The Case for Grace for Kids by Lee Strobel

Author:Lee Strobel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Published: 2015-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE

My friend Jesse told me he couldn’t stop thinking about this young evangelist. Brandon’s body may be battling against itself, but there’s no war between his heart and mind. Both are solely focused on telling others about Jesus.

The apostle Paul was the same way. In Acts 20:24, Paul writes, “my life means nothing to me. I only want to finish the race. I want to complete the work the Lord Jesus has given me. He wants me to give witness to others about the good news of God’s grace” (NIrV).

Read the last line of that verse again, but personalize it for yourself: “The Lord Jesus wants (fill in your name) to give witness to others about the good news of God’s grace.”

As I (Lee) thought about the daily challenges Brandon faced, another aspect of the apostle Paul’s life came to mind. Shortly after Jesus died on the cross, Paul met the risen Lord on the road to Damascus — an event that totally changed the course of Paul’s life. It even changed his name, from Saul to Paul. From that point on, Paul traveled the world to tell others about Jesus. He went on three missionary journeys, all recorded in the book of Acts. In fact, most of the books in the New Testament are letters Paul wrote to the early Christian churches. Paul faced plenty of physical challenges. He was thrown in jail, beaten, shipwrecked, and had rocks thrown at him.

In Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth, he talks about a “thorn in the flesh” — mostly likely a physical ailment — that he lived with on a daily basis because the Lord wouldn’t take it away. Paul pleaded with God three times to take away this physical challenge.25 But God answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So instead of complaining about his weakness, Paul embraced it. He understood that’s how God made him.

That’s exactly the way that Brandon sees his life too. As I write this chapter, Brandon’s no longer the twelve-year-old that Jesse met years ago. Now in his early twenties, Brandon still struggles with his medical conditions. His intestines are so messed up that he can’t rely on getting his nutrition from eating or feeding tubes, so he has to get fed intravenously. Two recent blood infections nearly took his life. And chronic swelling in his brain has occasionally caused dementia-like symptoms, making it impossible for him to hold a conversation. These more scary episodes have been controlled by high-dose IV medications, which allow Brandon to continue communicating clearly — especially when it comes to his love and reliance on Jesus.

By relying on God’s sufficient grace, Brandon’s ability to witness for Christ remains strong. He runs his church’s library, preaches sermons at the nursing home, and has taken on the church’s card ministry where he writes more than 900 birthday cards to prisoners — not to mention Christmas and Easter cards — to let them know that God loves them and they’re still cared for.

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