Mr. Z had it all — or so it seemed.
A wealthy and successful businessman, he owned his own construction company in East Asia.
As a young man, he was proud of the many goals he had accomplished — a thriving business, a large bank account, a close circle of family and friends. He worked hard and partied often, which usually included heavy drinking and smoking. He did everything with intensity and passion.
Yet he longed for something more. Every day he would wake up with a desire to regain the high he had felt the day before. He became bored and empty and attempted to use his money and success to reach higher highs than the day or year before.
This cycle continued for years, until someone gave Mr. Z a copy of More Than a Carpenter. As he read it, he could relate to so many things in Josh McDowell’s past and journey to faith. As he learned about God’s grace and mercy, he longed to experience them in his own life.
So one day Mr. Z prayed and asked God to forgive him of his sins. He gave up drinking and partying, refusing to participate in any of his past activities that he thought would dishonor God. He joined a Bible study and began growing in his faith.
Eventually, he sold his business and responded to God’s call to go into full-time ministry. He enrolled in seminary so that he could better serve others and share the truth. Last year, he was among the over 3,000 graduates who received a Seminary Student Library from Josh McDowell Ministry.
As our team gave each graduate their books, he was delighted to discover a copy of More Than a Carpenter included in his set of books. He shared his story with us and told us about his passion to reach others with a background in the business world. The books were just what he needed to reach others with the hope of Jesus Christ!
This year Josh and the team are going back to East Asia to provide graduates at 37 different educational institutions with their own Seminary Student Library. Most of these students will return home to serve in churches of 1,000 to 10,000 people. In a country where biblical resources are extremely expensive and hard to find, these books will be a precious treasure to them.
If you would like to be a part of this year’s Seminary Student Library Project, click below and help provide the resources future pastors need to reach their country for Christ.
