Testimonials

Don’t take your Bible for granted and leave it on a shelf, table, or a desk.  It is a very precious resource.

For a year Holman Bible Outreach has partnered with the Middle Tennessee Y.M.C.A. to provide Bibles to staff, members, and guests.  As the Y.M.C.A. chaplain I get to see and hear of many experiences where the Bible has brought wonderful blessings to those who use it.

In our Green Hills Y.M.C.A. a member told me that she found “balance” in her life by taking time after a workout to use the prayer room and the New Testament which she was given by a staff member.  She told me of several instances where Scripture has provided her with answers to difficult questions.

At our Harding Y.M.C.A. a member told me that the Bible he picked up in the lobby was the first Bible he had ever held.  He said, “I have several copies of the Quran, but I’ve never read these Scriptures.  Thank you for providing it.  I will share it with my friends who moved to Nashville shortly after my family moved here.”  I said, “Let me get you copies for them.”  And, I did.  He left the Harding Center ecstatic with joy.

Our Maury County Y.M.C.A. provides Bibles to children who attend their Vacation Bible School.  Our Restore Ministries program provides Bibles to all who need or want them.  Through the work of our 30 Centers persons have received over 19,000 Bibles – a part of the YMCA ministry to help persons grow in spirit, mind, and body.

A frequent and pleasing sight is for me is to see men and women, sometimes teenagers, reading Scripture in the lobby of one of our Centers.  Indeed, the Bible is a precious resource.  It has and can change lives.  It is a compass for our moral decisions.  It is a light for our paths.  It leads us to a personal relationship with Christ.  Don’t take it for granted.

 

Chaplain Larry Yarborough
YMCA of Middle Tennessee

I want to thank Holman Bible Outreach International for the generous supply of Bibles that were presented to the managing staff of the Howard Johnson Hotel.  The manager was overjoyed when she actually had the Bibles in hand.  There is a story behind this blessing that I am compelled to share.  I was placed in charge of securing hotel rooms for my family as we made arrangement for our family reunion.  Checking several hotels, this little neighborhood hotel had the best rates and is close to my residence.  I spoke with the manager by phone initially to secure the rooms, planning to go by at a later time with my credit card to hold the rooms.  One Sunday after morning worship, I went by and met the manager face-to-face.  As we began to talk, I realized that the manager was not a Christian and began talking about Jesus and His saving grace.  As we talked, she was clearly moved, and asked if I could help her to get Bibles for every room in the hotel.

I had the opportunity to speak with Bro. Ben at LifeWay who referred me to Holman Bible Outreach.  Well, not only did I get an immediate response from them both by phone and email, but the shipment of Bibles came so fast that I had to make special arrangements at my home to receive them. As you can see from the photo, she was delighted to receive the Bibles.

When we were given the great mandate by Christ Himself, He said we would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and directed to witness for Him in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).  The Bronx is my Jerusalem!  It may be your Jerusalem, Judea, or even one of the ends of the earth, but one thing is clear, the Gospel is being shared and lives are being saved.

I thank God for your ministry and your willingness to be used in this way.  May God continue to pour our blessing after blessing upon you.    

You Brother in Christ,

J. Loren Russell

We received the 50 new Holman Bible Outreach bibles today and they are perfect for our church services here. Their size is just right and they have some references to help with our study sessions as well as our Sunday morning worship. Our chaplain has already asked if it would be possible to receive about 50 more. We have had bibles on order for several months through the military logistics channels, but they still do not have a good delivery date. The soldiers were very appreciative and asked me to send a very heartfelt thanks to you from our Christian family in the Heart of Baghdad, Iraq.

God Bless you. You have certainly blessed our church services here.

Andy Rogers, Counter Terrorism Command, Iraq

Mrs. Debbie Carter and Holman Bible Outreach have provided Bibles for our middle-school classroom. This was an answer to prayer, as well, as the kids were just having to listen in Bible class instead of having the Word in their hands to read for themselves. Thank you all for continuing to be a part of this journey and being such a huge part of what God is doing here on our little rock.

Samoa Baptist Academy

 

 

I want to express my sincere thanks for the Bibles you contributed to the Ladies Luncheon at the Music City Mission. Andrew Davis was exceptional in his service and I commend him for his efficiency.

Realizing how much red tape it takes to get things done in the corporate world, I believe it was divine intervention that you were able to get the Bibles to our mission within 3 days! I believe that it was providential that the lady at my office gave all the ladies a CD that related to Bible reading and with all the ladies receiving a Bible, I firmly believe it was all God-directed!

The luncheon was awesome! We had over 90 ladies present that we served and God was honored and lives were touched. It was a great example of GodÕs love being demonstrated toward the hurting and broken. It could have been done without the contributions of so many and I really appreciate what you and your company did. God is good and it is our passion to continue to serve Him by serving others.

May God Bless You Always

Jack Myers, Music City Mission

The gentleman I am giving a Bible to is Lt. Lu. He suffered a head injury in Iraq. Up until two months ago, he was unable to speak and had limited motor skills. When the Marine Corps League of Brentwood visited to set up the bbq, they placed in his hand a Marine Corps Flag and said "Semper Fi Marine." He turned his head, which was new, and responded, "Semper Fi!" As you can see when I met him, he is able to stand and move around on his own. I have know doubt God's work is being done there. Most of the bibles were past out to servicemen and family members during the BBQ. I did leave the remainder with the staff to give to any who are interested. God Bless you and your company for your donation. Again thank you for your help.

Jim Gossett

 

In my later years of retirement (I just celebrated my 80th birthday this month) I began to wonder what else “God has prepared in advance (Eph. 2:10)” for me to do. After prayer and searching He has opened up a wonderful ministry of Bible distribution. This first began using a paper back New Testament from LifeWay, as well as an English/Chinese NT from the American Bible Society.

When the Holman NT “The GIFT” was made available from LifeWay through our association we ordered a case and began distributing these. They were so well received that we ordered more cases, then 5 cases at a time until we have given away almost 14 cases altogether. We especially like these because they include a plan of salvation and many other helps. Along with the free Bible I also give a card with a picture of Jesus and the words: He died for you…Now He lives for you…Trust Him. On the back is a very simple message “How to know God through Jesus” with helpful scriptures.

I use a walker that has a wire basket underneath where I can take copies of the Bible everywhere I go -- WalMart, Kroger, McDonalds, the Mall, Dr's offices, etc. It is important to look for God's leadership in giving the Bibles. I always ask: “Would you like to have a free Bible?” It has been gratifying to see the response from people of all ages -- many of whom do not know Christ. I then give them the card and say: “If you are not a Christian you might find his helpful. If you are a Christian would you pass this along to someone you know who could benefit from it?” This is not confrontational but the response usually reveals the person's spiritual condition. Some are eager to talk with me further. I particularly like to target mothers with young children, and young people (even those with nose rings and all!) One day when I was in Kroger I gave a Bible to several young children. The next week I was back and two of those children recognized me and asked if they could have some more Bibles for their friends. Some days I have given out as many as 20 Bibles.

God has promised that His word will not return void. We just leave the results in His hands. Thank you for making these little New Testaments available to us at such a reasonable price.

Bill and Joyce Harper

The soldiers love the bibles. We have given out about 300 bibles to date. I remind the soldiers and airmen that many people including Lifeway are praying for them. I have taken several pictures of soldiers and airmen with the bibles and will locate then forward those to you.

Blessings,

Lyle Shackelford
Battalion Chaplain
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

 

Thank you so much for The Gift. I cannot begin to express how much it means to me as a youth outreach worker to have an affordable NT that I can give away. I use The Gift as the foundation for all the Bible studies that we do...the kids love it! It is easy to read and small enough to tuck into a pocket or backpack. Thank you so much for this great blessing.

Natalie Monkhouse
Ontario, Canada

Is there a need for another English Bible translation? Absolutely . . . if the aim is to produce a translation equally committed to both the intention of the original text and a contemporary English style distinguished by literary beauty and clarity. The Holman Christian Standard Bible achieves this purpose.

As a professor, I want an English translation to which I can point my students with confidence. As a preacher, I want an English translation that reads well in corporate worship. The HCSB admirably serves both these purposes. Its integrity without awkwardness and its clarity without compromise make it a unique contribution for the people of God in the 21st century.

I've been reading and preaching from the HCSB since its initial publication, and intend to do so for years to come.

Art Azurdia
Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology/Director of Pastoral Mentoring
Western Seminary

I just got off the phone with a man named King Jackson. He is a member of First Baptist Church, Lilburn, GA. (same church that Jim Freeman goes to). He participated in an outreach campaign last year the church sponsored called, "GTO - Give the Testament Out. The church purchased 20 cases of "the Gift" and gave them to members to give to non Christians. King and his wife participated and he shared a couple of stories with me.

King is 72 years old. He has had:

- 2 heart attacks
- 5 by pass surgeries
- 3 stints

He said that God MUST HAVE A PLAN for me because he has kept him alive through all of this. So, whenever King meets a stranger the first thing he says is, "Are you the one?" The person usually responds with, "Am I the one what?" To which King says, "Are you the one I'm supposed to share Jesus with today?" He then tells this stranger that he should be dead, but he believes God is keeping him alive to share Jesus with one more person.

King loves "The Gift" because it is the word of God. He prefers it to a tract. He told me about one day eating at a Golden Corral. They noticed a man sitting alone and they invited him to join them, which he did. They chated for a while and King pulled out The Gift and gave it to the man. He said the man just sat there for a moment in slience and said, "I need this because my wife just died." This man did not go to church and was not a believer. But, he told King he would read it. On another visit King's wife gave The Gift to a waitress at this same restaurant. The woman said she was a Christian and already had a bible, but she explained that another waitress was going through some really hard times in her marriage and didn't have a bible, so she gave The Gift to her.