Meet Robert. Robert was addicted to heroin. His addiction was so strong that he couldn’t go a day without heroin and was using it all day long. His mother, knowing Robert desperately needed help and wanting him to experience God’s presence, brought him to a Matthew West concert. During the concert, God spoke to Robert through the music and Robert realized that he needed to make a change in his life. After the concert, Robert’s mother wrote a story to Matthew about Robert’s addiction. When Matthew and his non-profit ministry, popwe, received the story, they reached out to Robert, listened intently and prayerfully, and directed him to Teen Challenge, a Christian-based drug and alcohol recovery program.
At first, Robert was adamantly against the thought of going to a recovery program. But, the Holy Spirit was at work and led Joe West, Director of popwe, and Roger Helle, Teen Challenge’s Executive Director, to call Robert every day until he decided to go. Well, after a month of constant phone calls, the day finally came when Robert decided to take the next step towards recovery. The only obstacle standing between Robert and recovery was financial. But again, the Holy Spirit was at work and, miraculously, God provided the funds through popwe. Robert’s 14-month recovery program was fully funded!
Today, Robert is proudly recovered from his addiction and has a personal relationship with Christ. And to make this story even more incredible, he now works for Teen Challenge helping others who are on the road to recovery! Matthew West was so moved by Robert’s journey that he wrote the song “Grace Wins.” Robert’s story is a perfect example of how, through God’s grace, God transforms even our darkest chapters into a new, better story. None of our stories are perfect, but perfection is not the goal. God already knew we wouldn’t be perfect so he promised us that if we are in Christ, we are a new creation: the old is gone and the new has come… Grace wins every time!
