Graham Webb's Story

FLORIDA
My life revolved around tennis. John McEnroe was my idol, so it was like a dream come true when I received a scholarship to play in Florida. My tennis improved and I won most of my matches - but I was sometimes disqualified, always because of bad language. After one such occasion I had to endure a long journey back to Orlando knowing that I'd let the team down. So I vowed to quit swearing. I said to myself,"I will pay a fine of 25 cents each time I swear and then give the money to charity". My swear box filled up quickly. Eventually I became so frustrated that I smashed the box and kept the money.

SOMETHING MISSING
About this time I was invited to go to a church youth group. I hadn't been a churchgoer in England. It wasn't what I expected. It was packed with friendly Christians who were enjoying good clean fun. Their lives challenged me. They had something that was missing in my life. They told me that Jesus had come into their lives. I was curious and asked lots of questions. For the next three months they patiently answered my objections, lent me books and encouraged me to keep coming to the meetings. At the end of this three month search, I was convinced that Jesus was alive but I wasn't ready to give him control of my life, particularly in the areas of loose living, cheating at college and swearing.

JUST BEFORE I DIE
I decided that I would give my life to Jesus just before I die. What could be better? I (not God) would make my own decisions now and still go to heaven. I felt some peace with my choice. But that peace was shattered when I heard a fiery preacher talk about the day of judgment. What if Jesus returned or I died before I had committed my life to him.? I was in turmoil. I had broken his law and was therefore disqualified with God. I deserved hell.

QUALIFIED
I started praying,"Jesus come into my life and take away my sin". I wasn't sure that anything had happened so I repeated this prayer over and over. About ten days later, in the middle of a tennis match, playing badly, the thought came to my mind,"I'm not swearing - Jesus has come into my life". Swearing left my vocabulary that day and hasn't returned. My life revolves about Jesus now. I enjoy Jesus more and disqualification is no longer a problem. More importantly, God has forgiven my sin because Jesus died (was disqualified) in my place.
The Bible says "all have sinned", so you need Jesus as much as I did. Tell Jesus your sins and trust your life into his care.

Graham Webb