In Pursuit of JesusSample

A New Calling

Teenage Casey led his gang to break into homes and cars, rob convenience stores, and fight other gangs. Eventually, Casey was arrested. In prison, he became a “shot caller,” someone who handed out homemade knives during riots.

Sometime later, he was placed in solitary confinement. While daydreaming in his cell, Casey experienced a “movie” of sorts replaying key events of his life—and of Jesus, being led to and nailed to the cross and telling him, “I’m doing this for you.” Casey fell to the floor weeping and confessed his sins. Later, he shared his experience of God’s grace with a chaplain, who explained more about Jesus and gave him a Bible. “That was the start of my journey of faith,” Casey said. Eventually, he was released into the mainline prison population, where he was mistreated for his faith but felt at peace, because he’d “found a new calling: telling other inmates about Jesus.”

In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul talks about the power of Christ to change lives: God calls us from lives of wrongdoing to follow and serve Jesus (2 Timothy 1:9). Like Casey, they experienced God’s grace, and now the Holy Spirit empowers them to be living witnesses of Christ’s love. Through the Holy Spirit’s enabling, we too have a new calling to share the good news (v. 8). —Alyson Kieda

When have you shared the gospel with someone? What was the result? Did it ever lead to suffering? What happened?

Dear God, thank You for offering us a new calling through Your Son. And thank You for giving us the Spirit to live inside us to guide and empower us to serve You.