North St?

When I answer the question "where is the Outreach Center?"  I can honestly say that I have seen every reaction from "awe isn't that precious" to "why on earth would you go there" and generally something about "those people", nothing good can come from there.   The latter reaction always causes a small chuckle inside, you know they said that about Jesus too.

In John chapter 1, Philip finds his friend Nathaniel and tells him "We have found the Messiah, His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph of Nazareth" Nathaniel asks "can anything good come from Nazareth?" then Philip simply says "come and see".

There are lots of bad things that happen on North St, but I know that God is able to touch lives and change hearts.  I used to do bad things too but Jesus changed my heart and my life.  I know that He is able to do the same thing for each person that walks by the Outreach Center or the mall or anywhere else.  God's Word says we are all created in His image (Gen 1:27) and that He shows no favoritism  (Rom 2:11, Acts 10).  We all have to be given the knowledge of a better way, God's way and then choose it.

I am thankful for the eyes God has given me. What I see when I look out the window are broken hurting people, some who are handling their hurt in a really bad way.  Isn't that what we all are though, broken hurting people doing our best to handle hurt,  some of us just do it better or differently than others.

I want you to remember...it doesn't matter where you come from or what you've done.  What does matter is Whose you are and where you are going!