16 4JSUS  

Lauren Parker had a contagious smile, but it was her joy that was mesmerizing. Don’t get me wrong, Lauren        was a normal teenager who fought normal temptations however, Lauren had found something that gave her an amazing peace. She had found a peace that brought her enormous joy. You might question what concerns could Lauren have had at just 16?  Being a typical teenager meant she encountered many peace “busters”. She had a job, a boyfriend and was a junior in a large public high school where temptations are at every turn and come at alarming rates. She confronted (like a lot of teenagers) high expectations from teachers, coaches, peers and parents, yet two years before her untimely death, Lauren found something special, she found the greatest love that has ever been offered.   

 

Lauren found the love of God’s Son or should I say it “found” her. This great love came in the form of God’s Son Jesus. He brought wholeness to her life and she wanted others to find that wholeness too. She had a loving family, devoted friends and many talents. Yet, even with all these important pieces of life, the one thing they could not bring her was completeness. Jesus said that he was “truth” and “life”.  Boy, aren’t we all looking for truth? In a world where nothing seems real anymore we have begun to accept the alternative because much of life seems like a masquerade. Not only did Jesus claim to be the “life”, he even said we could have this life too. What about this “life” makes it so great? It is a life of freedom (not to be confused with independence), freedom from death, the unknown and from fear itself. She was able to live in freedom because Jesus, who had forgiven her of her sins, had also given her purpose in life. She didn’t have to search for her career, where she would go to college, her husband or even direction in life. She trusted God and took him at his word when she read Jeremiah 29:11 , “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  She trusted God with her future, no matter where that led. That was the freedom she had and that was the freedom that allowed her to live out her life fully ALIVE. To live a life free of fear, free of confusion and free of doubt.  

 

You too can know the joy of being ALIVE. You too can live in freedom and experience the wholeness that can only come from a committed relationship with God’s son, Jesus Christ. If this is you, please understand the following:

God is a Holy God. This means that he is perfect and without any blemish. We, his creation, were sinful at birth and we have continued to sin. This sin separates us from a Holy God. God takes wrong doing, (sin), much more serious than we do and to him the payment of our sin is death and hell. If we continue in our sin we will die and spend eternity in hell separated from God. Because of God’s amazing love for his creation he has sent his son to be a sacrifice to pay our sin debt. This debt cost Jesus his life, but it gives us a second chance. Although we don’t deserve this second chance, God gives it to each and every one of his creation who will accept it. Our role is very simple. If we will just admit that we are sinners and that our only hope is putting our faith in Jesus Christ. If we will ask Jesus to forgive us and help us to stop sinning he will forgive us and give us a new LIFE. If we will trust him both now and forever, he will save us and complete us. This takes not only an intellectual decision but also a commitment of action. We must turn from our old ways and turn to him! He is the way, the truth and your new LIFE!  If this is your desire, your decision and you dedicate yourself wholly to Jesus Christ then you can be sure you are saved.  

 

Read (Psalm 51:5, John 3:16, Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:13, John 5:24; 14: 6, 2 Timothy 1:12)