Extreme Makeover - A Christmas Eve Message...Continued from page 5

There are literally hundreds of equivalent personal testimonies of God's transformational power within this very room tonight. Our stories may not be as dramatic and well known as that of Colson's, but they are just as true and just as transformational and every bit as clear of the evidence of God's extreme makeover.

There is one more dimension to this business of extreme makeover. God won't do it to you unless you let Him. It is sort of a strange paradox in a way. You can't make over yourself without God's help. On the other hand, God doesn't spiritually rape you. He invites you to allow Him to come into your life. You are the one who has to say yes or no. And you know whether or not you have experienced the extreme makeover of His eternal life, His spiritual rebirth, His salvation, His forgiveness, His new creation, His reconciliation.

He offers you His gift of extreme makeover. But it will never happen unless you let it.

Have you received this gift? If you have, you know it. Perhaps you have wandered away a bit from the Lord and you need to come back to Him. But you know whether or not you have admitted your need and put your trust in Him alone for salvation. If you haven't, I invite you to do it tonight. Don't delay. Don't put it off. Now is the accepted moment. This is what our whole ministry at St. Andrew's is all about ? leading men, women and children to a personal, saving faith in Jesus Christ, helping us grow in our faith, and serving others here and throughout the world.

Right now, as this center candle, the Christ candle, is lit, I urge you to take one of three actions.

One, if you have already given your life to Jesus Christ, celebrate His extreme makeover.

Two, if you have wandered away from Him, come home.

Three, if you have never repented of sin and trusted Jesus Christ alone for His extreme makeover, I invite you now to invite Him into your life, join His forever family and receive His great gift!

And let me add one additional word. If, for some reason, you can't bring yourself to make this commitment right now and you need more information and time to reflect, I want to do for you precisely what Tom Phillips did for Charles Colson. Give me your business card at the door of the church or drop me a note, signifying your interest, and I will purchase and send to you a copy of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

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John A. Huffman, Jr. is Pastor of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, CA.