Fifty years ago, the Jesus Revolution swept across America. Steve Wood was there—living on a Navy ship, handing out pocket Bibles, and watching lives change overnight. Now, as the world reels from the shocking martyrdom of Charlie Kirk, Steve sees unmistakable signs of another great awakening. In this issue, he connects the past and present, showing why this may be the turning point of a generation—and how Catholics can help guide it toward Christ.
From the Desk of Steve Wood at the Family Life Center (October 2025)
Welcome to Friends of Charlie Kirk
In June of 1971, while serving aboard the U.S.S. Coronado LPD-11, a friend appeared in the office door and said, “Hey Wood, look at this!” It was the Time Magazine, June 21, 1971, featuring a psychedelic picture of Jesus on the cover with the title: “The Jesus Revolution.”
Even on a large ship like the Coronado, with a crew of 420, everyone knew about each other’s business. Many of the offices and most of the crew knew that Jesus had recently become my business.
I was a college dropout due to excessive partying. I was the co-social chairman of the wildest fraternity at the University of Florida. The last party I helped organize resulted in the fraternity being prohibited from hosting social events. In addition to my fraternity, I was a founding member of a sub-fraternity called, “The Berserkers.” A group of us didn’t think our fraternity was wild enough. It wasn’t a surprise that my GPA slipped onto the Dean’s warning list.
In the middle of all this craziness, my father unexpectedly died. His death sobered me up for about six months. After that, I decided to revert to my previous collegiate lifestyle with gusto. I drank enormous amounts of alcohol and drove like a maniac. My grades continued to slip and I came to the conclusion that college wasn’t for me. So, I dropped out and joined the Navy.
I was surprised to learn that enlisted sailors in a foreign port were as crazy as my fraternity and Berserker days. So I joined right in. I tried as hard as humanly possible to find meaning and lasting happiness in hedonism, but it escaped my grasp. My family was concerned that I was living on thin ice. They were right.
I felt that I had stretched things so far that perhaps it was time for a new perspective on life. I turned to what we call today, the New Age Movement. I was told that to free my Karma and move to higher states of enlightenment, I was to read the Bible to move on from Christianity.
In the midst of my karma-freeing Bible reading, I was returning from liberty on night and noticed a little red booklet (2” x 2.5”) on the deck of my ship. I picked it up and read the cover: “Personal Bible Verses of Comfort, Assurance, and Salvation.” I read the little booklet and then prayed the brief prayer, which went like this:
“God be merciful to me a sinner! I believe Christ died for me and that His Precious blood will cleanse me from all my sin. By faith I now receive the Lord Jesus into my heart as my Lord and my Savior; trusting Him for the salvation of my soul.
Help me Lord to do thy will each day. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen”
My life changed. I mean, it was really changed, and most everyone on my ship knew it, especially after what I did next.
I didn’t have the slightest clue what to do following my decision to follow Jesus. I wrote to the publishers of the little red Personal Bible and asked for their advice. I also sent them enough money for a few hundred copies of the little red Personal Bibles. I started passing out the Personal Bibles to my shipmates while they waited in the chow line. I wonder if this ever happened before in the U.S. Navy, but it caused quite a stir on my ship. The chaplain called me in and expressed his concern that I was trying to start some religious movement. I was.
For six months after all of the above, I was known as the Jesus guy on my ship. Most of the crew were puzzled by my conversion to Jesus. That is, until the Time Magazine, of June 21, 1970 arrived on my ship. From that article which got passed around they figured out what I was: a Jesus Freak.
For me, it was extremely encouraging to learn that I wasn’t alone. Thousands of others who were living on thin ice were converting to Christianity to the amazement of pastors, parents, and the wider religious communities.
The Time Magazine cover in April 8, 1996 asked: “Is God Dead?” Well, as liberal mainline Protestantism was watering down morals and beliefs in a futile effort to attract members, they were dying on the vine.
Like Holy Week, when everyone thinks Jesus is dead, he very surprisingly resurrects. He decided to resurrect in the 1970s in the midst of the most drug-infested, sexually revolutionary region of the United States, namely, Southern California.
After leaving the Navy, I headed to the church featured in Time Magazine. The history of the Jesus Movement at Calvary Chapel was recently featured in the 2023 film, The Jesus Revolution. You can watch it on Amazon Prime.
There was one important dynamic about Calvary Chapel that wasn’t emphasized in the movie. I drove 3,000 miles to attend Calvary because they taught Bible studies six nights a week. These studies were ones that the average Joe, like me, could understand and apply to my life.
I personally experienced, along tens of thousands, the unexpected life-transforming conversion experience during the season of the Jesus Movement. Yet, without the undergirding of practical scripture teaching, the religious experience would have been short-lived.
Fast forward to March 2025
In this newsletter last March I said that “there are some encouraging stirrings afoot.”
- A large Bible publisher reports that Bible sales have surged, a 30% increase in the past year, especially among younger demographics.
- The American Bible Society found that 54% of Gen Z young adults (born between 1997 and 2021) said that the message of the Bible has transformed their lives.
- The WSJ reports that Bible sales are booming, fueled by first-time buyers.
The main topic of my newsletter was how many Christian ministries had totally given up on reaching young men. Despite the gloom among many Christian leaders regarding the possibility of reaching younger men, some shocking statistics should lead to a change of expectations.
- An article in a digital magazine of the New York Times asks the surprising question: “Will Young Men Take Over Christianity?” The article reports on research among 5,000 Americans showing a grand reversal in gender patterns with Generation Z. Young men are now more likely to be observant and faithful Christians than young women.
- Ruth Graham, Billy Graham’s daughter, writes in the New York Times that young men are becoming more religious than women.
I mentioned that after launching my Luke21 broadcast/podcast teaching biblical prophecy, I noticed that more young men were listening than in my previous quarter-century of Catholic broadcasting.
In my concluding remarks, I said, “Have you noticed that our world seems to be coming to a turning point? I suspect that a significant reason for the increase in younger male listenership is that we are at the front end of a major cultural change.“
The Turning Point
The turning point did come. It was on September 10, 2025. Charlie Kirk was martyred on this date. Notice that I didn’t say he was “murdered” or “assassinated,” while both terms are accurate, they don’t scratch the surface of what happened.
Charlie Kirk was a conservative Christian political activist. Politics aside, the effect of his death is, consciously or unconsciously, seen by youth to be an attempt to finish severing their generation from God. They are not buying it. They’ve had enough of a dozen isms shoved down their throats. They don’t want it anymore. In large numbers around the world, they want to return to God.
Charlie’s organization is called, Turning Point U.S.A. His martyrdom is going to transform his life’s work into Turning Point World! We have entered the early stages of a period that religious historians call a “Great Awakening” triggered by Charlie’s martyrdom.
Jesus Movement II
Robert Kennedy, while giving a tribute to Charlie, told the story of his niece getting ready to head off to college. Her mother was surprised to see a Bible packed in her suitcase. When asked why she packed a Bible she said: “I want to be like Charlie Kirk.”
Similar scenarios are being played out in countries around the world. The most talented political activist could never have such an effect. It’s the effect of youth seeing a man of God with a backbone and standing up straight in the face of the 21st century secularism.
Some of the most unlikely young adults are going to be seeking to link up with Jesus. Will we assist them on their spiritual journey?
Our Part in the New Jesus Movement
I recently recorded an identical podcast for both Luke21 and Faith & Family Bible studies (listen here), welcoming the friends of Charlie Kirk to join us.
What I learned in the first Jesus Movement was that scripture study can provide both a path to get close to Jesus and a solid fountain on which to build a lasting faith.
What I hope to offer through these two scripture podcasts at BibleforCatholic.com is a scripture foundation for the new Jesus Movement. We aim to provide a rock-solid foundation with the historic Christian faith, as preserved for the modern world in the Catholic Church. We want to introduce them both to the scriptures and the richness of a sacramental life.
Please pass along this welcome letter, and/or link to Luke21 episode #489, to a young friend of Charlie Kirk. Most importantly, it’s an opportune time to reach out to your own grown children, or grandchildren, who have drifted away from the Church.
Yours in His Majesty’s Service,
Steve Wood
P.S. Need a place to start? The Seven “I AM” Statements of Jesus are powerful. We’re pleased to offer a free printable resource of these seven statements for your home and family to use in prayer, reflection, and memorization. This download accompanies our “I Am Series” in Faith & Family Bible Study (Episodes 501–513).
P.P.S. If you send an email invitation for BibleforCatholics.com, then send each invitation using a single address. Multiple-addressed emails dilute their effectiveness.
P.P.P.S. If you’re able to send a little financial support, it would mean a great deal and you can do so here. But above all, please share BibleforCatholics.com with young persons.
“The disciples who meet Jesus on the road to Emmaus represents, in some sense, the model of a catechesis centered on “the explanation of the Scriptures.’”
– Pope Benedict XVI, The Word of the Lord (Verbum Domini) #86