Danger

I received some email messages from a young lady who grew up in First Baptist Church of Hammond, went through our schools and attended Hyles-Anderson College for a while. If you are college age or younger, PLEASE read these messages! If you heed the message from this young woman's heart, you won't have to say someday "I wish I had." You will be able to say "I'm glad I did!"

Mr. Christensen,

I attended FBC and HB all of my life until recently

moving to Arizona where I attend Kevin Cowling's

church. I often go to the Baptist City website to see

what's new at FBC. I just wanted to send you a quick

thank you for running that site. It's hard when events

like the passing of Bro. Hyles and Mrs. Evans happen

and you are hundreds of miles away especially when you

are use to being right there. I especially enjoy the

sermons that are available to listen to. It sure does

a homesick HB kid good to hear Bro. Hyles, Jack Schaap,

etc. one more time. I can't recall all the times

someone said to us, "Better listen to that man, Bro.

Hyles, he won't be here forever." We couldn't even

fathom the thought of Bro. Hyles not being here, but

oh how I wish I could go back to those sermons that I

thought were boring or that I slept through. I wish I

could "sit up and pay attention" and engrave each word

in my brain and in my heart just one more time. For

all the sermons I did hear, I'm grateful but for all

the ones I did not pay attention, I wish I had.

Especially now because I'm away from FBC and there isn't

chapel everyday to help you in your daily life.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for doing what

Sincerely,

Class of '96

Upon receiving this note, I asked her for permission to to post it on our site to warn and help the young people.

Mr. Christensen,

You have my permission to use the email I sent to

you along with my name. I've often wished that there

would be some way that I could go back to HB/FBC and

say, "You know, they were right! The world really

doesn't have anything to offer." But then again, I

think of all the warnings we received and still did

not listen to. Sometimes it takes seeing the heartache

and the end result of the world's ways to truly

realize that has nothing to do with real happiness. I

won't lie, the world offers many fun things. But what I

have learned is that every one of them is temporary.

The party eventually stops and the consequences of sin

settle in. However, the joy of living a decent, pure,

Christian life never ends. So yes, please, warn our

FBC young people. I know these are the best kids in

the world. The ones most in danger are the ones like

me who grew up all their lives in FBC. It gets to be

so common, so routine and you think Bro. Eddie, Dr.

Boyd, Mr. Harrell all just do not want you to have any

fun. I quit Hyles-Anderson in '97 because I thought I

knew it all. I was bitter and angry over something

that happened, but also I was tired of being told what

to do. After all, I'm 19! I know what's best for me! I

wish like nothing else someone would have stopped me.

I cannot go back. I cannot undo what I did that day. I

will forever regret leaving Hyles-Anderson College. I

now treasure every memory I have there. So to the

teenagers of FBC/HB, I know it's hard being a FBC

teenager. The pressure to constantly do right and be

perfect is sometimes unbearable, but do not give up.

Keep doing what you should be doing and please, if

nothing else, listen to your authority. They really

are just trying to help save you a lot of heartache. I

Sincerely,

Class of '96

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