I was Accused of Something... It changed my life forever.

 I was accused of something...

And after this accusation, my life would never be the same...

My prayer is that you will never need to be accused of this,

... but that your life can still be radically transformed the way mine was.

What was the accusation?

How did it change my life?

Let's grab a cup of coffee and talk about it.

I like to tell people that I went from Christian, to agnostic, to Theist, to Christian.

I know...

Pretty Confusing.

But let me explain.

• I grew up in a Christian home in Southern Oregon.
• Was Saved at the Age of 5 (and never lost my salvation)
• Read Greek Mythology in Highschool and Began to doubt (agnostic season)
• Realized God had to exist, but was still skeptical about Jesus (Theistic phase...)

That is the short version that catches you up to the time of the accusation.

I was a Junior in High School...

At this time I was "On fire" for God.

I was writing songs.

Leading Kids ministries

Reading my Bible every chance I got!

You would have looked at me during this phase and thought...

That Guy Loves God.

And I thought I did...

But I was wrong.

You see, each day during my breaks at High School I would sit at a table that overlooked the gym.

There I would spend time reading and meditating on the Bible.

While sitting at this table one day, a young lady approached me (the very one who would soon accuse me...) and asked if she could sit down.

I obliged...

And she began asking me questions about the Bible...

Now, to be honest... I enjoyed taking my "years" of Bible knowledge and "enlightening" her on all the nuances of the Bible that my "super spiritual" highschool self had uncovered :)

And... 

Day after day she would come back with more questions...

Day after day I thought I had all the answers...

Till one day.

One day she accused me of something that changed my life...

I still remember sitting at that table, answering more of her questions when she paused...

Took a deep breath and said...

"I don't think you love God."

That accusation was like a kick in the gut.

My mind raced...

• Who does she think she is?
• Does she know who I am?
• She is the one coming to me with Bible questions
• I'm the one writing songs about God
• I'm the one reading my Bible every chance I get
• How could she say I don't love God?

She sat there for a second... tears in her eyes...

And then got up.

Leaving me confused.

I tried to ignore it...

But something rang true.

I knew A LOT about God...

I FEARED God.

I RESPECTED God...

But did I love God?

That night I had basketball practice, and got a little sleep... 

But God wasn't done with me yet.

The next day, my younger brother Jonah had a basketball tournament...

And as I sat in the bleachers, someone else came and sat next to me and began to GUSH about how amazing Jesus was... and How He was showing them this and that...

I don't know what came over me, but I began to tear up...

So being a manly man...

I excused myself and took a walk around the campus.

One thought was stuck on repeat...

"What do they have that I don't?"

The person who accused me of not loving God... was obsessed with Jesus...

The person who talked to me today... seemed to love Jesus...

What do they have that I am missing!!

I didn't know...

But I would soon.

The next day was Sunday...

Church was great...

I have no Idea what the Pastor preached on...

But God wouldn't let me go.

So at the end of service, I snuck a gospel tract.

And as we neared our mobile home I told God...

"I will not leave my room until I have what they have."

So I entered the house...

Closed my bedroom door behind me...

Knelt at my Bed and opened my Bible and the tract...

God... I'm in here for the long haul...

No food or water or friends TILL I KNOW!!

God didn't make me wait long.

I looked at the first verse on the Gospel tract...

And it blazed to life like never before...

It was a verse I had memorized...

A verse I had believed when I was 5.

A verse that should be "old hat" for me...

But it felt like I was reading it for the first time... 

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

And it clicked...

God loved me still...

Doubts and all...

And He proved it by dying for me.

Jesus wasn't someone trying to steal God's glory..

He displayed it in Vibrant HD.

My heart was melted.

No longer did I just know God...

No longer did I just fear God...

No longer did I just serve God...

I loved Him because He first Loved me...

Friend..

Do you love God?

Like really...

Don't lie to yourself.

You don't want to miss out on this!

"A life lived loving the Lord is the best life possible."

Now, many people ask if that was when I truly got saved...

I say no.

I know I was saved when I was 5...

True... I had a period of Doubt...

But Jesus didn't give up on me.

He won't give up on you either.

My prayer for you today is Eph 3:14-19

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Friend, when God helps you see the Love of Christ... there is a fulness!!

And seeing God's Love for you helps you love God.

Do you love God?

• I didn't ask if you are saved
• I didn't ask if you feared Him
• I didn't ask if you served Him

Do you love God?

If you don't... take some time and seek Him.

Ask Him to open your eyes.

Don't go another day without Loving our wonderful, amazing, compassionate, gracious God.