"If God is love, then why is there so much evil in the world?" Many people get a kick out of asking a pastor or a priest that question. I've definitely gotten it plenty of times. Maybe they just want to see the reaction or something, but they strike out if they ask me. I look at it as either ignorance, or maybe an attempt to bring an indictment against God. My answer is typically framed in the form of a question. "So, have you ever looked at the evil inside of you?" Honestly, if any one of us put our minds to it, we could probably do more evil than any other person has ever done. It's down inside our hearts already--all we'd need to do is let it out! That's the problem my friends--we are sinners, and unless something radical is done about it we'll just keep on sinning. That's the purpose of the Cross--to save us from our sinful selves. God is not the author of evil--He is the author of grace! "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." Psalm 51:5 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Far too many churches and Christian organizations will lay out an exhaustive plan for how you can serve, and how you can give, with far too little emphasis on helping you learn to follow Christ. I have met more people who are sick of their churches for this reason than for any other I can think of. Beautiful stained glass, wonderful programs, and all the great philosophical teaching in the world simply won't get anyone into a right relationship with their Creator. Only faith in Jesus Christ can do that, and that only comes through the Holy Spirit of God. So it suffices to say that if the leaders of a congregation are not trying to lead you in that direction, then they are not being prompted by the Holy Spirit. Frankly, the most successful churches I know (both in monetary terms and in terms of souls saved) are churches who simply and methodically point people toward a loving, believing and saving relationship with Jesus. "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Many people tell me they just can't share their faith. While I can understand the difficulty, sometimes I think the problem is they are trying to share it the way they've seen others do it, and maybe that's not the best way for them. Below are six different ways of sharing your faith with an unbeliever. See if you can find one that fits an evangelistic situation you've been avoiding. 1. Confrontational. (Should be used only by those well versed in the Scriptures and should be used sparingly even then.) 2. Intellectual. Using logic (or Christian apologetics (giving reasons for your faith). 3. Testimonial. (Anyone can tell someone else their own testimony. It doesn't have to be long, and it's hard to argue with) 4. Relational. (Building relationships for the express purpose of sharing your faith.) 5. Invitational. (Generally used in formal settings like church or rallies.) 6. Service (Acts of service done in love). "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." 1 Corinthians 9:22 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Although we should all strive to become mature in our faith so that we can teach others, we must also understand that doing so changes the way the Lord looks at us. He can use us to grow others, but if we are then unfaithful in the way we speak, or teach, then we will be judged more harshly than a new believer. And it's not just how we speak when we're teaching that gets us... it's how we speak all of the time. We must set the standard for other believers, and be a model Christ follower for those who are not. "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check." James 3:1-2 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

The Scriptures tell us that God did not have a beginning, and that He does not have an end. For you and I that may be hard to understand (possibly because on this earth we will have both!) Knowing that I had a beginning (in my mother's womb, or even before that in the mind of God) serves to humble me greatly. I did not ask for life, and yet I have it! Think about it for a moment... the same God who put the stars in the sky conceived you in His mind before your mother conceived you. Then, the Scriptures tell us He "knit" you in her womb. While we probably will never be able to fully understand how God could always have been, we will one day move from the restraints time and space put on us and into eternity. Once we're there, I'm betting our perspective on life will change radically. Then the ignorance of thinking unborn babies are "choices" and human embryos are fodder for "experiments" will be exposed by God Himself. Until then, He relies in great part on you and I to carry the torch of "life!" Believe me friends, God is pro-choice in the sense that He gives us choice in whether or not we follow Him. But the Scriptures are resolute in the fact that He is pro-life when it comes to shedding innocent blood. Just some 60 years later we now look back at Adolph Hitler's "experiments" as cruel and inhuman. Think back to your school lessons. In his mind didn't Hitler believe he was advancing mankind through "selection" and the through the sciences? Death only advances itself. "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:13-14 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." Jesus of Nazareth(Matthew 15:13b-14) One of the most wicked things about the religious leaders during Jesus' earthly ministry was that they had absolute control over everything, weighing down people with terrible things they "had to do" in order to be okay with God and to be okay with them! They were essentially judge, jury and executioner. One of the worst things about some of the religious leaders today is that they do just the opposite. They allow all types of unholy and ungodly practices and they even champion evil practices themselves. Their ministries, like those who led in Jesus' day, will amount to nothing good. In fact, their ministries are controlled by Satan and are not ordained by God because they go against His Word. Unfortunately, anyone who follows these false leaders will be held accountable personally. The truth is that many follow them because they like things the "easy way!" Friends, the easy way is very rarely the right way. Even as young people we must all be careful to only follow! leaders who follow Jesus and His Word closely and without compromise. "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." 2 Timothy 4:3 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

If you accidentally left the water running in your bathtub would you try to turn it off before it flooded your whole home? What if the carpet was already wet? What if there was two inches of water in your house? Would you just decide to leave it running if there was already damage done? If you think those are silly questions I'm with you all the way. I also think it's quite silly when people tell me they are in debt, but they don't stop spending more money than they earn. Or, that they are pregnant, or keep getting diseases, but they don't see why they should stop having sex with every new person they meet! And probably the most painful of all is when young Christians write me and tell me that "since they're not virgins anymore, what's the difference if they just have sex with lots of people?" Well, it doesn't make sense with your flooding bathtub and it makes even less sense with your body. Hey, you could rebuild your house if necessary, but even the biggest bathtub on the planet won't help you wash off that terrible un-clean feeling you'll get from sinning with your body. Soooo, if you've walked down that road, know that today is the day the Lord has made, and today is the day to start getting better! As Jesus often said, "Go and sin no more!" You will never regret starting over, and the Lord will bless it too! He died to give you the power to win out over sin... so WIN! "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." Romans 6:6-7 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

The words, "Christ the Saviour is born" ring through our ears each Christmas as this widely known song is sung at millions of Christmas parties. The words are sung, but do the people realize? Jesus isn't just "the Savior," He is the ONLY Savior! He's not just the "truth," He is the ONLY truth... and He's not just the "light," He is the ONLY light. Without Him, our depravity and our desperation would be bottomless. Without the birth of Christ that Holy night, we have NOTHING! Silent Night Silent night, Holy night, All is calm, all is bright, 'Round yon Virgin Mother and Child, Holy Infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, Holy night, Shepherds quake at the sight, Glories stream from heaven afar, Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia; Christ, the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born. Silent night, Holy night, Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from Thy Holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth. We wish you the merriest of Christmas Holidays! Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate