Good morning! We’ve been talking about Craig’s List, the list of verses that have meant the most to me over my life.  You know, I could do this for a month and just give you verse after verse and story after story, but this particular one means a lot to me because it reminds me of when I was a young boy.  

I grew up in the home of a minister, my dad was a minister of music, and he led worship in churches all around the state of Texas starting in Dallas.  Later we moved to Odessa, then to San Angelo and up into the pan-handle to a town called Plainview, where I graduated from high school.  Later on, I lived in Lubbock for a while and graduated from Texas Tech.  

All during that season of life, God was at work in my life.  But back in San Angelo, when I was a young boy, this one verse God impressed on my heart.  I heard it first from my parents, I also heard it taught at church and one Sunday it clicked for me.  

Here’s the verse, For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.  I can remember the day that God really spoke to me through that verse.  After the service was over, I came down to the front, and no one was there.  I tried to talk to my dad, but he was busy talking to somebody.  I went around to my mom, and she was taking her choir robe off.  That was back when they sang in robes.  Then I came back and was just looking around, and I found the senior adult pastor, and I said, Pastor, God’s talking to me.  We sat down on the front row, and the auditorium was empty.  He said, Do you know this verse?  And he gave me this verse.  He said, God loves you and he sent his only son, Jesus, to die on a cross for you, and if you will believe in him, he will give you eternal life.  And I said, That’s what I want!  And I remember kneeling down right then praying for Jesus to forgive me and lead my life.  

You know what; I’ve never been the same!  Have I been perfect?  Not anywhere close!  But have I been forgiven?  Yes!  And changed?  You bet, and I know that that verse will change you because the truth is in it.  

If you don’t know Jesus, I pray that today, you would pray to God and say, Lord, I need you to come into my life and forgive me.  I want to follow you.  And get into a Bible believing church that will encourage you and teach you and help you grow in God’s Word.

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