       | | John 15:13 - No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one’s friends.
 David Zander - (07/23/81) Born and raised in a Christian home, baptized as a baby, confirmed at 14-- I pretty much fit the mold of that "good Christian boy"who could do no wrong. My parents instilled the importance of good morals since I was a baby and I would take these morals to heart through high school. During my college years, I got lost a bit in the party scene and turned my back on the God I had loved for so long. There was a lot of soul-searching during these years. I must have changed my major 5 times before finally settling on my present career. Most of my week consisted of 17 hour days of either working , going to class or flight training. Four years of that schedule can start to wear on a person. I often asked God if these efforts would ever be worth it one day. After graduating college, I started getting involved in the band with my buddy Jim. It began as a small worship band and, with the addition of new members, we watched it grow into a legitimate local band. It was great. He was writing music, I was writing lyrics, we were always involved with some activity in the church every week. Yet, my main focus was still giving in to temptation. Finally, about 2 years ago, after playing at a service, their pastor did a sermon on people in the church who aren’t saved. They go through all of the motions and from the outside you could never tell that they don't have Jesus in their heart. I remember accepting Jesus at a young age, but I had fallen off the path and for the first time in my life I had doubts as to where I was with God. So the pastor held an altar call, I went up, erased the doubt and renewed my life with Jesus. That was the first time I had accepted Him publicly and when I realized Christianity is more than believing--it's living. In our lives, we really only have two choices. We can choose to follow God's plan for us or choose to listen to the world. The emptiness you feel no matter how much money you make or how much you accomplish comes from the world. The feeling of peace no matter how low your life gets comes from God. I have seen the fruits God can supply when you are faithful to Him and I have felt the void in my heart that results from walking in the world. Now, there is no choice. I follow God.
Joshua 24:15 - But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
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