Man comes to Southwestern to install drywall, finds Jesus as Lord

When people come to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, even if it’s just to put up drywall, they’re likely to hear the Gospel. One such drywall installer learned this lesson the week of spring graduation, May 6, as in the course of doing his work, Travis Trawick, vice president for Institutional Advancement, felt led by the Spirit to speak to him. 

When Trawick engaged him in conversation, he learned that this 20-something worker came from a Catholic background but, by his own admission, had “walked away from his holy life.” Using the book of Romans, the two discussed the Gospel, and how faith in the resurrected Christ brings eternal salvation. 

The worker expressed his belief in these things, but Trawick confronted him with the need to not just know these truths academically, but to believe them in his heart. Standing in a hallway under renovation, with lines of tape on the floor, Trawick demonstrated the act of repentance—walking down the line, he then turned around and walked in the opposite direction. So it is with turning from sin and experiencing salvation, Trawick explained. 

This clicked with the worker, who expressed his desire to be saved, connecting his head-knowledge with his heart. In what Trawick calls “a beautiful prayer,” the worker confessed his sin to God and professed his faith in Jesus as Lord. 

Trawick then retrieved a “Satisfied?” Gospel tract written by evangelism professor Matt Queen, which instructs new believers in the next steps of the Christian life, including baptism, joining a local church, Bible study, and prayer. Gifting this tract to the worker, Trawick now prays that this new believer will grow in his faith, and Trawick rejoices in the fortuitous circumstances that led to this fruitful conversation. 

Trawick, who is graduating with his Ph.D. tomorrow, says the experience of being used by God to usher a new believer into the Kingdom makes this “the best graduation week ever.”