Set Free by the Saviour in Mississippi

“Some of you here are gambling with eternity because you haven’t given your life to Jesus Christ,” Will Graham told 1,700 people gathered for the Gulf Coast Celebration of Hope in Mississippi on Saturday.

Allison knew with just a slightly different outcome, her gamble with eternity could’ve been disastrous. The week before, she was in a serious car accident, and suddenly, death seemed closer than she’d imagined. On the day of the Celebration, a friend invited her to come with her to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center, and she felt compelled to go.

In God’s perfect design, death was the theme of Graham’s message—specifically, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

“The blood of Jesus changes everything,” Graham explained. “It’s what sets us free. It’s what gives us a new beginning—a fresh start in life.”

Many in this coastal area near Gulfport could use a fresh start. Swan, a security guard at the venue and lifelong Mississippian, has been burdened for his hometown. In addition to working at the coliseum, Swan also spends time at a local emergency room where he’s seen an uptick in mental health and abuse cases.

“We need prayer,” he said with conviction. “People are hurting.”

In his message on Saturday, Graham said that God pursues us—even when we’re wounded and far from Him. Using an example from the Bible, he explained how God told the prophet Hosea to marry Gomer, an unfaithful, promiscuous woman. Even when Gomer abandoned her husband and fell into a life of slavery, God commanded Hosea to purchase her back, just like Jesus did for us.

“Some of you here today, you feel captive in life,” Graham said. “You feel like you’re in a spiritual prison. The blood of Christ frees you from all of that. Redemption doesn’t just mean you’re forgiven; it means you’re bought back.”

That’s exactly what Allison needed to hear. She felt “trapped” by her sin and old ways. But when Graham gave the invitation to come forward and accept Christ, she got up, suddenly feeling like each step away from her seat was another step closer to leaving her bondage behind.

She described it in one word.

“Free,” she said with a laugh, tears streaming down her face. “Now I have a shoulder to lean on,” she added.

Delana, a woman who served as a prayer counsellor, walked Allison through a prayer to commit her life to Christ, then pulled her close in a hug.

“You’re my sister now,” Delana said.

A Spiritual Family

For Claire, 17, Saturday marked the moment her biological family became her spiritual family. Her grandmother attended a Billy Graham Crusade years ago that she said “changed her life,” so Claire and her future college roommate, Kailey, decided to check out the Celebration led by his grandson Will Graham.

Although they were raised in church, the girls had only begun to seriously consider the claims of Jesus in the past year.

“He became our substitute so we didn’t have to die, but He died in our place,” Graham said. “There was a payment to be paid, and He said, ‘I’ll pay it.’ All you have to do tonight is accept that free gift.”

Kailey and Claire looked at each other and began to cry. They knew they needed to commit to follow Christ that night—together.

“He just made it easy,” Claire said of Graham’s simple Gospel message. “It’s changed me.”

“I just think it’s going to help a lot in every aspect of our lives,” Kailey added.

The girls ended the night not just as friends and future roommates, but as family in the body of Christ.

Like the colourful lighthouses dotting the coastline around Gulfport, the light of Christ is shining even brighter in Allison, Claire, Kailey, and many others who found freedom and hope in Jesus.

Will you pray for all those who surrendered their lives to Christ on Saturday? Also ask God to draw more people to Himself as the Celebration continues on Sunday.