This could change everything!

This past weekend I was speaking to a group of students from Bethany Chapel. It was a fantastic weekend. The plan was to camp out in tents. (Thank you God for a very comfortable trailer!) There were 45 Jr. High and Sr. High students attendance.

I met with their youth pastor a week before the event to talk about where his students were spiritually and what kinds of things he was thinking he would like to see addressed. Most of his students are believers and one of the things he was hoping they would gain from of the weekend was a desire to see their friends become Jesus followers too.

On Saturday night I spoke about the need to talk to our friends about our faith and give them opportunities to discover the grace of Jesus for themselves.

Before the weekend was over two students spoke with me independently about their desire to share their relationship with Jesus with their friends.

Some might think "Big deal!" But I say “That is a huge deal, in fact this could change everything.” Statistics indicate that more than 80% of people come to faith in Jesus before their 18th birthday! Students are living in one of the most spiritually fertile parts of our culture.

I know of a fantastic pastor who, if it were not for two friends who worked with him in Canadian Tire back when he was in High School, would never have come to faith. He grew up in a family that had no faith at all. He had been watching their lives for some time and was just wishing they would invite him to one of the youth events at their church. Because they took a risk and invited him, he is a believer and is influencing many others to follow Jesus.

God spoke to a number of students about a bunch of things but for me the most exciting is reaching out to our friends with their faith. With their new-found desire to see their friends come to know Jesus, only God knows whose lives will be changed for eternity and how far the ripple of their little act of obedience will go!