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OBEYING THE CALL — A TESTIMONY OF WHAT GOD IS DOING
By Richard Jacob
When we started deputation, we had no
idea why God was bringing us to Nashville,
Tennessee. Looking back, we see why. This
is just one of the many wonderful stories, a
testament of something only God could do to
save and change a life.

Marcus, our youngest son, invited his friend
Piper to church. Piper and her mom, Andrea,
watched the livestream of Nashville Baptist
Church (NBC) services for almost a year. Piper
then started coming to church and invited
Colton. Colton had not been to church over the past
eight years. He struggled as a teenager. He
came to the end of himself and was about to
end his life while going through great periods
of depression. Up to this point, he was very
24 engaged as an atheist and agnostic in his
university campus groups. However, nothing
made sense and there was no joy in his life. In
November, he was driving around downtown
Nashville in the middle of the night. It was
then that he was invited to Nashville Baptist
Church, and he decided to give it a try. This
was his last hope. God was putting the pieces
of the puzzle of Colton’s salvation in place
long before he knew it. Colton has shared the
following testimony with us:
“I did not come to find Christ during an easy
part of my life. In fact, I can confidently say that
the months leading up to my salvation were
one of the darkest times I have been through.

I was depressed, hopeless, and so nihilistic
that I felt like my life was utterly meaningless.

For a long time, I tried to fill the hole in my
heart with worldly things, but these only eased
the pain temporarily. At the crux of my
depression, I remember one night I
was so frustrated with my existence
I was screaming to the heavens:
“WHY GOD, HOW COULD
YOU DO THIS TO ME?” After
that night, I realized that there
was something utterly missing
from my worldview, something
so fundamental that I could not
bear to live without it.




I realized that I had to find the purpose
for my existence, and that was the same
week God put Nashville Baptist Church in
my life. As this was my first time in church
for about eight years, it really changed my
heart a great deal just to hear the Word of
God preached. This confirmed for me that
the issue I was facing was much more than
something physical but spiritual. Over the
next few weeks, I studied the Gospel of
John and I realized there was something
so fundamentally true about the Christian
faith that I could no longer ignore it.

God had revealed Himself to me and
shattered all the agnostic philosophies and
worldviews that I had grounded myself in.

Kayden, Ms. Omega, Frankie, Angelo, Gianna, and
many others. This has nothing to do with the Jacobs
but everything to do with just obeying our Great
God even when we do not understand His ways and
His leading. “To God be the glory, great things He
has done.” Pray NBC continues to reach and change
one soul at a time, making a difference in the hearts
and homes of these individuals. Colton’s family
has visited our church a couple of times. His dad,
Dave, mom, Shannon, and brother Evan came for
his baptism. Pray they will become members soon.

Exciting days are ahead, and we only have one life to
live! We want to live it for the glory of our precious
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. W
During these subsequent weeks, I came
to realize that without Christ there is no
hope for the world. I came to accept Christ
as Lord and Savior, and I repented for my
sinful nature. As I continue to grow my
personal connection to the Lord, I have
come to realize that not only is everything
professed in the Christian Bible the true
Word of God but also it is fundamentally
the ‘truest’ thing that could ever possibly be
said. Since my salvation, Christ has lifted
my veil of depression and hopelessness,
and I recognize that God is the source of
all hope in the world. I am very thankful
to be a part of Nashville Baptist Church
and to have all the support they have given
me through my spiritual journey. I am
also thankful for all the friends and
family God has put in my life over
the last few months and the role they
have played in my salvation. I am
looking forward to an amazing 2022
with Nashville Baptist Church and am
excited to see where God takes us.”
Colton’s testimony reminds us often
that God had a reason why He brought
us to Nashville, Tennessee. Had we
not come, imagine the decision he
would have made! Like Colton, NBC
has helped change the lives of Scott,
Colton with Leah & Richard Jacob
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