That’s not going to work

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Storm clouds

Anne* grew up in a family that was fairly religious. Her mother would read and teach the Bible to her four children. Anne remembers Mom rousing the children early on Sunday mornings to get them ready for church service.

But as she grew up, Anne fell away from Sunday school and, by the time she reached high school, she had dropped out of church. The crowd she hung out with were troublemakers. They introduced her to alcohol and she ended up getting into trouble with the law. Though there were people who cared enough to ask her why she was walking this path, she turned a deaf ear to them. She simply didn’t care to listen or to change.

Fast forward to her adult years. By now, Anne had married twice, ending up with a daughter and five step-children. With so many young ones to care for, she tried to clean up her life. Anne modelled her mother’s behaviour—she took the children to church, started reading her Bible and did her best to be a good person.

When her daughter was baptised, Anne felt a strong desire to find God. But how? She had thought that being a good person—helping others and doing good things—would make her acceptable in God’s eyes. But there was a nagging doubt in the pit of her stomach that she wasn’t succeeding. However she didn’t know where to find answers.

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Just throw me down the stairs

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Woman staring at the sunCandice’s* emotional life was in a free fall. Her thoughts were consumed by wanting to escape from work and from her life. One day at work she approached a flight of stairs. Glancing down at the steps before her, Candice turned to her co-worker and said, “Just throw me down the stairs!”

She got her wish the next day when she fractured her tailbone while snowboarding. Her injury gave her time to reflect on her life. For months now, she had been a zombie at work. To protect herself, she realized she had “turned off” her emotions every time she was at work. Now Candice discovered that she could not turn them back on. She felt she was becoming a robot, at risk of losing all her humanity. Candice was in complete misery. She felt trapped, with no way out.

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A providential mistake

Little girl reading The LambWe have great staff who look after all the orders coming in (via phone calls, online store and walk-ins) and they ensure each order is shipped out in a timely manner. However, occasionally a mistake is made and then we do our utmost to make sure we correct it to the best of our ability.

Last fall, one such mistake became a blessing in disguise—both for our customer as well as for us as a staff.

Lisa,* a French language teacher in a Christian school, had been introduced to GoodSeed resources by an enthusiastic friend. When she was given The Lamb to read to her four-year-old daughter, she did so several times, appreciating the simple and clear message the book contained. They especially connected with the explanation of the atoning lamb sacrifice and how it pictures Christ’s sacrifice for us. Lisa said, “It is written so clearly!”

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Looking for Italian coffee

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Looking for Italian coffeeIt seems God can use just about any circumstances to bring people to him. Agnes* has a love for Italian coffee and in the small German city where she lives, she knows of an Italian gelato cafe that serves great coffee. One day, she stopped by to get a cup of her favourite brew and was dismayed to find that the cafe had just closed for the day. As she stood among the al fresco tables wondering what to do next, she noticed a couple sitting nearby at a table. She wasn’t sure why, but felt prompted to speak to them.

Exchanging pleasantries with them, Agnes learned that they were Elena and Salvatore, a couple who had just moved from Italy. When Agnes told them that she really loved the coffee from the cafe, Elena replied, “Well, of course; it’s Italian!” They had a good laugh and chatted a little more. Elena said that, being new in the city, they didn’t have any friends and that it was hard to get to know people.

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When I try to read the Bible it is overwhelming

Out on the ocean

As a ministry seeking to equip believers to be lifelong ambassadors for Christ, we work hard to maintain an active and helpful website to answer questions and provide useful information to all who visit online.

There is another part of our website, though, that we see being regularly accessed, geared to those seeking to know more about the Bible itself. For many years, we have had a Learn About the Bible course on our website. This course is based on our VideoBook of The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus. It is available for free viewing online. Many times, these tools have been accessed by unknown individuals around the world. We rarely hear their stories, so we were thrilled to receive a short message from an individual in Hawaii, sharing a few words that encouraged our hearts.

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He was contemplating suicide that very morning

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Lonely treeSome years ago, 19-year-old Reuben* attended a Bible study. He was not a believer but he wanted to learn the message of the Bible. He was given a book, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus and, over a number of weeks, was taught the gospel message. At the end of the study, he put his trust in Christ for salvation.

After telling his family that he was now a believer, his younger brother Conner became very spiteful and gave Reuben a nasty time. Though this caused Reuben to struggle with his faith, he never gave up what he believed. Meantime, Conner simply made things worse. He terrorized his brother, both verbally and physically. What Reuben didn’t know at the time was that Conner was struggling to find any meaning in his life.

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Prison ministry: I know I’ve broken all ten commandments

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Chainlink Fence

As Philip* walks down the corridor lit by harsh fluorescent lights, he quickly prays to prepare himself for what lies ahead. The prison guards are expressionless as they check him and his belongings. Satisfied that he is clean, they open the heavy gate and let him through.

Another guard leads the way. Philip knows his way around the prison but understands this is protocol. In this higher security facility, Philip is not allowed to bring in any books, papers or visual aids. All he has is what’s in his head and the set of DVDs he is carrying with him.

He is ushered into a spartan room with tables and chairs. At the front is a TV set and DVD player which he quickly sets up. Before too long, a door on the far end of the room opens, and inmates shuffle into the room. Philip looks up and smiles broadly at them. They smile back.

“Hello again,” he greets them. “Shall we continue with our study?”

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Sometimes it takes many believers

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Airport TerminalThe journey of a person from knowing nothing about the God of the Bible to being able to put one’s trust in him for salvation takes many forms. Sometimes, it’s a straightforward journey; other times, it takes many believers along the way, each providing another piece of the puzzle—explaining a little more about who Jesus Christ is and what he accomplished on the cross for all people.

During a long journey, Jian Hui met Nick and Lisa,* a missionary couple on their way to Southeast Asia. They had a wonderful chat and agreed to keep in touch via email. Nick and Lisa wrote about their lives and Jian Hui described hers.

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“I feel confident in my salvation now”

Classroom desks

This is the second instalment in a two-part story. Read the first installment.

A Tale of Two Brothers: Jake’s Story

Paul encouraged Timothy to not “let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12 NIV)

In the following story, Jake* has modelled for me, a 30-some year-old believer, what it means to simply trust and obey the Lord as he provides opportunities to share the gospel.

Jake’s older brother, in turn, had earlier set an example for him by leading students through a simple explanation of the gospel in the schools he attended. Now, Jake is following in his brother’s footsteps, continuing to teach fellow students.

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Reaching out in the halls of public schools

school_hallways

This is the first installment of a two-part story. Read part two.

A tale of two brothers: Benjamin’s Story

Recently I had a phone conversation with Benjamin.* I had heard through the grapevine that he had been very active in reaching out to fellow students in public school, using one of our books, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus. Benjamin graciously agreed to share his story and how God used those years in his life and in the lives of others.

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