The 10 inmates burst into applause as the video came to a close.
Each pod houses 15-16 men, so having 10 come to the worship service was great. But it was not just the number which was important — the spirit with which they came was what impressed me.
They came with high energy, smiles, friendly banter and an excitement about being there. Several in the group have come to know Christ and I have baptized a number of them.
The video portrayed Lee Strobel’s story of his coming to Christ from an atheistic lifestyle. I was a little unsure about their response because the video was somewhat academic with little humor or action. Strobel’s wife had become a Christian but he was still skeptical.
Being an investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune, he set out on a 2-year journey, checking out the evidence for the reliability of the Scripture, the nature of Jesus’ claims about himself, and the biggest hurdle, “Did Jesus really rise from the dead?”
These are the foundation truths upon which Christianity is based and I felt they needed to come to grips with these truths. They were very attentive during the showing and the good response at the end was most gratifying.
They vocalized their appreciation and I felt good about the choice of the evening. My next thought was, if only the believers in most churches had a degree of desire to be grounded in the truths of the faith so they could “give an answer for the hope they have within them.” I Peter 3:15
My prayer for these guys is that their faith will stand the test of the real world. There they will face the old temptations of the flesh and the problems of getting a job, finding a place to live; all with a heavy fine over their head. It will seem that the world is against them, and many fold under the pressure.
Those who make it usually have a support group of some kind, a church, family, or a small group to hold them accountable. If their faith is grounded in truth rather than emotion, they will recognize although the going is tough, God is in love with them and will lead them if they obey step by step and don’t give up.
One pod is made of Native Americans from Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming. My prayer and desire is they take the love of God back to their reservations and put it on display in their lives. Most have limited biblical background but have been respectful and consistent in attendance, for the most part.
Pray God will reveal Himself to them and break down the barriers of tradition and culture. “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”2nd Peter 3:9b.
I thank God each time I go that I have been given the privilege of bringing the good news of God’s grace and forgiveness.
To comment, email jhm82@outlook or call (580) 772-2311.