ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN

Acts 26: 9 – 18
Hi, my name is Roadblock and I'd like to share with you how Jesus changed me. Saved me, and turned my life around.
In my past I was the kind of guy most people wouldn't want to hang around for long periods of time. I was a selfish drunk and drug addict, I was a lier, a cheat, and a thief.
Then one hot night in July of 1990, I knew that I would have to change my ways or die, so I went into rehab, and got sober. This changed my life enough that I was able to hold a job and begin to look back at my life of sin and debasement.
At one point during my early years in sobriety, I began to realize that there really was something higher than me that I could rely on, so I began to “experiment” with the religion of my youth. I found an old paperback bible and began to read. I guess I was searching for answers to this emptiness that I felt, because I sure didn't understand the words I was reading, and I got nothing out of it except that I was so bored with reading the Bible, that I would use the experience to help me get to sleep.
At the time I was working in the prison system and began a friendship with another worker and with her husband who just happened to be the Christian Chaplain at that institution. They would share bits of their relationship with God with me, and answer any questions that I may have had, and our friendship grew.
One day while in Boston doing work for the union I belonged to, I was done with my duties around noon, and knew that if I hung around the hall, that they would find me some more work to do, so to kill time before my ride home, I went doe a walk.
It was cold and rainy that day, and to warm up and dry off a little from my walk, I ducked into this bookstore that just happened to be attached to the Episcopal cathedral in downtown Boston.
Everything in that store was shrink wrapped, except, this book titled; “Serenity a Twelve Step Look at the New Testament”.
Well, I knew the 12 steps, and thought that maybe I'd be able to relate to the book. Once again, to kill time I began to read this book while standing there getting warm, and began to realize that my eyes were being opened. Scripture was highlighted in reference to the step it related too, and suddenly this book that had previously put me to sleep, became alive in my hands and I realized that there was indeed a God who loved me and wanted to develop a relationship with me.
My first thought was that I needed to steal this book, even though I had more than enough money to pay for it. So I bought the book, walked across the street to sit in the rain on a park bench, and hoped that the rain would disguise the tears of joy running down my face as I gave my life to Jesus.
Paul wrote of his conversion to Christianity, and now I have shared with you my story. Everybody who comes to Christ has a story of their own. Our conversion stories are like snowflakes, no two are alike.
So, think about your story, and share it with someone. You never know the effect your life might have on another person.