God will finish what He starts.
Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2014 by
About four years ago, I was driving through Lincoln and noticed a Lincoln High student that I had met briefly, but couldn’t remember his name. I asked him if he needed a ride, and without a trace of hesitation, he said I could take him to the mall. That was my first memorable interaction with Bryce. I had no idea at the time that this young man would become an extremely important person in my life. After that encounter, Bryce began showing up at Campus Life events and clubs. By the end of his sophomore year, he was one of our most consistent students. At that point, we asked Bryce to go with us to Midwest Bible Camp in Iowa. Though he seemed interested, he also had lots of excuses why he couldn’t go. We just kept working on him and praying because I had an extremely strong leading that Bryce was supposed to go to that camp with us. One by one, each of the obstacles keeping Bryce from attending camp were removed. Not only did Bryce have a great time at camp, but more importantly, he made a decision to give his life completely to Christ! Bryce also made a significant impact on the other students at camp. You see, Bryce has one of the most natural servant hearts of anyone I have ever met. Not only did he have an amazing attitude whenever his cabin was assigned KP duties in the dining Campus Life, Teen Parents, Juvenile Justice - 37 hall, Bryce also worked KP for every meal, whether his cabin was supposed to or not. He just really wanted to serve the people of the camp, who were making such an important difference in his life, as well as God. Since that week four years ago, Bryce has had his share of struggles, and his relationship with God has been up and down. But, over the past six months I have seen God do a transforming work in Bryce that has brought him to a new level of commitment and devotion to Christ. During this time, Bryce spent almost every Saturday night sleeping on my couch, so he would be certain to wake up for church. After missing camp last year, Bryce returned this year, more mature and ready to grow in a new way. By the end of the week, Bryce had not only dealt with some issues and grown much closer to God, he had also made a decision to attend York College, a Christian school in York, Nebraska, this coming fall. As you can see, this sort of ministry happens over the long haul and takes time as we invest in these students’ lives and allow God to do His transforming work in His good time . . .
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” – Philippians 1:6
More kids like this can be impacted when we all play a part in reaching lost teens in Lincoln. You can choose to volunteer, give, or pray to support Youth for Christ's ministries in Lincoln and the surrounding area. Campus Life, Teen Parents, and Juvenile Justice are essential ministries to reach Lincoln's teens.
Give > http://give.lincolnyfc.org
Volunteer > http://www.lincolnyfc.org/get_involved/
(As always, we try to use pseudonyms and alternate photos to protect the identities of our students.)