Hello everybody.  For those of you that don’t know me, I’m Jacob Board.  First, let me start by saying that I’ve had an amazingly blessed life.  Some people might call me lucky, but I’m 100% confident that every good thing that has happened to me is a gift from God.  I grew up in a Christian home.  My parents taught me about God from a young age, and I grew up in a great church.  By the time I was in third grade, I was presented with the gospel.  This is just that I’m imperfect and the only way to be with God, is to accept him as my personal savior and realized that he died so I could have life. 

    So, I grew up as a “Christian” knowing that because Jesus died for me, I was going to heaven, but I didn’t necessarily understand that I could have a personal relationship with Christ. Through different events like church camps, Christian conferences, and a great youth group, I came to realize that was what God wanted, to me know me on a deep and personal level. 

    When I became a freshman in high school, I decided to take serious steps with God and develop our relationship.  I encountered a few problems.  The biggest of these problems was that I didn’t really know who I was in Christ.  I knew that I was very unique and different from most of the people in high school, but I didn’t really want to accept that.  Yes, I played all the sports, football, basketball and track, I did all of the school activities, student council, homecoming, choir, blah blah blah.  I was definitely trying just to be normal.  The truth is, that on some level, I was suffocating myself.  Yeah, I played sports, but for the most part, I wasn’t like the other guys.  I didn’t really care that much.  I didn’t go to the football parties, I went to youth group.  I didn’t watch the tapes of the games, I like….. sat around and did nothing.  I didn’t care!!  Most guys could tell you the score of every game in their high school career.  I can remember if we won or lost about 3 games.  I didn’t care about the NFL, the NBA, or Major league baseball.  I was very different, everybody else knew that, and I knew that.  It was really hard to except for the while.  I think I even pretended like I liked the packers. 

    Now, I can’t tell you a specific date or time that God really hit me with this, but he told me this:  Jacob, you are exactly who I want you to be.  I can’t tell you how much that changed my life.  I no longer cared what people thought of me.  It became very clear that I was on earth to glorify God.  So I decided to embrace who God created me to be, and live for his glory.  This means that I’m a joyful, energetic person.  I love people, and I love building relationships with them.  Granted, I’ve probably not treated some people great, and I’ll mistreat some people in the future, but through God’s grace, I can try again and God will love me no more and no less.  I don’t always know what I’m doing, or where I’m going, or who I am, but I place all of that in God’s hands, and I’m filled with a peace that I don’t understand.  I know that God is going to use me if I am just willing. 

    I know that he wants to do the same for everybody here too.  If you haven’t made that decision, to follow God and make your life revolve around him, to accept him as your savior, I want to urge you to do so.  It is the best, most important decision you’re ever going to make.