God works in mysterious ways. Even though a person might walk through the church doors searching for something specific, God has bigger plans than that person could have imagined. He instead purposed it to lead that person to Himself. This is what you’ll see as you read about Stepan as shared by SGA Storyteller Polina.
Polina writes: Naturally, we do not sell candles, so I gave him the ones that were left after the holiday and invited him to study the Bible with me. From an initial introduction to the Bible, which leads to many hours of studying God’s Word, we pray for such men and women led by God to open their hearts to the truth of the Gospel. This desire and prayer weighs heavy on the hearts of pastors as they sacrificially give of their time to invest in broken lives. Through many conversations about sin, hope in the Gospel, and discipleship of believers for a more godly way to live, these pastors continue to serve fervently with an expectation of saved lives. Please continue to pray for these faithful men.
I would like to tell you about a young man with whom I have been studying the Bible with for several years. His name is Stepan. We met in an unusual way; he came to our house of prayer to buy candles . Naturally, we do not sell candles, so I gave him the ones that were left after the holiday and invited him to study the Bible with me. At first, he refused, but I constantly wrote him invitations. As a result, he began to go to Bible study meetings. About nine months passed this way.
It is noteworthy that he could talk more and more about God, about Christ, about the Bible, and began to fight the sin in his life: drugs, alcohol, cigarettes. At the same time, he tried to avoid military service, but after several good dialogues, he finally resigned himself and went to serve by conscription. Preparation for this trip lasted about two months. We prayed about it; I gave him instructions on how to be righteous there.
As a result, he went into the army for a year. It should be noted that there he continued to resist bad habits, read the Bible, and even evangelized. I found people from the local church who could visit him, and they visited him and supported him. And literally a few days ago he returned from the army.
It is difficult to say anything yet, but we continue to meet to study the Bible, discuss God. I expect his repentance and dedication to the Lord! And I hope this will happen someday!