They say, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” But it doesn’t matter what they say because what Jesus says is worth more than you will ever know. It doesn’t matter how broken you are, how ugly your life may be, or what you think about yourself. Jesus is the only one who should have the deciding factor in the end. Jesus makes beauty from ashes. He can turn your brokenness into a masterpiece. He can mold you into a priceless sculpture for the world to see. Jesus doesn’t care about your past possessions, your confessions, or your sick compulsions. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. God can use you! You’re not too young or too old. You haven’t strayed too far from God. It doesn't matter what your past looks like because God can use you! You see Jesus died so you could have life and have it more abundantly. Life is precious and you don’t realize how easily it could be taken away. So make the choice now to give your heart, your life, and every piece of yourself away to the one who created you, who formed you in the womb, who gives you breath, and gives you live anew each day. So if you are in Christ you are a new creation. The old is gone. Behold! The new has come!

Do you hear it? That still small voice your head saying, “This is not the only way out.” Suicide is not your only option. You don’t have to harm yourself and you don’t have to let the devil win this round. You don’t have to throw away your life tonight. All your hopes, all your dreams, and everything your future holds. You don’t have to end it all. You don’t have to snort another line. You don’t need that bag of weed and you don’t need to smoke that last cigarette. You don’t need another dose to cope and that bottle of pills should never be your hope. That still small voice? Yeah, that’s the voice of the One who said, “Let there be light.” The voice of the One who calmed the raging sea: He’s with you and He’ll always be there by your side 24/7 everyday and every night. His name is Jesus and if you believe in your heart that He is God then stand with me and proclaim that God is good all the time and all the time God is good. God is good.

You wear that cross around your neck. That shirt that says THE BIBLE IS A COOL STORY BRO or some other Christian phrase. But I see right through you. It’s the typical hypocritical church-going rebel. That cross is a symbol of Christ’s death on the cross for you. It’s a symbol of His dying love. But does it mean anything? That shirt with the Christian phrase has no real meaning to you. You play the part on Sundays but you go right back to your same old self the rest of the time. I see right through you. I hear your vulgar conversations with your friends. You know the ones where every other word is a curse word and every other phrase has some kind of sexual meaning, evident or hidden it doesn’t matter because in God’s eyes it’s all the same. You’ve made so many idols: Money, cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, sex, women. You’re just like every other hypocritical Christian. You read the word but you don’t live the word. You say you’re a follower of Christ but then you play follow the leader with your messed up friends. You play church but you can’t play God. If only you would open your eyes to see the God who created you crying, desperately waiting for you to come back to Him. Can you hear Him calling your name? “Come home, my son! Come home, my daughter! There’s nothing that can separate you from My love! Come home, my child! Come home! Come home! Come home!"

God, how can You love such a beast? These eyes weren’t meant to look at what I’ve seen. Wash me clean; break these chains holding me. These wicked hands weren’t meant to obtain all that I’ve gained. I don’t deserve this love You give away so freely. Father, hold me in Your grasp. I’m a broken man trying to hold onto all that I have planned. Father, let Your will, not my own be done and may Your Kingdom come. Here I am empty-handed. My life is Yours to use. Let the words I say and the things I do be an act of praise to You and only You. My legs are weak. I fall to my knees crying out in desperation looking at this reflection of myself in the mirror with so much frustration. The man I am today is not the man I used to be but I’m not perfect and I will never be. Jesus, give me Your eyes so I can see You clearly. God, give me Your strength so I can stand when I’m weak. Give me words to say so I can speak Your name freely. Jesus, thank You, thank You for loving me even though I am so unworthy. So unworthy. Thank You, Jesus.

They say, “Once upon a time.” But this isn’t a fairy tale. It’s a true story. True for every woman looking for satisfaction from men. He was on his way to school. And he saw her. She was beautiful, had the perfect body, raised up to think if she had the best looking she’d be satisfied. But he’d only love her until they got in the bedroom. Then he’d call it quits again on another innocent girl. Confused with lust and love she cried for days trying to get over this phase lost in space. Looking for love in all the wrong places, she decided to go a different way today. Walked into the church she passes by on her way to work. She prayed for God to heal her broken heart and put it back together piece by piece. And in the midst of repair, she read the 66th love letter God had sent her. It read, “You don’t need the love of this world to feel loved. Come to Me and I can give you more than any man on this earth can give you. You see, most men say that they love you but do you see that cross? I died on it for you over 2,000 years ago to save you from your sins! Now, tell me what man could do that and then come alive again. Truly I say to you: you can’t date anyone unless you’re content with being single first.” So she pondered that thought for what seemed like months. And God sent her a man who loved her completely. It was a beautiful love story written by the God who cared so deeply for her. And it lived on happily ever after. And it lived on happily ever after. True love can only be found in Christ.