CINCINNATI, Ohio--The Cincinnati West and Erlanger, Kentucky, youth groups went to Muncie, Indiana, March 13-14, for an Acquire the Fire convention.
Forty-three of us attended (10 adults and 33 youths). The arena was packed to capacity. It was great to see so many teens on fire for the Lord.
Our youths were moved by the preaching, the special effects and the music group, Newsboys.
Many in our group came back more committed to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We had 12 teens commit their lives to Christ at the convention.
On the way home we had all the teens add a personal entry to a journal we kept. Rob Hatter, 19, who grew up in our church, wrote: "It's amazing what God's presence can do to people. I've never seen that many people so pumped about Jesus as I did this weekend.
"Even though I do not agree with everything or show my appreciation for Jesus the way many there did, I feel their passion and devotion through observing with an open heart.
"I would only hope that Jesus would put that fire into me so that I might express my feelings the way the others did.
"I guess it has to do with my upbringing in our church that makes it hard for me to change. But I've never been one to express my deep, heartfelt emotions openly without care of what others thought.
"Acquire the Fire has opened my eyes to a whole world and new level of Christianity that I had never known existed nor understood.
"Many people have different ways of expressing their love for Jesus and his way of life, but all in all everyone is in it together for the right reasons, and that's all that matters."
We've baptized three teens since Acquire the Fire and expect more as Christ continues to move in their lives. Mike Lockard and Tom Fryar.
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 1998