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An
Outreach Publication of the Church of Christ at
Creekwood |
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Derwin Henderson was coaching a youth football team several years ago in the Los Angeles, CA area. One day he was practicing his team on Compton’s Centennial High School football field when some onlookers approached him. Since Henderson was an officer with the Los Angeles Police department, they asked him to check on a group of boys they had seen slip into the Centennial school building. When he did, he encountered a group of boys. When the boys saw Henderson, they all broke and ran – all, that is, but one: 9-year-old Terrance Flournoy. Terrance claimed he wasn’t stealing or vandalizing. In his words, he was sneaking around in the closed school “because I don’t have nothing else to do.” Henderson had heard that statement made many times before. As an officer for the LAPD, he had arrested and booked more than 500 kids. He had personally seen many aimless kids destined either to drift into trouble, or had already done so. However, this time he decided to try something else with Terrance. “Nothing to do?” asked Officer Henderson. “Come with me.” He took him to the practice field and invited Terrance to join the team. Terrance shook his head. His mother wouldn’t let him, he said. His family (which included three other siblings) had just spent six months in a homeless shelter and would not be able to pay the fees to play football. After practice, Henderson drove Terrance to see his mother and told her that he would pay the fees if she would let him play. She agreed, so Terrance began playing football. Over the last several years, Henderson has done much more for Terrance than just giving him an opportunity to play football; he has spent a lot of time mentoring him on and off of the field, eventually becoming his legal guardian. In an interview, Henderson confessed: “I know a lot of people wonder why I’m doing this – what’s in it for me. My own mother gets a little upset – the money, the time. She says I do too much. Sometimes I think about that. But then I look at Terrance…” He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to. All he wanted was to do what he could to give Terrance a chance. * Even so, God observed YOU and ME, caught up in our sinful ways, and He wanted to give us a chance – an opportunity for an abundant life and eternal life to come. Because of His great love for us, He sent His Son into the world to pay the price for our sins, to redeem us from our vain manner of life (1 Peter 1:18-19). He is willing to accept us into His family if we will only: believe in Jesus and trust Him (Acts 16:30-31; Hebrews 11:6), turn from our sinful ways in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38). And, He has promised to continue to watch over us and cleanse us from our sins, if we will continue to strive to live obediently to Him (1 John 1:7). Redeeming love can change OUR lives, if we will only accept it. Won’t you? David
A. Sargent, Minister
* Information gleaned from article in Los
Angeles Times entitled, To Subscribe to "Living Water" send a blank e-mail to:
HTML version: subscribe-livingwater@lyris.dundee.net Follow this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchzip.com Archived issues of "Living Water" can be accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org
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