July 17. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Austin. Tom and his wife Cheri lived in Hospitality House, just outside the gate of the US Military Academy at West Point.  

Years before, through the Officers’ Christian Fellowship (OCF), Tom, then a cadet himself, had chosen life with Jesus. And he had dreamed of someday running OCF, one of the most vibrant student organizations at the academy. He wanted to serve the men and women who sacrificed to serve their country. He wanted to open the Bible to them. He wanted to help them know Christ. Now, after retiring from active duty, here he was. He wanted to model Christ, and replicate his faith in the cadets. 

Want to impact the world? Replicate, equip, and send out. 

Tom was all about replication. After all, Jesus Himself poured into others, who poured into others, who poured into others. And they had changed the world. 

Tom loved the men and women who sacrificed to serve their country. That’s why Tom and his wife Cheri had returned to West Point. That’s why, instead of embracing the retired life, they led the Officers’ Christian Fellowship—and were on call 24/7. That’s why—on this evening—Tom had to fight his way through his own kitchen. 

Wolfing down huge quantities of food, cadets packed Tom’s kitchen like uniformed sardines. He pushed past the extra refrigerator and the dishwasher. The smell of salty sweat mingled with the aroma of mega-quantities of Sloppy Joes. 

When Tom finally reached the back yard, he surveyed the crowded lawn between the door and the barn. Some eighty cadets flooded the Hospitality House and its extensive yard. 

He loved the chaos. After the meal they would enjoy worship, prayer, and a short message about God from one of the team members. Next Tuesday at the lecture hall on campus, about 200 cadets would gather for praise and worship, and then break into Bible study groups. 

Tom scanned the lawn for members of OCF’s student-led leadership team. He strategically shared the work of helping cadets grow in intimacy with Christ, and the upperclassmen carried the ministry. Tom, Cheri, and the West Point staff he had recruited (young captains, majors and their wives), were the cadets’ mentors. If you loved Jesus, Tom recruited you to help someone else learn to do the same. 

Across the lawn, student leaders Blake and Will laughed with their friend Hollis Young—a stocky cadet with cropped brown hair. Blake and Will had been talking with Hollis about faith, but the soldier wasn’t sure what he believed. Hollis knew Tom had mentored his friends in spiritual matters, so he asked Tom if he would meet with him. 

A few days later, Tom stepped into a little side-room in West Point’s Officers’ Club. He required cadets to take ownership of personal meetings, so Hollis had chosen the meeting time and this location, close to the academic building where he took classes. Hollis arrived right on time. They were off to a good start. 

Tom had his Bible because he usually took the cadets through Scripture, likely a New Testament epistle. Maybe Colossians would be good for Hollis. 

But Hollis had questions. Questions about God’s character. Questions about salvation. Questions about his personal standing with God. Before he was ready to care about Scripture, Hollis needed someone to care about him—and to listen to the myriad spiritual questions that dogged him. 

So Tom listened intently, which took effort. Listening wasn’t his strength. He was gifted in instructing, teaching, and equipping—not so much in silence. 

By God’s grace, Tom reflected Hollis’s earnest questions back. 

The cadet spoke openly, and Tom was impressed. He respected Hollis’s authentic journey of discovery—even if their time together looked much different than the Bible study he usually offered. Not only did Tom determine to truly hear what Hollis was telling him, but Tom also prayed he would truly hear the Holy Spirit. Tom needed God’s help to discern what the earnest cadet needed. 

Together, the two men waded slowly into deeper spiritual waters. Tom allowed Hollis’s contemplative nature to lead their conversation—and he trusted that the Holy Spirit would meet them in the depths. 

Over the next two-and-a-half years, Tom and Hollis talked. Eventually, Tom did pull out his Bible, and they studied together. A lot. 

When Hollis fell in love, Tom coached him through the relationship. Mentor and mentee grew closer than ever. All too soon, Hollis prepared for graduation. But there was one thing Hollis wanted before he left West Point—to be submerged in a believer’s baptism by his mentor. 

Brilliant sunshine marked the day. Hollis’s friends—cadets who had helped him follow Jesus—lined the shore of a lake that butted up against the barracks at Camp Buchner. 

Tom and Hollis grinned at each other, they stepped into the lake, and Tom dipped Hollis beneath the water. When the young man came up, water droplets sprayed the air, and the guys on shore shouted with pure joy. 

Hollis said being baptized by Tom was one of his life’s greatest honors. 

After Hollis graduated, Tom and Cheri served OCF for three more years. Finally, they retired from their retirement job and moved closer to grandchildren. Life became more sedate. But one fine September day in 2019, someone knocked on the door. 

When Tom pulled the door open, Hollis and his wife stood there, and they were beaming. 

Tom invited them inside, hungry for an update. He knew that while Hollis worked in aviation for the Army, he had also pursued a Master’s of Divinity degree. But Hollis had traveled six hours to tell Tom more. When his time was up, Hollis planned to re-enlist—as a chaplain. 

Tom dipped his head. Emotion constricted his chest. In these turbulent times, staying in the military was a decision that meant self-denial, deployment, and danger. To Tom, Hollis’s choice to re-enlist—to help other military men and women grow in faith—was not only the ultimate compliment, it was the ultimate replication. 

“He also told them this parable: ‘Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher’” (Luke 6:39–40 NIV). 

Want to change the world? Replicate, equip, and send out. 

This story is based on an interview with Tom Austin, May 13, 2020. 

Story read by: Chuck Stecker 

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter 

Audio production: Joel Carpenter 

Story written by: Paula Moldenhauer, http://paulamoldenhauer.com/ 

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/ 

Project manager: Blake Mattocks 

© 2020, 365 Christian Men, LLC. All rights reserved. 

July 16. GR Kampfer. Kampfer was a man of mission. Like God sent Paul to the Macedonians, God sent Kampfer to Northern India to people who were “spirit worshippers sunk in the depravity of ignorance” and “driven back into the swamps and jungles.” 

When he arrived—though the journey had been long and exhausting and his destination was shot through with evil—he said, “How glorious these trips in the open in November! The evening sky so clear, covered with … stars … And how welcome the rest after the heat and burden of the day!” He had come to do battle with the devil, so he always first guarded his own soul. 

When dangers arise, look out for doubt and temptation—wild beasts of the soul. 

In northern India—in the land of the gallows, roaring tigers, and wild elephants—Kampfer loved the natives, the “half-dazed, half-savage, half-demonized devil worshipers.” He had come to do battle with the devil. 

The natives had been repeatedly attacked by a kind of virulent malarial fever, and they believed it was the attack of evil spirits. So Kampfer had to break taboos and drive out evil spirits. It was three years before the first-ever Baptist church was founded in the village. 

After this, the church flourished in different parts of the area. Kampfer went home briefly and returned to India. He said it had been a delightful experience. The villagers, who had fled on his first missionary journey eight years back, now had turned to Christ and were singing hymns in their own tongue. 

As the church grew, many young men and women joined Kampfer as missionaries. They had to travel long distances and cover a hundred miles in three days by steamer, railway, and buffalo cart. They crossed long stretches of boggy jungle and slept with him in the same hut or in the open air. 

One night, a prowling tiger invaded the village, and—out of one of the nearby huts—the tiger snatched a live pig. In the morning, none of the still-alive men were bothered about the loss of the pig. Seemed like a good outcome. 

Kampfer didn’t fear the tigers and called these “Happy Days.” He said, “The gospel spread like a Macedonian invitation to the north.” 

One day, Kampfer was riding his bicycle on a winding and rutted road, and suddenly he had the odd feeling that something very strange was running behind him. He slowed. As he crossed a culvert, he saw an obstacle in the road that forced him to stop suddenly. 

Two “breathless creatures half-naked with their long hair tied into a top knot” blocked his way. Out in front of them, they gripped huge knives and pointed them at Kampfer. He stood motionless. 

They shouted, “Sahib, we want the Kingdom of God.” 

Kampfer relaxed and whooped with joy and spoke with tenderness and respect. He gently led the men to the door of the Kingdom of God, where they met the King of Kings, King Jesus. 

After that, Kampfer loved to tell the story with the happy ending about the beautiful church at Phasiagaon and the people who “take the Kingdom by storm.” 

The reborn natives were steady in Matthew 11 taking the Kingdom by force. 

“From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force” (Matthew 11:12 NASB). 

And Kampfer kept preaching and praying and hanging onto Psalm 30. 

“For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5 NASB). 

Kampfer said he had often been afraid. “Problems, difficulties, dangers, crises often face the missionary, and there are worse things—doubt and temptations, these wild beasts of the soul! What avails against them? A mighty song, the assurance of a promise, a lifting up of the eyes—then into the dark, a quickened pace, and another victory. Do their hearts tremble? Let them tremble. The devil trembles even more.” 

A new challenge often brings with it doubt and temptation. When dangers arise, look out for doubt and temptation—wild beasts of the soul. 

Daimari, Sri Rihon. “The Unpublished Notes of Rev G.R. Kampfer.” Original source. 

Daimari, Surya Kumar. “A Review on ‘The Unpublished Notes of Rev G.R. Kampfer.’” Original source. 

Would You Like to Learn More About This Man?  

The village where Kampfer first landed was called “Phasiagaon,” which means “village of the gallows”—a place where condemned people had been executed or hanged. 

Story read by: Peter R Warren, https://www.peterwarrenministries.com/ 

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter 

Audio production: Joel Carpenter 

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://​authorspark.org/ 

Project manager: Blake Mattocks 

© 2020, 365 Christian Men, LLC. All rights reserved. 

July 15. Luke McAllister. Luke is a young man who has a heart for homeless people. Though he faces challenges around speaking, he’s taught his family to communicate and a whole community to serve. Here’s his story. 

People cry out for heroes, but we can only hear them if we listen. 

Nineteen-year-old Luke had a special routine. Most weekends, he went with his dad to Trader Joe’s to buy groceries for the family. But one day, as he walked toward the door, he noticed something different. Homeless people stood on the street corners asking for money or food and begging for help. 

Luke was a young man with autism, mostly nonverbal, and struggled with anxiety and panic attacks. He was able to be more alert and aware of his surroundings; he noticed the homeless, who too often went ignored. Though Luke couldn’t speak much, he could hear the homeless people. And seeing their hardship tugged at his heart. 

“How can we help?” Luke asked. He began to think about what he could do for the homeless. He understood what it was like to struggle and not have a voice, but how could he help them when he struggled, too? 

Suddenly, the idea hit him. “I can’t speak in sentences, but I can listen,” Luke wrote. He would give what the homeless had been asking for—help. 

He mobilized his family to create packets full of items the homeless would need. Everything in the pack would have to be able to withstand being in a car, not melting, or going to waste. 

The family would take the packets wherever they went, so if a homeless person was nearby, Luke and his family would have a packet to give. Inside the quart-sized bags were hazelnut spread, granola bars, tissues, a water bottle, notes of encouragement, and Bible verses. 

“Scripture is reminding me I have a lot to give,” Luke said. “The Good Samaritan story in the book of Luke reminds everyone to stop and help.” 

Luke and his family handed out the packets, but it wasn’t long before his home church found out what he had been doing. The congregation was so impressed with Luke’s heart for the homeless that they decided to join him! 

Despite having trouble speaking, Luke wanted to write a speech to introduce his church to what all was involved in the ministry. He typed it on his iPad and played the speech through the tablet, as his dad stood with him. 

The church was excited to get involved! And since it had been Luke’s idea to start the ministry in the first place, he was selected to lead it. 

As the congregation put more packets together, they added such items as two $1 bills and hand sanitizer. Two specific Scriptures were added for encouragement as well: Isaiah 41:10 and Psalm 136:26. Within the first year of ministry, one thousand packets had been distributed in their local California community. 

“Luke has shown us how to start up conversations with anyone, anywhere,” said his mother, Dena. “He has taught us how to communicate.” 

The ministry continued to grow and spread to other churches in the area. Luke also got his church’s youth group to help put the packets together. 

But Luke’s ministry didn’t just help others. It helped him, too. Through providing for the homeless, Luke found a purpose from God. “I have been given an incredible support system, and it scares me to think about traveling alone in this world, but that is the reality for so many,” he said. “If I can ease a scared soul, my trials are not so bad.” 

“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9 NIV). 

Think about how you can listen more to the people crying out for help. How might you aid them today? People cry out for heroes, but we can only hear them if we listen. 

Ross, Bobby, Jr. “Young Man with Autism Has a Heart for Homeless.” The Christian Chronicle. August 30, 2016. https://christianchronicle.org/young-man-with-autism-has-a-heart-for-homeless/. 

Autism Society Ventura County. “Lucas McAllister 2019 Grand Marshall.” Accessed June 5, 2020. http://www.autismventura.org/2019/03/17/lukas-mcallister-2019-grand-marshal/

Story read by: Joel Carpenter 

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter 

Audio production: Joel Carpenter 

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://​authorspark.org/ 

Project manager: Blake Mattocks 

© 2020, 365 Christian Men, LLC. All rights reserved. 

July 14. Dave Rudenis. Dave was a young deacon in a local church in Florida. One evening at the church’s board meeting, the pastor challenged his team “to make a difference; to get out there and do something.” 

After the meeting, Dave told his pastor he didn’t think he should be “doing something” because he was “just a young deacon who liked to race cars.” Pastor Pitts assured him, “We need young men who like to race cars.” Four days later is when today’s story begins. On this date in 1960, Dave rescued a boy named Bill Wilson. 

One act of kindness can feed a boy or save a generation. 

Dave tinkered under the hood of the old race car, hopped inside, revved the engine, and listened. He slid out and grabbed another tool. A skinny, blond kid watched from across the road. As Dave tuned the car, the boy inched closer. Pretty soon, Dave introduced himself. The kid said his name was Bill, and he was twelve. 

After a while the boy moved on, and Dave watched him disappear down the street. 

It was some time before Dave saw Bill again. Ordinary life went on. Dave worked at the machine shop he owned. Raced cars. Performed his duties as a deacon at church. 

But then life’s challenges got seriously more challenging. Dave’s son was hospitalized with leukemia. Finances shrank. One day in 1960, as Dave drove down Park Boulevard in the stifling Florida heat, Dave felt as if he were suffocating. 

But then a lone figure on the corner caught his eye. He slowed. It was the boy—Bill. He sat on a concrete slab near a drainage ditch. The blazing sun beat on his hunched shoulders. Dave stopped the car, slipped out, and jogged toward the culvert. But Bill didn’t move. 

Dave stepped closer and put his hand on Bill’s shoulder. “Are you okay?” 

Bill lifted bleary eyes. “I’m just hungry.” 

When had the kid had last eaten—or slept? Bill put on a brave front, but there was desperation beneath it. The guys talked some. Dave learned that Bill had waited in that concrete culvert for three days. It was the last place he had seen his mother. She had told him, “I can’t do this anymore. You wait here. I will be back.” Only she never returned. 

There was no way Dave was leaving Bill there alone. “How would you like to go to youth camp?” Dave asked. 

“What’s that?” The boy cocked his head. 

“Oh, you would love it. Lots of kids your age will be there. They have softball, swimming, and great services.” 

When Bill agreed to go, Dave’s heart lifted. Dave didn’t have $17.50 to pay the camp fee, but he borrowed it, fed Bill, and five hours later Bill was on his way—riding in the church van. 

At summer camp, Bill met Jesus. And everything changed for Bill—and he and Dave remained friends. 

In the middle of Dave’s overwhelming circumstances, God had called him to reach out to Bill. 

“For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints” (Hebrews 6:10 NASB). 

Years later, Bill invited Dave to New York City to see the ripple effects of Dave’s acts of kindness. He thanked Dave—again—for stopping that day in 1960 when hundreds of others had driven past. Then Bill gave Dave a tour of Metro World Child, the inner-city Sunday school ministry Bill started for kids like him. 

He showed Dave fifty buses that transported children to Sunday school—each staffed by a caring adult, who served as pastor to the children on the bus. He showed Dave twenty trucks equipped with traveling Sunday schools that brought church to the children of New York. He told Dave that without his one act of kindness, tens of thousands of kids wouldn’t be meeting Jesus that weekend. 

Dave nodded. He would do it all over again, just the same way. 

This is a legacy story. Pastor Pitts did his part; Dave Rudenis did his part; then Bill Wilson did his part. You have a part in someone’s legacy, too. One act of kindness can feed a boy or save a generation. 

You can find Metro World Child at https://www.metroworldchild.org/

This story is based on an interview with Bill Wilson, 2019. 

Wilson, Bill. Whose Child Is This? Brooklyn: Metro World Child, 2015. 

Tommy Barnett. Dream Again. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 1998. pp. 76–80. 

Story read by: Chuck Stecker 

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter 

Audio production: Joel Carpenter 

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/ 

Project manager: Blake Mattocks 

© 2020, 365 Christian Men, LLC. All rights reserved. 

July 13. Stanley Dale. Dale was an Australian who first visited New Guinea while he was in the army during World War II. When he first saw the high mountain ranges of the interior, he set his mind that someday he would come back and bring the message of God’s love to the Yali people, who lived in those remote areas. 

And when he came to them, once they shot him, but he didn’t die. Another time they shot arrows at him. He pulled the arrows out of his body and broke them over his knee. Dale knew that if God had sent him someplace, God would take care of what is npp steroid the details. On this date in 1960, Dale set out for his third attempt at missionary work in New Guinea and Indonesia. 

God guides the bold man willing to take action. 

It took a long time for any outsider to find the Yali people. Hidden deep among the ridges and valleys of unexplored New Guinea, these hostile tribes lived in stone-age conditions and worshiped the mystical spirits of kembu

Climate, terrain, language barriers, and danger of attack kept anyone from daring to explore the area—until 1960, when Dale arrived. 

Dale and his partner Bruno DeLeeuw first scouted the land by plane and looked for space to build an airstrip. Then, they boated and hiked back into the area. With them came five natives from a neighboring, friendly tribe called Danis and two guides from Balinga, the village they were heading toward. At the last moment, one of the guides named Suwi ran ahead to warn his people about the strange beings who were on their way. 

Dale and DeLeeuw finally stood at the edge of a pass, looking down at a ridge swarming with armed strangers. Hands on his hips, Dale eyed them unabashedly. With only a moment’s hesitation, he held up his palms in a sign of peace and started moving—then running—straight downhill toward the crowd. 

Natives shouted in alarm, some ran away, and a few brave men stood their ground. Suwi, the messenger guide, did his best to explain to his kinsmen that these men were not dangerous. And Dale was able to interact with the men and establish a sort of relationship. 

Next, Dale pressed on to investigate the potential airstrip site he had spotted earlier from the plane. He descended into the valley and headed straight for the enemy of the Balinga warriors: the Yabi and Kobak tribes. 

The Balinga warriors behind him screamed battle cries and followed with weapons raised, but Dale kept going. 

The Yabi and Kobak warriors screeched their own cries and held their weapons ready. 

Dale had no way to know of the long-standing rivalry between these tribes, but he knew he was facing a challenge at that moment, and it was not in his character to back down. So he pressed on—oblivious to the fact that the Balinga tribe was slowing to a shocked halt. 

The Balinga tribe had been bluffing. 

Dale reached the lowest part of the valley, and armed warriors lined the ridges in front of him—and behind him. Alone, Dale crossed the river that divided the two territories and headed for the other warriors. 

The Yabi and Kobak warriors stood stunned. 

But suddenly, they were struck by the impression that this magnificent, courageous entity must have appeared to bring peace. A voice suddenly issued a command. “Don’t kill him!” 

Warriors relaxed their weapons, and the crowd disappeared, and when Dale reached the bank, only a few were left standing at the bank. 

These men greeted Dale openly. 

When the rest of Dale’s group saw it was safe, they all crossed the river to join him. That was the moment the messenger Suwi was finally able to communicate to Dale that these two tribes were at war. 

With authority that only God could enforce, Dale ordered Suwi to tell the Balinga and Yabi war chiefs that it was time to make peace. Suwi hesitated, but Dale gripped his shoulders and sent him on his way. 

Suwi rallied the leaders from his village and the enemies. With DeLeeuw praying behind him, Dale used his interpreters to talk with the war chiefs. 

Finally the people, who had just been ready to let their arrows fly at one another, grasped arms in forgiveness. 

“So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6 NIV). 

With God leading you today, what is your action step? God guides the bold man willing to take action. 

Jackson, Dave, and Neta Jackson. The Complete Book of Christian Heroes: Over 200 Stories of Courageous People Who Suffered for Jesus. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2005. 

Richardson, Don. Lords of the Earth. Glendale: G/L Publications, 1977. 

Story read by: Peter R Warren, https://www.peterwarrenministries.com/ 

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter 

Audio production: Joel Carpenter 

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/ 

Project manager: Blake Mattocks 

© 2020, 365 Christian Men, LLC. All rights reserved. 

July 12. Frederick Robertson. Frederick had a reputation for studying hard. He memorized the entire New Testament—in English and in Greek. And he was enthusiastically evangelical. On this date in 1840, he was ordained by the bishop of Winchester and began preaching at once. 

Do you sometimes wonder whether God answers prayer? Pray. 

When Frederick was a little boy, he often hunted with his father. Every time the dogs were sent out to scatter the birds into the air, little Frederick prayed that his father could shoot the bird and kill it, so they could take it home. Sometimes the prayers would work; his father would shoot his gun and kill the bird. But sometimes the prayers didn’t work, and the bird would fly away, and Frederick felt disappointed. 

Young Frederick got discouraged. Why did God listen to some of his prayers, but not others? Did God really care? 

When Frederick got old enough to go to school, he carried this secret doubt with him. But then one day the schoolmaster called Frederick and nine other boys to the office. They were all in trouble. Something had happened at the school. 

Frederick’s guts knotted. He hadn’t done anything wrong. 

He never would. Boys who caused trouble were flogged in front of the whole school. The shame. Being labeled a troublemaker. He felt overwhelmed. 

Waiting to see the schoolmaster was the worst. Frederick’s mind raced to figure out what to do. If he told the truth, would the schoolmaster believe him? What if the old schoolmaster ignored the truth, and Fredrick was flogged anyway? He felt sick. 

It was his word against the school’s and the schoolmaster’s. He wasn’t sure any grown-up would take his side. 

He sat and waited, wondering what else he could do. He thought of trying to pray … as unsure as he was that it would work. Would God listen to such a minor request? Would God even care about a school punishment, even if he wasn’t guilty? 

Frederick decided to try it. He prayed desperately that God would help him escape the punishment and shame of flogging, and Frederick hoped that God would hear him. 

The schoolmaster stepped out and brought the boys to be flogged. As the ten stood and waited, with Frederick at the head, he came face-to-face with the schoolmaster. But as the schoolmaster looked at him, a strange expression came upon his face, and he almost looked surprised that Frederick was there with the other troublemakers. 

“Little boy,” the schoolmaster said, “I excuse you; I have particular reasons for it.” 

Some adult stepped up and ushered Frederick away, and the other nine boys were flogged in front of the whole school. Frederick never did find out what reasons the schoolmaster had for sparing him. 

But Frederick did realize that God had heard his prayer—even though it was only about a minor incident. And for the three years he was at the school, he was never flogged. 

“That incident settled my mind for a long time,” Frederick said. But eventually, he became a man and thought as a man, and he realized that prayer wasn’t a good-luck charm or a carnival game—make a wish and win a prize. 

And it didn’t make Frederick immune to bad things happening. Somehow the fact that God heard Frederick’s prayers was about the fact that Frederick was connected to the Creator of the universe. “It did not make me better; it simply gave me security.” 

He felt confident that God was listening. No matter how scary things got, God would take care of him and give him strength to face any difficulty, big or small. 

The psalmist wrote: “But he listened! He heard my prayer! He paid attention to it!” (Psalm 66:19 TLB). 

Think of how prayer has affected your life. Has it made you more secure in your faith? Do you sometimes wonder whether God answers prayer? Pray. 

Robertson, Frederick W. Life and Letters of Frederick W. RobertsonBoston: Ticknor and Fields, 1865. 

ChristiansUnite. “Frederick W. Robertson.” Accessed June 5, 2020. http://articles.ochristian.com/preacher535-1.shtml

Story read by: Daniel Carpenter 

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter 

Audio production: Joel Carpenter 

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https: //authorspark.org/ 

Project manager: Blake Mattocks 

© 2020, 365 Christian Men, LLC. All rights reserved. 

July 11. Eric Liddell. Eric was a champion runner and rugby player who intended to compete in the 100-meter race at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. But stuff happened, and on this date in 1924, he won the Gold Medal for the 400-meter event. Here’s how it happened. 

When you walk with integrity, you forge a path for other men. 

As the sound of pipes and drums of the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders filled the air, tension mounted. Runners took position, and the roaring crowd fell silent. Taut with anticipation, the 1924 Olympians crouched for the opening shot. This 400-meter race in Paris captured the attention of the world. 

Everyone wanted to watch Eric, who was running this race instead of his strongest event. He had dropped the 100 because the trials fell on a Sunday, the day he set aside for worship. 

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:8–11 NASB). 

While some respected Eric’s decision, many of his fellow Scots were angry, believing Eric’s choice would cost the United Kingdom a Gold. Even Parliament criticized his decision. But Eric chose conscience over success. 

The crack of the pistol broke the strained silence. Eric shot forward and immediately took the lead. When—at the half-way point—Eric was a clear 3 yards ahead, a collective gasp rose. He had covered the first 200 meters in 22.2 seconds, a pace many people had considered unsustainable. 

But as the runners neared the finish line, his rivals still strained to catch him. With an astonishing burst of speed, Eric threw his head back and thrust his chin out in that awkward way he was known for. 

Nearly a second—and at least 6 yards—ahead of his fiercest opponent, Eric burst through the tape. The crowd exploded. Not only did Eric win, he broke the record at an awe-inspiring 47.6 seconds, a record that stood for 12 years. 

People called his lung-bursting speed “lion-hearted.” He ran each of the 3 first 100 meters in just over 12 seconds and the fourth at a blistering pace—barely over 11 seconds. “The secret of my success over the 400 metres is that I run the first 200 metres as hard as I can,” Eric told reporters. “Then, for the second 200 metres, with God’s help, I run harder.” 

Before the race, the US Olympic masseur slipped a piece of paper into Eric’s hand. It included 1 Samuel 2:30, “Those who honour me I will honour.” 

People were stunned by Eric’s decision in 1924 and by the way God honored his decision. In fact, Eric’s footprint was so great, that in 1981 a film, Chariots of Fire, was produced chronicling this historic event. 

After the Olympics, Eric continued to leave footprints of integrity while he was interned in a World War II prison camp in China. He lived out his conviction that God had placed him there to help others. When Winston Churchill negotiated Eric’s release, he insisted a young, pregnant woman be sent home instead. Especially concerned for the interned children, “Uncle” Eric organized and refereed games. 

At first there were no games on Sunday, but the children, confined in deplorable conditions, fought. Eric wrestled with what God wanted him to do. Soon Sunday games were instated. 

In 1924 Eric sacrificed a Gold Medal for his convictions. In 1943 he embraced God’s grace, convicted that honoring God meant meeting the children’s needs. Eric lived out his beliefs, and story after story of those interned with him record the impact. Dr. Norman Cliff, who was imprisoned with Eric, remembers him deflecting praise. “When you speak of me,” Eric said, “give the glory to my master, Jesus Christ.” 

Integrity is often forged in the fire of personal convictions. In what one area of your life should you begin to vocalize your personal convictions? When you walk with integrity, you forge a path for other men. 

Burnton, Simon. “50 stunning Olympic moments: No8 Eric Liddell’s 400 metres win, 1924.” Published January 4, 2012. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jan/04/50-stunning-olympic-moments-eric-liddell

Thomson, D.P. Scotland’s Greatest Athlete: The Eric Liddell Story. Crieff, Perthshire: Research Unit, 1970. 

Alcorn, Randy. “The Little Known Story of Eric Liddell’s Final Years.” Published February 12, 2018. https://www.epm.org/blog/2018/Feb/12/olympian-eric-liddell

Cliff, Norman. Eric Lidell Centre. “Rev. Dr. Norman Cliff.” Accessed June 5, 2020. https://www.ericliddell.org/rev-dr-norman-cliff-a-transcript-of-a-talk-on-his-experiences-of-weihsien-camp-he-describes-eric-liddells-life-and-death-in-the-camp/

Would You Like to Learn More About This Man? 

Lord David Putnam made an awesome film of Eric Liddell’s life called Chariots of Fire. You can hear him lecture about it here: https://youtu.be/r9NclUKgqFs

Story read by: Blake Mattocks 

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter 

Audio production: Joel Carpenter  

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/ 

Project manager: Blake Mattocks  

© 2020, 365 Christian Men, LLC. All rights reserved. 

July 10. Adam Voss. Adam is a hard-working guy with a houseful of daughters and a love for God that shows up in everyday practical ways. Today’s story is about one of Adam’s days off from work. 

Your job may not make you famous, but in Kingdom currency, it’s pure gold. 

Adam is a Christian and a barber. But sometimes he doubts that his life makes a difference for the Kingdom of God. Seeing his gregarious, Scripture-memorizing wife lead events for women, Adam wonders why he can’t be more like the Matt Chandlers of the world. He doesn’t preach or lead worship service or write books. He thinks he isn’t anything special as a husband. Why had God left him out of the gift distribution? 

But here’s what happened on one of Adam’s days off. 

Daisy and Russ had been married now for sixty-one years. And up until the last couple years, for ten years, they had their special Taco Bell breakfast and then stopped in Adam’s barbershop for their haircuts. Adam was their guy. 

But now, Daisy and Russ were both in a nursing home and in separate wings—no room available for the couple to be together. Adam still went to the nursing home and cut their hair. Regular barbering for Russ and a buzz cut for Daisy for under her wig. 

But this one time, Adam asked his wife Casey—who was a hairstylist—to go with him and make the haircut special for Daisy. 

When Adam and Casey checked in at the nursing home, the people at the front desk seemed annoyed. “We have a stylist on staff here; do they know that?” 

Adam said, “Yeah, but I’m Russ’s guy.” 

By the time Adam and Casey got into Daisy’s room, she was fumbling with her flip phone and afraid they had forgotten. Adam assured her they had arrived at nine like he had promised, but Security took longer than expected. 

Daisy was eager to lead them to the other wing where Russ lived. Though Adam helped with the wheelchair, Daisy shuffled her feet down the long halls, her wig tilted and little hairs sneaking out from under. 

When they finally got to Russ’s room, he was yelling into his flip phone (as he was hard of hearing), and when he saw Adam, his eyes sparkled. He hollered, “I gotta go. My Adam just got here.” 

Adam helped Russ into a more suitable chair, and they talked while Adam cut Russ’s hair. In a nearby alcove, Casey cut Daisy’s hair, too. But every few minutes Daisy shuffle-rolled into Russ’s tiny space to remind Adam not to forget to trim Russ’s beard, or she flirted with Russ, saying things like, “Now, that looks like my guy.” 

Russ and Daisy shared many stories with Casey and Adam that day, but they all seemed to be about the couple’s love for one another. 

As Adam and Casey were packing up to leave, Daisy rolled in with her checkbook. “How much do we owe you for coming here?” 

Adam shook his head. “Nothing.” 

“What?” came the screechy voice. “No, I gotta pay you. You came all the way out here.” 

Casey said, “The problem is, Daisy, we don’t take money on Wednesdays. We didn’t have anything to do today, so this was our pleasure.” 

Daisy wheeled back into Russ’s room and said, “They won’t let us pay them, Honey.” 

Russ said, “Well, pay the man!” 

Daisy’s voice rose. “No. They don’t want any money!” 

Russ reached for his wallet and yelled, “You don’t have any money?” 

She wheeled closer and waved her checkbook. “They don’t want any!” 

Now Russ was certain he understood. “OK. Write them a check.” 

Adam and Casey walked out quietly through the long halls, and Adam reached for Casey’s hand. When they finally made it to the front, Adam asked the woman at the front desk, “What do you have to do to ensure we can have a joint suite around here?” 

Casey grinned and told Adam, “I’m glad you’re my guy.” 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people” (Colossians 3:23 GNT). 

Your life can make a difference when you believe it can, make a decision, and act on it. Your job may not make you famous, but in Kingdom currency, it’s pure gold. 

Based on an interview with Adam Voss July 19, 2019. 

Story read by: Nathan Walker 

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter 

Audio production: Joel Carpenter  

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/ 

Project manager: Blake Mattocks  

© 2020, 365 Christian Men, LLC. All rights reserved. 

July 9. Ken Weigel. Ken struggled in some ways about finding his best place, about exactly what God was calling him to do. He had plenty of stellar gifts, but they didn’t seem to be the kinds of gifts preachers or professors had. That is—until God revealed how He sees those gifts. Listen to this. 

Feeling inferior can strip away your confidence; step out. Your gifts are needed. 

For years, Ken was familiar with certain basic Bible truths but felt overwhelmed when it came to the whole Bible. And some of his friends could quote a few favorite verses but seemed vague about the over-arching story that tied the whole book together. Some believers seemed to uncover biblical concepts faster than anybody else, but Ken didn’t feel like he was one of them. And he wanted to be. 

Was he not as smart as those people—or did he just need another approach? 

Ken was relying solely on what had been taught from the pulpit. And he didn’t question what he was taught; he thought this was the safest route back when he had been having personal doubts—and more questions than he had answers. 

Now, as God was working in his life, Ken wasn’t satisfied with the safest route. He had a yearning to study the truth of God’s Word for himself, even if it felt intimidating. 

Turns out, Ken was terrific at what other people might find intimidating. He had a knack for engaging and connecting with people, was tech-savvy and fearless when communicating with professionals, and knew how to steer a project toward completion. His value was recognized, and he became the Senior Director of Strategies for a team of Bible animators, who started a non-profit called The Bible Project. The studio produces fully animated Bible videos that are easily accessible—and free—online. 

Today, Ken is blown away by the talent on his team and the videos they create to teach the Bible to adults and interested teens. He’s convinced animation is a Bible-enhancing tool that makes people want to learn more about the Bible. 

It certainly made Ken want to learn more. It was the answer he had been looking for. 

As a strategic advisor, Ken successfully handled communications, external partnerships, and strategic planning for The Bible Project. It was a perfect fit. 

And since Ken became part of the team, the studio has become self-sustaining, fully crowdfunded, and employs dozens of people who’ve posted more than 130 animated videos in 200 countries with more than 100-million YouTube subscribers (as of summer 2019). 

Ken’s faithful-servant heart has made him an irreplaceable part of his team. He doesn’t wonder any more if he has what it takes to understand all that there is in God’s Word. 

Now he’s helping others discover its awesome truth. Statistics reveal that the project’s viewers are 65 percent young men—men who are being exposed to the Bible with beautiful, intelligent, and challenging animations that draw them toward a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

“Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23–24 CSB). 

Feeling inferior can strip away your confidence; step out. Your gifts are needed. Where can you use them? 

Now Hear This! “Episode 27—The Bible Project Featuring Ken Weigel.” Accessed June 3, 2020. https://soundcloud.com/now_hear_this/episode-27-the-bible-project-featuring-ken-weigel

Would You Like to Learn More About This Man? 

See a great video podcast: Faith Comes By Hearing. Accessed June 10, 2020. 

Ken Weigel of The Bible Project discusses the importance of seeing the “big picture” of the Bible. Check it out! https://hubs.ly/H0jZsBh0. Accessed June 5, 2020. 

Story read by: Joel Carpenter 

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter 

Audio production: Joel Carpenter  

Story written by: Toni M Babcock, https://www.facebook.com/toni.babcock.1 

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/ 

Project manager: Blake Mattocks  

© 2020, 365 Christian Men, LLC. All rights reserved. 

July 8. Setan Lee. Setan—the son of a wealthy businessperson and the “youngest student in his medical-school class”—was suddenly arrested for being intellectual. His escape was one miracle after another. 

On this date in 1995, Setan founded TransformAsia, which has planted thirty-six churches and built—among other things—a women’s center, Battambang Trade School, David Orphanage Center, Kambour Village Feeding Center, Joy Day Care Center, and multiple Medical Mobile Clinics. They also preach via mass media and distribute rice to many unreached villages in Cambodia. 

If your faith is all you have, you have all you need. 

Seventeen-year-old Setan was celebrating the Cambodian New Year with his friends. Music and laughter and horseplay filled the Buddhist Temple Square, and children played freely. Partiers sprinkled perfumed water on the temple statues, a Buddhist gesture which was supposed to bring “good luck, long life, and happiness.” 

Just then, trucks full of Communist Khmer Rouge soldiers barreled into the square. The black-uniformed soldiers jumped out, screamed, “Enemy” over and over, and fired into the crowd. People screamed and ran and fell and bled and died. 

Then the soldiers methodically hunted down the educated people and shot them wholesale. To keep from getting shot, Setan changed into rags. He was put into a youth prison camp and forced to work from four in the morning until midnight. 

One day, soldiers hauled Setan and four others out to an open field. They were to be executed. 

One at a time—Setan was the last of his friends in his line—soldiers blindfolded them, tied them up, and beat them with sharpened bamboo until they bled out and died. 

They screamed and at first begged for mercy, and then they begged for death. In an agonizing panic, Setan cried out, “Lord of the Universe, whoever you are please spare my life!” 

But he was stunned. He had no idea how those words came out of his mouth—he had always been a devout Buddhist, who acknowledged no Lord of the Universe. 

The executioner untied Setan, pushed him to his knees, and readied the bamboo branch along his neck. 

But a loud voice from some unknown place shouted, “Stop.” 

The soldier dropped the branch. 

Setan had no idea who had spoken, but he was officially no longer a Buddhist. He would now follow the Lord of the Universe—whoever He was. He stood, and he moved. 

On battered, bare feet Setan escaped into the jungle. He hid among the leaves and trees, and for days he lived off the land. 

From out of nowhere, a poorly dressed man grabbed Setan. He leaned in and whispered, “Do you believe in the Lord of the Universe?” 

Setan didn’t know how to respond. The man asked the same question again. Setan remembered the moment before he was to be executed. He looked straight at the man, “I do believe in the Lord of the Universe.” 

“His name is Jesus Christ. Would you like to accept him as your Lord and Savior? He will give you eternal life,” the man said. “You and I may not have much time. Any minute now, either of us could step on a landmine and die!” 

Now Setan knew who had spared his life. It was Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Universe. The man disappeared, and Setan kept running. 

A month went by before he finally saw the white flag of the Red Cross, and a man with outstretched arms welcomed him safely into Thailand. Setan realized the man in the jungle had been a messenger from the Lord of the Universe. Crossing that border was Setan’s first step into the future. 

“This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him” (Psalm 91:2 NLT). 

If your faith is all you have, you have all you need. How can you live it out boldly? 

Hoback, Jane. “The Healing Fields As seen in the Rocky Mountain News in 2004.” June 5, 2004. http://www.transformasia.us/all-about-us/meet-our-board-staff/setan-randa-lee/the-healing-fields-part-1/

Lee, Setan. Miracles In The Forgotten Land And Beyond. Xulon Press, 2010, pp. 42–51. 

TransformAsia. “Home page introduction.” http://www.transformasia.us

Story read by: Chuck Stecker 

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter 

Audio production: Joel Carpenter 

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/ 

Project manager: Blake Mattocks 

© 2020, 365 Christian Men, LLC. All rights reserved.