When Jesus Steps In, Freedom Begins

As Markaveus’ mom watched her son fall into a life of violence, gangs, and drugs, she prayed diligently that he would remember the values she tried to instill in him. But it wasn’t long before Markaveus ended up in jail with felony charges, awaiting trial and the likelihood of a lengthy prison sentence. He was only in his early twenties, yet his future looked bleak. But what looked like a dead end became a U-turn in God’s hands as two men from Christ Fellowship, Ray and Jake, welcomed him into their Bible study. Every week for two years, they met with Markaveus in jail, discipling him and witnessing God transform his life. Before long, he was helping lead the Bible study, praying with others, and sharing his faith boldly with fellow inmates. Markaveus was released in the spring of 2025 and didn’t waste any time hopping on a bus to attend a Christ Fellowship service in person at the Port St. Lucie campus. When he found out baptisms were happening that day, he didn’t hesitate. He turned to Ray and said, “For the last couple of days, I’ve been praying for an opportunity to be baptized, and Jesus answered my prayer!” God answered Markaveus’ prayer, and his mom’s prayers, too. Because of servants like Ray and Jake in Christ Fellowship’s jail ministry, God can turn lives like Markaveus’ from a path of destruction to a life of freedom and purpose.