Today our team went to hand out pizza to the homeless and to worship in one of the wildest places on earth--Venice Beach.  The atmosphere was rank with marijuana and everyone you met didn't quite seem to be in their right minds. As we walked down the boardwalk there was psychic on every block and homeless youth begging for money for their next drink or hit. Outwardly, people were celebrating the free and loose life of the 60's but as we talked to them it didn't take very long to see that this was facade. The hopeless of this community ran deep and the anger and resentment against anything godly was blatant.

As we passed out free slices of pizza and offered prayer to homeless youth I was taken about at the response to our offer for prayer. Most of these young people who were obviously at the lowest point of their lives could not see or at least admit to any need for God. But amidst all of the evil, hatred, depravity and bondage God was preparing one young man for an encounter with him.

As we were worshiping on the streets and talking to people a young man named Mike approached us for a slice of pizza. Later he told us that he was so drawn to us because he could see light radiating from our team. We spoke to him about Jesus and he immediately soaked in everything we said. It was as if he was at a point of desperation and starving for Jesus! After a time of sharing Mike gave his life to Jesus! Some men from the Dream Center offered to enroll him in the residential discipleship program on the conditions that he would give up his drugs and his cell phone and commit to a one year process. Immediately Mike left all to follow Jesus and we put him in our van and drove him to his new life and his new family!

I was absolutely overwhelmed at the love of Christ to rescue this young man from the fires of hell and the hopelessness of the streets of Venice Beach! God is so faithful!