I am going to do my best to make a very long story, short.
Last night I was at our youth service called OFY (OH-FEE) for our weekly Sunday night event. Service began at 6:30 sharp and we typically have about 20 minutes of worship with someone preaching. Anyway, for some random reason I was feeling totally dis-engaged during the service. I couldn't concentrate, I was being totally critical in my heart about everything, I had a bad attitude, and finally I decided to just go outside by myself. We just got these skate ramps and I though; Why Not? RANDOM!
Now, let me clarify how random that is. 1. I SUCK on a skate board. Always have always will. 2. I never leave service, it is literally my job on Sunday nights to be in the service. 3. Why go outside and not somewhere else in a 5000sq ft building with flat screens, video games, pool tables, and food? RANDOM!
Anyway, I go outside and there are 2 kids on the skate ramps; one with a bike the other with a board. I go over to scream at them that they are supposed to be inside in the service (I should take my own advise) only to find out that they are not OFY kids. They went on to tell me that they were walking by and saw the ramps and wanted to check them out. Its about 7:30 at night on Sunday and its pitch black outside. What the H are they doing walking by? RANDOM!
We get the talking, I never told them that OFY was a church, or mention Jesus but somehow the conversation headed in a direction that I can only explain was GOD. They began telling me how they constantly get kicked out of their house, doing drugs, hanging with the wrong crowd, having sex, getting arrested, etc. I talked a little about my story, kept God out of it, and told them they needed to start hanging with a different crowd. Then I asked them if they were Christians, they both gave me an Un-convincing "YES". I asked them what that meant to them and one said that he has been to church and the other said he was in a church band. So I said, "Your a christian because u were in a band and you were in a building?" They laughed and said "No" that they probably weren't Christian.
Needless to say, about 10 minutes of them asking me questions and God's hand at work, I began to see a miracle. The started to open themselves to Christ and I wasn't doing anything to convince them of anything. One kid asked me "How do you get saved?" I told him it isn't a prayer, it isn't doing anything, but instead it is a sincere heart that acknowledges Jesus as Lord and Savior and asking him into your life. He literally, grabbed my hand stood up and said "lets do it." What the F? (Yeah I just said that b/c that is really how I felt, and I don't feel bad.) I am like so lost at this point? Is this really happening? Then the other kid stands up and says, "Yeah I need this too." HELLO, IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?
Last night I was at our youth service called OFY (OH-FEE) for our weekly Sunday night event. Service began at 6:30 sharp and we typically have about 20 minutes of worship with someone preaching. Anyway, for some random reason I was feeling totally dis-engaged during the service. I couldn't concentrate, I was being totally critical in my heart about everything, I had a bad attitude, and finally I decided to just go outside by myself. We just got these skate ramps and I though; Why Not? RANDOM!
Now, let me clarify how random that is. 1. I SUCK on a skate board. Always have always will. 2. I never leave service, it is literally my job on Sunday nights to be in the service. 3. Why go outside and not somewhere else in a 5000sq ft building with flat screens, video games, pool tables, and food? RANDOM!
Anyway, I go outside and there are 2 kids on the skate ramps; one with a bike the other with a board. I go over to scream at them that they are supposed to be inside in the service (I should take my own advise) only to find out that they are not OFY kids. They went on to tell me that they were walking by and saw the ramps and wanted to check them out. Its about 7:30 at night on Sunday and its pitch black outside. What the H are they doing walking by? RANDOM!
We get the talking, I never told them that OFY was a church, or mention Jesus but somehow the conversation headed in a direction that I can only explain was GOD. They began telling me how they constantly get kicked out of their house, doing drugs, hanging with the wrong crowd, having sex, getting arrested, etc. I talked a little about my story, kept God out of it, and told them they needed to start hanging with a different crowd. Then I asked them if they were Christians, they both gave me an Un-convincing "YES". I asked them what that meant to them and one said that he has been to church and the other said he was in a church band. So I said, "Your a christian because u were in a band and you were in a building?" They laughed and said "No" that they probably weren't Christian.
Needless to say, about 10 minutes of them asking me questions and God's hand at work, I began to see a miracle. The started to open themselves to Christ and I wasn't doing anything to convince them of anything. One kid asked me "How do you get saved?" I told him it isn't a prayer, it isn't doing anything, but instead it is a sincere heart that acknowledges Jesus as Lord and Savior and asking him into your life. He literally, grabbed my hand stood up and said "lets do it." What the F? (Yeah I just said that b/c that is really how I felt, and I don't feel bad.) I am like so lost at this point? Is this really happening? Then the other kid stands up and says, "Yeah I need this too." HELLO, IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?
I then told them the importance of the bible and that they need to get around people who can push them in their new relationship with Christ, got their contact info and bounced. As I left, one of the kids stuck his hand out and said, "Thank you" shook my hand and said, "you have no idea how fresh I feel, I feel like a new person." (all of these verses started coming to mind: new creation, I make all things new, born again, you are mine.) I thought, this is my theology at work. That young man just experienced the same regeneration that I felt in 2000 when Ricky Grant led me to the Lord. Maybe in 8 years from now, he'll be planning on planting a church or having a conversation with some kid in a parking lot leading them to Jesus. Is this real? Phillipians 1:6 says; "being confident of this, that HE (Jesus) who BEGAN (This is the beginning for them) a Good Work (Regeneration, Born Again, forgiveness of sin) is FAITHFUL (It is God who will grow them in their faith, not anyone else) to carry it through until the day of Chirst Jesus.
Let me just say this. THAT ISH NEVER FREAKIN HAPPENS TO ME. I have lead people to Chirst through relationships, through sermons, but never in a 20 minute conversation has God used me so powerfully. It was the most beautiful experience that I have had happen in a very long time.
Never forget that God is at work. You may feel disconnected, disengaged, uninterested, whatever. It doesn't matter how you feel, God is still at work. Don't ever forget that. Don't ever forget that "OUR GOD IS MIGHTY TO SAVE"
Let me just say this. THAT ISH NEVER FREAKIN HAPPENS TO ME. I have lead people to Chirst through relationships, through sermons, but never in a 20 minute conversation has God used me so powerfully. It was the most beautiful experience that I have had happen in a very long time.
Never forget that God is at work. You may feel disconnected, disengaged, uninterested, whatever. It doesn't matter how you feel, God is still at work. Don't ever forget that. Don't ever forget that "OUR GOD IS MIGHTY TO SAVE"
2 comments:
AMEN!
That's amazing!! Thanks for the encouraging story in a world where people don't believe in God's power!
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