I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews.… Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. (Acts 26:2-3, ESV)
Perhaps the most well-known story in the New Testament about becoming a Christian is Paul’s.
That makes sense because he goes around telling it to various people. And Luke, who wrote the book of Acts, must have liked it because he included it three times!
The original is recorded in Acts 9. Saul (AKA Paul) was headed to Damascus to persecute Christians when suddenly a bright light appeared. Paul confirms later that this happened around noon, so it was a special light. And it was indeed, because it turned out to be God, who was not happy with Saul for persecuting those who followed Jesus.
You’ll want to read the rest of the story, and I highly recommend you also read Paul’s telling of the story in both Acts 22 and Acts 26.
But the point I want to make is that you have a story, too, about a turning point in your relationship with God.
Sometimes people call these testimonies, but I’m not fond of the term. It’s kind of “Christianese,” as if it is only meant to be heard by other Christians.
I like “story,” because that’s what it is—a true story, with a beginning, an end, a hero, and a message that is meant to inspire.
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In fact, it is happening tonight, February 7, 2022
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One place where you can hear great stories is at an event called Tales from the Tour.
It happens the Monday before the Waste Management Phoenix Open every year when there isn’t a pandemic. In fact, it is happening tonight, February 7, 2022.
Tour pros get together and tell stories. They talk about life on Tour, and they tell great stories about that.
Like Zach Johnson telling us he had to return the Claret Jug (Open Championship trophy) to the R & A in 2016, but realized it was pretty badly damaged.
He searched and searched for an artisan with the skill to work on the priceless silver trophy, first awarded to Walter Hagen in 1928.
Hope had just about disappeared when he took it to one more shop. Some had refused to work on it, while others knew they shouldn’t.
This fellow said, “Sure, I can fix this. I haven’t seen it since Tom Lehman brought it in for repairs back in 1997.”
Stories of trophies are great fun, but they don’t inspire people to turn pro.
Stories of faith, which the pros also tell, have inspired people to accept Jesus. They have inspired others to go deeper.
One man was so moved by the stories he heard at Tales from the Tour that he now runs an amazing ministry and school in Africa. That inspires me.
So, tell the story you know. Make Jesus the hero and tell it any time you can, like Paul did.
It just could be that your story becomes the special light that someone needs to see just outside of Damascus.