Announcements > North America

“Lord Jesus, this passage brings me to my knees because you are the Savior who does not pass by the lost. You were on your way to Jerusalem, moving toward the cross, yet you stopped in Jericho for one man in a tree. You saw Zacchaeus, called him by name, and brought salvation into his house…I confess that I often think I must climb my way up to you through effort, image, or religious activity. Like Zacchaeus, I have sometimes tried to see you from a distance while still hiding above the crowd. But your Word shows me that before I ever sought you, you were already seeking me. I did not save myself. Rather you found me first. Lord, I see myself in Zacchaeus. I know what it is to be outwardly active but inwardly empty. I know what it is to think I can manage my own life from above the crowd. But you call me down. You call me into honesty. You call me into surrender. You call me into joy. …So today, Lord, I want to come down. I want to come down from pride and self-protection. I want to welcome you gladly, not as a passing guest, but as the rightful Lord of my life. You are the Savior who seeks the lost, and I was one of the people you came for. Starting today, I will receive your invitation, obey your call, and let your presence change my house. May my life, like Zacchaeus’ house, become a place where salvation has come “today.” Lord Jesus, thank you for seeking me, calling me, and saving me. I pray in your name. One word: come down and welcome Jesus.

“…Sarah Won’s message cut me to the heart and Acts 2:36 convicted me of my hardened heart. ‘Therefore, let all of Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’ Sarah Won said that when Jesus claims lordship, there is no neutrality. People want all the good things from Christ without his lordship, and I realized that I too wanted his forgiveness and love without surrendering my pride and judgement. A judgment I did not have the right to hold as I also crucified Jesus. And yet, I did not want to give up my heart of stone. At the altar call that evening, I repented of my heart that did not want to love God’s flock and my prayer servant Sarah, who was also a 2nd gen disciple, met my struggle with gentle understanding. Once again, I received a prayer that I may receive God’s perfect love in all its abundance and be filled with it. Over the course of the conference, God made his message to me clear: accept my love and fill your cup. Allow my love to transform your heart into a heart of flesh. I thought I was going to NAYAC to serve, but really God called me to receive his love; the very source of life my spirit needed. He knew I was drying up and in desperate need of redirection. I needed to be reminded of the core reason for faith: Jesus’ love. He invited me to open my heart to receive Jesus’ all encompassing, full and perfect love. The love that sent him to die on the cross for me. I thank God for NAYAC, where he replenished my dry and thirsty soul. I thank God for sending his servants my way who carried the love of Christ across states and shared it with me.”

“He called up to me saying, ‘I must come to your house today.’ Yes, in the backroom, the one that I piled in the hurt and locked the door. The one that has a sign hanging up which says, ‘What if this happens again?’ But during worship on Sunday, I heard words from my own prayers said back to me. Then the command, “Let Jesus into that hurt”. As I opened the door, yes, I cried a lot. Because most of all I came to understand how much Jesus loves me, and how to him there is no such thing as an untouchable place. He knows me, he hears the deepest and quietest prayers of my heart, he sees the most unimpressive things, and he still loves me. Even though I have fear, and so much shame in that one area, Jesus wants to be with me even there. He wants his Lordship even there. Because he wants me – all of me. Now I know that what Jesus wants me to do is to trust him. Instead of holding on to fear and self preservation, I need to hold on to Jesus as my refuge. After all, as I thought about the Philippians passage, even in my most painful disappointments in this life of faith, there is no greater gift than knowing Jesus. So what if the same situation happens again? What if worse situations happen? Even if all my fears come true, I still have the greatest reward: knowing Jesus more. So, even a smooth sailing life, or my self preservation I can consider garbage. Now, I want to choose to open every area of my heart to Jesus (especially the painful ones), be willing to go in the uncomfortable places, and surrender. Even though I have nothing to sell, I can let go of my fear and choose to trust Jesus. As I open this door, yes salvation comes to this house.”

“Something that struck out to me was the idea of accepting Jesus as Lord over my life. I struggle to put God and his word above my desires of human affirmation. The guilt and shame of my past push me to seek recognition from my peers which ultimately leave me feeling empty and insecure of myself even more. But then I heard the word of God telling me that I am wonderfully and fearfully made through the testimony and it touched my heart. Attending biblical counseling also revealed how I had idolized recognition in my life and how it was preventing me from being able to set boundaries in my life. So I pray that I may be able to allow God to take full control of my life by putting my worth in him and not in the world. And then I may confess like Peter that Jesus is my Lord and Messiah.”