Tag Archive for: Romans 1:16

Rock Bottom Redemption

,

Romans 1:16 — “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

The doctors said I would not wake up. My brother stood by my hospital bedside preparing for the worst, and still—somehow—I opened my eyes.

No one expected me to make it. I had overdosed in New Jersey, far from my family in Florida. My mom had died not long before, and my godmother was the one trying to hold my life together. She had promised my mom she would tell me about Jesus.

I thought it was sweet—maybe a little pushy—but I never took it seriously.

The truth is, I never knew Him. I had heard the stories. I saw a few videos, but I had no relationship with Him. Instead, I was pursuing what I wanted—modeling, acting, and partying in the city.

That world swallows you fast, and I let it.

Until it almost killed me.

In that coma, something happened that I still cannot fully explain. I saw Him. I saw Jesus. He came close and wrapped His arm around me like a friend and said, “Are you done?”

I knew what He meant because I was. I was done with the running, the pretending, and the pain.

And when I said yes, everything changed.

Jesus brought me back—body and soul. I woke up, confused and stunned, with hospital socks on my feet and my brother’s jaw on the floor. Since then, every day has been part of the comeback. I still mess up, still grow, but now I walk with the One who rescued me.

No, my life is not perfect, but it is His. He took the talents I once used for shallow things and turned them into tools for His story. I speak up because I cannot stay silent. I live for Him, not out of duty, but joy.

We get to live for Him. That is the honor of it all, and I will never be ashamed of that.

/by

Unashamed of the Gospel

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Romans 1:16

The first time R.C. set foot on the construction site, he knew one thing—keep your head down, get the job done, and stay out of trouble. The guys around him were rough around the edges and loud.

But R.C.? He kept to himself, earbuds in, and listened to his Christian music. But one afternoon, during a water break, a coworker nudged him.

“What are you always listening to, man?”

The question caught R.C. off guard. He hesitated, then mumbled something about uplifting music and God’s love.

The man nodded, surprisingly interested. “Huh. That stuff any good?”

Later that night, R.C. lay in bed thinking about that interaction. Something stirred inside him—was he missing an opportunity to share what he loved most?

The next day, he traded his earbuds for a Bluetooth speaker. As the first chords played, heads turned. He braced for ridicule, but it never came. By lunch, a few others were humming along.

So, he kept bringing his speaker to work, and as he did the transformation was undeniable around the job site. Days turned into weeks, and conversations grew kinder, tensions softened, and R.C. found himself laughing with men he once avoided.

Because that is the power of the gospel—it moves past differences, past pain, and speaks to the very core of who we are. The words of those songs told of a love so vast, so sacrificial, it could only come from God. Love poured out through Jesus on the cross, calling us to share it without fear.

If a simple song can shift an entire worksite, imagine what sharing love boldly could do in your world. Will you take that step?

/by