December 1, 2023
” For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11
“It is finished.” John 19:30
Dear Friends,
The above verses mark the approximate 33 years in the life of Jesus. It’s hard to imagine that those 33 years changed the world forever. This Christmas we remember the beginning of those years. What a celebration! “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a SAVIOUR, which is Christ the Lord.” A Saviour. I didn’t really understand my desperate need for a saviour until I was 38 years old. My life was a disaster, and I couldn’t seem to fix it. Thank God I met some people who pointed out to me that unless God performed a miracle in my life it was hopeless. I had no trouble believing that statement.
I had tried to find joy, to find peace, and to find meaning in my life for many years. I pretty much tried everything the world had to offer. And the harder I tried the more disillusioned I became. When I finally became desperate enough to fervently seek God, things started to change for me. The more I sought the more I found. And slowly my life changed. I knew why I was alive, and I knew what my purpose was in this world. I found peace. I found joy. And ever so slowly I knew, I KNEW that I was loved. And as my friend Chris says THAT was a game changer.
I’ll never forget that first Christmas after experiencing the love of God through Jesus. I still loved the Christmas songs, the Christmas movies, and seeking that perfect gift for my children and my loved ones. But on Christmas Eve at a candlelight service at my church while singing “Silent Night, Holy Night” it was then that those words became EVERYTHING to me. I had journeyed to Bethlehem; I had met and needed the Saviour born to ME, Christ the Lord.
That’s truly what all of the kids we serve at LifeQuest need this Christmas. Not more therapy, not more anger management classes, not more education. None of those things are bad but until they take their own personal journey to Bethlehem and meet and experience and need that Saviour in their own lives nothing will change for them. And that is my prayer for these young people we serve this Christmas and for each of you. I pray every youth and each of you find at least one moment this Christmas season to gaze in awe at a baby lying in a manger and realize that eternity has stepped into time. That the Holy has entered into the unholy. And that unto YOU and EVERY youth we serve may come to meet that Saviour, maybe for the first time, or maybe in a fresh way, who is Christ the Lord.
Merry, Merry Christmas my friends. As you consider where to invest your charitable dollars this Christmas season, please remember us. Our promise to you is that we will do everything possible to facilitate that journey talked about in this letter. I thank God for you and am always here to serve you in any way I can.
Merry Christmas and thank you for loving our kids in 2023.
John Jones, President