Testimonials

Things are going great with the Bibles.

I recently left for 4 days traveling south to see my soldiers at COPS (combat out-posts) and have been covering our FOB Airborne as well. I have had 4 men pray for salvation. There are about 10 workers from India/Philippines who come to service each week and 2 French soldiers as well.

We offer two services on Sunday and a nightly Bible study which is the core group (of which all the salvations have come from).

I currently am preaching the Sunday service by going through the book of Ephesians and then each night we read and discuss our way through the book of Matthew.

Attached is a photo of me doing a "field Service" before the men go on a combat patrol. Hope this update reminds you of the "Great Commission."

Thanks,
Chaplain Jeff

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the Children's Bibles, adult Spanish Bibles and Spanish Gospels of John that you donated to our Love Loud missions project through First Baptist Church Woodstock. Thank you for investing in the lives of people you will never meet and for sharing in our desire for them to know Christ.

Here is a little bit of information about what we did that weekend, as well as some pictures.

We had been visiting a trailer park in Woodstock for several weeks before the official LoveLOUD weekend began forming relationships with the residents and finding out what kinds of needs they had that we might be able to help with. On October 25th, we set up some tents, cooked a LOT of hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken etc. and held two children's camps where the Bibles you donated were given to the children and the Gospel was shared. The children had a great time and were so excited about getting their new Bibles. Our prayer has been not only that the children would read them, but that their parents would pick them up and read them as well! A few of our team members speak Spanish and were able to give the hispanics Bibles as well as the Gospel of John. They were very appreciative.

Along with the Bibles we were able to give each child in the trailer park a bag of clothes that had been donated or bought by people in our class. We also delivered boxes of food and hygiene products (and diapers to some) to every trailer in the neighborhood. The people were very appreciative and the relationships continued to develop. After the children's camps were over we held a cookout for all of the residents. People from our class brought their grills, set up tents, brought food etc. and we had a great time mingling with the residents and sharing about God's faithfulness.

Since that weekend, we have continued to visit the people, pray for them, and are planning more ways to share the love of Jesus with them. On December 5th at our class Christmas party, we are holding a silent auction that will benefit the residents of the trailer park. We are hoping to be able to raise enough money to help them have a good Christmas dinner. We are in the process of gathering donations for the auction. We are also in the process of gathering monetary donations to help one family of five get back into their trailer that is currently uninhabitable. The conditions of the trailer are so bad, they cannot live in it. It is a two bedroom trailer and a family with three boys, one of which is autistic. Our goal is to raise $2500 as soon as possible. We are praying that God will allow us to meet this need soon.

This has been an incredible experience for our class, as well as our families. It was wonderful being able to involve our children in such a project and to allow them to see the needs of others and how we, as Christians, are instructed to meet those needs. Thank you, for being a part of this!

We appreciate your donation more than you will ever know!

Sincerely,
Cindy Weeks Pizza

We cannot thank you enough for providing Bibles to the Ugandan Church in Baghdad, Iraq. They have been received joyfully. What a priveledge it has been to receive and to be able to respond to the call. You guys made it happen! Thank you again for reaching out to these men and their only request. God bless you and your work greatly!

Sincerely,

Nancy Thompson

Thanks to Holman Bible Outreach, our church ministry team was able to impact 250 lives last year, by providing them with New Testaments. Our team has a small budget but a big desire to expose individuals to the Lord through softball. With Holman Bible Outreach's help, we were able to provide the Word of God to youth in boot camps, prisoners, and other men we played against in various softball leagues and tournaments. God has blessed us with the ability to use a game we love as a ministry tool to serve Him, but He has also blessed us with a ministry partner in Holman Bible Outreach.

Thank you for all of your support.

God Bless,

Brad McKenzie
First Baptist Church Hendersonville

A few months ago, our church's choir held a community fair at an apartment complex just two blocks away from our church. Although our church is large, most of the community didn't even know we existed. The choir set up carnival booths, handed out the Bibles provided by Holman Bible Outreach, and loved on the community (and especially the kids!!!). The reaction from the apartment complex was shock and appreciation of our church's gesture of love. Whole families took the Bibles into their homes, most of whom had never owned a Bible.

The apartment complex was filled with a multiplicity of backgrounds. Some were Anglo, some were African-American, and some were Asian, but by far the majority were Spanish-speaking Hispanics. This free gift of love and a Bible created an amazing bridge to this apartment complex and to our community.

One woman in particular who had no clue that our massive building was a church came to visit our worship service and was blown away by the people and love of our church. So many others allowed us to pray with them and share the gospel with them because of the love we were able to share through the carnival and the Bibles. The Lord only knows how God's word will continue to impact them.

Thanks for helping our church make this possible.

Blessings,

Jason Paredes
Fielder Road Baptist Church

I would like to get the men to say something, but most all of those men are out of jail now. Holman Bible Outreach provided Bibles that were given to the men in the Homeward Bound Program in the Sumner County Jail. The first two graduating classes received the Bibles. They were very excited to get the Bible along with the devotion that is included. The Bibles were given to them at Graduation. Thank you so much for helping.

God bless you,

Jeff Morris

I recently reviewed and prayed about switching from my "old favorite translation" to the new Holman Christian Standard Bible. The challenge I saw to making this change was bringing my congregation through this change as well. How effective would my preaching be if I was the only one each week holding a copy of the dynamic new HCSB? Several months ago our church purchased enough copies of the Holman Christian Standard Bible to place them in the pews in our church with a note attached saying 'This Bible is provided for your use during worship at Trinity Baptist Church, however, if you do not have a Bible in your home, please take this one with you.' This past weekend, we hosted an Acts 1:8-Lay Renewal Weekend and God brought a young couple from out of state to our church in the middle of this weekend. As we talked with them, we realized they did not have a Bible, so following one of the services this weekend, we gave them the Holman Christian Standard Bible they had used in the service and showed them the plan of salvation printed in the fly leaf. They were both Christians who were out of fellowship with God, but thanks to the HCSB and Holman Bible Outreach, this couple received an accurate and up-to-date translation to take with them as they continue their journey to their home and return to church - and more importantly, active fellowship with their Savior.

Rev. Ron Thompson, Pastor
Trinity Baptist Church

For the sixth day in a row, the Drill Field at Virginia Tech was a place of tears, hugs and compassion. The center piece of the University had become the hub of remembrance boards and the Hokie Stones reminding all of the students who had been tragically killed. The Church Leadership Network of VT had gained permission to have a presence on the Drill Field. The presence included distributing fruit, water, snacks, and literature.

On the Sunday afternoon after the event, alumni from around the nation descended upon this scene to share in the moment. One of those alumni, Barry, was accompanied by his girlfriend, Sherry. As Barry and Sherry made their way to Hokie Stones, they were encountered by Jack, who offered a cold bottle of water to engage the couple in conversation. As the conversation went on, the transition went to spiritual things. And as Jack asked Barry about his spiritual thoughts, Sherry took a step back behind Barry and mouthed, "Thank you.Ó"Having received this encouragement, Jack continued the conversation offering Barry literature. Each time Barry was offered a piece of literature, Sherry would take a step back and mouth, "Thank you."

Pushing the conversation as far as Barry would allow, Jack concluded by offering Barry a Holman Christian Standard Bible and again Sherry stepped back and mouthed, "Thank You." After taking his copy of the Bible, Jack challenged Barry to read the Book of John. Barry took the challenge and this time Sherry did not take a step back and with tears in her eyes she said out loud, "Thank you." That Bible was the answer to Sherry's prayers that her boyfriend would hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and a nation who prayed God would do something incredible through the tragic events of April 16.

Virginia Tech Student

Our food pantry was blessed when we received bibles to give away to people. A lot of people were very thankful because they have never had a bible before, or they had lost theirs. We wanted to do something to help their spiritual hunger, too, and with the bibles we were able to do that. Thank you so much for your help.

God bless your ministry.

Brenda Kovatch
The Abundance of Love Food Pantry

Twice our church has participated in a Bible outreach featuring "The Invitation" and "The Gift." Our members were challenged to take a Bible and give it to a friend or work associate over the following 2 weeks and then follow up with the person with the intention of sharing the Gospel. In each outreach event, we have seen our church family find a new boldness in their witness and we have seen people come to saving faith in Christ. A Bible was shared with one dear lady who was on her death bed. After receiving her copy of "The Gift," our church member shared Jesus with her and she received the gift of salvation just before she passed away. God's promises His Word will never return void.

Ken Hall
First Baptist Church Lilburn

We greatly appreciated the New Testaments donated to our stations. It was our joy to include the pocket size New Testaments in gift bags that we gave listeners that pledged their prayer and financial support for the year.

Thank you for supporting us. We trust those that received the New Testaments have used it as a part of their study of God's Word.

God bless,

Bill Thrasher
KBDE-KSUR Radio

On June 6, 2007, the Northwoods Bible Church of Ray, MN was struck by lightning; the building was completely destroyed, but by God's mercy, none of the church was lost (Since the church is its people, and not a building)! What a grace it was to receive the Broadman & Holman resources from Holman Bible Outreach after the complete loss of my pastoral library! God moved your hearts to come along side and be a blessing in a dark hour; these tools have helped me to continue ministering the Word, and I praise the Lord for your kindness! May our wonderful God bless you as you have blessed us.

Pastor Cory J. Rintala
Northwoods Bible Church

On March 31, 2008 nine children from the St. Paul Primitive Baptist Church made the first step toward accepting Christ in their life. After their confession of faith, they were baptized and thanks to the generous donation from Holman Bible Outreach, each child has been blessed with a Bible and an opportunity to share in the Glory of Christ by bringing God closer through the easy to read Bibles that are used every Sunday. These Bibles have been instrumental for the children, as it helps them understand the Word of God in a non-intimidating style. The easy and quick references help guide the children to a basic understanding of the life of Jesus. What a great introduction for the children as well as the adults. In addition, the Bibles are used to assist during the weekly Bible studies held at the church, as well as our local Outreach Ministry when sharing the Good News about Christ. Since this is the first Bible that many people will see, St. Paul would like to thank Holman Bible Outreach for making a 'better way' for us to reach the children of our tomorrow, the children of today.

Pastor James Glenn Duke
Saint Paul Primitive Baptist Church

Two years ago I was in Venezuela on a mission trip with Pastor Yolanda. One evening she made cornbread and goat steak sandwiches for a hundred people; put them in sacks and we all walked 5 kilometers across the desert to the adjoining village, a much poorer village. Pastor Yolanda and her friends make $25 per week running a daycare for single moms but spend over half of their pay in feeding others. They do this same food outreach 3 times a week reaching hundreds of fellow Venezuelans.

As we reached the village, over a hundred people greeted us singing the song we were singing as we walked to them. After sharing the food, Pastor Yolanda and her friends shared fellowship and a Bible story. Since it was near Easter, they shared the story of the Last Supper; unfortunately it was not biblically true as Paul, Noah and other Old Testament figures attended the last supper in their story.

Their problem was not a lack of thirst for His word and/or a desire to share His Truth, but one of no resources - no Bibles. I not only purchased the ladies their own Bibles, but due to their inexpensive costs we were able to buy all of the villagers Holman Bible Outreach Bibles too. So Pastor Yolanda can now share both His Love, His Word, and Truth with hundreds of others.

Due to the great pricing on the Bibles I was able to not only provide Bibles for Pastor Yolanda's church but also provided them to the neighboring Venezuela Seminary which promptly got them out to over one hundred pastors attending their seminary program. Furthermore, we have delivered these great Spanish Bibles to street people in Atlanta and to several Latin children's ministry programs in Georgia and South Carolina. Two prison ministries have also sought and delivered over a hundred Bibles in the last few months.

It has become a powerful and passionate ministry partnership for me.

Boake Moore
Mission Grounds

My name is SGT Christin Hackey. I was deployed to Iraq for fifteen months and returned in November a few months ago. While I was there, I went to gospel services on Sundays held on our base. Our church was very short on Bibles so I made a phone call home to my mother for help. My mom went to Holman Bible Outreach and they gave her a ton of boxes full of Bibles that she mailed overseas to my base for me. I took the boxes to the church and filled up the bookshelves. We all were very grateful and I am still not quite sure how to thank you all! Soldiers, especially in Iraq, have to have fellowship and spiritual guidance due to our line of work. We prayed over convoys before they went out on the road and our fellowship gave me the strength to deal with alot of obstacles and tough times while deployed.

Again, God Bless you for your service to us. It is always nice to know that there are people, especially people of God, back in the states who support what we do everyday!

Thank you so much!

Regards,

SGT Christin Hackey

When a LifeWay mission team journeyed to New Orleans to share the gospel with residents returning to the city, they had Bibles donated by Holman Bible Outreach. The team was said by New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary staff to be the first team since Hurricane Katrina hit to come and devote sole attention to evangelism. The team partnered with Metairie Baptist Church and conducted prayer walks and surveys throughout neighborhoods in preparation for a large block party that culminated a week of prayer, outreach, witnessing, and Bible distribution. On Friday evening at the block party, the mission team talked with many who attended the event and gave Bibles to those who did not have a Bible. The Bibles donated by Holman Bible Outreach made it possible for many who made decisions to begin a reading plan right away and others the team witnessed to on the streets of New Orleans, to have a Bible of their own to read. Only in heaven will we know the full impact of these Bibles getting into the hands of people.

Art Groomes
LifeWay Church Resources

Dear Holman Bible Outreach,

On behalf of our students, their families, and the greater Nashville community, we truly appreciate your visit to Bridges Academy. In considering all the instruction and opportunities the students will receive, the Bibles will be the best tool they will ever receive.

Our young men need great role models and great prayer partners. They need to know that they matter in the eyes of God and the eyes of man. What you have done has added to their foundation in a positive way.

Thank you again and praise God for what you do!

Sincerely,

Derek Young
President, Bridges Academy

Dear Holman Bible Outreach,

Just want to say a BIG "THANK YOU" again for the Bibles you provided us with for our association's trip to Nicaragua. We had a wonderful time serving the Lord. 369 people came to know the Lord as their personal savior and we gave out all the Bibles you sent us.

I have attached two pictures of me giving Bibles to the loving people of Nicaragua. One Bible was given to a lady who came through our medical clinic and the other was given to a lady while we were out witnessing door to door.

Thanks for all you are doing and God Bless!!!

Lenna Walton
Mercer Association of KY Baptists, Secretary

I would like to thank you for the donation of the New Testaments for the outreach to the girls fast pitch softball tournaments. Scott Walker of Crosspoint Baptist Church in Level Cross had asked for them on our behalf. We were able to present the Gospel to over 227 souls at two tournaments this past weekend. One was in Thomasville, NC and the other in Archdale, NC. There were two public professions of faith and each of them received a New Testament. It is my goal to take the CHURCH to the people. Thanks again for your help and please keep us in your prayers.

Tim Powers

WOW! The partnership with Holman Bible Outreach has helped our SET FREE Churches here in Southern California in a tremendous way!

SET FREE Churches minister to the homeless, drug addicts, ex-cons, bikers and gang member. They reach out to those who have been beaten down and beat up by society. They have a great ministry in the toughest parts of our cities. Their approach is to go where there are the neediest people and minister there. They will do outreaches on the streets and in parks to reach out to the homeless and hurting. They will meet the 'felt' needs of the people - food and clothing and a warm place to stay so that they can tell them about their greatest need - JESUS! This is where the Holman Bibles have helped tremendously! They share the word of God through testimony and sermons, and then they give the Word of God away. In the past year they have given hundreds of Bibles away on the streets to hurting people. Everyone of our SET FREE Churches do outreaches each week!

An example of that is our SET FREE Church on SKID ROW in downtown Los Angeles. On Skid Row there are 25,000 homeless people at any given time. Pastor RON THOMAS was saved 5 years ago at the first Outreach in LA by Set Free Church of Yuciapa. He was saved, discipled and trained through the Set Free ministry. Now, he is back in Skid Row where he did all his drugs and ministering to the homeless in a powerful way. They have given away over 1500 Bibles in the past year to people who come to their worship services and to the many outreaches they do weekly. They average taking 10-15 people off the streets a week to the Set Free Discipleship Ranches. They have also started another church in Compton. Pastor Ron has trained and staffed the team that ministers there to reach out to the gangs and drug addicts on the streets in Compton. This past year they gave out over 500 Bibles to hurting people that have come to church or their various outreaches in Compton.

Another area where Holman Bible Outreach has been a blessing is at the Discipleship Ranches. These are just a bunch of trailers in a little town of Cabazon out in the desert on the way to Palm Springs. Men come there from the various Set Free Churches and the outreaches they conduct weekly. It is not a rehab center, nor a detox center, but a discipleship Ranch where they saturate the men with the Word of God. They have 3 Bible studies a day. If the men will stay 60 days, they will memorize 30 Bible verses. That is why the Holman Bibles are so important. Your assistance with Bibles for the Ranches Ð both men and women has really met a need!

This past year Holman Bible Outreach has also provided Spanish Bibles for our church planting efforts. This month Set Free Church- Skid Row in LA has started a Spanish speaking Church on the first two Sunday evenings of the month. There has already been 3 people accept Christ. We have also assisted 4 other new Spanish churches get started by providing them Bibles. GOD has been good to us!

A new ministry has developed this past year. For years the Los Angeles Association has been ministering in the Youth Authority which are lock-down facilities for juveniles. We started giving the Student Bible edition to the young people that would come to the Bible studies and they love that translation. You have given us 500 Student Bibles, which will be enough to pass out to every one in two of the families where we do ministry.

THANK YOU for your faithful concern for those who are reaching out to the hurting and broken people in our inner cities, for JESUS died for them just as he did for the rest of us!

Don Overstreet
Church Planter

Thank you for building a Christian library for our troops. The Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, and Airmen here in Kuwait are very grateful for your service and generosity. Your act of kindness certainly made a difference to many who are ill or injured and others who are serving in support of Operation Iraqi/Enduring Freedom. You should know that your efforts and devotion during this time of tremendous sacrifice, help to encourage the men and women of our Armed Forces to continue to grow spiritually wherever they are planted. On behalf of the Marine Corps, and the United States of America, it is with great pride and pleasure that I present you this Certificate of Appreciation.

Chaplain Ben Mathis, LT USN
Patient Affairs Tracking Team
Marine Coordination Element

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.