Emphasis Preaching Journal

Carol grew up attending church but stopped once she started college. "I wanted to sleep in," she explains, "but mostly I wanted to exercise my newfound freedom from my parents."

The lifestyle she chose was common among young adults, "one that encouraged freedom, independence, and self-reliance" she says. With each step Carol took, she distanced herself from God. Years later at one low point in her life Carol told her parents, "God has forgotten me." Her parents assured her that God had not deserted her but continued to love her. They encouraged her to attend church.