Randy Loubier and his family were reeling from a series of tragedies: his son\u2019s girlfriend, Kira, had just died in a car crash, and less than three weeks earlier, another son\u2019s girlfriend, Ashley, had committed suicide. On top of this, Randy\u2019s career in finance had collapsed after he was fired for being a whistleblower, and his family was at risk of losing their home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Ashley\u2019s funeral, a family friend named Debbie was the only light in their darkness, offering support and kindness. Later, at Kira\u2019s wake, Randy was surprised when Kira\u2019s mother, despite her own grief, expressed concern for Randy\u2019s son: \u201cI am so sorry Zach lost Ashley\u2026 When all this is over, would it be okay if I spend a little time with Zach?\u201d Randy was stunned: \u201cShe just lost her daughter, her best friend, and she wants to care for my son? Who does that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Debbie then introduced Randy to her pastor, who invited both sons to a new grief group. Moved by the compassion of these Christians, Randy\u2019s wife announced, \u201cI\u2019m going to start going to church.\u201d Soon after, Randy\u2019s father-in-law sent him a Bible. Though previously skeptical of Christianity, Randy decided to read it: \u201cGod, if you are in this book, I am going to be super upset, because I will have been wrong for 50 years. But I guess\u2026I want to know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As he read, Randy was convicted about his own failings and gradually fell in love with Scripture. Weekly meetings with the pastor deepened his faith. When he reached the Gospels, he realized, \u201cJesus had been speaking to me all along.\u201d Randy reflects, \u201cJesus, the Word, is everything to me. He saved me\u2026 But make no mistake, the church first sparked my curiosity. If God\u2019s people hadn\u2019t made me wonder about their peculiar love, I never would have cracked open God\u2019s Word, and I never would have fallen in love myself.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"template":"","tax_ctp_audience":[],"tax_ctp_authors":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[165],"tax_ctp_format":[171],"tax_ctp_illustration_types":[],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[140],"tax_ctp_tags":[3464,3485,3648,3897,3908,4096,4321,4477,4537,4567,4579,4893,4906,5025,5284,5291],"tax_ctp_topics":[],"class_list":["post-65840","sermon-illustrations","type-sermon-illustrations","status-publish","hentry","tax_publications-ct-pastors","tax_ctp_tags-awakenings","tax_ctp_tags-bible","tax_ctp_tags-compassion","tax_ctp_tags-evangelism","tax_ctp_tags-example","tax_ctp_tags-great-commission","tax_ctp_tags-kindness","tax_ctp_tags-mission-of-church","tax_ctp_tags-new-birth","tax_ctp_tags-opportunity","tax_ctp_tags-outreach","tax_ctp_tags-scripture","tax_ctp_tags-seekers","tax_ctp_tags-soul-winning","tax_ctp_tags-witnessing","tax_ctp_tags-word-of-god"],"acf":{"scripture_references":[{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null}]},"yoast_head":"\n