"I feel brand new!"

Wednesday night was the second message in our series on "Skeptics". The question was posted, "Why would a loving God send people to hell?" We had an incredible night to say the least. The stage was set with many unlit candles. Knowing the subject matter of the night, we asked the kids to come light a candle to represent one person that they knew who didn't know Christ. That night we covered the fact that Hell was a real place. Then we answered the question of the skeptic from two angles.

1. God is love

• We know God is love because I John 4:8 tells us so. Also John 3:16, also... a ton of other verses in the Bible! God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to pay for our sin!

2. God is just

• Many verses in the Bible tell us that God is just also, I Peter 3:18 is "just" one of them. It means that he is fair, and does the right thing - always!

God doesn't send people to hell, we do. Jesus didn't come into the world to condemn it, but that through Him the world might be saved. Bottom line, sin has to be paid for. I looked at the students and made it clear and as simple as I could, "Either you are gonna pay for your sin in Hell, or Jesus will." We ended the night singing Kristian Stanfill's version of Jesus paid it all, Passion style. As we sang I noticed two of our students, Kaylee Daniels and Hanna Steele go into the back room with a girl named Desire. That night after meeting in our small groups, Kaylee Daniels came up to me and told me that she was able to lead a girl named Desire to the Lord. Desire has been visiting with us for a few weeks now and has just moved here to Jax from up north with her Mom.

I get home and get a call from a guy named Justin. Ironically, I prayed for Justin that morning that he would get saved. Justin too had been visiting with us for a few weeks, observing from a distance. Long story short, when I got off the phone with Justin, he gave his life to Christ! This afternoon I got to see both Justin and Desire and was able to talk with them about their decisions. As I talked with Justin we read 2 Cor 5:17 together, in a nutshell it says that those who are in Christ are BRAND NEW, the old life has passed and a new one has been born! After I shared that verse with him, the next words out of his mouth were, "I FEEL BRAND NEW!"

They got it! These two students understood their NEED of a savior who would forgive them of their sin. I ask you this question, "Are YOU going to pay for your sin, or is Jesus?" If you don't know for sure. Make sure you've given your life to Him. Email me, call me, find someone to talk to. Justin didn't pray with me last night, He got alone with God and told him of his need of a Savior! Be honest with the Lord. Either thank Him for saving you or tell him your need of His salvation.