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I had just become a teenager. We had moved and were attending a church holding a summer Vacation Bible School program. Part of the program was encouraging students to memorize Scripture. You earned points for memorizing different verses. Logan Dunham, the preacher, promised to take the students with the highest point totals at the end of the week on an airplane ride. Wow! My siblings and our friends feverishly worked to memorize passages — even cramming in the car as Mom drove us each evening to the church building. I don’t remember my point total at the end of the week, but I do remember that airplane ride — my first!
One of the passages I memorized is the well-known verse about God’s love, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (NKJV)
At the time, I was only seeking points. But since then, I have focused on the message in the verse. You see, our disobedience to God must be punished. God’s justice demands it. But God loves each of us so much, that he was willing to sacrifice his only son for us. Jesus would bear the punishment we deserved so we could be reconciled to God. Isn’t that good news?!
Focus on this message – that God loves you – it will change your life.
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Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.