Home >
Recent News >
September Newsletter

September Newsletter

NEW BEGINNINGS

He Loves Me

I am elated. The Lord has been so incredibly good to me. Even through my most gruesome pride, Jesus has loved me. I am unworthy of this grace. Why should I have had the chance to flee the bondage I was in? Why did not the Lord leave me to my flesh, to the self-corrupting activity I was indulging in? Why was my heart so tormented by the spirit and moved to take drastic measure to repent? Because, He loves me. He loves me. He loves me. He loves me.

I know He does, for His chastisement has been firm, His discipline has been effective, His hand has been heavy upon my back. As a perfect Father graciously tends to his obstinate child so the Lord has wrapped me up in His arms with relentless adoration. Nothing I can do will ever loosen His infinite, omnipotent grip, for I am bound to Him, a slave to righteousness.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. The blood of Christ is cool refreshment to my dry raspy throat, His torn and bruised flesh is recourse and succor to these brittle, broken bones. The cross and great sacrifice of the Lamb of the slaughter speaks righteousness, hope, peace, joy and happiness for me. I am elated.

Let Christ be known; let His glory and His accomplishment reverberate through the hearts, souls and minds of everyone everywhere. Let the gospel of salvation and the great price that was paid, go forth to every tribe, to every nation, and to every tongue. Let Jesus teach and heal every affliction, disease and ailment of all the people of the earth. In all things let Christ be preached and let Christ be preeminent. This is my prayer, this is my story and this is my song. Amen.

These are the words Keaton McPherson shared at his graduation service from Greater Piedmont Teen Challenge. Keaton is doing great and faithfully serving the Lord. Please read on to find his recent testimony. Keaton sent it to us this month. What a blessing to be part of the restoration of another young man.

Director's Corner......

It seems like it was just yesterday when I was bit by the frigid winds of winter. However, lately we have been enduring temperatures in the 90’s and breaking 100. I once again find myself praying for those who have no shelter from the elements, those who only find refuge wherever they are fortunate enough to tuck themselves away.

Although we witness the pain and effects of other hardships, we know we have shelter in the arms of the Lord. We are able to offer hope and change through Jesus Christ. Those who come to us may not be suffering from the natural elements, but they are suffering from the result of addictions and sin. The only hope any of us have from sin is the saving grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Some wonder how so many young people can be addicted to drugs and alcohol. I continue to thank the Lord that I am able to say, “There but for the grace of God go I.” We are not any different or any better than those we serve. Romans 3:10 tells us that no one is righteous, no not one of us. Verse 23 says that we all have sinned and come short of God’s glory.

Will you join me in praising God for His provision and saving grace. God bless each of you for your faithfulness in partnering with Greater Piedmont Teen Challenge.

2011 Grandover Golf Tournament

Keaton’s Testimony:

My life has been characterized by drugs, sex and alcohol. I’m not one to think that there are any connections between the three, or that there is some “slippery-slope” formula to them, as some claim. I simply believe what the Bible says: “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the creator” (Rom 1:25). What was the lie? The lie was that I, like Adam in the Garden, sought to live my life apart from God. I wanted to be God rather than submit to his perfect will for my life. I asserted myself as Lord over my own life, and the consequences were costly. So when I say I don’t believe in a “slippery-slope” with addictions, all I’m saying is that there was no slope; I just had a wicked heart. A wicked heart is all we are left with once we dismantle ourselves from the benevolent God who designed us to be thus united to Him. If we lose God, we lose all benevolence; there is no goodness nor righteousness. And that is where my story begins.

A life set apart from God, David says, is where every person in this fallen world starts out: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). Early on I remember doing anything to get my way. I would lie to my parents and play them against each other for just about anything I needed. I was careful never to come across as devious, always diligent to cover up my deeds with a smiley, charming face. This was the beginning of the development of the two people I would maintain as myself for many years to come; one was the outstanding-me, the one everyone knew, and the other was the secret-me, the darkness in me, the depths of which even I could not see.

After years of secret sins and debauchery, my adolescence spent addicted to pornography and late teen years addicted to sex and alcohol, I crossed the line that would uncover it all. Before dabbling in Meth, I maintained a façade that was sufficient enough to deceive anyone. I was a varsity basketball player, held a 4.0 GPA, and even had a cute girlfriend whom I loved and adored, so my alternate lifestyle was in no way detectable. However, Meth had a hold on me. I could use on Friday, stay up until Sunday, sleep and then go to class on Monday. I kept this up for a solid year. I kept up the appearance of well-being, no one could interpose themselves in my life. If I kept everyone at an arms-length, they would never be able to peer over the edge of my heart into the eternal abyss of emptiness, and my secrets would be safe.

I met Erin my junior year of College, at the height of my drug abuse. She was a Christian. I thought I would turn her to the dark side. I never knew she would introduce me to the Savior, and my life would be changed drastically. She and I dated for about two years, and this resulted in my conversion to the faith. It was then the Holy Spirit entered into the dark abyss of my heart, breathed light and life into it, and showed me the glory of Christ and salvation. I began to pursue Christ with everything I had in me. It was the first time that the two faces I had maintained for so long began to waste away, and a new face began to emerge, the face of Christ.

So how does Teen Challenge come into the mix? If I got saved two years before entering into the program, why did I come into it? I was in desperate need of a vacation from the world, to be sheltered for a time from the elements of Satan. I needed a place where I could regain my breath, grow strong, and enter back into the world when I was ready. Teen Challenge proved to be that very refuge. Throughout the months following my conversion, I undoubtedly had a new heart, Godly desires and affections, and a will to obey His precepts, but I was continually falling back into sin. I continually relapsed every three to four months. After my final relapse in July of 2010, I had had enough of the vicious cycle. I was ready to kill sin before it killed me. I made the toughest decision of my life; I called Wayne at Greater Piedmont Teen Challenge.

That was over a year ago now, hard to believe. I just celebrated my first year sober, and I’m astounded at the work Jesus has done in my life. Today I enjoy my life free from drugs. God used Teen Challenge to help me overcome that battle. I have a wonderful church through which God has provided me with many godly men to counsel me in life. I started a nursing home ministry and I’m currently training to lead a grace group at our church. I am making plans to attend seminary school after I complete my BA at the local university.

Life is by no means easy; Jesus never said it would be. I face many trials and temptation every day, and, if I’m honest, I’ve failed miserably at times. The war wages on, Satan thirsts for my soul, and my rebellious nature tries to concede to him, but I realize that it is not about my diligence or effort in the battle. Apart from grace, I am nothing. It is the Lord who protects me: “The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and coming in from this time forth and forevermore” (Psalm 121:7, 8). I look forward to seeing Jesus and worshipping Him for all eternity; it is my hope and my joy. I look forward to that day, and that hope preserves me. Amen.