Billy Graham’s grandson Will Graham told hundreds gathered for prayer and worship over the weekend that while sin can be “fun,” the gratification one receives from it eventually wears out and leaves them searching for a more permanent gratification and purpose in their lives.
Iowans gathered in Des Moines, Iowa, for one of Graham’s “Celebration” evangelistic outreach events from Friday to Sunday, where they heard performances from singers like CeCe Winans and Aaron Shust, as well as a message from the 46-year-old evangelist.
Graham, the son of Franklin Graham, has hosted about three dozen Celebration crusade events worldwide since 2015.
“Sin is fun, but then you have to do it again tomorrow, and then you have to do it again to keep it up,” Graham, executive director of the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in North Carolina, said.
“It just wears off. And then, all of a sudden, you realize it never satisfied. But, when you give your life to Christ, [satisfaction] never wears off,” he added. “I never met a person who gave their life to Christ that regretted it. I’ve had more fun being a Christian than I ever could not being a Christian.”
“Trust me, when you follow Christ, you’ll have more fun, more meaning, more satisfaction in life than you ever had before,” Graham, who also serves as vice president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, emphasized.
According to Graham, many people are unhappy with their lives because they do not know their purpose even if they have full-time jobs. As a result, they can face anger, arguments and a lack of satisfaction.
Graham stressed that God designed everyone with a purpose that can only be found in God Himself. Purpose, he said, comes from Heaven, not from earth.
“Your purpose is not a job. Your purpose is not something you do on earth. It’s not how you make an income … You can’t buy purpose. You can’t get an education for purpose,” Graham explained. “A creator gives purpose to his creation. A painter gives purpose to his painting. A builder gives purpose to the building he’s making. God gives purpose. And my friends, you can understand your purpose. … God’s purpose brings fulfillment.”
Everyone’s purpose is to be in a relationship with God, he added. He directed the audience’s attention to Genesis, where Adam and Eve disobeyed God.
“God called out to Adam and Eve, [but] God knew where they were,” he said. “It’s kind of like when you’re playing hide and seek with your kids. You ask them where they are. You know where they are because you can see their feet behind the curtain. But we say that to call them back to us.”
“Even in the garden, even when they had disobeyed, God was chasing after them,” he stressed. “And, my friends, God is chasing after you tonight. That’s how much He loves you.”
Graham told the audience that God sent Jesus to forgive sins because every human “falls short of the glory of God.”
“Surrender your present, your past, all the bad things you’re ashamed of, all your guilt and everything in your future. … Surrender to Him,” he said. “Say, ‘Lord, I’m yours.'”
Graham encouraged the audience to find a church and become actively involved. While many can be picky about what church they go to, he offered the reminder that there’s no such thing as a perfect church.
“It’s made up of imperfect people. We’re not perfect yet. When we get to Heaven, we’ll be perfect, but, until then, we will be imperfect,” he concluded. “You’re still going to have problems at church from time to time, but I promise you this — it’s the greatest place to be. I go to church any time I can because I learn there and I study. God speaks to me that way.”
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