How A Single Copy Of God's Word Can Impact The World

Years ago, there was a Gideon distributing copies of God's Word on a college campus. He placed a copy in the hands of Craig, a young fraternity student who was on a collision course with God. But through God's grace and mercy, that single copy of God's Word has had an impact far beyond what anyone could imagine.

It was through reading that little, green, College Testament that Craig came to know Jesus Christ and accept him as his Lord and Saviour. In particular, Craig says it was Ephesians 2 that spoke to his heart. He came to understand that we don't earn our way into heaven but that we are saved through grace.

"For it is by grace you have been saved through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

So what became of that young college student?

Today, Craig Groeschel is the 43 year-old senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, the Edmond, Oklahoma-based congregation that Craig started out of a two-car garage in 1996.

Listed as one of the Top Churches To Watch In America by ChurchRelevance.com, LifeChurch.tv has nine locations in Oklahoma, as well as other sites in New York, Texas, Tennessee and Florida. The progressive church is also spreading the Gospel online at LifeChurch.tv with live broadcasts of its services as well as recorded videos that can be viewed online throughout the world.

As LifeChurch celebrated its 15th anniversary on Sunday 9 January, Groeschel shared his testimony including the role that The Gideons International played in his coming to receive Christ.

Perhaps most noteworthy of all is Craig's vision to spread the Gospel. Through the LifeChurch.tv YouVersion Bible Internet site and mobile phone application that allows users to engage with Scripture in 41 translations in 22 languages, people all over the world can download free copies of the Bible. As of January 2011, the app had reached approximately 13 million downloads.

Isn't it amazing to see how much impact a single copy of God's Word can make?

We thank God for the Gideon who was faithful to go the college campus that day and distribute God's Word. We thank the donor who was faithful to make the contribution that paid for that copy of God's Word. And of course, most of all, we thank and praise God for all He has chosen do to as a result of that single, little, green Gideon-placed College Testament.

This testimony is off the Gideons International blog - http://blog.gideons.org/2011/01/craig-groeschel-gideon-bible-lifechurch-tv/