My friend Terry invited me to a gathering where some of his friends shared their testimonies and lessons learned in a life of following Jesus. It’s always uplifting to be around quality people.

The men shared some inspiring thoughts worth passing on, which I will do over the next few days.

The first speaker was Jack.

Jack talked about his own faith journey, having to decide if he was really going to follow Jesus while he was in college. His father noticed his son’s faith, wished he had it, but remained an unbeliever. Finally, 10 months before his dad died, Jack was able to once again encourage his dad to follow Jesus. The conversation went something like this:

• Dad: “I’d like to believe, but I’m not 100% sure that Jesus is who he claimed to be.”
  • Son: “Since when has any of us ever been 100% sure of anything? Besides you always taught me to be decisive! You didn’t get to be a CEO by waiting to be ‘100% sure.’ What does the evidence tell you?”
• His father then sifted through the evidence he knew such as fulfilled prophecy. He believed.
• Dad: “What a fool I’ve been all these years. The evidence is overwhelming.”

That grabbed me: “Since when has any of us ever been 100% sure of anything?” With Jesus, the evidence is overwhelming if anyone is willing to look at it.

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. (Luke 1.1 – 4, ESV)

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20.30, 31, ESV)