Ali grew up in a middle eastern country within an extremely devout Muslim family. Upon his arrival to the United States, he began to explore the doubts he had about God and the religious system that framed his view of the Divine. Rejecting Islam, Ali began searching for truth by attending a variety of churches. Though he heard many interesting ideas that challenged his worldview, he hadn’t yet learned about God’s love and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

A few months ago, my new friend entered the doors of Southern Hills Church for the very first time.

“Pastor, something different happened to me as I sat there. The people are so very friendly. I thought they might not want me there because I was a Muslim. The music and prayer time were so beautiful, and I knew that God was in the room. And then when you talked about Jesus and His cross—it was like I woke up for the first time. I understood my sin and that Jesus was my friend.”

Just today, sitting outside of this Starbucks, I walked through the good news of Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. Ali confessed that he was ready to put his faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and wanted to be a “real disciple” of Jesus for the rest of his life.

“If that means I must go back home (country of origin), or live in Los Angeles, or spend my life in Las Vegas with you—I am willing to follow Jesus anywhere. By the way, I’d like to be called Peter now.”

“Peter” will be baptized soon to publicly show his faith in Jesus and will attend the next Alpha Experience with his wife Monica to enjoy real conversations about the Bible and life with others on this path.

Before leaving our coffee meeting he smiled and quietly said, “You know pastor, I was a little afraid to meet with you today. After learning about my Muslim family and connection to the Islamic religion I was afraid you might ask me not to come back to church.”

Oh, my dear brother! We all had a past before we came to Jesus. Welcome to the collection of castaways we call the family of God. You’re in good company.