But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

Acts 9:1-6

Everyone faces a tipping point at one time or another in their lives (Some face more than one), but perhaps no one experienced a more dramatic confrontational moment than the man we know as the Apostle Paul.

We are first introduced to Paul at the moment the first martyr, Stephen, was stoned and then Paul is described as going house to house and dragging “off men and women and committed them to prison”(Acts 8:3) and then something happened on the road to Damascus. Saul encountered none other than the risen Christ and his life was never the same.

Paul was transformed by the most zealous persecutor of the church to the most prolific missionary of the early church. Many of his epistles to the early churches comprise a large part of the New Testament. Finally, church history tells us this former persecutor of the church was a martyr himself.

Few of us have such a fantastic story, but each of us faced a something similar as we encountered Christ. I remember the moment of decision in my own life nearly sixty years ago now. There have been other moments of clarity, but this one stands out as the beginning of my walk of faith.

I’ve heard stories from some of my friends. There’s always a bit of excitement as they recall those early days of faith.

What about. you? Think about your story and how Christ changed your life.