Well we just got back from our Winter Retreat and my expectations were blown away. Let me give you the highlights, and then an awesome story.
* We saw a real life Indian and took a picture with him. (He also played us a song)
* I have been to a lot of teen conventions but TCTC is by far the best one I have seen!
* It was so much fun to worship, laugh, dance, and listen to God's word with the youth group.
* We went to IHOP at 1:00a.m in the morning. Not good for the stomach on Sunday.
* I got to baptize my good friend James Saturday night before IHOP.
* Shane and Shane did a late night concert and I have never heard such powerful voices come out of speakers before.
* We sat in the front row every session!! (I think impressive when you had 4,500 teenagers there)
My friend James came in my hotel room during the day and asked if he could talk to me about baptism sometime. We were getting ready to walk around Gatlinburg at that time so I told him we would take care of it that night. We were standing outside waiting on the doors to be opened and so I asked someone beside me if I could use their Bible. James and I stood there talking for about 20 minutes and afterwards he just said, "I am going to do it, I want to get baptized!" So I hugged him and yelled it to the whole crowd standing there. During the general session they had a time of invitation and you could see it in his eyes. God was bringing conviction, desire, hope and life into James. Students were walking towards the front and James looked at me and said, "Dude, I"m going!"
I saw in that moment that nothing was going to stop him from following God. His mind was made up right then that no matter what situation, trial, temptation or circumstance, nothing was going to keep him from his Savior. In that moment it was him and Jesus and nothing was going to change that. He was going to move, he was going to take the steps that need to be taken, he was going follow no matter what.
Let there be more moments in my life where I don't question I just follow...
Love it - you have much beter color than Stan - but for some reason I did find it harder to find the comment section - maybe just me - I'm not computer savvy! Thank you for all that you do - I know that's not the intent of this website, but how many times have I walked out of church and said - Im going to send him a note and never do!~ My BAD - but we do appreciate you.
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