2.25-What is the greatest love?

2.25-

Luke 9.
23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his [n]life will lose it, but whoever loses his [o]life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.

As a young man in his teens he had attended a powerful youth group ministry. He had Jesus’ path put out before him by some radical, sold out teachers. He allowed himself to be apprehended by Jesus as his Savior and Lord.

He went on to become a lover of other teens in his youth group. He became a school security guard and football coach. He had a lot of fun in life with his fellow coaches and pushed players to their limit. He made it clear that he would accept nothing but the best. He was a father figure to many boys who did not have a relationship with their father. He had kicked one of these off the JV team. He told the young man to never come back until he had learned to believe in himself. After a while the young man got to the point where he did believe in himself and was able to rejoin the team.

He was the type of coach who would do anything for students who needed help. He would give rides home from the practices. When video tapes were needed to help a poor player get a chance at a scholarship he would make one himself of the highlights of the player.

He was the lowest paid coach at the high school, but one of the most lavish in giving to others. He was someone who loved the school where he had attended and was now a coach. Several head coaches came into the high school with a change out of other coaches, but he was always retained. He was the key to the heart of the players. If anyone needed anything they went to this coach.

Joesph LaGuardia heard on media that a school in Parkland Florida had been shot up and many students had been killed. He heard that there was a coach who had gotten involved by running to the gunman to stop the shooter and save other lives. He immediately thought of his high school friend, Aaron Feis. He followed up and found out that indeed this is who it was, his close friend from his high school youth group. They had been taught this verse from Jesus:

John 15.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

Larry Wishard
2.22.18