“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). This is a verse that many of us have heard and recited over and over. Yet, today it was relevant in one of the conversations I had with a young girl named Jasmine. She has consistently come to Russian Jack Park every day this summer, so I asked her what she thought about Jesus. She shared that she thinks that “he is the best and that we should obey all of his teachings.” So I asked her to share more, and I dug deeper. I asked her if I could share with her what the Bible says about Jesus, and she listened. It became clear that she believed in work-based salvation. I had the opportunity to share the gospel with her and how we are saved by grace alone. It was exciting to share this essential part of the gospel and talk about our need for God’s grace.

Imagine being 12 years old, the oldest sibling of 6, and having to care for all your siblings over the summer because school is out. There is no where for you to go because you have a single mom at work and not enough money for day care or a nanny. Living below the poverty line wondering what to do all summer while you are not in school. Wondering, if life being this hard is even worth it….