One80: Testimonies of Transformation
Be inspired by stories of Christian transformation from around the world--and next door! Hear miraculous coming-to-Jesus stories from all walks of life and be amazed at how God writes a story in all of us. One80 is a production of OneWay Ministries.
One80: Testimonies of Transformation
101: Empty at the Pinnacle, Caleb Jue (GenZ, mentorship)
Hear Caleb's One80 and the unlikely mentor who walked him back from the bridge.
"And then, at the pinnacle of my life. . . why do I feel so empty?" said University of Minnesota student Caleb Jue, on his rock bottom night.
But God reached out to Caleb and a journey of restoration would come to him. Namely in the form of a Pinnacle Forum leader, Merrill Oster.
These Pinnacle retirees had been praying that they would mentor a student from an area high school, and in walks Caleb to Merrill's home. Hear how he went to Merrill's house to solicit power washing, but left with purpose.
God uses this relationship to steer Caleb towards faith in Christ, and freedom from his sinful patterns. This story is a testament to redemption and the power of mentorship.
Helpful Links:
SALT, the U of Minnesota Church, a college church planting network https://www.thesaltnetwork.com/
Christian Mentoring, helpful resources from Cru.org
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Welcome to One 80. Transforming testimonies from next door to across the globe. Be amazed at how God works to bring people to Himself. Share today's One80 with a friend. It might be the best news they hear today.
CalebJue:And then at the pinnacle of my life, you know, I had money, friends, drugs, girls. I felt like empty. I'm like, oh my gosh, this is supposed to be it, you know, college, going out with your friends, drinking, hang out with girls, and I'm like, oh man, why do I feel so empty?
Margaret Ereneta:If Caleb Jew was at the pinnacle of his life, why did it feel so empty? Why did he find himself at that bridge wanting to take his life? Well, friends, God came to the rescue with Meryl, his mentor from the Pinnacle Forum. And the story of Caleb's coming to Jesus involves his mentor. It's such a beautiful story. This is Margaret Ereneta. Welcome to Caleb's One80.
CalebJue:I grew up in Naperville, Illinois. Grew up in a really big church. I attended every Sunday. And it was just something like God, SEC football, Santa Claus, and Jesus were those things that you just kind of like believed in growing up. Yeah, I just had that idea of Jesus. Like that was my God in my heart. You know, that's what I thought of. It's just something you really people really have.
CalebJue:And you just go to church every Sunday and then you leave and then you do whatever, get food after. But there was really no like life application and Jesus being the propitiation for my sins. Like I didn't know that when he died on the cross, it somehow counted for me. But so I went to service, heard multiple altar calls and calls to repentance and calls to salvation in church, but I was like, oh, that's not really for me. And then whenever they had the baptisms, I was like, oh, that's pretty cool. I don't want to get baptized, though, you know.
CalebJue:So it was around like freshman year, still going to church every Sunday, and then I hit around during COVID is when I got into like a bad friend group, and that's where like I found my community in. That's why I always tell people be careful who your community is because that'll really like damage you and cripple you. Just like woe through the whom the sin comes from, you know what I mean?
CalebJue:And that's when I like started smoking weed, got introduced into a bunch of drugs like that, and nicotine and stuff like that. And I'm like 15, my brain's like plastics malleable, and I'm like, oh, this is cool, these older kids are doing it. It seems pretty fun. And so that's when I kind of got roped into some bad stuff and like partying and drinking in high school. Um, I thought it was cool because everybody else did it.
CalebJue:That's just how the world was, you know, they like glamorize sin. It was fun. I'm gonna be honest, like when you're not a slave to Christ, sin feels so good. And it's so hard, like, to look at people that go to church that are doing these, like partying and drinking too. And I'm like, I'm just like everybody else, you know, I'm a Christian. I'll wear this cross on my neck, but I didn't know who died on it, and somehow it counted for me. And so, yeah, that really wasn't concrete.
CalebJue:And then when I got to college, I was like, finally, I didn't have to come home to my parents. And that's when it just got really bad. I was going out like a lot with my friends. I had good grades, had some money, and I was feeling good, you know. I was like the pinnacle of my life. And then at the pinnacle of my life, you know, I had money, friends, drugs, girls. I felt like empty. I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm I'm supposed to, this is supposed to be it, you know, college, going out with your friends, drinking, hanging out with girls. And I'm like, oh man, why do I feel so empty? And then that one winter break, I came home, the first one, my freshman year.
CalebJue:I'm like, shoot, why am I so sad all the time? You know, like why am I not feeling fulfilled and have no purpose like all the time? And I just had no drive. I was hanging out with my friends. I was like, oh, I don't, I don't want to hang out with my friends, but I have to. I already made these plans. And yeah, it was just like that emptiness and then depression. And at night I couldn't sleep. I had so much anxiety in my my heart, like my brain wouldn't stop taking things to the extreme of my brain. And I'm like, oh my gosh, there's something definitely wrong with me. And there's something definitely wrong with like everybody, you know, and it's that thing called sin, you know. We live in a Genesis 3 world, we we live in a fallen world.
CalebJue:And so that's where those things came from, you know, it was just sin and mass sin. So when I stopped it, I just felt like super depressed and super anxious. And I'm like, okay, there goes my hope. I had my hope in like friends, girls, alcohol, partying, money. And then I'm like, I have all this stuff. I'm like, dang, I don't have nothing.
CalebJue:I don't feel good at all. I thought this is what I was supposed to feel like amazing. And so when I got back from college, I was like, oh shoot, this sucks. In my dorm room, like sad all the time, never wanting to leave. My roommate's like, what is wrong with you, dude? You used to like have fun all the time, big old smile on your face. Now you're just sad all the time.
CalebJue:And this happened for like two weeks, and so this is around like a month and a half of this, just like hopelessness. So I'm like, oh shoot, what's going on? And with just no hope, you have nothing to look forward to, you know. Like, even class, I was skipping classes, just taking the tests. And it was like January something, and it was just like really, really, really snowy outside. It sucked.
CalebJue:I had my jacket on, and I'm like, oh man, like I have nothing to live for. There's nothing really for me. I don't have any hope. I don't look forward to the next day ever. And this is just like how it's gonna be like for the rest of my life. This is the night I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna kill myself. And so there's this bridge right by my dorm, and I was like walking over there. I was pissed, I was crying. I'm like, gosh, like, why do I feel like this all the time? So I'm walking. And then it's either Joey or me who called.
CalebJue:It was it was one of us, but it was like, I like, oh, I think I called him, and then he called me back and it was just ringing, and I was like, I can't answer it. And then it rang again, and I was like, all right, I'm sobbing, I'm running home. I got my big old winter jacket on. And then in like the Sanford study room, I pick up this this this guy answers the phone, and I'm just like, boom, I crying so hard. He's probably like, What are you doing with your jacket coat on? It's like really late at night.
CalebJue:And then that's when like the Lord really encountered me at first, you know. There's no radical change, like when the Lord encounters you. Obviously, like, oh my gosh, like he just like showered me with love and like affection. And then that's when I figure out like that's what love is, that's what grace is. You know, like while we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us, you know. And so I'm like, man, Jesus, I thought I had to be X, Y, and Z. I thought I had to do go to church every Sunday for for you, you know? And so I'm like, okay, this guy really loves me, and he's like, you just encountered me right there.
Margaret Ereneta:So Caleb just meets Jesus in his darkest moment. But what happens next? There's a dance that he explains really well that some people deal with after they encounter Jesus like that.
CalebJue:And so that was like my salvation. I'm like, all right, I love you, Jesus. But then there's like that whole process of sanctification, which is ongoing, you know, you'll never be perfect until you're in glory. And so I ran from it for like two weeks. I was like, no, I don't want to be a Christian, those guys are crazy. They're like, they're so boring and they don't do anything fun. And so just after that encounter, I'm like, oh my gosh.
CalebJue:Then I had a little bit of hope, and I'm like, where's this hope coming from? You know, my hope's in the Lord. That's when I felt conviction because I went out to like drink on a Friday, and I'm like, wait, why do I feel bad about this? You know? And so that's like Ezekiel 36, 26, and I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you, and I'll remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And so that's when like I knew I was like saved, and I felt like bad for those things that I once like loved to do, you know.
CalebJue:When I was yoked to the world, when I was yoked to sin, I like loved those things. So I'm like, oh my gosh, this doesn't feel good. And I like drank a little bit more. I'm like, oh, this doesn't feel good either. I don't know what's happening. And so I was just like, like the Lord's really running after me, and he really loves me. And I'm like, oh man, so I and I don't cry a lot, I'm not a big cryer, but I cried hard that night. I'm like, oh my gosh, Jesus, why do you love me? You know, I'm a dirty old sinner. And I was just so far from him.
CalebJue:Like, I was just lived such a licentious life, such a lawless life. A nd I was like, oh my gosh, like there's no way this guy still loves me after this. I wasn't surrounded by a good community still back then. It wasn't until summer. Joey passed out a flyer, one of Joey's friends, he has a power washing company. Shout out to Diamond Spray power washing. And uh he owns a power washing company. Joey's like, I got a big power washing job. You want to help me do it? I'm like, oh yeah, of course. Like that's my best friend right there. I'll do anything for that guy. And he's like, he'll pay me too. I was like, awesome, he'll buy me food. And then um, after we were done with the job, this guy, Merrill, comes in and he like shakes my hand, pulls me in real close.
CalebJue:He's like, How you doing, young man? It's a beautiful day out today. The good the Lord's been good to me. He's looking over his porch. And then he took us to his man cave and I was like, All right, this is where we die. Like it was good knowing you, Joey. Like, I love you, Mama Dad. I'm gonna die right here. And he was showing me, because I also, this is such a sidetrack, but I used to trade like futures for the SP like ES and NQ.
CalebJue:And I saw he was trading like commodities, and he had some books on it. He wrote books on like hedging your livestock as a farmer, right? On corn. So I'm like, oh, that's really like really interesting. We got to talking, and then pulls me in again really hard when we're about to leave. Like, that's just how Merrill's handshake is, you know, it's real strong and firm. You just know it's Meryl. And then he gives us this book, it's like Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. And then he he gave us some of his other books too. And through that, that was like my first like taste and see that the Lord is good of somebody that wakes up, reads the Bible, and acts like a Christian all day. Meryl's the best Christian I know, I'm gonna be honest.
Margaret Ereneta:Here's where Merrill Oster enters in the story. Merrill becomes Caleb's mentor, and it's such a cool story about how God brought together an 85-year-old entrepreneur Christian to mentor this 20-year-old lost kid who just needs Jesus.
Margaret Ereneta:We had the privilege of interviewing Merrill as well. We actually interviewed Caleb and Merrill together, so we'll share parts of that interview in this show, too, and then Merrill's testimonies coming up in the next episode. So here's Merrill weighing in on their encounter.
Merrill Oster:Well, I'm a part of Pinnacle Forum. Pinnacle Forum is a group that has uh partners all over America. We typically meet in groups of ten with the idea that personal transformation should lead us to cultural transformation.
Merrill Oster:So we look for projects. And in our uh Stonebridge Country Club here in Aurora, we've had little projects. We helped the Crisis Pregnancy Center get off the ground. We helped launch a Christian school. And uh it's been a while since we've had a project that all of us could get involved in.
Merrill Oster:And so one day we were praying, wouldn't it be nice if we could do something for our local school, Matea? It would be nice if we could figure out a way to help advance the cause of Christ in Matthias. Let's pray about that. But two weeks later, a couple of guys show up at my door and uh they want to power wash. For 50 bucks, they'll power wash my back patio.
Merrill Oster:And while while Caleb was doing the patio, Joey was down brushing a little spot off my uh great big stone patio, and he said, Merrill, look what I could do. Uh, we could make your whole backyard look like this. I said, What would that cost? He said, $500. I'd say, okay, I'll do it. I immediately became impressed by these kids who could talk me up from $50 to $500.
Merrill Oster:I've got some entrepreneurs on my hands here. So when they got the job all done, I invited them into my man cable. The boys came in there and their jaws dropped. They said, Wow, this is really impressive, Meryl. I said, Well, I hang around guys that live like this. Would you like to know more about them? They said, Yeah. And so uh I gave them this book, Purpose-Driven Life, and invited them to meet once a month, each month with a different one of the guys from our forum.
Merrill Oster:They get to sit down as we go through the book. That's part of the meeting. The other part is they get a chance to ask questions of some really successful guys who are a part of the forum. And the questions go all over the board from theology to uh well to girlfriends. So that was a start, and we're now one year into it, and uh, you're seeing the fruit.
Margaret Ereneta:Next, Caleb weighs in on this encounter.
CalebJue:And so it's just, I was like, oh man, like that's what an overflow of the heart in the Bible. Matthew 12, 34, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. And he was just so nice to us, and I was like, oh man. So he invited us, me and Joey, and I said, Bring some of your buddies to um a Bible study with some of his friends, and then we started doing these Bible studies.
CalebJue:So I think that was like the first like discipler I really had was Merrill, and just being in good communities, my friends chasing after Christ as well, was just like something like unspeakable, you know. The Bible also talks about like a peace that surpasses all understanding. I tell like these guys that are so rooted in Christ and their hope is so strong in Christ, um, that they just had it, you know, like nothing, no adversity really moved them. So I'm like, oh man, like this is I want that, you know, and I I crave that.
CalebJue:And so just being in that community really helped me grow. And um, that's where like that hunger and like curiosity really started for like Jesus. And then once we got to school, my buddy Jack Christiansen reached out to me. He's like, hey, let's get food. And he's part of Salt Company, shout out Salt Company in Minneapolis. He was like, Hey man, like you came to Salt once last year. Because my sister, she was the biggest seed planner, and my parents too, they were praying for me. But they've been praying for me really hard. And my sister, every Thursday, Sunday, she'd always like, hey, come to church. I was like, no.
CalebJue:Every time, my freshman year. And then Jack, one of my sister's friends, like reached out to me. And I went to church with them, and then there's this pancake party after soul, and I'm like, oh man, like these people are so happy all the time. Like, there's no, like, why are they so happy, you know? And I just knew it was Jesus, and so like that's when I really like started chasing after Jesus, you know. Like when you repent, you like turn around and Jesus like right behind you.
CalebJue:I'm like, oh man, thank you, Lord. And so um, after joining like a connection group at church, I just like fell in love with the Bible because sometimes you can't even put that thing down, you know. But I just love that thing, and I'm like reading in Matthew and Mark, Luke, and John, like, oh my gosh, like Jesus really did all these miracles, and he's telling people, like, no, don't say anything. Um, like this is awesome.
CalebJue:And then I think it was John 8:58, it was like before Abraham I am, and then after that, in John, it's like a whole different gospel. It's just like John's always saying, like, it's because he is God. I just love John, and and it would just like explain like Jesus is fully human and fully man.
Margaret Ereneta:So now Caleb's just pouring through the Bible and getting so excited and learning about the hypostatic union as he referred to it, and just had so many questions answered, and all these people to walk alongside him. He's so excited about it.
CalebJue:And so my friends were just like, explain to me. I had so many questions. If you would ask like my C group members and leaders, I would call them, send him voicemails all the time about like just random stuff about theology, and they were like, Oh, he's he's hooked now, like he's really in love with it.
CalebJue:And so it was after I read the Gospel of John, I was like, Man, like when Jesus died on the cross on Calvary, like it counted for me somehow. And I'm like, oh my gosh. And I remember crying, and none of my roommates were saved at this time, and so they're like, Caleb, why are you crying? Like, and I was like, Oh my goodness, like, thank you, Jesus. These are like all seeds planted, like I had an encounter of Jesus, and then I started joining connection group, applied for leadership, and got a great buddies, and then I think it's John 10 10's like the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy.
CalebJue:But like, I came for you to have like life and life abundantly. And I'm like, oh man, like I get life abundant here on earth too. Like, I gotta carry my cross, but this is awesome. It's just been amazing, you know, growing and like seeing miracles. We do evangelism trips like Friday nights, Thursday nights at school, and gotta meet a lot of new friends, seeing salvation, and it's just like, oh my gosh, like we talk about the goodness of God, you know, we don't deserve any of this. It's just all sprinkles, you know, it's all icing.
Margaret Ereneta:Part of that icing for Caleb is Merrill, and he talks about that relationship.
CalebJue:Merrill's just so inviting, you know, like people talk about being Christ-like, and there's just and there's Merrill, like, I'm not joking, he's the big the best Christian I know. He was just so friendly and so inviting, big old smile on his face every time he saw us, got us some food, and Carol's really nice too, and it was just like something about that like happiness and peacefulness really like drew me in.
CalebJue:And so the more we got to like meet up with Merrill, the more like questions I had. And to this day, I asked Merrill a whole bunch of theological questions. And right now it's about Revelation because I just like read that again. My dad's reading it too. But he just knew like all the answers to my questions, and so the more I asked him these questions, the more answers he gave me, like the more like my eyes like are wide.
CalebJue:There's it talks about in the Bible like a veil from your eyes like is lifted once you're saved. And so I'm like little by little, I'm like, okay, I see glory a little bit more. Yeah, he was just like a great mentor, knew a whole bunch of Bible, and loved, had a true love for Jesus.
Margaret Ereneta:Next, I asked Merrill if he felt adequate to be a mentor. And he said he felt totally inadequate, and here's what he added.
Merrill Oster:And so I study and study and study before these guys come, and uh they ask me questions that I don't know for sure what the answers are. So I tell them, you know what, I'm not a theological student, but I've spent about 20,000 hours listening to pastors preach from various portions, and this is what I think it might be like. I'm not the final word. The word is the final word.
Merrill Oster:And so this gives them a chance to tap into years and years of uh mistakes that we've made. The idea is they should not make the same mistakes that we made, they should learn to make some new ones. Guys who are now learning how to advance the cause of Christ in their own way. And it all starts, uh, I think with a heart that comes from uh somebody has invested in me, I have a chance to invest in somebody else, they invest in somebody else. That's called uh multiplication. And uh we're in in the midst of that process right now.
Margaret Ereneta:And that multiplication did already happen. Caleb's already mentoring people. He says he has 20 guys that he's mentoring, he'll share that.
CalebJue:There's like four guys like our age that I'll take part in this mentorship. And it's definitely like a real big eye opener on to simple mistakes that you can make that are really detrimental because like the wages of sin is death. And so um just like making those small ones, even like on harsher subjects. We like to like consult with Merrill when we were back from winter break. I was like, hey, I'm like leading a Bible study upon this like particular sin struggle.
CalebJue:Like, can you tell us like more about how important it is to like crucify the flesh? And as well as like some of the ways you could do it, and those practical tips helped like me and like all my guys in that group. It was definitely like the biggest thing I've seen as far as getting poured into and then pouring into other people. And so through consulting with Merrill and other mentors about like some of the actual practical ways and some of the stuff that helps, I was able to help a lot of other kids around like 20 at my school. Right before church, we had this big old Bible study, which was really fun.
Margaret Ereneta:Next, I asked Caleb to explain what his new life in Christ is like.
CalebJue:Like it wasn't like SEC football, Santa Claus, love for something else, it was like a true, genuine love for a living God here on earth. And so I'm like, oh man, like this guy is real, you know. But I do really want to spread like the gospel. And I just have just a genuine heart for the world, like my heart cries out in my prayer room.
CalebJue:I'm like just sobbing over like the sin in this world, and like especially in the US, and then the lack of reverence from the Lord um just like gets me really fired up. Cause also in the Bible, it's like from the days of John the Baptist till now, like the Christians took the kingdom by force. I'm definitely like not passive with my relationships, like, oh, like you know God. But I'm like, we gotta know Jesus, like we need a call to repentance here on earth, you know.
CalebJue:And I know what my life was, and I think that's why I'm so much like this, because I know what my life was before Jesus, but before having any hope, and then after, and like what Jesus could do in your life, and not just eternal life, but life here on earth. Like, I don't understand how people like wake up and do their lives without Jesus, without having like a hope for the future, and like without having a genuine connection with the Lord and a love for the Lord. And I'm like, I got this thing, and it's called the gospel.
CalebJue:And the apostles and the disciples, they died to give me, like, pass this baton to me. And I'm like, now I have it. Who am I to just read my Bible, watch some Christian TikToks and be like, call it good, you know? Like, I can't, I got too much like on my heart to not give it. And so I've always been like an extroverted person, and the lifetime saunas were like I just start going crazy because nobody has their phones in there. And so nobody can, nobody could really like put on their headphones or anything.
CalebJue:So I'm like, hey, I like that tattoo or I like to start it like that. And then I just meet so many people in there that are just like, I know there's a God, but I don't know which one, you know? And so just like from my hunger for the Bible, and I w I like when I first got saved, I'm like, oh, maybe I need to make sure this is true myself.
CalebJue:And so I just like learned a bunch of stuff. Like, this cannot be a coincidence, like 66 books in the Bible, 30-some writers, like in one unity of thought, like we can't even get 10 people in a room and all agree on one thing. And so there's no way this is a coincidence. And I'm like, give them the trek.
CalebJue:I'm like, 2000 years ago, this guy, Jesus, lived a perfect life, and he died for your sins. Like, this is the gospel. Like, we're sinners, man sees a savior, Jesus is that savior, and then that's it. Because the Bible also talks about like you just open your mouth and the Holy Spirit just talk through you. And so, just really just like that burden for other people's salvation, and like Jesus gives me opportunities to share the gospel all the time.
Margaret Ereneta:Now you know Caleb too, but of course he had to bring an audience with him when he shared the testimony, so we all finished the show with a big round of approval. Thank you. And thank you for listening to today's show.
Margaret Ereneta:Make sure to share it with the people you know, especially in Gen Z. There's so many Gen Zers that are just on fire for the Lord, and it's so exciting to witness, isn't it? And if you're looking for a mentor or you want to be a mentor, check out our show notes. We'll list all the resources that we can find in there for you. But check out next week's show, where you'll hear Merrill's testimony, which is really awesome too. Praise God.
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