Bruce DeLange describes how he crushed his cigarettes and abandoned his old life after getting saved in 1967.
The Fellowship Broadcast is the radio voice of the Fellowship Track League, a ministry of Fellowship Baptist Church in Lebanon, Ohio, that has printed and shipped more than five billion gospel tracts to 200 countries since 1978. Tracts are printed in 90 languages and offered free to anyone who requests them. Pastor William Burroughs leads the church and is heard on the program each Wednesday. The host introduces the episode's theme of waving a white flag of surrender before reading a listener letter. The letter is from Bilal, a Portland man raised Muslim who writes that since 1993 he had been attending church services and meditating on scripture. After reading the tract 'Eternal Life is a Free Gift,' Bilal writes he is ready to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and wants to be a guiding light for young people. Bruce DeLange then takes over and reflects on his own salvation date of July 9, 1967, when he was 25 years old. He describes having tried to be a Christian while still smoking, drinking, and frequenting bars, and concludes that living both lives is impossible. DeLange recalls the moment he crushed his cigarettes and renounced pornography and dancing halls, citing 2 Corinthians 5:17 on becoming a new creature. He introduces an anecdote about George Grant, a former professional wrestler who preached bluntly that there is no such thing as a Christian drunk or a Christian prostitute. DeLange argues that total surrender is the only real surrender. He structures his message around three words beginning with S: salvation, service, and separation. On service, DeLange describes how he carries 15 to 25 gospel tracts daily and distributes them at grocery stores, gas stations, and malls. He references Matthew 6:33 on seeking first the kingdom of God. He notes that his path through tract distribution eventually led him to Bible Institute and ordination as a Baptist preacher, a progression that took from 1967 to 1978. On separation, he cites 2 Corinthians 6:17 on coming out from among the world and being separate. He argues that Christians have been too influenced by the world and mentions modest dress as one expression of separation. He encourages listeners to find churches that still preach these standards. The episode closes with DeLange asking whether listeners are saved, in service, and separate, and ends with his signature sign-off: 'I'm on my way to heaven and enjoying the journey. Are you?'
