Tap water, klondike bars and a checkbook

Haleigh Devoe now wears wolf shirts on every day of the week--not just Wednesdays. Alli Sam's hair smells just like maple syrup and she's not sure why. Natty B has started cadet teaching so she comes to YL in a dress. Hannah Conrad is so Hamilton Proper that we're pushing her out of her comfort zone to drink tap water or eat the last bite of pop tart that fell on the floor. We love these kids.

We do YL all week long--every time we talk to a kid through texts, show up at their game, take them to breakfast, go to church together or hang out in the stands on Friday night. Every time we're together, sharing life together, that's YL. But Monday nights, when we all gather together in the Barn at the same time, are pretty awesome. The room fills with kids of all different ages, all different stories and backgrounds and theologies and friend groups.

I don't know where else this collection of people happens. While we're singing I've got Erin King to my left with Hannah, Chloe and Julia. Blue Crew senior Beuoy is right behind me next to Wyld Life leader Jacob. I've got Natty B belting out "It's All About Love" along with Ryan, Nick Barr is playing guitar up front. Karl the Cool Dragon is talking to BGrad about what to name his car. When Gracie, a friend with Downs, gets here, Haleigh and Hannah jump up to go say hi and then bring her back to sit with them. Everyone is welcome here. Everyone belongs.

Tonight I met with a group of Seniors and Sophomores in the Locker Room. We talked about Ebola and Klondike bars among other things before jumping into the lesson. Tonight we talked about if Christianity really is the one true religion. What about what everyone else believes?

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.'" John 14: 5-7


"I’m here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you’re dealing with.

“The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn’t live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn’t take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don’t make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near. We live and move in him, can’t get away from him! One of your poets said it well: ‘We’re the God-created.’ Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?

“God overlooks it as long as you don’t know any better—but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he’s calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:23-31

If Christianity is true, if the gospel is true, then that means that nothing else can be. Jesus says "I am THE way, THE truth and THE life." It's not an option. He didn't say "I am A way, A truth and A life." This is it. He is it.

God tells us very clearly that the only way to him is through Jesus. We don't have to do anything to earn that gift of eternal life, we just have to choose it. The work has already been done by Jesus on the cross. Jesus wiped away our sin so that we can be in the presence of God. There is no other way.

Religion can be confusing. We have so many voices telling us what to believe. But the things I've experienced, my faith in God's word and conversations with people I trust keep pointing me back to Jesus over and over again. I don't think I could believe anything but the gospel.