You're going to love this story! Rev. Marshall Fagg is pastor of Forestville Baptist Church in Greenville, S.C. where FAITH Sunday School Evangelism strategy is their ministry approach. Rev. Bob Mathis of that church told me this astounding story concerning his Sunday School FAITH team.
Early in our FAITH semester our FAITH team had an assignment to visit a lady named Sadie. Sadie is the mother of one of our members and he was interested in assurance of Sadie's salvation. Sadie lived about forty-five minutes from our church and it was fall – so it took us past sundown to arrive. It looked as if no one was at home but after the long drive we were determined to knock on the door.
A teenage boy answered the door and kindly told us that he was Sadie's grandson, but she was not at home. He invited us in and after some conversation our team shared the gospel with him using the simple FAITH outline, and he prayed and asked Jesus into his heart!
The following week we made the same journey in order to make a follow-up visit with the grandson and we were still in search of Sadie. Again … Sadie was not at home but another of her grandsons was. He invited our Sunday School FAITH team in and after hearing the FAITH presentation he also prayed and asked Jesus into his heart! That was our second visit and Sadie's second grandson to trust Christ, but no Sadie!
Another team visited the following week because now there were two follow-up visits to be made and we were still in search of Sadie. Would you believe that on this third visit the team found no Sadie, but a third grandson who wanted to hear the gospel and prayed to receive Christ! Try to keep up with this – at this point, three grandsons have come to Christ and we are still in search of Sadie!
Our team is now making the fourth, forty-five minute journey, in search of Sadie. Guess what? You guessed it, Sadie is not at home! Neither is either grandson. This time our team is greeted by a man in his late seventies named Perry. He is Sadie's husband and is terminally ill with a kidney disease that requires dialysis three days a week. Perry invited us in to what appeared to be an excellent opportunity to make a FAITH ministry visit. However, it soon became apparent that Perry not only needed a ministry visit but also needed and wanted to hear the gospel. Upon completing the FAITH presentation, Perry literally fell on his knees in his living room and prayed in his own words, asking for forgiveness and salvation!
Can you believe that? Four visits in four weeks where Sadie's three grandsons and husband have received Christ and we are still in search of Sadie!
Should we make that forty-five-minute trip back a fifth time? Would you? We did! By now our team is calling Sadie's home our "fishing hole."
Guess what? We found Sadie! We asked Sadie the key question, "In your personal opinion what do you understand it takes for a person to go to heaven," and she gave a faith answer and added her salvation experience and testimony. Then she went on to relate how burdened she was and how she had been praying for her husband and grandchildren. Perry did come to Forestville Baptist and was baptized and then went home to the Lord soon after.
While we were searching for Sadie, our Savior was searching for – and saving – the souls of Sadie's family!
This is a clear example of why it is best not to make appointments to visit someone. It also proves that distances should not always stop us. I don't know for whom you may be searching but I do know souls are searching and the Savior is searching for someone to go and help them. You and I can do that!
