After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns,
the church's pastor slowly stood up,
walked over to the pulpit and,
before he gave his sermon for the evening,
briefly introduced a guest minister
who was in the service that evening

In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that they guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.

With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit
and began to speak.

"A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the pacific coast," he began, "when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore.

The waves were so high,
that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story.

The aged minister continued with his story,
"grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy he would throw the other end of the life line.

He only had seconds to make the decision.

The father knew that his son was a Christian and he also knew that his son's friend was not.

The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. As the father yelled out,

'I love you,son!'
he threw out the life line to his son's friend.

By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsize boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night.
His body was never recovered."

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth.

"The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus.

Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend.

How great is the love of God
that he should do the same for us.

Our Heavenly Father sacrificed
His only begotten Son
that we could be saved.

I urge you to accept His offer to rescue you
and take a hold of the life line
He is throwing out to you in this service."

With that, the old man turned
and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room.

The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end.

However, no one responded to the appeal.

Within minutes after the service ended,
the two teenagers were at the old man's side.

"That was a nice story," politely stated one of the boys, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father
to give up his only son's life in hopes
that the other boy would become a Christian."

"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn bible.

A big smile broadened his narrow face, he once again looked up at the boys and said,

"it sure isn't very realistic, is it?

But I'm standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like
for God to give up his son for me.

You see ---
I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend."


Live everyday as though it will be your last...

Tell everyone you can about Jesus
You never know when you will be in a situation where someone's life is based on the choices you make
You also do not know of you are that persons only chance to get to know Jesus

Throw the life line out and lead as many as you can
to be rescued into the arms of Jesus.