explained that temporary faith and intellectual faith just wouldn’t cut it. When I asked, Nick said that he absolutely would like to receive the gift of eternal life. His friends rejoiced at Nick’s response to the Good News. We prayed and when we lifted our heads, God had done the same thing in Nick that he had done with me. He changed Nick’s countenance! It was not hard to see that something was different in Nick.

That was a few weeks ago now. I remember returning that evening and speaking with the elders and telling them that our investment had begun to pay dividends. God had smiled on our efforts and produced His results. It seems as though the drive to Galveston isn’t nearly as long these days because I’m wanting to know what’s new in Nick’s life. Nick is married. He has two kids. God isn’t finished with that family at all. He’s a rough, tough guy from the other side of the tracks. He’s all tattooed up and now he’s eminently lovable. And his friends who were waiting and praying for him to make that decision? They are both African-Americans and growing stronger in their faith each week. They needed to hear that the prosperity gospel and the health and wealth approach was to be questioned from Scripture. Now we’re praying for several of our other Wednesday attenders and I keep passing literature to Nick. It’s a pleasure to hear how he is growing each week.