To go or not to go, that was the question in the Arizona high school boy’s mind as he slipped his backpack on and strolled down the hall. To his surprise, a stream of students flowed past him into the classroom. I already know God, I don’t really need to go, he tried to convince himself. But the sight of almost half of the student body situating themselves into the room tugged at him. I suppose I could listen for a little bit, just one day’s worth.

And that was how the Jewish high school boy discovered three days later that he didn’t know God at all.

On the first day, he listened half-heartedly, confident he presided only to flow with the crowd. He had been handed a response card, and he wrote proudly, “I already know God.” He hadn’t intended to return the following day, but something about the young speaker’s confident, urging enthusiasm peaked his interest. So few speak with such conviction, he had thought.

So he had returned, the next day and the day after that.  It wasn’t until the speaker opened his Bible to Isaiah 53 and shared the precision of fulfillment of these predictions that the boy had been fully gripped: he didn’t know God at all. Messiah had come, and he’d almost missed Him! It was with tears in his eyes that he penned on his response card that day, I accepted Christ!

This story comes from the work and ministry of Mark and Shelly Hopson with the National School Project.
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