"The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time." Genesis 6:5 Would you put "wicked" on the list of things you would call yourself? I think most of us like to think of wicked as something reserved for "wicked witches of the west" and other ugly people. Unfortunately for our line of thinking, wickedness has nothing to do with physical appearance. Some of the most beautiful people have some of the ugliest hearts on the planet. And so we get to the heart of the matter--it's all about our hearts! Now, within that line of thinking, would you put "wicked" on the list of things you would call yourself? Frankly, we are all capable of plenty of evil and wickedness if we decided to put our minds to it. The only question is whether or not you've realized that fact and done something about it! "You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." Acts 8:21-23 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Some friends of ours had their first baby. We went over to their house for a Bible study and I got to see the beam in my friend's eyes as he talked about his new little girl. It took me back so many years as I thought about the first time I laid eyes on my eldest daughter--There's simply nothing quite like the feeling of holding your own child for the first time. As I was listening to my buddy tell me about all the little changes in their lives in the last couple of weeks, he relayed a story to me. It seems some friends of theirs had had their first baby just a couple of months prior. On the day our friends brought their baby home, their other friends called my buddy and asked him one simple question: "Have you ever loved anything more than you love that little baby?" With the exception of maybe a spouse, the answer is a resounding "NO!" If we, being sinful, can love that much... Imagine how much more our Holy and Heavenly Father loves US! Now, imagine how much He had to love YOU to sacrifice His Only Son to save your soul! "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things. Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies." Romans 8:31-33 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

What would you pay for love? Although it sounds crazy, people try to purchase it every day. Some think it's found in the things this world offers--stuff you can buy at the mall or the car dealership and take home and admire. Of course, that stuff never loves you back. Some think it's found in relationships so they try to purchase it by pretending to be people they aren't so others will "love" them. Again, it's not real love. Genuine love is always given free of charge. Far more think love is found in the arms of a "lover," so they sell their purity and often even their souls to purchase it. But if they ever take the time to inspect it closely they realize it's not real love. When they realize that, they feel more empty and unloved than they ever did before they sought to find it. That kind of love is like one of those wild west towns in the movies--It looks fine from a distance, but it's only the fronts of buildings--nothing's real! Friends, real love is always given free of charge. Ask Jesus and He'll tell you all about it. The price of His love is free to you. He paid for it on the cross. "Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others." 1 Corinthians 10:24 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Couple after couple write and tell me that they've blown it sexually, but that it was an accident--that they didn't mean for it to happen "it just did!" So I ask them some pointed questions: "Were you spending a lot of time alone?" "Were you hanging out in each other's bedrooms?" "Did you plan your dates so that you had some slack time to 'be together' alone?" And the answers always come back, "Yes", "Yes, and "Yes." Things never just happen by accident. In these situations, as in most, teens are saying to each other, "How close can we get to this cliff without falling over?" Wouldn't the better question be to ask how far would be a safe distance from the cliff and then keep away from it? For people who are not married, the answers to my earlier questions should ALWAYS be "no." I know it sounds hard-core, but without tough boundaries you will fail--Satan is not powerless! "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Romans 13:14  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

If you haven't already said it yourself, you've probably heard your parents recant the old saying, "There are only two things that are for sure: Death and Taxes!" While I can completely agree with the sentiment, there are a few other things, not unlike taxes, that we are required by the Scriptures to pay. Most people understand the whole tax thing, so the Apostle Paul used it to remind us that we also owe other things as well. For most Christians today, taxes are taken right out of our checks, so that doesn't seem to be a problem. But when it comes to paying other things, like respect, for example, it gets much more difficult. I urge you though to remember that one of our best witnesses is not how well we preach or proclaim the gospel to others, but simply how we respect the authorities over us. Teachers, parents, police officers; all of them deserve our respect. Not because they've earned it, but because "all authority" over us is God given and we are commanded to respect it (and them). "Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Christ gave freely of everything He had, up to and including His life. As Christians we're simply asked to do the same. Yet, many who know of God's goodness and grace through a personal relationship with Jesus simply will not share the gift with others. Such action (or inaction) shows the believer's heart for what it truly is--selfish. The selfishness is fueled by pride, the one thing our Lord needs us to get over before He can use us for even the smallest thing. Pride has no business in the believer's heart. Ask the Lord to cleanse it and He'll use you to cleanse others before you know it. "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 10:8) Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Somewhere in your adolescent years you probably realized that your life would one day come to an end. It's not a pleasant experience for most, and it certainly wasn't for me! It was scary! I remember that it happened near when my great grandmother died--It was the first time I had to deal with death. The uncertainty of "life after death" and especially that whole being buried in a coffin didn't set well with me. Fortunately, even for the newest Christian, one of the first signs the Spirit of God is in you is a gentle loss of the fear of death. What could death do to us anyway? Sure, I'd rather die in some quiet and peaceful way, but in the end it won't really matter. For the believer, death is simply another beginning! A beginning where we will once and for all be rid of the sin we struggle with--The beginning of an eternity with Christ. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death." Jesus of Nazareth (Revelation 2:11) Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

When the Lord led the Apostle Paul to write us nearly two whole books dealing with sexual immorality, He no doubt understood this would be one of our major struggles. The Corinthians were not unlike modern day people in that they were given over to all types of sensuality, and especially those of a sexual nature. With our focus being so concentrated on fulfilling our every desire, maybe it doesn't make such an impact on us when Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit is right there with us in our sin when we (as Christians) become involved in lewd acts. If not, then maybe the next time you feel the temptation to fall into something immoral, imagine your actions causing the whip to strike Jesus' back yet again. Or maybe imagine Him, God's only Son, standing there watching you. After all, that's where He is--closer to you than your clothes! "Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Romans 13: 13-14 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate