Jim's Story

Here is my story of how the visit to my school in 1975 by a man from The Gideons had a great positive impact on my life.
Blessings,
Jim Shepherd

In 1975 at 12 years of age I started my 1st year at Claremont High School, East Kilbride, Glasgow and during one of the weekly assemblies I shall never forget the day that we had a visit from a gentleman from The Gideons.

This gentleman preached a short message about the Lord Jesus Christ and while he was preaching I was totally captivated by what he was saying and I remember him holding up one of the red Bibles and saying that we were all going to get a free copy after and I was looking forward to getting mine. He told us to read it every day. I wasn’t a Christian then but 12 years later at the age of 24 I became a Christian and God certainly used that man to speak to me and I shall never forget it, a seed was planted in my heart on that day.

After the assembly I queued up for my Bible which I gladly received and I could hardly wait to get home so I could start reading it. When I got home I went up to my bedroom and started reading it and I stumbled upon the book of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and I was totally amazed to be reading about the second coming of Jesus. Straight away I went downstairs with my Bible in hand and said to my parents, “mum and dad, we were given Bibles today at the school assembly, listen to this amazing passage from the Bible.” I read 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 to them and after I read it they both just looked at each other in utter astonishment. My parents were not Christians but a few weeks later they bought me a very large picture Bible for one of my Christmas presents which I really enjoyed reading. 

I thank God for The Gideons and now GOOD NEWS for Everyone! and for that man who came to our school that day for his willingness and faithfulness in sharing the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ with us and for obediently playing his part in the Great Commission.