Dear friends,

In January 1971, a friend invited a few people to get together at his house. We all thought, as was normally the case, it would be to have a ‘good time!’ So, we were quite surprised when he greeted us at his front door, saying, “Praise the Lord!” We were all ‘freaked out’ and thought, ‘What did he just say?!’

Once inside, he shared with great enthusiasm that he had become a Christian. He hadn’t been raised as a Christian, but had now become one. We were sitting there, trying to understand what he was sharing. Even more significant than what he was saying was that he was noticeably different. He was happy, peaceful, and enthusiastically telling us that Jesus was the source of this radical life transformation. Although I didn’t say it then, it was clear to me that he had changed.

Before we left, he offered us his remaining LSD, which he wouldn’t be using anymore. He said, “you can have it, but I want to tell you it’s second best.” He repeated, “It’s second best. It’s not the one thing that will give you life.” Then he looked directly at me and said:

“Dave, Jesus changed my life and he can change yours.”

I tried to dismiss all that just happened, but the redemptive damage was done. The witness of his changed life and his joyful words of hope were convincing and impacted me greatly, although I didn’t say anything at that time.

His obvious change of behavior and the joy he manifested in telling us this good news about Jesus, is an essential part of my own conversion.

A few months later, in March 1971, I returned to my friend ‘s house and told him I wanted what he had, but didn’t know how to get it. He simply told me to get down on my knees and tell Jesus, out loud, what I wanted. Because of my very real sense of personal desperation, I knelt down and simply prayed out loud, “Jesus help me!”

It was my turning to God, knowing I couldn’t do it on my own. It was a turning from the way I’d been going and pleading with God to help me change. It was a turning from my sinful life, doing things the way many people I admired told me was the way to find meaning, love, and happiness. I now knew the way I had been living was entirely bankrupt, a dead end, and leading me further and further into darkness. And so, I cried out to God.

In that moment of surrender, I experienced the very personal love of God for me (Romans 5:5); I knew that I was forgiven for my sins (Romans 4:25), later I would go to confession.
I now knew that I had power to change. This was not in my own strength, but given to me in the Holy Spirit  (John 1:12; Acts 1:81).

When I said yes to Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit given in baptism was released in power! As we say in the Creed, I now said personally, “I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ!”

Because it was such incredibly good news to me personally, I wanted to tell everyone—if the Lord Jesus would do this for me, he could do it for anyone!

Now many years later, ChristLife provides a way to help others to personally encounter Jesus as Lord Jesus; follow him as disciples and make him known to the enormous number of people who don’t know him.

We’re producing a new edition of the Sharing Christ course!

This model of a friend sharing their experience of the Lord with another friend is the model that we employ in Sharing Christ.

This fall we are producing a new edition of Sharing Christ! The Sharing Christ course is an essential part of what is needed for Catholics to fulfill our mission of proclaiming Christ to all.

In this new version, Pete Ascosi, ChristLife’s Assistant Director, will take my place as a speaker on the course. Pete is a great teacher who lives what we are all called to be and do in sharing Jesus with others!  He will be joined by Fr. Erik Arnold and Dianne Davis, who you know from the current edition.

Christ entrusted the Church with the essential mission to, “Go make disciples… baptizing them…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:18-20). The Father longs for all to be saved in and through his Son Jesus Christ and,
we, his children, are called to make
him known!

Please join us and continue to pray for the ChristLife process to help many come to know the Lord and to follow him as members of his Church.

Your brother, in the saving love of our Lord Jesus,

Dave Nodar
ChristLife’s Founder & Senior Leader