“Life changing story” – Stephen Derbyshire
Peter Ruck opened the meeting by sharing a reflection on a broken coffee cup. He reminded us that nothing is too broken for God to restore and that nothing is beyond His power to bring healing and restoration.
Following a time of worship led by Gary, Peter introduced the speaker, Stephen Derbyshire.
Stephen began by sharing where he is in this season of life. Having recently stepped down as Senior Pastor of City Gate Church in East London, he reflected on God’s faithfulness over the past 32 years. The church began in his living room and has since grown to around 1,500 members. He also shared that he is happily married and has three children.
He read John 20:19–23 as the foundation for his message. The disciples were gathered behind locked doors because of fear. Stephen suggested that, to some extent, we are all locked in by fear at times, before asking: *How does God step in and transform lives?
Stephen described himself as a fearful person before coming to faith. Since then, however, he has seen thousands of people come to Christ and has been heavily involved with Teen Challenge. His testimony was a powerful reminder of what God can do when we simply say “yes” to Him.
He grew up in a tough part of Merseyside. Although his father was a committed Christian, Stephen drifted away from faith during his teenage years. He began glue-sniffing with friends while searching for excitement, which eventually led him into drug addiction. Despite being a talented sportsman at school, his behaviour resulted in him being expelled. He later served time in prison and became addicted to heroin. Throughout these difficult years, his father never stopped praying for him.
After reaching rock bottom, Stephen agreed to attend church with his father. There, something began to change. The excitement and satisfaction he once found in drugs disappeared. Responding to a gospel appeal, he gave his life to Christ and woke up the following morning a transformed man.
From that day onwards, he has been passionate about following Jesus and has led many others to faith in Christ through his ministry.
Conclusion
Stephen’s message ended with a simple but powerful encouragement: keep praying for your children. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t yet see change. God hears faithful prayers, and His timing is perfect. Keep believing, keep trusting, and keep praying.
The meeting concluded with a time of prayer ministry.
