Called Out In Class

         Everyone else was practicing their typing skills. Hands on the home row, typing    A S D F G . . . H J K L ;. Todd was sitting in the back of the class trying to flirt with the pretty blonde next to him. Actually, he wasn’t flirting, he was being crude. He was telling her things he would like to do with her. Basically, he was being a jerk.

         Overhearing Todd’s comments, a football player, named Bill Hill, sitting in front of him, turned around,

         “Todd, you need Jesus. Do you want me to tell you how you can become a Christian?” he asked.

         Surprised by his boldness, Todd immediately replied,

                          

                           “I don’t need that. I already am a Christian.”

         Then Bill Hill said something that rocked Todd’s world.

                           “Then why don’t you act like it?”

         The truth was Todd grew up going to church. He was there every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. He did not pay much attention to the preaching. He mostly sat in the back playing hangman and goofing off with his friends. He thought that was enough to put him in the category of being called a Christian.

         That day he went home from school and asked his Mom for a Bible. That rocked his Mom’s world! He began reading the book of John. When he reached John chapter 14, he read:

Verse 15 – “If you love Me, you will obey what I command.”

Verse 21 -- “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

Verse 23 – “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.”

         Todd got on his knees in his room and gave his life 100% to Christ.

         Some time after that a good friend of Todd’s was killed in a car accident. Todd realized in all the hours he spent with his friend they talked about everything in life . . . except God. He sat in the funeral service wondering if he would see his friend in heaven or not.

         Todd made a commitment to always tell everyone he knew about God’s love and forgiveness. At 15 years old he committed his life to God and said he would do whatever God wanted him to do with his life.

      

         Today Todd pastors a large church in Albuquerque. His heart is to share God’s love and forgiveness with the city and the state. He is a gifted communicator, passionate about sharing the love of Christ, because he knows “there really is a heaven and there really is a hell, and people are going to spend eternity in one place or the other.”

         He is honest about his flaws and people relate to his humor and authenticity. What people say most often about Todd’s preaching is they feel like he is talking directly to them, as if they are the only one in the room, and he knows their situation personally.

     Perhaps that is because God spoke directly and personally to Todd, through John chapter 14, and miraculously CHANGED his life.

**If you would like to hear teachings from Todd, you can find him at www.sagebrush.cc.**

     How about you? Have you had an encounter with God that changed your life? We would love to hear it!  

 

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