“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.” Psalm 145:18 NKJV
It was Saturday night and drawing close to the time to begin. Looking out at those who had gathered and counting 15 teenagers, I went to the window and prayed: “Lord, please send us a couple of guys who can catch the concept: Christ through you can change the world.” We sang a song or two, prayed, and answered a knock on the door. Two high school guys arrived, and now there were 17. I shared the story of how Nikolai Lenin met with 17 people in a hotel room in London and started the communist party. I challenged those 17 attending: “If a couple of you guys can catch the concept and invite your friends to come the next Saturdays, where they will be invited to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ personally, within 13 weeks we could outgrow the living room and family room upstairs and need to move to the basement. Do you realize that in just 13 weeks, Christ through you could change the world?”
Those two late-arriving guys, Dave Schwambach and George Brooks, accepted the challenge. Dave had been spending his time at North High School in the principal’s office because of fighting in shop class. He had formerly been a student at Bosse, and George Brooks was a senior at Harrison. They were late because they had a flat tire on Dave’s Honda motorcycle. They then decided to compete with each other, inviting friends, setting a goal to have 100 attend within 13 weeks. In just six weeks, they reached the 100 mark, and Saturday nights stayed at 100 or more week after week.
After high school graduation, Dave Schwambach attended college in Texas. Coming home for Christmas break, he made a decision to transfer to Oakland City College. We provided housing for three Oakland City students. Each Monday afternoon, I met with them to train them in personal youth evangelism. Traveling in my station wagon to Mt. Carmel, Illinois High School, we met in the library; then on to Lawrenceville, meeting in the back of the auditorium; and to Olney, where students gathered in the cafeteria for our third TTT Bible club each Monday.
After several weeks, Dr. Tom Benson, our Olney club sponsor, asked if it would be possible for one of the guys to concentrate there while the other two went to the other campuses.
Dave Schwambach volunteered, and decided to have a Tri-State Youth for Christ booth at the Richland County Fair. Needing materials for the project, Dave stopped at Hurn Lumber Company and met the owner’s son John, who volunteered to help him build the booth at the fair. In the process, Dave Schwambach led John Hurn to personally believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. When school started, John began attending the TTT Bible club meeting at a home across from the high school. He faithfully attended TTT many Saturday nights.
TTT’s 2024 theme is “Telling The TRUTH, so that you may believe.” (John 19:35 NKJV)
In today’s culture, where many think that there is no absolute or objective moral truth, people are still searching for truth. Youth desperately need to know the Truth of God’s loving plan and purpose for them, and to be invited to respond to Jesus – the way, the truth, and the life – believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, receiving God’s gift of eternal life. And those who know the Lord need to be equipped to share the Truth with others.
In their new book, 12 Crucial Truths of the Christian Faith, Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell write: “truth is a Person to relate to. Truth, a way of living, and life itself is embodied in the person of God. And the means to obtain the truth, the way, and the life is through a relationship with Jesus … Believing or knowing the truth is a process of understanding who God is and how we relate to Him and others. This truth we believe leads naturally to a transformation of our lives in relationship with God.”
God willing, February 3 will be TTT’s 3,027th consecutive Saturday, celebrating 58 years Telling The TRUTH to/through teenagers. Dave Schwambach, now a member of TTT’s Executive Board, and his wife Kris (Kandel) have been invited to tell their story. The first 58 people in attendance that evening will receive a complimentary copy of 12 Crucial Truths of the Christian Faith … and free pizza will be available for everyone attending.
Will you call on God in truth for every youth, before turning 20, to hear the Gospel with an invitation to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” ?