On Delta Yard, there’s a new face, Gio! He’s not new to brokenness, though. For years, addiction consumed him. He lived in that world, surrounded by people who sold and used drugs, who traded in despair. But something’s changed. He’s emerging from addiction, choosing a new way.
During a discovery Bible study, when asked, “Who will you share this story with?” Gio didn’t hesitate. His answer wasn’t safe or sanitized. He said, “I’ve got three drug dealers I want to share this story with.” Most men would have avoided that. Some in the yard had even been praying that God would remove the drug dealers altogether, that fire would fall from heaven and wipe out the problem. But Gio? He didn’t see enemies. He saw men who needed hope. Instead of praying for them to go away, he saw himself sent toward them.
That’s the essence of disciple making. We stop cursing the darkness and start carrying light into it. Gio knew exactly who needed to hear the Word of God, and he was ready to go.
And here’s the stunning part: Gio is brand new to this. He hasn’t been sitting in these circles for years. He doesn’t have polished theology. What he does have is courage and obedience. And sometimes, that’s all God needs.
This is how movements spread. Not through experts, but through ordinary men and women who decide to take risks of obedience. Gio’s vision wasn’t to share with a safe audience, it was to bring the gospel straight into the heart of the problem, to the very people others wanted removed.
Imagine what happens when those who once fueled addiction start leading discovery groups. Imagine what happens when the ones prayed against become the ones who pray with. That’s the kind of redemptive reversal that only the gospel can produce.