It all began last spring. When Gloria came across a book with an interesting title she had never heard of before — The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus — little did she know that it would spark a Christmas outreach effort that is still continuing in her hometown of North Little Rock, Arkansas.
Gloria was planning for her upcoming fall women’s Bible study when she found GoodSeed’s ministry online. A staff member introduced her to The Stranger, and after reading it, Gloria felt the Lord directing her to use it for the study. Over a period of 15 weeks, Gloria and nearly 30 ladies studied the central message of the Bible through The Stranger.
Members of the study — ranging from new Christians to those who had been believers for decades — saw for the first time how the Bible fit together as one story and how Christ’s work on the cross fulfilled God’s purpose and promises.
“It put the whole Bible together, and in essence connected the dots!”
“As a new believer, I am very new to the Bible. This book helped me understand parts and whys [of the Bible].”
“I had constant questions and doubts about my salvation because of the church I grew up in. The study gave me assurance.”
“…I was amazed at the symbolism that I had missed… I understand the Bible much more now.”
“It opened my heart and mind to think on things concerning Christ that I have not dwelt on before. It is so encouraging — the job is done! Christ paid my penalty.”“What a clear explanation! It made me excited… to see clearly why Jesus had to die the way He did.”
“After reading each chapter, I would just sit and say, ‘Wow!’ Every page ‘re-lighted’ God’s gift to me. His Word — it truly is a treasure! It made me look at Scripture in a different way and learn something new about the Scriptures that I had read many times before. I can’t wait to pass it on to others.”
Gloria encouraged the ladies to reach out with their faith using The Stranger as a tool. “If you want to give a gift that will last, this is a wonderful gift,” she said.
So they did. As it was nearing Christmas, the group together ordered hundreds of copies of The Stranger and The Lamb to give away as Christmas presents. As the Lord moved their hearts, they were reminded of more and more people that they could give the books to. One woman bought seven or eight Lamb books to give to her children’s teachers. Several ladies who did not order at first later asked if there were extras so they could give some to friends.
This past Christmas, the women truly discovered the joy of being ambassadors for Christ.
“Because of the truths I learned in the Bible study, Christmas this year took on a whole new meaning for me,” said one lady, who wrote about the impact that the study had on her in her Christmas letter to friends and relatives.
Another woman, a young Christian, said: “I was sharing what I had learned from the book with a friend, and I was able to lead her to Christ over the phone.” She had just found out not too long ago that she wouldn’t be able to have any more children, but God had now made her a spiritual mom.
Gloria and her husband went around her block on Christmas Eve and gave a copy of The Stranger to every family on their block. Not long after, their next-door neighbor told them she was interested in attending a Stranger study in the spring, and another neighbor at the end of the street told them that the book would be used in her spring Bible study.
“I have also given each of my grandchildren and adopted grandchildren a copy of The Lamb, and two of my daughters are already using it with their children and hoping to use it used in their local AWANA program. I am also giving away The Lamb as gifts at baby showers.”
Looking back, God had been behind it all.
“Never had I felt such conviction that The Stranger was what God had for me to use, and never before have I had such confirmation through the ones who sat in the class,” Gloria said. “I truly believe that, as one of the ladies put it today, ‘We will impact our world through the use of this incredible tool.’”
