Jack shared his testimony about how a homeless man shared the gospel with him when he was contemplating ending his life. Jack said that he thought it would be his last act of kindness, but instead, he ended up receiving one.
Growing Up
Jack grew up in a wealthy family on the Sunshine Coast. His family didn’t have to worry about finances, but unfortunately, his mother was an alcoholic, and his father had cancer.
“She abused me and was really suffering in that area, and would throw wine bottles at me and do all of that. My dad was sick, he was struggling with cancer. And he’d come up to me every day and say, ‘I’m going to die soon. Spend as much time as you can with me.’ And that really damaged me at a young age,” he said.
His brother was also struggling with drug addiction and would steal from them to support his habit. Jack’s other brother, on his father’s side, passed away the same year he met Jack. All of these events happening at once hurt Jack more than he realized.
Homeless Man Shared The Gospel
Feeling broken, hopeless, and confused, Jack turned to vices—drugs, sex, and alcohol. He also chased after money, power, and respect.
“I just wanted all of that, and it just didn’t fill the hole in my heart. And I started getting worse and worse. Because the more it didn’t fill my heart, the more I sought the world to try to fill it. Man, it was just damaging me in ways I didn’t even know. I ended up getting invited to join the adult film industry, and I thought, ‘This is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life, I just want to be a porn star,’” he said.
Homeless Man Shared The Gospel When He Was About To End His Life
But Jack became even more devastated after being lied to about doing an adult film. He expected to work with a woman but was partnered with a man instead.
READ: 2 YEARS TO LIVE, BUT HEALED BECAUSE HE FORGAVE
“I just withdrew from everything. I was in so much shame, so much embarrassment, so much pain. And I covered my face with rapping, I had a mask on. I stepped away from stand-up comedy, I didn’t want to be recognized again, and I just couldn’t face that shame and torment,” he recalled.
Jack tried various spiritual practices and self-help processes, but nothing worked. When he was contemplating ending his life, he prayed to God:
The Encounter
“God, if You’re there, just give me a sign. I need something, I need something. If You’re really real, if You’re really up there, You’ll do one better than just give me a sign. You’ll tell me, You’ll come down, You’ll speak to me. You’ll tell me that I’m on the right path and everything’s going to be okay. You’ll do it if You’re God.”
As he was walking, Jack was contemplating ending his life.
Then he saw a homeless man sitting on the side of the road, simply sitting under a gazebo, smiling at him and eating an apple. Jack wondered why the man seemed happy compared to him.
“I felt in my heart to go and try to talk to him and share with him,” Jack recalled.
As he was performing what he thought would be his last act of kindness, the man smiled at him and said, “Hey, man. Jesus loves you. God wanted me to tell you that you’re on the right path and everything’s going to be okay.”
Reference: DDU Testimony Clips
Header image: Jack testifying [DDU Testimony Clips]. YouTube, 17 April 2024, https://youtu.be/n_BerzDGrEo
