“And Jesus did many other things -if written- the world could not contain the Books” John 21:25

The scroll of the “other things” continues to unfold, line by line, in the lives Jesus redeems. Tony’s salvation saga stands as one more Spirit-written chapter—testifying to the life-changing power of God’s redeeming love.

From Satan’s grip to a Savior’s grace

John 10:10 says there is a thief who comes “to steal, kill, and destroy.” Tony Nolan knows what it’s like to live in that adversary’s crosshairs. In the long scroll of the “other things” Jesus continues to redeem, Tony entered the world in a place no child should begin — a mental institution. He was the son of a mentally ill, homeless street prostitute who could not care for him. The broken foster system didn’t rescue him; it trafficked him. Eventually he was sold to a couple for child labor, a transaction that would haunt his childhood. He grew up in an impoverished, violent neighborhood where gunshots weren’t shocking — they were familiar. Tony witnessed the murders of neighbors… and even relatives. Inside the home was no refuge either. His adoptive father, often drunk and full of rage, beat him repeatedly and would scream: “I regret buying you for $200! I’m gonna get my receipt and take you back!” Words like that don’t just bruise the skin — they bruise the soul. To numb the rejection, Tony chased anything that promised escape: alcohol, narcotics, whatever could quiet the pain. But the highs never healed the hurt. They only deepened it. Eventually, despair landed him in a mental ward, locked in a padded cell for two weeks after attempting to take his own life.

It looked like the enemy had won.

But just when Satan thought he had him, the Savior stepped in. And another line was added to the “other things.” On February 24th, 1989 — while drunk and high — Tony wandered into a small Bible study. They handed him coffee… and then they handed him Jesus. As the Gospel was shared, conviction gripped him. Right there, Tony surrendered his life to Christ. And in that moment, the ending of John 10:10 became the beginning of an entirely new life — The words, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly,” washed over him, and as Tony prayed to receive Christ, God whispered a sentence that shattered decades of shame and rewrote his identity forever: “Tony, your adoptive father discouraged you by saying he regretted purchasing you for $200. But I am your Heavenly Father now — and I have never regretted purchasing you with the priceless blood of My Son. I love you, Tony.”

God’s love became the fire of his heart and the fuel of his calling.

Out of gratitude for Christ’s redeeming love, Tony picked up his cross and embraced the disciplines required to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus. He submitted as an apprentice under godly mentors. This journey of formation led him to surrender fully to the call of ministry. While laboring in the fields for Christ, Tony poured himself into rigorous study of the Scriptures, earning his B.A. in Biblical Studies. And, desiring to walk in the way of the early church fathers, he undertook the demanding journey of a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Formation — emerging a more humbled and more able disciple of Christ. Forged by fires of preparation, God began writing pages of supernatural proportion throughout Tony’s ministry. For nearly three decades, Tony has traveled across America — serving pastors, strengthening churches, preaching the Gospel so that people can be swallowed up by the same life-changing love of God that rescued him. As a result, over 1 million people have publicly embraced the Gospel, repenting of sin and surrendering to Jesus.

The story’s not over.

Every message he preaches becomes another line in the unfolding story of the “other things” Jesus is still doing in this world. His passion is simple and fierce: To see people saved from sin and Satan, then become fully devoted disciples of Jesus who serve faithfully in His Church. Tony’s story isn’t a story of tragedy — it’s a story of triumph. It’s the story of a Father who never regrets His children. It’s the story of grace rewriting a life the enemy tried to destroy. And it’s one more Spirit-written chapter in the great scroll of the “other things” too numerous for the world itself to contain. It’s the on-going story Tony carries into every pulpit, every event, and every waking moment of his life. Tony’s life is proof that the Author of salvation is still writing stories of redemption — and His pen has not run dry.