I planted a flower garden in my yard last year and it looked great! It was one of those spots in the yard where grass used to grow and I just shoveled it all up, leveled it out, and then planted some flowers. After the mulch went down everything looked great... until this year that is. You see, I took a shortcut. I didn't put down any of that cloth (or plastic) that kills the grass. And if you don't kill the grass, it becomes a weed in what would be a beautiful garden. Now we'll be pulling that grass out of our flowers forever... until we dig the whole thing up and put down something that will KILL that grass that is! And such is the life of many a would-be Christ follower. They want to be born-again without ever dying to themselves. They want to have a God that will save them from themselves, while they serve themsleves with the life He gave them. "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." Jesus of Nazareth (John 12:24-25) Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

I've had the opportunity to travel much of the world and see some amazing spiritual places, but fortunately for me as a Christian, I don't have to travel anywhere to worship my God. Worshipers of some religions must go to specific place at a pre-arranged time or face in a certain direction to get their so-called god's approval. Sure, I go to organized church services, but I don't go there because God is only there and nowhere else. The true God we serve is everywhere and in all things and at all times. We can worship Him if we're stuck in the bottom of a dungeon (as St. Paul was) or in the majesty of the most beautiful cathedral. What we cannot do is worship Him in "flesh" no matter where we go. No amount of kneeling, clapping, singing or dancing will get God's attention if it's done for show! We must worship Him in spirit--meaning that our most inner being reaches out to Him in a humble, worshipful and truthful way. Glory be to God that the restrictions of the Old Testament were washed away by the Blood of His Only Son! "Sir, the woman said, 'I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.' Jesus declared, 'Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem... Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.' The woman said, 'I know that "Messiah" (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.' Then Jesus declared, 'I who speak to you am he.'" John 4:19-26 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

If you really give it some thought, do you think any demons know your name? If so, it could be for two reasons. One, because you don't know Christ and they are quite often able to use you to do their develish work. Or two, because who you work and your commitment to that work is tearing their world apart! I've heard it said this way: "When you're feet hit the floor in the morning does a bell go off in hell and do demons start to scream, Oh, no! They're up! If not, then you're not busy doing the Lord's work! "One day, the evil sprit answered them, 'Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?'" Acts 19:15 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

From the Roman Governor to the Jews to every day Americans in the here and now, everyone seems to be arguing about who killed Jesus. The bad news is that we all did! Every person who's ever breathed a breath is/was a sinful creature, save one--Our Lord Jesus! We all are responsible for Him having to die to save us from our sins, and our heavenly Father is the one who loved us enough to allow it to happen. Fortunately for us all, we can stop arguing because He's not dead and because the same power that brought Him back from the grave gives us hope for life eternal! Glory be to God! "When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. 'I am innocent of this man's blood,' he said. 'It is YOUR responsibility!'" Matthew 27:24 (Emphasis mine)  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

If you don't accept Jesus as your Lord, is He any less Lord of Lords? If you choose not to believe He is the Son of God, is He any less God's Only Begotten? If you choose not to acknowledge God at all, does that in any way diminish His power, His glory, or His Godliness? I think we've got a real misconception about who we are to God. To quote my own senior pastor, "We don't 'accept' Jesus as Lord, we 'acknowledge' Him." So, who's the Lord of your life? "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Do you ever speak of Jesus to others, or are you one of those people who are more quiet about their faith? My understanding of the way the Holy Spirit works is not that people become obnoxious with their faith, but that they certainly get a huge desire to share their faith with others when that faith is genuine. So, if you've not gotten the desire to speak to others about your Savior, you need to work on your faith. Start spending more time praying and getting to know Him through His Word--He wants you to tell others about Him! It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 2 Corinthians 4:13-14  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

My daughter informed me that she is sure that Mary Magdalene didn't walk slowly once she learned that Jesus' tomb was empty! "Daddy," she said, "I'll bet she ran like crazy to tell EVERYBODY!" It made me wonder, since He's still risen from the grave and desperately wants to reach a lost world, why do so many of His followers drag their feet as if they're not in a hurry to tell anybody that He's alive? "Early on the first day of the week, while it was till dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter..." John 20:1-2a  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Suicide remains the second leading cause of death among teens (12-19) and although the explanations as to why seem to span far and wide, they really all do it for the same reason. They are searching for an escape because they feel they have no hope! Fellow believers, if these teens have no hope, is it not in some ways our fault? We are the "clay pots" that contain the only endearing hope there is! Peter put it this way: "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" 1 Peter 3:15 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate