Do Not Be Afraid!

I once heard it said that the greatest mission field in the world is high school hall ways. While I thought this might be true when I heard it in high school, I also thought it was just my pastor trying to get me to bring friends to church. Now I know this is one of the truest statements ever impressed upon me. Statistics show that the majority of people who come to Christ do so in the first 20 years of life.

Do not be afraid! Invite your friends to church so they can hear about Jesus' amazing love. I used to borrow my mom's minivan and take half my teammates to church with me every Wednesday.

Be bold! The worst they can say is, "No thanks." You never know—it may be the invitation that changes their lives forever in the most positive way possible.

Jesus loved them enough to die for them—can't we at least love them enough to invite them?

Jason Isaacs is youth pastor at Tulsa, Oklahoma, Regency Park Church of the Nazarene.

I Wish My Parents Knew...

"I wish my parents knew about the things we have to face every day. Whether it is the temptation of sexual promiscuity or just the pressure to be like everyone else." —Clay, 16

"I wish my parents realized that the world is different these days." —Ethan, 17

"I wish my parents knew how to do my homework." —Austin, 18

"I wish my parents knew about all the peer pressure I face, when I need my space, and all the drama going on around me." —Kara, 14

"I wish my parents would not cling to the rules that they have always had in place just because they are afraid to lose their control over me. Some things could afford to be slackened, at least once just to see how I handle myself. Having this much forced structure up until college never does teens any good. I want to try to be independent before I leave the house in case I need their help, and so I'm still close enough to ask." —Lauren, 18

Holiness Today, May/June 2008

Please note: This article was originally published in 2008. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.