Scam Artist to Million Dollar Miracle - Scott Lewis
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Scott Lewis grew up in instability and scarcity. After his parents divorced when he was a toddler, he bounced between homes and attended nine different schools before graduating. His father, a barber who struggled financially, often “borrowed” the money Scott earned shoveling snow. Amid the chaos, Scott longed to fit in and turned to drinking and drugs in his early teens, even as he pushed himself academically and athletically. He hoped a high ACT score would earn him a college scholarship, but when his father admitted he had never filed taxes—and feared prison if he completed the financial aid forms—Scott’s dream collapsed. Disillusioned, he settled for a small vocational scholarship and drifted deeper into substance abuse.
Eager to escape small‑town Iowa, Scott jumped at an opportunity to make fast money and joined a group of traveling salesmen running scams across the country. He quickly became the top performer among 500 men, training others and enjoying a lavish lifestyle—multiple Corvettes, homes in Phoenix and Seattle, expensive toys, and unlimited drugs. Yet beneath the success, his life was spiraling.
Everything changed in 1983 when he visited a girl in Sacramento who had recently become a Christian. She urged him to talk with her stepbrother about Christ. Scott resisted, but the conversation planted a seed—especially when the man asked whether he was certain he’d live long enough to make a future decision for God. Scott knew he wasn’t. He had faced guns, overdoses, and watched friends die. Over the next days, the truth of the gospel broke through. Realizing he had spent his life searching for unconditional love, he surrendered to Christ. He described the moment as a thousand‑pound weight lifting off him. He returned to Phoenix, quit his job, and walked away from his old life entirely.
Scott moved back to Sacramento, threw himself into discipleship, and met his wife, Kirsten. Together they served in their church while Scott launched a small tool business. A mission trip to Mexico, where he witnessed hundreds respond to The Jesus Film, stirred a new passion. When invited to Albania for a film premiere, Kirsten and he went—despite knowing nothing about the country. There, they saw extraordinary openness to the gospel, including a classroom where nearly every student accepted Christ. A young girl’s plea— “Don’t waste time on people who don’t want to know God”—deeply marked them.
They returned home ready to shut down their business and move to Albania full‑time. But God redirected them, telling Scott to stay and continue his work. Months later, at a Campus Crusade conference, Dr. Bill Bright challenged believers to give $1 million each to take The Jesus Film to the nations. Scott and Kirsten wanted to participate, though it seemed impossible. They set a goal to give $50,000 the next year—more than the business had ever earned.
God provided miraculously. Unexpected customers, improbable connections, and a single afternoon of astonishing sales enabled them to meet their goal. Over seven years, through sacrifice and unwavering trust, they ultimately fulfilled their million‑dollar commitment.
Their journey hasn’t been without hardship—failed ventures, lean years, and financial strain—but Scott and Kirsten have remained faithful, generous, and committed to sharing Christ. Their story testifies to God’s power to redeem a life, direct a calling, and accomplish the impossible through ordinary people who simply say yes.
