‘I Met Jesus (on) This Program’

Renée came to faith in Christ listening to the Unlocking the Bible program on Moody Radio that is hosted by Pastor Colin Smith, one of our speakers at Founder's Week 2022. Photo by Lawrence Bohlin

by Jeff Smith

Each of us has experienced the heartache of losing loved ones. I'm still admittedly in healing after losing two close family members in 2021. I watched my mother pass away after a long bout with depression last June and then comforted my wife when her father died from pneumonia and COVID in November. I miss them both terribly, especially Mom.

But my pain pales compared to the dark valley of grief that Renée, a Moody Radio listener, had to somehow travel. In the span of five years, Renée had to say goodbye to her mother, then her baby, then her father, then her boyfriend, and finally her best friend. This series of unexpected deaths understandably left her devastated, defeated, and contemplating ending her own life.

I don't think there is a sufficiently strong enough adjective in our vocabulary to adequately describe the unfathomable amount of pain she had to bear.

“I was lost and full of grief,” Renée remembers. “I didn't want to wake up and live. I wanted to sleep and never wake up.”

Unlocking her pain through Christ's hope

Renée knew no one she could turn to for the depth of love and encouragement she desperately needed. But one day, while surfing stations on the radio, she came across Unlocking the Bible airing on Moody Radio. From that moment on, the gospel changed everything.

“I heard Pastor Colin Smith on his program,” she says, “and he spoke about a God who is close to the brokenhearted. I would stay in my car just to listen to his comforting words.”

Eventually, after listening to the program repeatedly and coming to a clear understanding of God’s offer of salvation and new life through Christ, Renée placed her faith in Jesus as her Savior and turned her life over to Him. Unlocking the Bible helped Renée discover the only One who could save her from her sin and bring the ultimate hope to her life.

“I met Jesus thanks to this program,” she says. “And I thank Moody Radio for sharing the Word with lost people like myself. God bless this station. May it comfort and save many more! I want to thank this station for the uplifting messages you share for people like me who have nothing to hold onto in times of grief.”

The gospel changes everything

Renée's story is a humbling reminder of why Moody Radio is committed to sharing the good news of Christ at least 10 times a day, every day of the year. Moody Radio's annual Spring Share fundraising drive is coming up March 15–19. If God is leading you, I know our nonprofit radio ministry would deeply appreciate a financial gift of any size from you today.

The theme of Spring Share 2022 is The Gospel Changes Everything. Your generosity will allow listeners like Renée to continue meeting Jesus and encountering the gospel on our programs. Thank you for your giving and your prayerful support.