Think God only uses pure people? Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Samuel, Joseph, Joshua, David, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Gideon would like a word, please. All these individuals came with some “baggage” and some believed they were not worthy to serve God and had nothing to offer God. But God didn’t need what they had, He needed them to do as He directed them to do. The same goes for us.

Just as God used the people listed above, He continues to use imperfect people as disciple-makers because once we are reborn in Him through our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can do all things through Him. In this article, you’ll see two more examples of two men who have been redeemed through God’s grace and are on a path to share the Good News in His name.

Some of the most powerful testimonies and future disciple-makers are those who know what it truly means to be a captive – the formerly incarcerated. They understand how lost they were before God entered their lives and they accepted Jesus as their Savior. They understand how you can be in bondage without being in prison and how you can be living in freedom while being behind bars.

Jonathan Schulte and Brandon Davis are two examples of men who were incarcerated and, having been taught about freedom in Christ, they are now out of prison and seeking to free people who may have never spent a second in prison.

Both men made choices that led them behind bars. As with many people inside and outside prison walls, Jonathan and Brandon sought to fill the God-sized hole within all of us with everything except God. As they were ministered to during their stint in prison, “the light went on” for both and they recognized that what was missing from their lives all along was Jesus.

He continues to use imperfect people as disciple-makers because once we are reborn in Him through our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can do all things through Him.

Both men were part of our 3Thirds Discipleship study group and, over time, they came not only to the love God has for them but – astounding to them – God had plans for them. Plans to not only prosper them but to send them out into the mission field after their release from prison. 

Certainly, society can stigmatize former felons but God does not care about the people we were but, rather, who we are now in Him. Moses was a murderer, remember? And God used Moses to lead His people out of captivity in Egypt. 

What we all need to take to heart is that God doesn’t need our strength, our intelligence, creativity, or talent – if He did He wouldn’t be a very big God, would He? – the Lord simply needs us to be obedient and have us rely on His strength. Jonathan and Brandon would be the first to admit they lean hard into God daily as they are adjusting to their new lives of freedom in Jesus and outside of prison walls.

Jonathan and Brandon were both released from CTS Russell and now live a couple of blocks from each other in downtown Louisville and lead a 3Thirds Discipleship Bible study. Both men have been baptized and are on fire for the Lord.

If you think God can’t use you, you’re not giving God enough credit and robbing yourself of amazing opportunities to serve in His name. God specializes in using broken people to do things they don’t think they’re capable of accomplishing. It was true then and it is true now. 

Just ask Jonathan and Brandon.

Read their stories in The Southeast Outlook here.