Why I Love Monday Evenings

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” – 1 Peter 4:10

As soon as I get in the car to leave my house, I look over at my wife and smile. “Got everything?” I ask her. She replies, “Yep. Got my ID, my Bible, and the lesson plan. Let’s get moving or we’re gonna be late!”

Monday evenings have become our favorite night of the week. Our date night, I guess you could say. Except we don’t spend it alone.

Roughly six months ago, my wife and I were asked if we would be interested in leading a Bible study at the local county jail on Monday evenings. Now.. we had gone into the jail to lead Bible study a few times over the past couple of years – filling in for the regular leaders when they would have scheduling conflicts. We really enjoyed the experience.

So when the area director of our ministry approached us back in the fall of last year about filling in for this particular unit on Monday nights, we jumped at the opportunity.

And I remember the first Monday evening my wife and I came to the prison. Honestly, I was a bit nervous. I kinda knew what to expect, but then again it’s impossible to know what all the inmates have had to deal with over the past week. Difficult phone calls from loved ones, or delayed hearings, or challenging situations with other inmates, or maybe disagreements with correctional officers, or the loss of privileges… the list could be endless. And it’s irrational to expect them to not bring some of their frustrations into Bible study. Sometimes they’re simply needing someone who will listen to them for a couple of minutes and pray for them.

But for the most part, our Monday evening guys seem eager to put all of that aside for the next 90 minutes or so and learn about Jesus with my wife and me. And we try to have some fun along the way. Bible study doesn’t have to be boring and serious all the time. But we also realize the reason we’re there together: To talk about real hope… and to talk about what Christ has done for them and what that means for them.

Some of the Things I Appreciate Most

a. There are no masks. Our Monday evening guys aren’t afraid to be honest. Do you know how refreshing that is? They will tell you if they’re struggling; they don’t deny that they’ve made some mistakes and maybe let their families down; and they will tell you if they don’t understand something about God. Where else would you find that kind of raw honesty these days? You probably won’t find that even at church! But you will find it in a prison Bible study.

b. They ask questions. Well, at least most of them. Some of them are quiet and content with just listening. But these guys ask some challenging questions sometimes. Some good questions. And too, the occasional weird question, like “Do you think that God created aliens from outer space?” But I enjoy it when they ask questions. It keeps me grounded in God’s Word. “Did God really say that? Let’s take a look and see.”

c. We get to know them. We get to learn a little about their lives, their backgrounds, their families, their hobbies, their goals in life. We get to form a genuine connection with each and every inmate, listening to their stories, their fears, their hopes. And my wife and I have the awesome opportunity to encourage them and remind them that there’s hope in Jesus, no matter what they’ve done in their past.

d. We get to witness transformation. Two months ago, an inmate approached me after the study and said that he was ready to give his life over to Jesus. Right there, in that room, that guy accepted Christ! We prayed, we hugged (even though we’re not supposed to), we wiped away a few tears, and we smiled and even laughed. And that guy has been to every Monday evening Bible study since then, except one.

Sometimes it’s just seeing their attitudes changing. But then we have guys who can’t wait to tell us how many chapters and what books of the Bible they’ve read since we last saw them a week earlier. I love it when we’re going through a study and I see them nodding at us and listening and participating in the discussions. But I love it even more when I hear them tell us that a group of them are meeting periodically throughout the week and reading the Bible together. That’s really good stuff.

Then, roughly 90 minutes later, we’re back in our car in the parking lot. It’s almost 9pm but I wish I could’ve stayed with them another hour.

I look over at my wife, she looks at me, and we both smile. God is so good to us to give us this wonderful opportunity!

Man… what a great date night this was. I tell ya, there are many times when I can feel the presence of God much heavier in unit 2D on Monday nights than when I’m in church on Sunday mornings.

These are just a few reasons why I have come to love these Monday evenings.