John 3:16: A Cold Boy Made Warm
Story★★★★In the city of Chicago one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner as the people were going in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn’t trying to sell many papers.
He walked up to a policeman and said, “Mister, you wouldn’t happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley, and it’s awful cold in there tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay.”
The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, “You go down the street to that big white house, and you knock on the door. When they come to the door you just say “John 3:16” and they’ll let you in.”
So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered. He looked up and said, “John 3:16.” The lady said, “Come on in, son.” She took him in and she sat him down in a split-bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself, John 3:16 … Boy, I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm.
Later she came back and asked him, “Are you hungry?” He said, “Well, just a little. I haven’t eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food.” The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn’t eat any more. Then he thought to himself, John 3:16 … Boy, I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a hungry boy full.
She took him upstairs to a bathroom, to a huge bathtub filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself, John 3:16 … I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean …
The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck kissed him goodnight, and turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night, he thought to himself, John 3:16 … I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a tired boy rested.
The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate, she took him back to that same big old split-bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible. She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face. “Do you understand John 3:16?” she asked gently. He replied, “No, ma’am, I don’t. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to say it.”
She opened her Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there, in front of that big old fireplace, he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought, John 3:16 ... I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe. –Author Unknown, Found in Dunham, Philip W., Sure Salvation, (Pacific Press Publishing Association, Nampa, Idaho, 2007), 82-30.
I cannot work my soul to save, this work the Lord has done. But I will work like any slave for love of God’s dear Son.
Author Unknown
The point
A homeless boy is directed to a warm home by a policeman who tells him to say 'John 3:16'. The family cares for him physically and then explains the gospel, leading to his conversion.
Alternate wording
John 3:16 Makes a Tired Boy Rested77 words
The lady came in and got him, and took him to a room and tucked him into a big old feather bed and pulled the covers up around his neck and kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he laid in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night he thought to himself, “John 3:16... I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a tired boy rested.”
John 3:16 Makes a Cold Boy Warm56 words
The lady said “Come on in, Son.” She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace and she went off. He sat there for a while, and thought to himself “John 3:16....I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm.”
The Little Boy in the Blizzard110 words
In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting
in. A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn’t trying to sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, “Mister, you wouldn’t happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it’s awful cold in there, of a night. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay.”
John 3:16 & the Little Boy757 words
In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn’t trying to sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, “Mister, you wouldn’t happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it’s awful cold in there, of a night. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay.”
The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, “You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16 and they will let you in.”
So he did, he walked up the steps to the door, and knocked on the door and a lady answered. He looked up and said, “John 3:16.”
The lady said “Come on in, Son.” She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace and she went off. He sat there for a while, and thought to himself “John 3:16....I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm.”
Later she came back and asked him “Are you hungry?”
He said, “Well, just a little. I haven’t eaten in a couple of days and I guess I could stand a little bit of food.”
The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn’t eat any more. Then he thought to himself “John 3:16... Boy, I sure don’t understand it, but it sure makes a hungry boy full.”
She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself, “John 3:16... I sure don’t understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I’ve not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out.”
The lady came in and got him, and took him to a room and tucked him into a big old feather bed and pulled the covers up around his neck and kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he laid in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night he thought to himself, “John 3:16... I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a tired boy rested.”
The next morning she came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and she took a big old Bible and sat down in front of him and she looked up at and she asked, “Do you understand John 3:16?”
He said, “No, Ma’am, I don’t. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it.”
She opened the Bible to John 3:16 , and she began to explain to him
about Jesus. Right there in front of that big old fireplace he gave his
heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought, “John 3:16. I don’t
understand it, but it but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe.”
You know, I have to confess I don’t understand it either, how God would be willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don’t understand it either, but it sure does make life worth living.
John 3:16 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.