This time of year, football is king in Tallahassee, home to Florida State University. But on Sunday, thousands in Florida’s capital turned their attention to spiritual matters.
Will Graham stood before 2,800 people at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum Field for the first night of the Sunshine State Good News Tour. He shared a message from John 3:16 about God loves and how He made a way—through Jesus Christ—for them to be with Him forever. Only Christ, he said, can forgive our sins and give us a fresh start.
“Tonight, you have a chance … to be born spiritually—to give your life over to Jesus Christ,” Graham said. “It takes courage, but I promise you this is one decision you will never forget.”
Nineteen-year-old Sydney stood nervously beside her boyfriend as Graham welcomed people forward to accept Jesus Christ. The college sophomore didn’t grow up in church.
“My parents weren’t religious at all,” she explained. “It just wasn’t their thing.”
Earlier this year, Sydney started going to church with her boyfriend, and as Graham shared from the Bible on Sunday, Sydney felt an eagerness to respond to the Gospel.
“In my heart, I knew I wanted to do this,” she said. “I just couldn’t get my feet to go.”
Finally, after several moments, she left her seat on the lawn and joined the crowd in front of the stage to surrender her life to Christ.
“I’m so glad I did,” she said, all smiles after the event.
‘Tears of Joy’
After hearing music from artists Jeremy Camp and Christine D’Clario, 12-year-old Sheila sat down to listen to Graham’s message with her mom.
“It’s been hard for me,” said Sheila, referring to her spiritual journey. The teen attends church regularly, but God had been stirring her heart and she longed for something more.
At Graham’s invitation to fully commit her life to Jesus Christ, Sheila and her mom made their way toward the stage with dozens of others. Sheila was filled with emotion as she prayed to follow Christ.
Afterward, her mother couldn’t speak, her eyes full of tears.
“Tears of joy,” she managed to say with a lump in her throat as she wrapped her arms around Sheila. “I have been praying a lot [for this] for years.”
‘They’re on Fire’
Tallahassee pastor Tony Tolson waited expectantly for prayer opportunities on Sunday. His church members volunteered during the tour after completing the Christian Life and Witness Course through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The training, which helps believers grow in their walk with Christ, offered practical ways to share their faith with others—and equipped them to serve as prayer counselors during the event.
Not long after the training, several of Tolson’s church members went on a mission trip to Cuba and shared the Gospel with locals there. “Now they’re back and they’re on fire,” he said. “They’re here tonight and ready to go.
“When you see someone’s life transformed through the power of Christ, I don’t think there’s anything more addictive on the planet than to see a life freed from sin and shame. That’s the most wonderful thing.”
Growing up, Tolson was inspired by Billy Graham’s preaching and personal testimony.
“It’s good to see Will [Graham] continuing his grandfather’s legacy,” he said. “We need a voice in our nation that’s going to stand up for Christ.”
Please pray for new believers in Tallahassee to walk closely with Christ. Also keep the Sunshine State Good News Tour in prayer as it continues this week in Gainesville, Sarasota, and Pompano Beach.
