![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/bus-station-300x225.jpg\")
Former bus station in Anniston, AL<\/p><\/div>\n
When I first saw her, she was standing with her sister and brother-in-law, bidding farewell after a visit. After they left, we discovered the bus would be delayed perhaps two hours in the small town of Anniston, AL. I was traveling by bus from Birmingham to Atlanta.<\/p>\n
Her dress was hippie style, and she had an openness on her face that invited conversation. We talked about our trips. Then I came directly to the point: “Are you a Christian?” She looked sad and replied, “No.” “Why not?” I asked. She talked freely to me, telling me of her Holiness background, and that she had been caught up in the popular movement of the day-drugs and immoral living. She had been living with her boyfriend for some months. She was only eighteen.<\/p>\n
She was going beyond Atlanta to Columbia, S.C. I told her that I was to be in that area preaching in a meeting in a few months, and would welcome the opportunity to talk further with her, as she had expressed an interest in changing her life someday and becoming a Christian. She said she would talk with me further, and that she would come to hear me preach. As we parted at the Atlanta bus station, she gave me her address and phone number.<\/p>\n
Nearly four months later, I went to the meeting in Camden, S.C. As I went through Columbia, I tried in vain to reach her. Trying her mother’s phone, I learned Denise was working, but that I should be able to reach her later. After repeated calls, we talked on the phone. She agreed that she and the boy, Danny, would come to church services on Sunday morning and then have dinner with us.<\/p>\n
Sunday morning came, and with it came a heavy fog that nearly obscured the road. Thinking of their 40-mile journey, I had some doubts about their coming, for the fog showed no intention of lifting. But at the 11 o’clock hour, Danny and Denise walked through the door. My topic that morning was “The Joy of Being a Christian.” I sought to portray the happiness Christians have that escapes the world.<\/p>\n
Thanks to the hospitality of Owen and Glenodine Thomas (the local preacher and his wife-my hosts), Danny and Denise were invited to dinner. After dinner, we opened the Bible and had a study for some two hours about God’s plan and the errors of denominationalism. Danny had asked why there were so many different churches. After they saw the simplicity of the truth, they were impressed with it. Then I sought to overcome their hesitation with assurances that God would help them to overcome temptation, as he has promised to strengthen us and provide the way of escape from any temptation. They knew the way was not going to be easy, so they gave careful thought to the changes that would be required of them.<\/p>\n
Danny was the first to express his desire to become a Christian. Then as we went to the building for the baptism, Denise made her decision. It was a most joyful occasion, and the gospel of Jesus Christ had exercised its tremendous power once again. We gave them the names of Christians in Columbia who would help and encourage them, and they departed. When I saw Denise the next day on my way home, she was planning to take Danny on his lunch break so they could get a marriage license.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jefferson David Tant When I first saw her, she was standing with her sister and brother-in-law, bidding farewell after a visit. After they left, we discovered the bus would be delayed perhaps two hours in the small town of Anniston, AL. I was traveling by bus from Birmingham to Atlanta. Her dress was hippie…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[536,451],"class_list":["post-28700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-preaching","tag-teaching"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":54445,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/taking-advantage-of-personal-contacts\/","url_meta":{"origin":28700,"position":0},"title":"Taking Advantage of Personal Contacts","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jefferson David Tant The day was hot, and they walked a long distance. They were passing through unfamiliar territory among people of a different culture, and some were possibly nervous. By now it was noon, and the sun was beating down. At last, a resting place ahead - a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":40570,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/am-i-lost-because-i-passed-up-an-opportunity-to-teach\/","url_meta":{"origin":28700,"position":1},"title":"Am I lost because I passed up an opportunity to teach?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 11, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Since being baptized, I have been interested and active in soul winning. I taught Bible classes for children, worked with VBS, worked with a bus ministry, showed the Jule Miller Film Strips, and sent out Bible correspondence course lessons. I attend worship and Bible study three times a week.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34170,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-didnt-my-old-girlfriend-want-me\/","url_meta":{"origin":28700,"position":2},"title":"Why didn’t my old girlfriend want me?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I was 15 years of age and a girl lived just in front of our house. She proposed to me one day. She was 16 years of age at the time. She said to me that she loved me a lot. We exchanged flying kisses and smiles. This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":50000,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-should-be-done-about-a-woman-who-repeatedly-has-children-by-different-men\/","url_meta":{"origin":28700,"position":3},"title":"What should be done about a woman who repeatedly has children by different men?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Here is the situation: 4 years ago a member of our church got pregnant by her boyfriend and had a baby. She came forward and repented of her sins. 3 years ago the same member got pregnant by a different boyfriend and had a baby. She again came forward\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":27912,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/a-young-soul-winner\/","url_meta":{"origin":28700,"position":4},"title":"A Young Soul Winner","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 23, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jefferson David Tant \"Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit\" (Matthew 28:19) Nancy Harber was only 14 (well, almost 15), and at this young age had already experienced one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14974,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/my-husband-was-previously-involved-in-a-marriage-scam-is-my-marriage-legitimate\/","url_meta":{"origin":28700,"position":5},"title":"My husband was previously involved in a marriage scam. Is my marriage legitimate?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Thank you for reading and responding. I have found your articles and answers to be very helpful and I\u2019m happy a platform as such exists.\u00a0 I met my husband the same day he filed for divorce and things between us moved fast. We were married in less than a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28700\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}