Everything was ready by 6:50 pm on Saturday night. The instruments had been tuned, the lights had been adjusted, and the sound equipment had been tested. The staff and volunteers were busy greeting the dozens of teenagers who were streaming in during the last few minutes before the start of service. Stephen sat next to his friend Angela watching the musicians taking their places on the stage. Not knowing what to expect he felt a little apprehension mixed with excitement. Before the service began Angela introduced him to some of her friends there. One of the girls sat next to them talking until the pastor came out to address the crowd.

      “Good evening, everyone! How are you feeling tonight?” The crowd cheered. A teenager nearby said something to a friend and they both laughed. Stephen kept his mind focused on the pastor.

      “Well, good. I know if you're like me you've been waiting for this all week.” He looked around behind him and saw that the band was in place and ready. There was a teenaged boy playing the drums, another on the base guitar, and two more on acoustic and electric guitars. A teenaged girl was on the keyboard and three more comprised the vocalists. A woman in her late twenties was the fourth vocalist and also led the band. The pastor turned back to the crowd.

      “Okay. Well, instead of hearing me flap my gums, how about we get right into some praise and worship.” The crowd cheered again and the pastor blinked as if they were cheering about the “flap my gums” comment. Some in the crowd laughed. Stephen laughed a little. The pastor smiled and continued. “Okay, then, let's stand up and worship Jesus. He's why we're here.”

      The pastor left the stage area and the singers stepped forward. Stephen and Angela stood up with the crowd. The praise leader made a motion with her hand and the band started playing an upbeat song that talked about a soul being rescued and shame being taken away. All around Stephen young people were clapping and singing and smiling. Stephen clapped, too, and tried to sing the unfamiliar words. By the time they got to the chorus of “My Redeemer Lives” he was smiling, too, and he wasn't sure why. On the overhead screen he saw the words “Hillsongs Australia” under the lyrics and he made a mental note of it. Everyone cheered when the song was finished. The praise leader spoke next, her eyes closed.

      “Lord, Jesus, we clap our hands for you! We praise you tonight, Lord.”

      They went into another song that was beautiful and more delicate. The chorus said “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever” and the credit on the bottom said “Martin Smith”. Angela tapped Stephen on the arm.

      “What do you think?” she asked.

      “Wow! I've never heard music like this before in church.”

      “It's good, isn't it?”

      “Yeah. They sound kind of like love songs.”

      Angela smiled and pointed up. “That's all they really are!” Stephen smiled and nodded.

      There was one more upbeat song that was followed by a few slow songs that told about God's Love and Mercy and Grace. They also expressed a profound love for Christ. The music was moving and Stephen became engrossed in the words. At one point he looked around at the raised hands and more than a few teary eyes and a strange emotion began to rise within him. He glanced over at Angela and saw her hands raised toward heaven. Her arms were open like a small child wanting to be picked up by her parent. Her eyes were closed as she sang and a tear ran down her cheek. He looked back up at the words on the screen that said, “Father, You're all I Need” and felt a growing sense of longing.

      When the last song ended the pastor came back on stage and said another prayer, thanking God for His Love and Mercy and His presence. Stephen wondered at the references to God's presence. The pastor ended his prayer and the music team left the stage.

      The pastor asked everyone to be seated. He took a few moments to gather his thoughts, and then started walking back and forth across the stage as he spoke.

      “The other day I was in the barbershop and I met a guy I went to high school with. We talked about old times and at one point he asked me what I do now. I told him I was a teen pastor at this church. He…” The pastor paused a moment searching for the right words. He stopped walking and faced the crowd. “He actually seemed disappointed!” He chuckled and shook his head, then continued moving around the stage, gesturing with hands. “At one time that might've bothered me, but it doesn't anymore. I know that God made me for this.” He stopped and looked at the crowd again. “I am living God's plan for my life and I couldn't be happier!” Some of the teens cheered. When he spoke next he seemed to be speaking directly to Stephen. “God has a plan for your life, too. The desires in your heart; desires about what you want to do and be, were put there by God. He made you for it.”

      The pastor paused a moment, looking down at the stage. Stephen thought about his words. The pastor looked back up at the crowd, his face serious. “I feel like we need to make some introductions. I had a whole sermon prepared, but I sense that we need to do something different. I know that many of you know Jesus personally, but I also realize that many of you do not.” He thought a moment. “How many of you feel the presence of the Lord tonight?” Many hands were raised, including Angela's. “If you're here tonight and you don't know Jesus personally, if you don't know whether or not you're saved, then I invite you to come up here to the front. I'd like to pray with you about it. Bring a friend if you like.”

      Stephen began fidgeting in his chair. Angela turned to him. “Would you like to go, Stephen?”

      “I'm not sure.”

      “I'll go up with you.” She thought a moment. “Stephen, you can be sure of your eternal destiny. It can be decided tonight. And having Jesus in your life is wonderful! He has made all the difference in my life. He saved my life!” She paused. “In Jesus is every good thing you've ever wanted. No one else loves you like he does.”

      Angela's words touched him and Stephen's eyes began to tear. He looked around and saw other teens heading for the stage. He nodded and they both stood up. Together they stepped out into the aisle.

      “Aw, @#%&!!!” cursed Sicarius. He was standing at an elevated spot nearby watching the service. Other demons with bows, all assassins, also stood nearby, bows at the ready and eyes focused on the service. Sicarius drew back the string, aimed carefully, and released the arrow. It sped down toward the crowd of teens in the aisle. The shot had been aimed perfectly, but just before it hit, an angel behind Stephen shattered the arrow with his sword.

      On the stage, where dozens of angels stood, Jesus looked up from where he stood ministering to the teens. His eyes met Sicarius' eyes and a look of disappointment and subdued anger spread across His holy face.

      An angel next to Jesus pointed to the assassins. “How dare they encroach upon this holy place!”

      “Make them take cover,” said the Son of God. He turned his attention back to the teens.

      “Yes, my Lord!” The angel shouted a command and two-dozen golden bows were raised and drawn. Each one was armed with a flaming arrow and the angels who held them sighted carefully. The demon assassins began to withdraw, but they weren't fast enough. The lead angel gave another command and two-dozen flaming arrows were loosed upon the demons.

      Two of the arrows struck Sicarius and he howled in pain and fear. He turned to curse his attackers, but hesitated as he saw twenty-four more arrows being loaded to their bows. The arrows were just bursting into flames as he turned again and fled.

      The music team returned to the stage and began playing softly. Several angels moved into the audience and began to minister grace and mercy and peace to the young people.

      Stephen approached the stage followed by Angela. They politely threaded their way through the teens that were gathered before the small stage. Not knowing what to do, Stephen bowed his head and clasped his hands together in front of his face. Angela stood next to him, her hand on his shoulder. The pastor spoke to the crowd.

      “The Gospel is simply this: We are all sinners who need to be justified before a Holy God. But none of us can do that. None of us can make ourselves right before God. It took Jesus, the Son of God, who lived a life without sin, to die in our place. Only one without sin could pay the price, could take the punishment, for our sin. He shed his precious blood to wash away our sins. If you turn away from a sinful life, and accept Jesus' sacrifice for your sins, then you will be saved. Jesus rose from the dead and is alive today. When you make him the Lord of your life, then you become a child of God. How many of you want this?” Hands went up throughout the sanctuary. “All right. Then repeat this prayer after me.”

      The pastor led the teens in the sinner's prayer. Stephen repeated the words quietly, but deliberately. When they had finished Angela patted Stephen's shoulder, tears in her eyes. “Welcome to the Kingdom, Brother.” Stephen nodded, but couldn't speak. Then he smiled at her.

      Some of the teens were beginning to drift back to their seats. The pastor addressed the crowd. “If any of you feel you need prayer, then please come up here to the front. I or one of the elders will pray with you.”

      “Do you want to stay?” asked Angela. Stephen nodded. “How do you feel?”

      Stephen struggled for the words for a moment, then said, “Jesus is so good.”

      Angela hugged him and said, “Yes, he is.”

      An elder came up and stood before Stephen. He smiled warmly and said, “Do you need prayer for anything specific?” Stephen shook his head. The elder put his hands on Stephen's head and said, “Father, please bless this young man. Heal what is broken, and release in him what you have for him tonight. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen”

      The elder patted Stephen on the shoulder and moved on. Then Jesus stood before Stephen. He wrapped his arms around Stephen and Stephen began to cry.

      “I love you, Stephen,” said Jesus.

      “He loves you, Stephen,” Angela repeated.

      “I love you so much.”

      “He loves you so much.”

      Jesus felt along Stephen's back and found one of the arrows. He grasped it tightly. “I want to take your pain away, Stephen.”

      “He wants to take your pain away, Stephen.”

      “Will you let me?”

      “Will you let him?”

      Stephen nodded and began to cry again. Jesus began to pull the arrow out and Stephen shuddered. He started weeping with an anguish that echoed up from the depths of his shattered soul.

      “Let it go, Stephen,” said Jesus, gently.

      “Let it go, Stephen,” repeated Angela, gently.

      “You can trust me. Let it go.”

      “You can trust him. Let it go.”

      Stephen nodded almost imperceptibly and continued crying hard. The arrow slid out and Jesus dropped it by his side. It disintegrated before it hit the ground. Then the Son of God held Stephen tightly and kissed him on the head. After a few moments he felt for the next arrow, but Stephen's heavy sobbing changed his mind. Those would come later. He held Stephen a little longer, and then released him.

      “I'm so proud of you,” said Jesus. “I'm glad you're mine now.”

      Angela repeated the words, then held Stephen as Jesus moved on to another teen. Angela released him and the two started to head back to their seats, then Stephen suddenly stopped. He turned to face Angela.

      “Before we go, could you pray with me for my dad?”

      Angela, with tears still in her eyes, smiled and nodded. “Sure.”

      And there at the foot of the stage, before the alter of God, the two teens prayed for Stephen's father.