Shepherd's Hill Farm

Because of my burden for America, my prayer for Shepherd’s Hill Farm as a Christian wilderness program for troubled youth, from the beginning, was that God would give us a ministry that would impact, not just our community, but, in some way, the entire nation—perhaps the world.  In the eyes of the world, we are nobodies teaching other nobodies about Christ.  But, God, of course, sees us as somebody.  He sees a troubled teen as somebody.  Somebody was Billy Graham’s Sunday school teacher; somebody told D.L. Moody about Christ; and, somebody shared Jesus with John Newton—a troubled teen if there ever was one– the very troubled youth who became the once troubled man who wrote “Amazing Grace”.

These “somebody’s” not only impacted their nation, but the world!  Few people, if any, know who influenced these great men of God.  These “Somebody’s” for God where influenced by the “nobodies” of the world—all because some “nobodies” obeyed God!  What these former troubled youth are learning and experiencing here at Shepherd’s Hill Farm is revolutionizing their lives.  Public schools can’t teach it, and many private schools won’t.  But, the real tragedy is that because of political correctness, not even many Christian schools are creating an authoritative community environment, while reinforcing a biblical worldview either.  Many are little better than the garden variety public school.

There needs to be more Christian schools, Christian boarding schools, and Christian wilderness programs for troubled youth, like Shepherd’s Hill Farm, so that troubled teens can at least be exposed to a worldview that will resonate with that void that is in the heart of so many struggling teens today.  It’s a worldview that exalts God to His rightful position as Lord of our lives!  Only when we follow the order of the universe will we find our place in it.  It takes a long time to bring these kids to an understanding of their place in this world: but, it is the root of all of their hang-ups.  When they understand that God is God and they are not, they begin the healing process.

So, when they finally leave Shepherd’s Hill Farm for good and return to their mean streets and home cities around the nation and the world, perhaps some of them will become great themselves—not just in the eyes of the world, but great as God defines great.  Perhaps others will simply take the truth and love they experienced here at this Christian Wilderness program for troubled youth and take it back to their neighborhoods and make them great.  Perhaps, then, the “nobodies” of the world can leave here and make “somebody’s” of the troubled teens that still occupy those mean streets.  Perhaps, then, and in that way, to some degree, my prayer has already become a reality—a nobody bringing Somebody (Jesus) to anybody for the good of everybody!  Amen

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Tags: Christian boarding school, Christian wilderness program, Christian Wilderness Programs for Troubled Youth, troubled teen, troubled teens, troubled youth