Transformative Power of Faith and Forgiveness

Growing up, conversation around the table was a big part of our life. Every time we got together, the coffee pot went on, and the coffee cake was pulled out. We would just stay around the kitchen table, catching up and talking, and we were used to what we called our coffee clutch. [00:36:23]

I would talk to her about the Lord, and she would pray when she needed help, but then not much else. So finally, one day, I talked to her about it again, and that's when she said, "Sandra, I would like to accept Christ, but I just can't," and she got very closed about it. [01:23:94]

I knew it was nothing I could say. I didn't even know why she couldn't receive the Lord, but I knew that it had to be the Holy Spirit to draw her. We lived away from Illinois for probably almost four decades, so when we knew the Lord was moving us back, I said to my husband, "You know, maybe in this last stage of our lives, my family will be our mission field." [01:49:10]

The Lord began to impress on me from Romans that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. We had heard some of Pastor Collins' messages as he was going through the Bible, and that's what first interested me in the Open the Bible story. I knew that Open the Bible story would actually bring the word to my sister with authority and with clarity. [02:26:40]

As we went through the lessons, I could tell she was really enjoying it. It was maybe six weeks or so into the study, she said, "I have something to share with you," and she said, "I've forgiven Bill." Bill was her ex-husband, and you have to understand there were over three decades of bitterness built up. [03:24:73]

The Lord couldn't have given us a better sign that there had been a change in her life. My sister Anita and I were—we didn't know what to say. We said, "You've forgiven Bill?" She said, "Yes," and you know, it wasn't hard. Then the next weeks, we saw other signs that something was different. [04:00:29]

One night, we said, "Carol, we have to ask you, have you decided to put your faith in Christ?" and she said, "Yes, I think I have." There was a new joy and lightness to Carol, and there was a sense I felt that she knew she was no longer alone. [04:21:48]

Open the Bible story was the perfect tool to use. It so lends itself to a Zoom meeting. The questions really dealt with what was shared and the passage that was covered, so my sister Carol didn't have to feel like, "Oh, you have more Bible knowledge than me." It was more comfortable; it wasn't intimidating, and I liked that. [04:57:66]

I'm so grateful for Open the Bible story. It came at just the perfect time. Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of Christ. I think Carol, she had to get into the word so that God could speak to her and draw her to himself. [05:23:63]

I love the verse in Jeremiah that says, "The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, 'I've loved you with an Everlasting Love. Therefore, I've drawn you with loving kindness.'" I think that's Carol's story. [05:38:82]

I prayed for Carol for many, many years. Well, the Lord began to impress on me from Romans that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. We had heard some of Pastor Collins' messages as he was going through the Bible, and that's what first interested me in the Open the Bible story. [02:21:74]

I knew that Open the Bible story would actually bring the word to my sister with authority and with clarity, much more than I could do just on my own, and that's when I mentioned it to my sisters when we got the Zoom account. "Would you like to get together on Zoom?" [02:41:34]