Heart Touchers - Your Choice Will Be Honored

______________________________________

{Heart4Teens.com} *Your Choice Will Be Honored*

______________________________________

If you enjoy this free email service, I encourage you to spread the word to family and friends that we may bring inspiration into the lives of teenagers everywhere! If you are not on the list and this has been passed along to you, you can join Heart4Teens.com readers around the world by visiting:

http://www.Heart4Teens.com/Heart4Teens

Visit our inspirational web site to read all the past articles in our archives and view the tons of resources we have there for teens!

http://www.Heart4Teens.com/Teen_Stories

_________________________________________

Over 60,000 people have listened to popular Chicken Soup Author Michael T. Powers' free inspirational message entitled: "Breathing Life into Others". If you aren't one of them just visit: http://www.HeartTouchers.com and click on the link to listen to the free streaming audio message!

_________________________________________

YOUR CHOICE WILL BE HONORED

by Max Lucado

We don't like to talk about hell, do we? In intellectual circles the
topic of hell is regarded as primitive and foolish. It's not logical.
"A loving God wouldn't send people to hell." So we dismiss it.

But to dismiss it is to dismiss a core teaching of Jesus. The
doctrine of hell is not one developed by Paul, Peter, or John. It is
taught by Jesus himself.

We are free either to love God or not. He invites us to love him. He
urges us to love him. He came that we might love him. But, in the
end, the choice is yours and mine. To take that choice from each of
us, for him to force us to love him, would be less than love.

God explains the benefits, outlines the promises, and articulates
very clearly the consequences. And then, in the end, he leaves the
choice to us.

Hell was not prepared for people. Hell "was prepared for the devil
and his angels." (Matthew 25:41) For a person to go to hell, then, is
for a person to go against God's intended destiny. Hell is man's
choice, not God's choice.

Consider, then, this explanation of hell: Hell is the chosen place of
the person who loves self more than God, who loves sin more than his
Savior, who loves this world more than God's world. Judgment is that
moment when God looks at the rebellious and says, "Your choice will
be honored."

To say there is no hell is to say God condones the rebellious,
unrepentant heart. To say there is no hell is to portray God with
eyes blind to the hunger and evil in the world. To say there is no
hell is to say that God doesn't care that people are beaten and
massacred, that he doesn't care that women are raped or families
wrecked. To say there is no hell is to say God has no justice, no
sense of right and wrong, and eventually to say God has no love. For
true love hates what is evil.

Hell is the ultimate expression of a just Creator.

Max Lucado

Source: "And the Angels Were Silent," by Max Lucado, Copyright (c) 1992 (Used by Permission)

With more than 39 million books in print, Max Lucado has touched millions with his signature storytelling writing style. Awards and accolades follow Max with each book he writes. Max is the first author to win the Gold Medallion Christian Book of the Year three times -- 1999 for Just Like Jesus, 1997 for In the Grip of Grace and 1995 for When God Whispers Your Name.

Max Lucado is a fixture on the national bestseller lists - a Max Lucado title has appeared on the CBA hardcover bestseller list every month for the past eight years. He has appeared on the Publishers Weekly, USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists. His newest book, Come Thirsty, was released in October 2004, and Next Door Savior recently won a Gold Medallion award in the Inspirational category.

Max serves as the pulpit minister of the Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio, Texas. But he says his greatest accomplishment is finding a one-in-a-million wife in Denalyn and having three unbelievable daughters: Jenna, Andrea, and Sara.

You can visit his web site at: http://www.maxlucado.com

_________________________________________

Let's Go Surfing Dude!

~ Scholarship Help & Advice Center
http://www.scholarshiphelp.org/

_________________________________________

Thought For The Day:

"It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste." (Henry Ford)

Verse for the Day:

"The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty."
Proverbs 21:5

Teen's Thought For The Day:

"When troubles come your way, don't ever try to work your way around that conflict. Instead, face the fight head on. The so called "roadblock" would not be in your way if God didn't believe you could fight your way through it with his help."

Parent's Thought For The Day

"Recall the aura, the ecstasy, the perfectness of your wedding day. The vows are meticulously and faultlessly repeated. A stimulating honeymoon reinforces the idealistic glow. Nothing could ever alter the thrill of this hallowed occasion.

Then comes reality. The couple soon realizes marriage is not an ongoing celebration of celestial dimensions. It's a lifelong process of down-to-earth hard work -- worth every drop of sweat it produces."

Coach's Thought For The Day:

"Those who coach must above all be able to coach themselves."

Deep Thought For The Day:

"I think animal testing is a terrible idea; they get all nervous and give the wrong
answers."

__________________________________________

Author MICHAEL T. POWERS
www.Heart4Teens.com

Contributing Author to Chicken Soup for the Teen's Soul on Love and Friendship and 25 other inspirational books.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20

_________________________________________

ALL-STAR Ministry

--The Youth Church of Faith Community Church in Janesville, WI

If you are in 6-12th grade and live in the southern Wisconsin/northern Illinois area and would like to check us out, we meet every Sunday night from 6:30-8:00 PM at Faith Community Church which is located at 2931 Lucerne Dr. in Janesville, WI. (About 3 blocks south-east of The Skating Place.)

All-Stars: 6:30 - 8:00 PM Sunday nights! Open to all youth grades 9-12.

The Outlet: 6:30 - 8:00 PM Sunday nights in the Multi-Purpose Room! Open to all youth grades 6-8.

Currently we have students from Edgerton, Fort Atkinson, Milton, Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker, Marshall, Franklin, Orfordville, Clinton, Beloit Memorial, Beloit Turner, South Beloit, and Hononegah. E-mail me back if you have any questions about our weekly meetings or would like to come to any of our events that are listed below... We have way too much fun and then, most importantly, talk about issues that are relevant to you as a teenager.

Upcoming Topics:

Sunday March 26 -- Do You Know the Mind of God?

Sunday April 2 -- It's the End of the World as We Know it, and I Feel Fine!

Sunday April 9 -- The Easter Multi-sensory Experience!

Sunday April 16 -- Easter (No All-Stars! Spend time with your family!)

Sunday April 23 -- Spring Creek Players Present: The Last Convert (Play starts at 6 PM!)

Sunday April 30 -- Finding God in Narnia

_______________________________________________

Teen Community Groups
6:30 - 8:00 PM Wednesday nights (September though May)

These groups are limited to no more than ten teens and are split into Jr. High and High School ages. This night is for those teens who want to dig deeper than what we do in All-Stars, but may not be ready to be a part of the Xtreme Teens. These cell groups will also be doing special activities with each other as the year goes on to build community.

Jr. High age meets at Kent and Rachel Martin's house: 1324 E. Racine St. (Call 373-0886 if you have any questions!)

High School age meets at Matt and Kristi Kauffman's house: 4339 Fox Hills (Call 758-1243 if you have any questions!)

Xtreme Teens

Xtreme Teens meet on Wednesday nights from 6:30 - 8:00 PM all year round at the Powers' house. This group is very extensive with weekly homework, memorization, service projects, etc. Students interested in this group will have to fill out an application, provide references as to why others think they should be involved with this, and sign an agreement as to what is expected of them. Admission into Xtreme Teens is on a case by case basis. Contact Pastor Michael for more details!